Pathways 

Pathways Newsletter 8th March 2024 

Careers Expos

Gateway LLEN Career Expo 

Our local learning provider is running a careers expo at the Box Hill Town Hall on Thursday March 14. A huge range of employers, industry associations and training partners will host a fun and interactive expo dedicated to careers, training, and employment specifically for students in the Manningham, Monash and Whitehorse LGA’s. 

The Expo was delivered for the first time last year and was a huge success with 70 exhibitors on show and over 700 students attending. The expo provides the opportunity to connecting exhibitors with the future workforce and opportunity to showcase their business. Students can discuss the skills and pathways involved in an extensive range of trades and professions as well as bring along their resume for professional guidance.

Senior students in Years 10, 11 or 12 who are interested in attending this free event must register their interest with Pathways as times are allocated to make the experience more personable. 

Victorian Careers and Employment Expo The annual Victorian Careers and Employment Expo is open from March 14-16 at the Melbourne Showgrounds from 9am – 3pm Thursday and Friday and 9am – 4pm Saturday. The Expo showcases over 130 organisations and employers with career opportunities for all ages. Entry is free. 

News + Events

Where Women Work is a female-focused careers platform and an International Women’s Day collaboration, showcasing Prime Employers for Women. While it’s UK based, many companies are international, so offer Australian women like you, inspiring career opportunities. 

Check it out to see who makes their top 50 list!

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is an Australian Government statutory agency to promote and improve workplace gender equality. For the first time, it has published the gender pay gaps for nearly 5,000 Australian employers, to speed up progress to close the gender pay gap. 

Try VET @ Swinburne 

Swinburne’s Try VET events are like mini Open Days designed to give you all the information you need to choose a career. Register to attend through the link Registrations now open 

At the March event at the Wantirna campus, you will: 

• Hear about Swinburne’s certificate and diploma courses. 

• Get a taste of the heath and engineering areas with interactive workshops. 

• Have the opportunity to speak directly to teaching staff and the applications team. 

• Enjoy a free BBQ! 

Try VET – Health and Engineering 

• 19 March 2024 5:30 - 7:00 pm, Wantirna A Day in the Life of a STEM and Aviation Student

 • 9 April 2024 A Day in the Life of a Creative and Design Student 

• 10 April 2024 A Day in the Life of a Business and Criminology Student 

• 11 April 2024 

Can't attend in March? You can also attend the Try VET event on 23 April at Croydon campus or 21 May at Wantirna campus. Details will be available soon. 

Monash MYSci 

MYSci is a three-day science program designed for students who in Year 11 and 12 in 2024. 

The program is different from the 2023 event, so if you attended in 2023, you can also attend in 2024! 

The program schedule includes:

 • Hands-on workshops 

• Access to our brilliant teaching facilities 

• Opportunities to meet some of our Research Scientists 

• Exposure to potential career pathways 

• Activities with the Young Scientists of Australia 

• Social activities 

Cost: $120 per student 

When: Wednesday 3rd – Friday 5th April 2024 Where: Monash Science Precinct, Clayton Campus 

Year 10 - 12 Chemistry Workshops @ Monash Uni 

Students in VCE Chemistry Units 3 and 4 are invited to join Monash University to “power up” your chemistry skills and knowledge with an online workshop run by expert Dr David Manallack, an award-winning Monash academic. 

All content aligns with the new VCE Chemistry study design and provides you with an understanding of selected concepts in the context of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. Session one reviews and revises the content of VCE Chemistry Unit 3, while session two provides a kick start for VCE Chemistry Unit 4. 

Date: April TBC 

Time: 10:00am-11:00am for Unit 3, and 11:30am-12:30pm for Unit 4 

Venue: online via Zoom 

More information. 

Mathematics Research Competition @ Uni Melb 

Be a mathematician and unleash your creativity and problem solving skills! The University of Melbourne‘s School of Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition provides you with the opportunity to understand what it means to conduct mathematical and statistical research. 

Open to all students in Years 5 - 12, you will research into a given project: 

• Work in teams of 1, 2 or 3 students.

 • Choose the project you want to work on.

• Investigate, collaborate, hypothesise and prove your solution. 

• Present findings in a report or visual display. Potentially win up to $1500! 

The competition is free. You go into the running when you submit a completed research project 

What Matters Writing Competition 

Respond to the simple question 'what matters?. Express your views on any matter you care about. Entries can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose of up to 600 words. 

• Open to: students in Years 5 to 12 

• Dates: now - 17 May 2024 

Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize

Communicate a scientific concept in a way that is accessible and entertaining so the public can ‘learn something without even noticing’. The 2024 theme is 'Energy'. • Open to: Primary & Secondary students

• Dates: now - 12 April 2024 

Little Stories Big Ideas Writing Competition

What is your Addiction? In 100 words or less (not including title), write your story incorporating the theme 'Addiction', then fill out the entry form and you're in! 

• Open to: Year 7 - 12 students 

• Dates: now - 29 March 2024 

Australia — Rubbish Film Festival 

Harness the potential of your mobile device to create a film of up to 60 seconds, with a dedicated focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). • Open to: Year 10 -12 students 

• Dates: now - 19 April 2024 

Defence Careers Australia - Lilydale: 

Defence Careers Information Session The Australian Defence Force is one of the world's leading military organisations. We fulfil key defensive roles as well as providing a range of peacetime services. 

