News from the Career and Pathways HUB

It has been a busy term of meetings with Year 12 students and many of their families to try to work through tertiary preferences and pathway options for 2024. All students have now opened their VTAC accounts and entered preferences, and I have sent email reminders to those students who still need to pay their VTAC course application fee. Please see the table below for a summary of important reminders.

While the focus for the Year 12s will now move to exam preparation, I have turned my attention to the Year 11 group. I have enjoyed re-connecting with these students - who I haven’t met with since early last year – and hearing about their current career goals, answering any questions they might have and generally touching base. I am very pleased to hear so many of them report that they have been to tertiary open days this year, and have conducted other research into their areas of interest. It is impressive to hear how invested many of these students are in their futures, and it will no doubt make their decision making over the next 12 months much easier. HT Connect has lots of information to assist students in their career research, and I urge everyone to explore the Careers and Pathways page.

Year 10 students have spent much of this term preparing for the world of work, starting with a week of work experience, followed by developing their CVs and cover letters and culminating in a session on interview skills. Now that the September holidays are upon us, it is the perfect time for students to be applying for casual jobs to take them through the busy Christmas period and beyond. The transferrable skills developed through casual work can be invaluable to young people entering a competitive employment market in the future and we urge the students to take advantage of the multitude of opportunities currently available. There is a jobs board on HT Connect for students and parents to use, listing many opportunities in the local area that are suitable for secondary school students.

VTAC information – final deadline reminders for Year 12 students

The following information was emailed to all Year 12 students last week and many have completed the required tasks already. Please read through the list and ensure all is completed by the listed deadline to ensure students are eligible for tertiary offers.

Task

Due date

Timely applications through VTAC

Thursday 28th September

Pay application fee of $55

Thursday 28th September

(this fee goes up to $140 if applications are made after this date)

Complete SEAS applications

(including category 1, which all students need to actively apply for – no supporting documentation is required for this category)

Friday 6th October

Complete VTAC scholarships application

Friday 6th October

(This ideally needs to be completed by 15th September)

Upload all relevant documentation for SEAS and scholarships

Friday 6th October

(This ideally needs to be completed by 15th September)

Complete additional tasks required for your particular course selections

Check your VTAC inbox for more details on this, as you will have been sent information and key dates

Various dates starting from 28th September

Early Entry Programs

Many universities, including Latrobe, ACU and Swinburne, offer early entry programs that Year 12 students can apply for throughout June-September (application period depends on the university). Applying for these courses means that students may receive an offer to a course based on their Year 11 results and co-curricular and community involvement prior to sitting exams in October/November, which can alleviate a lot of pressure. Information regarding early entry programs can be found on HT Connect here.

Upcoming events

What’s on?	Relevant to:	When?	Further information and registration
Melbourne University campus tours	Year 10-12 students	Various dates	Register here
Swinburne University campus tours	Year 10-12 students	Various dates	Register here
Monash University campus tours	Year 10-12 students	21st September (Peninsula and Caulfield) 28th September (Clayton)	Register here
Deakin University Campus tours	Year 10-12 students	20th September (Waurn Ponds) 21st September (Warrnambool) 26th September (Melbourne) 27th September (Waterfront)	Register here
Monash University Art and Design experience days	Year 10-12 students	26th & 27th September	Register here
RMIT campus tours	Year 10-12 students	18th September (City) 20th September (Bundoora) 22nd September (Brunswick)	Register here
A Day in the Life of a Swinburne Student	Year 9-12 students	19th, 20th & 21st September	Register here
Monash University Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences tours	Year 9-12 students	19th-20th September	Register here
Monash University Nursing and Midwifery tour	Year 9-12 students	Wednesday 20th September	Register here
Monash University Business Explorer	Year 11 and 12 students interested in studying Business and Commerce	Wednesday 27th September	Register here
Monash University VCE Revision Lectures	Unit 3/4 Maths Methods, Chemistry, Biology and Physics students	25th-28th September	Register here
Monash University Science Precinct Tours	Year 10-12 Students	Saturday 30th September	Register here

Ms Alison Howard

Career Pathways Advisor

Debating