VCE Vocational Major

Houses at Parliament 

You may remember our article last newsletter about the VCE VM students display supporting the Victorian Homelessness Networks Houses at Parliament initiative. We are proud to announce the VM students folded 442 towards the overall 73,606 total in Victoria. 

The VM staff would like to congratulate the VM students on their teamwork and commitment to achieving their goals...

VCE Vocational Major Hands on Careers Expo – Winton Motor Raceway

On Thursday 15th August the VCE VM and Year 10 Ignite students hopped on a bus and headed to Winton Motor Raceway for the Hands on Trades Careers Expo organised by NE Tracks Local Learning and Employment Network. What awaited us when we arrived was a day filled with opportunity and adventure. Each exhibit not only contained the information on pathways leading to a career opportunity but also a hands-on experience involved in the occupation. 

Students were involved in activities using fire hoses, chainsaws, tire changing, tree climbing, mechanics and interior design just to name a few.  Not to mention the muscle cars and hot laps.  

The students did us all proud representing the school and taking the opportunity to learn about different career paths and options for their future.  A highlight of the day was Ethan and Brandon teaming up to take on the tyre change challenge and winning with the quickest team time of the day an amazing 53 seconds.

In the words of the students...

Olivia Leary...  Students enrolled in the VCE-VM and Ignite programs attended a careers expo held at Winton Motor Raceway. The expo consisted of countless stalls which belonged to different businesses and/or universities who represented career pathways. Students from each school were given the opportunity to approach and ask questions about a specific career while representees answered their questions through physical demonstrations and/or verbal communication. Hence the title ‘hands on’ expo, students participated in provided activities to gain an insight into what a certain job demanded from them. One of the VCE-VM students, Thomas Hall, raised his hand to participate in tree climbing held by a tree cutting/trimming business. Successfully reaching the top, Tom climbed down and decided tree climbing wasn’t on his agenda, mostly because the harness had proven uncomfortable. Students who walked into the expo unsure walked out just that little bit more knowledgeable. It was an experience most benefited from and an overall fun excursion. 

Travis Jones... The Hands on Careers Expo held in the Winton motorway was a congregation of many different people with experience in many different careers, and students from hundreds of schools came to learn and have hands-on experience in certain careers. Some of the careers that were there were, Building and Construction, CFA, Law Enforcement and many more. My experience there was great. It was very informative and interesting about the many careers that were presented there and I liked how they made it entertaining and not just talking and listening. You actually got to experience some of the activities that they do in certain careers.

Ashlee Touissant... On the 15/08/2024 the VM and Ignite class made their way on a bus at around 9 in the morning and went to the careers hands on expo. This was where we went around and looked at different expos with people from the police force, firefighters and many other services. We went and looked at things that may have interested us or could be a future career we were interested in. It was all hands on stuff and they even had activities for us to do. This day was a fun filled and very enjoyable day. I found it really interesting and it opened my eyes to what certain careers are like and jobs that you can do within them. I would like to say a huge thank you to all the teachers that made it possible to go and take us there. It was very enjoyable and I learnt a lot. 

Mock Interviews – Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment Network (CRLLEN).

On Monday 12th August the VCE Vocational Major students and Year 10 IGNITE students walked to Seymour Go-TAFE for the Mock Interviews organised by CRLLEN.

Students were dressed appropriately in their finest workwear to attend the interviews hosted by Ventia.  Prior to the interviews all the students as part of their Work-Related Skills class had individually written a Resume, a cover letter to apply for a job of their choice and a summary of the Key Knowledge Skills that they possessed for that job.  

What awaited us when we arrived was 5 offices with two to three panel members simulating a real interview. Nerves were high to say the least for our 21 students.  

Feedback was provided about each student, lacking in a handshake or lack of eye contact, and one was also potentially offered a job in the future! We sincerely thank the CRLLEN for the opportunity to practice attending an interview.

In the words of the students... 

Travis Jones... We prepared for the interview by creating a resume and cover letter and how to do it efficiently. It was useful to do that because it greatly improved my resume and cover letter making abilities. The interview was much more relaxed and short than I thought. I'm surprised in myself that I answered most of the questions quickly and in a easily understandable manner but some questions like : have you encountered any hazards during work experience or school and how did you deal with it; I got stuck on that's because I didn't know what they meant by the severity of a risk and what counted as a risk and that I could not think of a time where I had encountered a risk.

Shetayah Gruneklee... I think did pretty well, I was a little nervous going into the building but once I went in the room and sat down I wasn't really nervous anymore and just answered the questions the nice lady asked me truthfully. The interview went smoothly and was very informativeand helpful for me in the future.  

Bryce Staples... On a Monday the year 11 VCE/VM class and the ignite kids went on a journey to the Seymour GOTAFE where we went and did mock interviews with many people and in those interviews, They would ask us questions like a normal interview would do and see if we were okay for the job. In this interview they would ask questions like have youdone any work with cars before why do you want this job do you have a passion for carsand so many more questions it was a good interview all up. Many things that I could dobetter next time now that I know what is quite normal for how an interview should go. I

believe it is quite a good thing to do to get you ready for the workforce and interviews in the future.

Amanda Hard

amanda.hard@smseymour.catholic.edu.au

Melissa Wood

melissa.wood@smseymour.catholic.edu.au