Some of our Year 9 and 10 students recently had the exciting opportunity to explore the latest career pathways in technology at the ACS Big Day In at UTS. To secure their place, students shared their career aspirations and how this experience would benefit them. The event featured inspiring speakers, including former Olympian Zali Steggall OAM MP plus insights from leading organisations such as Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Westpac and CANSTAR. Students also had the chance to connect with industry experts, gaining valuable knowledge about future career opportunities. A huge thank you to the Australian Computer Society (ACS) for hosting such a fabulous event and helping to shape the next generation of tech innovators!

We were thrilled to welcome Lauren from NEXGEN to our latest Lunch and Learn guest speaker series, where she showcased the diverse and exciting career opportunities in construction, which go far beyond hard hats and high-vis! Students discovered a wide range of career paths, including design and project management, architecture, engineering, finance, marketing, sustainability and cutting-edge technology. Lauren highlighted how the construction industry offers high-paying, innovative and rewarding roles that are hands-on, creative and tech-driven, helping to shape the cities and communities of the future. For more information on NEXGEN and to explore 12 unique career opportunities, click here. A huge thank you to Lauren for her insightful and inspiring presentation!

Starting soon - and throughout Term 2 - we will be hosting a wide range of universities in Sydney and beyond, in a Lunch & Learn showcase called ‘Discover the Universe’ - where students can hear about the most popular tertiary options and degrees, pathway programs, entry schemes, scholarships and life on campus. This will be most relevant to our Year 12s, but other year groups are very welcome to attend to find out more about their offerings.

In their latest Year 12 Meeting, students explored a wide range of post school pathways, including university options (UAC, Early Entry, EAS, and scholarships), TAFE and colleges, workforce opportunities and alternative pathways such as diplomas. With UAC applications opening on 2 April, this session provided a valuable ‘big picture’ overview to help students plan their next steps. A comprehensive PDF summary of the presentation will be shared with Year 12 students and parents by the end of the term, ensuring you have the most up-to-date information. Year 12 students should be working on their Post School Plans - which are available when you scroll down to the bottom of the Careers Canvas home page.

Click here to access information from UAC specifically for Years 11 and 12 students

For our Year 11 students: ACU’s Uni Step-Up 2025 (Blacktown) offers an opportunity to experience university life while still in high school. This program allows students to study two credited first-year units at no-cost, giving them a head start and insight into studying at a tertiary level in courses including: Nursing and Midwifery, Sports and Exercise Science, Business and Criminology. Participants who successfully complete two Uni Step-Up units will receive credit for those units at ACU and may be eligible to receive an unconditional direct entry offer to a related ACU degree. Places are limited and priority will be given to students who meet multiple eligibility criteria. Click here for more information. We’ll be meeting with students who are interested at lunch on Wednesday 2 April - RSVP here.

Please note ACU Uni Step Up (Blacktown) is different to Step Up Into Teaching (SUIT) which is also offered to Year 11 students. More information on SUIT will be available soon!

This week, we're excited to introduce our newest member of the Pathways Team - the Careers Monster - here to assist students with all their career-related questions, ideas, suggestions and bookings! Click here to read more including a call out to give our monster a name. Any ideas or suggestions can be emailed to Adam and Kara.

For any pathways enquiries, or to book a coaching conversation, students can pop into the library or email us: amacnamara1@parra.catholic.edu.au and koliver4@parra.catholic.edu.au

Mr Adam Macnamara

Partnerships and Pathways Coach

Diary Dates