Speak with current serving personnel at our upcoming info session and ask your questions - is a career in the Australian Defence Force for you? 

It is highly recommended you book as soon as possible to avoid missing out as places are strictly limited! 

When: Wednesday March 13 2024 

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 

Location: Lillydale RSL 

Details and Registration: https://www.adfcareers.gov.au/events/events-detail/unfd487 

Defence Careers Australia - Engineering Careers Information Session

 Work with the most advanced technology the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has to offer with a career in Engineering. You'll work with ADF weapons, vehicles, aircraft, ships and infrastructure to ensure they operate safely and effectively. Join us at the upcoming info session to learn more about how you can pursue an Engineering career in the ADF. It is highly recommended you book as soon as possible to avoid missing out as places are strictly limited!

Date: Tuesday March 26 2024 

Time: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM 

Location: Online and Melbourne 

ADF Careers Centre Details and Registration: https://www.adfcareers.gov.au/events/events-detail/819aanu 

Future Health Leaders Program 

The Future Health Leaders Program is designed to inspire female high school students to enter a career in health and medical research, innovation and life sciences.

The Program brings together a group of twelve young women, chosen from around Australia, for a single day session at Australian National University in Canberra to: 

• Showcase the diversity of career pathways across health and medical research with a focus on engaging with female leaders in their respective fields. 

The program is now open for applications from Australian students in Year 11 who identify as female. Applications will be open until 5 April 2024, with the day in Canberra scheduled for Term 3 (exact date to be confirmed).

https://researchaustralia.org/events/future-health-leaders-program/ 

Australian Game Developers Lightmare Studios

 Senior students interested in the digital fields may like to explore the Lightmare Studios Cert II in Applied Digital Technologies course. This fee for service course is completed online and outside school hours for approximately 3hrs per week over 26 weeks. Interested students should register and attend an online Zoom information session on Wednesday evening 27th March, 2024 @ 6:00pm - 7:00pm AEDT.

 Join from home on Zoom via: Meeting ID: 354 180 4875 Certificate II (Australia Wide) — Lightmare Studios 

RMIT’s the Big Day – National STEM Careers Conference 30th May 2024 

This STEM event provides students in Yrs 9 – 12 the opportunity to explore careers in technology whilst getting an insight into university life, helping students make more informed decisions about their futures. Students learn about courses, degrees, work experience, internships, apprenticeships and engage with hands on tech demonstrations. 

Trade & Tech Fit Expo for Young Women and Gender diverse students 

When: Wednesday 8th May to Thursday 9th May 2024 

Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 

Time: 9am – 3pm 

Hands on expo designed for females and gender diverse students interested in the trade and technology industries showcasing the rewarding and well paid career opportunities they provide. Register interest with Pathways. 

Work Experience

Work experience participation is optional at VSC, however we strongly encourage all students aged 15yrs+ to get involved in this very beneficial and rewarding program. Students can undertake Work Experience every year until they graduate VSC. 

Work experience provides young people with a taste of the real world of work and a clearer understanding of a particular industry, field or business they may be interested in pursuing in the future. It assists in career discovery and exploration, goal setting and decision making whilst preparing students for VCE or VCAL, future tertiary studies, apprenticeship/traineeships or full time work.

 There are no designated time frames for students to complete placements as we believe a flexible delivery arrangement provides students with a better opportunity to meet the availability and operational time frames of businesses and industries within the community. 

Placement dates are arranged through consultation and negotiation between the employer, school and student to maximise the experience. However, if your young person is not going on the Central Australia to Darwin trip, they may want to consider the last week of Term 3 as the perfect opportunity to undertake work experience. 

Drop into Pathways to discuss further and collect the ‘Preparing for the Workplace’ pack.

 Work Experience in the Australian Defence Force (ADF)?

 Interested work experience through the Defence Force? The Defence Work Experience Program provides you people interested in careers in Defence the opportunity to sample life in Defence and learn more about the ADF. Participants must be 15yrs or over at the time of placement. Click on the link to see the current opportunities. Defence Work Experience Program Jobs List. 

Pathways Website – www.vscpathways.com 

Did you know VSC has its own careers website? It’s a ‘One Stop Shop’ for everything you need to assist with Career planning, research, information and help, available 24 hours a day. Please see attached the Term 1 Career Tools Newsletter with lots of informative reading. 

To access the website please click on the link vscpathways.com or go to the VSC website and click on the Pathways tab. 

Features: 

• Latest news and events 

• Senior school options 

• Work experience and OH&S in the workplace 

• VET – Vocational Education and Training 

• University Admissions requirements through VTAC 

• Find what careers suits you & course discovery 

• Interactive Career bullseyes 

• Gap Year 

• Resume creation & finding a job 

• Youth allowance and money matters 

• Informative career videos 

• Plus lots, lots more to help individual career development 

Career Development is the lifelong process of managing life, learning and work (paid and unpaid) over our lifespan. The ability to make informed decisions, manage and transition through change for a personally determined future. 

Young people build their career development through self-awareness; understanding how they make decisions and how these decisions impact future aspirations through exploration, identifying interests, values and preferred learning styles through careers exploration activities such as Morrisby in Year 9 and Careers Fast Track in Year 10. The ability to research a wide range of career options helping them to select subjects they may enjoy learning whilst aligning to tertiary course pre-requisite requirements in the future or apprenticeship/traineeship requirements and work.   

Stay Safe. Stay Well. Stay Connected. VSC Pathways Team