Bemin Secondary College

Careers & Pathways

Hi Bemin school community, Term 1 has been a busy time getting to know all the new Year 10 students and make time to formulate plans for our Year 11’s. It is always a good time to remind students about opportunities such as work experience in Year 10. I have had a lot of questions about this, please read below for further details. 

What is work experience?

  • Work experience is the short-term placement of secondary school students with employers. It is usually in 1 week block.
  • Work experience is generally undertaken in Year 10.

What is the purpose of work experience?

  • to provide students with insights into industry and the workplace
  • to develop employability skills
  • to explore potential career options
  • to understand employer expectations
  • to increase self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence

Students are placed with employers primarily to observe and learn – not to undertake activities which require extensive training or expertise.

Students going out on Work experience need to submit a Work experience arrangement form. They will also need to complete a safety certificate. 

 

Leaving school early – the facts

 In Victoria, the law is:

Your child cannot leave schooling until they are 17 years old.

  • Your child must go to a school campus (or an approved alternative) until they finish year 10.
  • After year 10, your child does not need to go to a school campus. But they must take part in education, training or employment for at least 25 hours per week, until they are 17 years old.

The benefits of staying at school

Research shows that many students who leave school without finishing year 12 will:

  • earn less money when they start work
  • be more likely to have long periods of unemployment
  • be less likely to return to study later in life.

Encourage your child to stay in school and explore their options for finishing year 12. Finishing year 12 will help them later in life.

 

If you are a student who feels you would benefit from leaving school, make an appointment with me and  bring your parent to the meeting.  

 

Schools provide different ways to finish year 12 and can tailor the experience to your child’s goals, interests and strengths by including:

  • the study option that suits them. This could be the VCE, VCE Vocational Major or Victorian Pathways Certificate
  • vocational training in your child’s studies, which is practical or hands-on learning
  • incorporating an school-based apprenticeship or traineeship where you child will split their learning between school, a workplace and potentially a TAFE.

If finishing year 12 is not the best option for your child, there are other options like finishing year 12 through a non-school provider.

 

              Get a career Head Start at school

Kickstart your career with a school base apprenticeship or traineeship at school

Are you interested in a school-based apprenticeship?

My name is Debbie Hema and I am a HeadStart Coordinator for the Western Melbourne region. I work with students in 8 local schools, including Bemin Secondary College, which is where I’m based. Students may have seen the banner outside my office in the Library.

 

My role is to assist students in Years 10-12 within Government schools to participate in a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SBAT). This program allows students to receive paid, on-the-job training that leads to a qualification in their chosen industry. This qualification also contributes to the successful completion of a VCE VM program.

 

An SBAT allows students to begin an apprenticeship part-time, while still attending school. They then transition to the apprenticeship full-time upon completing Year 12. 

 

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please speak with the College Careers Practitioner, Charmaine De Sousa, to discuss the possibility of an SBAT. She will then refer you on to me for a ‘work readiness’ discussion.

 

Interested students should preferably have completed some work experience within their chosen pathway, should be prepared to contact employers, and be prepared to travel.

 

This year HeadStart also welcomes Rebecca Jepson as the Learning Leader for the Western Region. Rebecca has twenty years’ teaching experience in government secondary schools, with high level experience in the VCE, VCE VM and VET space.

 

Rebecca’s role is to monitor TAFE progress, as well as support the learning of SBAT students. She ensures that each student’s learning plan will allow for successful completion of a senior secondary certificate, plus their vocational qualification. Rebecca will also be providing assistance to the surrounding P-9 schools in their Careers Education programs. 

 

Girls in Engines – Career immersion day for Girls interested in Automotive.

Bemin students had a great time at Point Cook Secondary College where they explored their Trade Training Centre and got to meet staff who were responsible for the smooth operations of the centre. Next students were taken to Cummins in Laverton to tour the facilities and learn more about the industry that produces and services heavy diesel engines. The girls were able to have a look around the premises which employs a vast number of people within the sectors of engineering, manufacturing and servicing. Cummins is committed to increasing their female workforce and have created programs to attract interested females into the profession. Our female students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity as it has given them insight into the one of many STEM careers available to them.