Careers and Opportunities
Zoos Victoria - 2026 Work Experience
Year 10 work experience in 2026 – Applications close on 14th September 2025
https://www.zoo.org.au/about-us/careers/secondary-school-work-experience/
Each year, a limited number of students are selected to gain experience at one of Victoria’s four zoos; Healesville Sanctuary, Kyabram Fauna Park, Melbourne Zoo, or Werribee Open Range Zoo.
Students finish the week with a deeper appreciation of wildlife, the environment we share with them, and how each role within the organisation works towards conservation.
Some key details for applicants:
- The program is five full days and in all weather
- Attendance dates for the successful students will be available each term
- There are a range of tasks possible during this program including some physical tasks which require initial observation and assessment to ensure students are able to participate in a way which will maintain workplace safety for all students
- Applications from secondary students are accepted one year in advance.
Who is eligible?
Victorian secondary students aged over 15 years are eligible for the program.
We celebrate diversity and strive to be inclusive in everything we do. Students with diverse abilities are encouraged to apply.
School Careers Coordinators can only endorse one student per school and students can only submit ONE application to any of the zoos.
Please note - Kyabram Fauna Park is the only property that accepts multiple students from the same school each year.
Please use the link to access information about the program and how the application process works. Please also speak with Ms Macklan about your interest in applying.
Career as a Professional Athlete?
Many students are passionate about careers in the sporting industry and working towards something that they love. A career as a professional athlete is a legitimate future pathway, however the pathways differ greatly between sports, are very individualised and often not well defined. Following a professional athlete pathway may include rigourous training schedules, national and international travel and events, which can mean post school employment and training/education is compromised. Many universities now offer elite sportsperson pathways, to assist upcoming athletes to peruse their sporting career and combine this with education.
For more information on careers as a professional athlete the following links may be useful, or please reach out to Jo Macklan, Careers Practitioner:
https://studyworkgrow.com/how-to-become-a-professional-athlete/
https://www.latrobe.edu.au/sport/elite-athlete
Parents of Year 9 and 10
Join a webinar, hosted by Parents Victoria, to learn about the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Vocational Major, Victorian Pathways Certificate and vocational education and training (VET) at school. There are more options than ever for students in years 10 to 12. If your child is in Year 9 or Year 10, join this webinar to learn more about the vocational and applied learning options available to them during their final school years.
At this webinar, representatives from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and Department of Education will tell you about:
- the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM)
- the VCE VM Work Related Skills and VCE VM Personal Development Skills studies
- VCE VET subjects and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships
- the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).
There will be time at the end of the webinar for your questions about students’ options for senior secondary education.
You can register to attend one of 2 webinars:
- 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm on Wednesday 13 August 2025
- 11 am to noon on Thursday 14 August 2025.
Elevate Workshops
