What’s Happening in Careers?

It has been great to see all of the students back and excited about the year ahead. We have had some great discussions with students about their goals and are looking forward to working with the boys this year.

Year 10

We have launched MyPath with the Year 10 group, and they have logged into Career Tools – our new online career learning platform. Students have accessed the “Career Copilot” to identify students' skills, strengths, job and education preferences, and suggest a tailored action plan to kick-start their career journey.

Check out the introductory video below:

Introduction to Career Copilot

Lessons this term will focus on profiling student skills, interests and abilities, before exploring career options, and finally starting the course selection process in Term 2.

Students and families able to access the Our Career Tools website:

Mazenod College WA.

Year 11 and 12

The Careers team have been busy supporting Year 11 and 12 students with enrolments for VET courses, Tertiary Preparation Programs and counselling around subject changes. The Year 11 and 12 groups will have Careers sessions over the next few weeks.

Career Tools

All students have access to Career Tools, our new Careers online education platform and website. There is a wealth of information on this site, where students can explore in depth to find out more about the careers and industries they are interested in. It has job seeker resources like resume and cover letter templates, tips for writing cover letters and job applications, and preparing for job interviews, as well as information for parents and carers to help you support your child to learn about the world of work and explore careers.

All students will be taken through the process of signing up to Career Tools.

The website can be accessed here:

Mazenod College WA - Career Wesite

University Events

Go to Open Days 2026

All Year 10-12 students who want to go to university in WA should go to at least two Open Days:

To the one closest to where you live.
The one with the courses and campus life that will make your life better.

These myfuture tips will help you make the most of open days:

University Open Day Calendars 2026

ECU (Joondalup) - 15 March Joondalup

Get details HERE

UWA - 22 March 10am – 3pm

Get details HERE

Murdoch - 28 March South Street 10am – 3pm Saturday

Get details HERE

Curtin - 29 March 10am – 3pm

Get details HERE

ECU (Bunbury) - 3 May ECU South West, Bunbury

Get details HERE

ECU (City) - 9 August

Get details HERE

Notre Dame - TBA

Career News

For Students Interested in Medicine:

The Growing Importance of UCAT Verbal Reasoning (VR).

As competition for medical and dental degrees continues to intensify, the UCAT has become a critical tool for universities to manage large applicant pools to shortlist candidates suitable for interview. As more applicants are now able to achieve very high scores in sections such as Quantitative Reasoning and Decision Making through relatively shorter-term practice, Verbal Reasoning is increasingly emerging as a key differentiator.

This section is widely regarded as the most demanding, requiring sustained preparation to develop advanced English comprehension, reading accuracy, and decision-making under extreme time pressure. In UCAT 2026, candidates will be required to answer 44 questions in relation to 11 unfamiliar passages (250–300 words each) in only 22 minutes.

Strong performance in Verbal Reasoning is becoming increasingly important in distinguishing competitive applicants, and it is likely for the section to be used as a secondary aggregate, similar to how it has already been used by WSU, CSU, UQ, CQU and UniSQ.

To support students in meeting these increasing demands, the National Institute of Education will be running a limited number of Advanced Verbal Reasoning skills training webinars. These targeted sessions are designed to help candidates develop specific skills required to perform more effectively in the Verbal Reasoning subtest, with a strong focus on improving accuracy, speed, and strategy in a shorter period of time.

2026 Verbal Reasoning Webinar Dates

15 Feb 2026 | 9:00am – 1:00pm (AEST)
26 April 2026 | 1:00pm – 5:00pm (AEST)
14 June 2026 | 1:00pm – 5:00pm (AEST)

ENROL

New ECU Perth Campus Opens

The dynamic new ECU campus opens in Semester One 2026.

It is the most exciting building in Perth. Everything is state of the art, from the electronic art displays on the façade and in the entrance, to the building’s foundations sprung to withstand jolts from trains passing underneath.

On the north side, facing Northbridge theatres and galleries, they have focused on creative industries. On the side facing the city there is business, law and information technology.

Ten thousand students will be based at the City Campus studying:

• The WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)

• Arts and Humanities

• Business and Law, and

• Information Technology

Staff started moving over from the Mount Lawley and Joondalup campuses, during the Christmas break. The building will be open to the public from the middle of the year.

The ECU City Campus Open Day won’t be until August.

New Curtin University $94.6 million Centre of Excellence to Empower Quality Work in a Digital Age

Curtin has been awarded funding to design technology and work systems to create healthy, inclusive, and productive employment opportunities in the face of rapid digital transformation. This is a significant opportunity for West Australian students, researchers, industry and citizens.

Curtin is at the hub of a technology precinct that includes Technology Park and the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre.

This Centre aims to focus its existing strengths to humanise digital technologies:

The new Centre, will revolutionise how Australia approaches the design and use of digital technologies to achieve a fairer, healthier and more productive future for all Australians.

Director of Curtin’s Centre for Transformative Work Design, 2024 WA Scientist of the Year and ARC Laureate Fellow John Curtin Distinguished Professor Sharon Parker

Read about it HERE.

$200m Science Building for Curtin

The new $200 million Sciences building at Curtin University's Bentley campus is a major six-storey development targeting completion in 2027. It will serve as a premier hub for the John de Laeter Centre and the WA School of Mines, featuring advanced, hands-on learning spaces and specialized research facilities to enhance scientific impact.

Vice Chancellor, Harlene Hayne, was on the Science Show on 24 January describing how science is a pillar at Curtin University. She described a spectacular parade of achievements at Curtin.

Mining, geology and engineering are strengths, together with astronomy thanks to the Square Kilometre Array.

You can listen to the the 11 minute podcast HERE.

The new building is named “B316” which is a sure sign that it could be time to refocus SOME effort onto the creative industries at Curtin!!

$100m donation to Murdoch Veterinary School

Perth businessman Ted Powell has donated $100m to Murdoch University.

The funds will be used to rebuild the university’s veterinary school. The new build is expected to take about five years and will allow the university to boost the number of students wanting to train as vets from 105 to 150 per year. (ABC News)

Perth Film Studios Open

This is the time to kick start your creative career in WA. The new Film Studios in Malaga has opened. The facility aims to provide ideal facilities to be used by film producers, actors, camera operators, script writers, costume and set designers, makeup artists and directors.

Screen industry jobs are about to get a boost in Western Australia. The Australian government has brought in laws to make screening services create Australian content. Western Australia is well placed to jump into this opportunity with the fabulous new Perth Film Studios in Malaga.

North Metro TAFE Perth City Campus and ECU City Campus will both deliver education and training for people wanting to kick start their screen industry career.

Careers Newsletter

Here is your first Issue of In Focus Careers News for 2026.

There is plenty of news so please have a good read and enjoy!

Tyrone Tuohy

Careers Counsellor

From the Deputy Principal

Important PRIME Memo Notice