Careers at MSCW  

It is important to note that each person’s career journey is different, with varied pathways, challenges and outcomes. You will be influenced by different experiences and people as you progress through your career – your plans may change once you leave school, commence study or enter your first job.

When starting and throughout your decision making, it is important to consider who you are, your interests, things you are good at, your ambitions and preferred lifestyle.

The key to a successful career is adopting a life-long learning approach, research and making the most of opportunities.

For parents, now is a great time to have a conversation with your child/ren about your current role, skills, education and tasks needed to get to where you are today. This can then lead into a meaningful discussion about your child/ren, their interests, abilities and ambitions.

Maybe consider Arrive and Thrive’s Career Conversation Dinner Menu…

Activities we hope will support decision-making:

• College Assembly on 23 July.
• Year 12 VTAC Session 22 July
• Year 9 Careers Day including Job Skills Expo (Lardner Park) 
• Year 9 and 10 Subject Selection Interviews
• Year 9 and 10 Morrisby Interviews
• Individual student appointments – students can make these via the link on Simon using their school email and password.

Year 9 Job Skills Expo – 23 July

Coordinated by the team at BBLLLEN this fabulous opportunity involves organisation stalls and seminars. Year 9 students and their parents/carers might like to use the 2024 Job Skills Student Guide flyer and QR codes to access handy resource which are great for searching, exploring and planning our time at Job Skills Expo (MSCW Year 9s have been allocated 11:15am – 1:15pm):

• Job Skills Interactive Map The map can be used to search based on student interests, and the contact details, website and socials information for each exhibitor are able to be accessed there also - https://jobskills24.expofp.com 
• Seminar Timetable (see below)
• Details on the Your Gippsland 2035 (see below)
• Info on the Job Skills Bingo including $100 vouchers up for grabs

Please note that there is a Opt Out Form for Photo/Media No Consent. If you DO NOT wish for your child’s photo to be taken, please fill out this opt-out form before 18th July. Opt-out form: https://tinyurl.com/jobskillsoptout

Also, several exhibitors will be using VR headsets or flight simulations during the Expo. We ask parents/carers speak to their child if they are not medically fit to do these activities. Exhibitors have also been asked to do a verbal check with students before they begin to use the technology.

Subject Selection Timeline

All current (2024) year 8, 9, 10 and 11 students will have received an email with log in details and instructions for the 2025 Subject Selection/Web Preference Portal. 

Please see key dates for 2025 Subject Selection over the next few weeks:

Year 9 2025 Dates

Applications for Year 9 Trade Pathways Program will continue to be accepted until end of Term 3. 

Year 10 2025 Dates

 Year 11 2025 Dates

Year 12 2025 Dates

Key resources to assist with decision making:

• Students have been provided with a Traffic Light Strategy Worksheet.
• Marist-Sion College 2025 Subject Selection Handbook (available on Simon > Student Academic Information)
• Year 9 – 12 students have access to Morrisby and should utilise this resource to aid decision making via the My Choices tab in their individual account www.morrisby.com (students can also provide Parent Access).
• VCAA website especially for information on VCE Studies, VCE VM, Higher Education and Get VET and Where to Now Guide www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/ 
• VTAC website especially if interested in learning about Victorian tertiary courses and pre-requisites www.vtac.edu.au or Course Seeker if open to exploring tertiary options nationally www.courseseeker.edu.au 
• Victorian Skills Gateway website especially if interested in VET opportunities during and after school https://www.skills.vic.gov.au/s/ 
• My Future website especially the Career Bullseye section if students have a particular subject that they enjoy www.myfuture.edu.au
• Your Career for general careers and pathways research www.yourcareer.gov.au
• 2023 CEAV Resource Pathways https://ceav.vic.edu.au/media/252898/pathways-for-education-training-employment-animation.mp4

Info to assist School Leavers and Current Year 12s

National Careers Institute School Leavers Kit and Information Service

To support young people as they prepare to leave school, the School Leavers Information Kit and the School Leavers Information Service provide tailored careers information to help young people understand their education, training and work pathways. More info https://yourcareer.gov.au/

Apprenticeship and Traineeship Resources

Both Australian Apprenticeships and Your Career offer helpful information on apprenticeships and traineeships.

