Careers News

Nicole WILSON

Leading Teacher - Pathways and Transitions

Classroom Teacher

Kellie Egan

Career Counsellor and VETdss Coordinator 

VET Taster Programs – Explore Future Careers

Students from Highvale have begun participating in the VET Taster Programs at Holmesglen Institute. These hands-on programs allow students to explore different industries while experiencing a real TAFE learning environment. These fully funded VET Tasters provide students with valuable hands-on experience, industry insights and greater confidence when planning their future pathways.

Caring Careers VET Taster

Running from 5 March – 28 May at the Moorabbin Campus, this program introduces students to careers in health and community services. Across the sessions, students will explore areas such as community services, allied health, dental assisting, nursing, pathology and early childhood education. Highlights include a nursing workshop in a simulated hospital ward, a CPR “Save Annie” intensive, and practical laboratory activities where students learn specimen collection and analysis. The program finishes with a nursing escape room challenge and a careers pathways session.

Construction Essentials VET Taster

Students interested in trade pathways are also participating in the Construction Essentials program at the Holmesglen Chadstone campus. This program introduces key building skills including carpentry, bricklaying, tiling, plastering and furniture technology, while also focusing on workplace safety and tool use. A highlight of the program is an excursion to the Victorian Tunnelling Centre, where students will gain insight into large-scale construction and infrastructure projects.

If any students are interested in attending one of the VET tasters, please fill out this form and email Mrs Egan your interest.

Monash Women in Business luncheon

Last week, 2 students had the opportunity to attend the Monash Women in Business luncheon, where Jo Stanley was the keynote speaker. Jo, who is a radio host, comedian, and co‑founder of Broad Radio, spoke about confidence, resilience, and backing yourself in challenging situations. Her talk was engaging and gave us a lot to think about. The main focus was around empowering women in underrepresented fields such as business & corporate settings. A quote that stuck out to us from the day was “A belief is a thought we’ve had often enough”

A highlight of the day was meeting and talking with women from different industries. Hearing about their career paths and experiences helped us understand the wide range of opportunities available to us and what leadership can look like in the real world. It was encouraging to hear honest advice from people who we could look up to as role models.

Overall, the event was a valuable experience that gave us new perspectives and left us feeling inspired about what we can achieve.

Morrisby Career Profiling

Thank you to all our Year 9 students who recently completed their Morrisby Career Profiling assessment online. On 25 February, all Year 9 students at Highvale Secondary College were provided the opportunity to complete this important careers assessment.

The Morrisby Profile is a well-established career guidance tool designed to help students better understand their strengths, interests and potential career pathways. The assessment combines a series of aptitude tasks and interest-based questions to provide students with detailed insights into areas such as problem solving, verbal reasoning, spatial awareness and numerical ability. When combined with students’ personal interests, the Morrisby Profile generates a report suggesting possible career pathways, subject choices and future study options that may suit each student.

The purpose of the Morrisby program is to support students as they begin thinking about their future subject selections, pathways beyond school and long-term career goals. It provides valuable information that students can use when planning their learning journey through the senior years of secondary school.

A small number of students were absent on the day the assessment was completed. I will be providing another opportunity for these students to complete the Morrisby assessment on Thursday 19 March. Students should keep an eye on Compass, where the event will appear shortly.

Additionally, I have contacted several students who began their Morrisby profile but did not finish the assessment. It is important that these students complete their profile as soon as possible, as only students with a fully completed Morrisby profile will be eligible to participate in the individual Morrisby interview sessions.

These one-on-one interviews are an important part of the program. During the session, students will meet with a trained Morrisby careers consultant who will unpack their results, explain what the data means, and discuss potential subject and career pathways tailored to the student’s strengths and interests.

Further information about these individual interviews will be communicated closer to the time. Interviews are currently scheduled to take place between 11–15 May.

Annual Careers and VCE Expo

We are excited to once again host our Annual Careers and VCE Expo, which will take place on Tuesday 28 April from 6:00pm – 7:45pm at Highvale Secondary College.

This event provides students and families with the opportunity to explore a wide range of career, study and training pathways. Representatives from a variety of organisations will be attending, including leading universities, TAFEs, training organisations, industry groups and employment support services.

On the night, students will be able to:

• Speak directly with representatives from universities and training providers

• Learn about different courses, entry requirements and career pathways

• Access information about scholarships, apprenticeships and traineeships

• Explore support services available to students during further study

• Ask questions about VCE subjects and programs, with Highvale teaching staff available throughout the evening

We are also fortunate to once again welcome a representative from the Skills and Jobs Centre, who will be available to provide resume advice and career guidance. Students who already have a resume are encouraged to bring a copy along for feedback and suggestions for improvement.

This expo is strongly recommended for students in Years 10–12, as they begin to make important decisions about subjects, pathways and post-school options. However, all students and families are welcome to attend, and we encourage anyone interested in exploring future opportunities to come along.

Please save the date in your diary – this is a fantastic opportunity to gather valuable information and start thinking about future pathways.

Careers in Connect – Year 10 Work Experience

Over the past three weeks, our Year 10 students have been focusing on Work Experience as part of their Careers program in Connect classes.

Work Experience is a valuable opportunity for students to gain insight into the world of work and explore potential career interests. By spending time in a real workplace, students can develop a better understanding of what different jobs involve, the skills required, and the expectations of employers.

During their Connect classes, students have been:

• Researching potential work experience placements

• Exploring career areas of interest

• Learning about workplace expectations and safety requirements

• Preparing the documentation required to participate in work experience

Students were required to complete two Work Experience preparation booklets and two Safe@Work modules, which help ensure they understand important workplace health and safety requirements before entering a workplace.

All completed work should now be uploaded to the relevant Learning Tasks on Compass.

We strongly encourage all Year 10 students to seek meaningful work experience placements that align with their interests or possible future career pathways. Even if students are unsure about their long-term career goals, work experience provides valuable exposure to different industries and helps build important employability skills such as communication, responsibility and teamwork.

For more detailed information about the work experience process, required documentation and helpful resources, families are encouraged to visit the Careers section of the Highvale website.