Eyes on VET

Welcome to another edition of Eyes on VET!

On Tuesday, 12 May, a VET Pathways Information Evening was held at the school in the Performing Arts Centre. It was great to have this session so well-attended by students and parents/guardians. The highlight of the evening was having six current Year 12 VET Connect students take part in a Student Guest Speaker Panel to share their journey and achievements to date in the program. Congratulations to Otto Hori, Mack Chidlow, Eden Chung, Trevor Eastwood, Sam Gardner and Savannah Griffiths for being such hard-working students who are wonderful ambassadors for the VET Connect program.  Take a moment to read about their achievements below:

Otto Hori is enrolled in a Certificate II in Construction Pathways at school and is currently working towards completion of a Certificate II in Electrotechnology at SM TAFE, which he started in Year 11. He attends one day of WPL at Just Chill Air con and Electrical. 

Mack Chidlow is enrolled in Certificate II in Hospitality at school. He completed a Certificate III in Screen and Media at North Metro TAFE last year and is currently working towards completing a Certificate IV in School-Based Education Support at FEC. Mack has been doing WPL at Mount Pleasant PS since he started the VET Connect program.

Eden Chung is enrolled in Certificate II in Hospitality at school. In Year 11, Eden completed a Skill Set in Retail Cosmetics at SM TAFE, a Certificate IV in Business at FEC and she is currently attending SM TAFE two days per week, where she is undertaking a Certificate III in Aviation (Cabin Crew). Eden completed Workplace Learning last year at a Primary School, Bellini Italian Restaurant and Mandurah Aquatic.

Trevor Eastwood completed Certificate II in Sport and Recreation at school last year, as well as a Diploma of Sport at Diamond High Performance. He is currently completing Certificate II in Sport Coaching at school and Certificate III in Fitness at Diamond High Performance, as well as undertaking Workplace Learning at the same place.

Sam Gardner is completing a Certificate II in Construction Pathways here at school, achieved a Certificate III in Community Services at Health Science Hub, and is currently working towards completion of a Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation (Psychology) at the same RTO. Sam also attends Deck the Malls one day per week for Workplace Learning.

Savannah Griffiths is enrolled in Certificate II in Hospitality at school, she completed a Skill Set in Tourism at SM TAFE in Year 10, and is undertaking a Certificate III in Animal Care Services at Health Science Hub. Savannah completed Workplace Learning at Wagz Daycare and Grooming in Year 11, and this year has been at Fremantle Animal Hospital and at Attadale Vet Hospital. 

Applications for our popular VET Connect program opened on Wednesday, 13 May. On the first day alone, 69 students collected application forms, and to date, more than 100 forms have been distributed. I look forward to reviewing all submissions. Once received, applications will be assessed against the selection criteria to determine which students will progress to the next stage of the process - interviews.

Key dates in the Application Process:

• Wednesday, 13 May – Applications open
• Monday, 25 May (3:00 pm) – Applications close
• Wednesday, 27 May – Interview invitation letters distributed at school
• Tuesday, 2 June – Interviews commence

• Wednesday, 10 June – Letters of Offer issued

   

I wish all applicants the very best with their submissions and look forward to meeting our prospective VET Connect students for 2027 during the interview stage.

Having to make decisions about what courses to select for their final years at school can be a daunting task for students, especially when there are so many viable options with VET, General and ATAR pathways. However, it is a wonderful opportunity to take some concrete steps toward future career planning.

Year 11 and 12 VET Connect and P2C students who are up to date with all their work, both at school and at external courses, will not be required to attend any catch-up classes during the exam-free period in Weeks 6 and 7 and can enjoy a few extra days off. However, all students MUST still attend their workplace and/or external course on Thursday and Friday, which includes the School Development Day on Friday, 29 May. Attendance will be carefully tracked on these days. Workplace Learning Logbooks and Skills Journals will be collected on the students' first day back in Week 8, and need to be updated and ready for me to mark and report on in Semester 1 Reports. 

I look forward to seeing all students back at school in Week 8, refreshed and ready to complete the last 4 weeks of Term 2. 

Spotlight on Motor Trade Association of Western Australia (MTA WA) Pre-Apprenticeship Enrolments for July 2026

MTA WA Pre-Apprenticeship enrolments for July 2026 are now open and applications close on the 29th of May. This is a practical, hands-on course designed for Year 11 and 12 students who are considering a trade career in the automotive industry. It's a fantastic first step that gives students a real insight into what to expect when working in the automotive field.

Snapshots around the workplace… 

… to Madison Jenkins (Year 11 VET Connect) on being offered a School-Based Traineeship to complete a Certificate II in Salon Assistant at Hair Associates.

…to Otto Hori, Mack Chidlow, Eden Chung, Trevor Eastwood, Sam Gardner and Savannah Griffiths (Year 12 VET Connect) for volunteering their time at the VET Pathways Information Evening. They are all wonderful ambassadors for the VET Connect program. 

… to Safal Kolambkar and Ming Xian On (Year 12 VET Connect) on completing a Certificate IV in  Business at FEC. Both students have now commenced a Diploma of Business at the same RTO.

…Olly Souster (Year 11 VET Connect) on being offered an apprenticeship at Cordina Marine, where he was undertaking a work placement as part of his Certificate II in Engineering Foundations.

…Sidney Flanagan-Hawkes and Fynn Barwick (Year 10), who were the first Year 10 students to collect a VET Connect Application from the VET Office at 7:40 am… now that’s keen!

Please keep your ‘Eyes on VET’ in the next Parent Update.

Best wishes

Melinda Kennington, VET Manager