For Year 9 to 12 students this information is also readily available in your Morrisby > My Choices section, especially in the Career Routes diagrams, Subjects and Post School areas. 

Tertiary Options

State-based Tertiary Admission Centres process course applications on behalf of universities, some TAFE institutes, and some private providers. 

You can research courses, prerequisites, selection criteria and ATAR profiles for the previous year’s intake. 

Victoria                 www.vtac.edu.au

NSW & ACT         www.uac.edu.au 

QLD                        www.qtac.edu.au 

SA & NT                www.satac.edu.au          

Tasmania             www.utas.edu.au 

WA                         www.tisc.edu.au 

Australia wide search

www.courseseeker.edu.au 

Tertiary course and provider comparison tool 

www.compared.edu.au 

VET/TAFE Options

Your Career has a national directory of vocational education (VET) organisations and courses. 

If you are keen to stay in Victoria, it is also worth visiting the Victorian Skills Gateway and keep an eye on the Job Trainer and Free TAFE options which may continue into next year.

MSCW Pathways Hub via Study Work Grow

SWG is a super comprehensive career resource aimed at supporting secondary school students and their families with career decisions.

And access to the Marist-Sion College Pathways Hub couldn’t be easier – just click on the link and you will find resources relating to:

• Further Study, including some great guides for Open Days, Subject Selection, Early Entry Guide, Scholarships Guide, etc.
• Finding Work
• Possible Pathways, including a Career Cluster Quiz
• Life and Money, including a Gap Year Guide
• For Families, a section designed to support positive career conversations

Furthermore, students, parents, and carers can still navigate around the main website studyworkgrow.com for all the latest blogs, job spotlights, events, scholarships, competitions and more. While those who prefer to watch and listen than read, might also like to check out their YouTube Page which has lots of student/carer/teacher-friendly content.

Year 10 Work Placement

From Tuesday 12 June to Friday 21 June, Year 10 students participated in work placement and/or a school supervised program. The students in attendance have received overwhelmingly positive feedback and we are sincerely grateful to our many and varied host organisations.

The school supervised program involved a mix of service activities around the school and careers activities.

Some of the positive feedback received from our employers:

• Greg at Southern Cross Farms: “I hope to pass on my congratulations to him (Will) on being the one of the best work experience students we have had. His presence within our workplace was a very positive one and we know he will do well in his chosen career.”
• Paul at Inscope Plumbing: “It was a pleasure to have Keegan onboard with us here at Inscope Plumbing.  He will make an excellent plumber.”
• Audrey at Baw Baw Shire: “It was a pleasure to have Kendra with us for the two weeks, she was confident and contributed well to the team.”
• Tess at The Cassidy Crew: “I also just wanted to take the opportunity to say that Isabella was an absolute pleasure to have with us at TCC, and we are very grateful for not only her time/ energy, but for choosing to show up with such consistency, presence and proactivity each and every day.”
• Ben at Hoskins Electrical: “Daniel has done really well. He has a great future for sure. He has great work ethic and he is willing to learn. We have taken on numerous work experience kids over the years and he stands out by far.”
• Brad at The Locker Room: “We are loving have Natalya at our business. She is very bright and has a good feel for things. She is asking good questions, and we are hopeful that she is getting some great life values here also. She is finishing up at the end of the week so will provide feedback for sure. Thank you for allowing Natalya this experience which I believe as a business owner is invaluable to young people of today growing towards life lessons in the working field.”

Some of the student feedback:

Jess at Gladstone St Medical Clinic: “One of the reasons I enjoyed work experience was because I got to meet heaps of new people and I got along well with all the staff I was working with. A second reason is I learnt heaps of new things that I never thought I would learn.”

Chloe at Sweet Treats by Jamie Lee: “I had an amazing time baking lots of things and doing what interests me. I liked being able to bake multiple things in one day without having to think about who would eat it all.”

Thomas at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre: “Work experience at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre was an amazing experience that cannot be rated. I witnessed the processes which help create life changing vaccines, medications and improve the health of people in Victoria, Australia and in areas they have a global impact.”

Maisy at Warragul and District Specialist School: “This work experience at the Specialist School has been amazing and I have loved it. I learnt new skills and found out how much I love to work with children and people with disabilities. I learnt how routines matter and what can occur when things change. I also learned how much goes into being a teacher and Education Support Officer.”