Career Opportunities

VCE Study Designs

For more detailed study designs visit:

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/studies/index.asp

Important Careers Notes

Students should ensure that their Senior School program fulfils their entrance requirements for any tertiary course that they are contemplating. More information on these is available from the Careers Room, VTAC Website, Year 10 Guide (http://www.vtac.edu.au/) and handbooks from Tertiary Institutions. Most tertiary institutions have an Internet site where students can source further information.

Students are encouraged to re-visit their Careers FastTrack Portfolio (from Year 10) to assist them with their subject selection. It is also important that students read the weekly Careers Newsletter that is posted on Compass Newsfeed to keep up to date with all the current news and requirements.

What is a VCE Pathway?

Each ‘Pathway” is not a pre-set combination of units, but rather a suggested package. You should use the Pathways section to help you in construction your own VCE program, which you should do in discussion with your Parents, Teachers and Career Advisers (Wellbeing teachers) and by reading a variety of literature such as the Tertiary Entrance Requirements Booklet, The Careers Guide, Tertiary Institutions’ Websites or their Course Guides, Career Pamphlets or visiting www.myfuture.edu.au or the VTAC website’s course search program available at  www.vtac.edu.au

You do not have to choose one of the following Pathways, and you can mix and match different Pathways, but we hope they will be of assistance. Subject changes are possible at the end of Unit 1, however consideration must be given tertiary course pre-requisites and should always be done in consultation with Year Level Leaders and the Careers Leader.

Why Do We Have Pathways?

To help you and your Parents/Carers see connections between VCE and Tertiary study.

To provide coherence to your program of studies.

To provide purpose, focus and direction to your program of studies.

To give a clear career focus to VCE for you and your Teachers.

First let me remind you to check the very latest information about the pre-requisites for the courses and careers that you are currently interested in pursuing when you leave school. The 2022 Pre-requisites list can be found on the VTAC website or you may like to use the Pre-requisite and Course Explorer.  These resources list the pre-requisites subjects that current year 10 students should study in their VCE if they wish to apply for university or TAFE after Year 12. This publication can be accessed on the VTAC website www.vtac.edu.au.

TAFE course information is also available at:

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/victorianskillsgateway/Pages/home.aspx.

All Year 10 students are given access to the VTAC Year 10 Guide containing the relevant pre-requisite information when it is released in July. Pre-requisites cannot be avoided. They are set in stone. If you do not complete the relevant pre-requisite(s), it doesn’t matter what your final ATAR score might be; you will not be considered for the course.  Let me also remind you to KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN and ensure that, if you do change your mind later, you still have a chance to meet the pre-requisites of most courses. For those with no idea of the direction they wish to pursue “keeping your options open” is even more vital!

How Do I Keep "My Options" Open?

The greatest restriction to Tertiary course entry is because of maths pre-requisites.  Therefore taking the Maths subject which best suits your capacity is a very wise starting point.  This may mean Maths Methods or Further Maths.  It may also mean you choose to do no maths but you need to check very carefully the implications of such a VCE course. For example, failure to do any Unit 1 & 2 maths means all teaching (Education) programs at University (Undergraduate Level) are no longer available. Similarly certain science subjects are demanded for a range of Health related specialisations. Chemistry is probably the one science subject that keeps more doors open than any other.  Of course if you already know the health area is not for you or chemistry is of little interest, there is no point in selecting it.

Do I have any ability in the units I wish to pursue?

Think about your results in similar subjects at Year 9 & 10!!

Do I enjoy that field of work that these units would lead me to?

Think about Work Experience, your own observations of the workplace and people you (or your Parents/Carers) know in that career.

How does each of these units relate to my current career intention?

Think about past experiences in each study, or ask a teacher!!

Have I kept my options open to make a change later, if necessary?

Read the section above again!!