Careers Corner

Tafe and Traineeships 

Throughout week 3 we recognised MIGAS National Apprenticeship Week and students had access to information and resources about apprenticeships and traineeships in their PAC lessons. Apprenticeships are offered in over 200 industries across Australia and pathways to these opportunities begin in school by studying Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, Tafe delivered VET courses and entering into School-based Traineeships (SBAT). Students who are interested in vocational training can talk to Mr Healy or Mrs Galvin. 

University Pathways

On Monday the 19th of February, the annual University Roadshow will be coming to O’Connor. This year, students will have the opportunity to engage with representatives from The University of New England (UNE), University of Newcastle (UoN), Southern Cross University (SCU), and Charles Sturt University (CSU). This event will occur during period 4 at the College and is a great opportunity for Stage 6 students to explore courses they may be interested in. 

Earlier in the term, I emailed parents of all year 11 and 12 students about some upcoming university open days and opportunities. If you are interested in more information about any of these events please contact me via the school. 

26th March- Charles Sturt (Port Macquarie Campus) Explore Day. 

30th May - 1st June - HSC and Careers Expo held at Randwick. 

27th - 29th June - Western Sydney Careers Expo at Sydney Olympic Park 

UCAT Testing

I have shared information with year 12 students via the year 12 Google Classroom about UCAT testing. The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is a requirement for most Australian universities for admission into medical or dentistry degrees. The UCAT tests are held in NSW throughout August and any students who are currently in year 12 and looking at applying for a medical or dentistry degree in 2025 should see Mrs Galvin for more information about booking in and preparing for the test. 

Stage 5 careers

Year 9 and 10 students have begun their Careers Rotations. Every student will have a Careers period once every 2 weeks and the focus for term 1 is all about exploring personal interests and investigating how they may link to future career pathways. Students have begun to explore their interests and skills, matching them to a range of industries and careers. Throughout the term, stage 5 students will have the opportunity to develop their resume and learn about how to promote themselves in job interviews. 

I am always happy to talk to students and families about pathways opportunities, 

Mrs Rachael Galvin

Leader of Student Pathways