VET and Careers News

Careers Information Bulletin – Something for Everyone

There are so many fantastic and current career opportunities found in our fortnightly ‘Careers Information Bulletin’. 

Careers

Mrs Michelle Carter - Careers Counsellor

CAREER BOOKINGS (30 Mins, Wed/Fri):  For students (and parents) that wish to have an interview, here is the link: 

Book time to meet with me

Wednesdays and Fridays only.

Note:  Parents please head to the School reception to get a Visitors Pass. Your son can meet you there and then bring you to the VET/Careers Office. 

Why Maze-like Career Paths are the Future 

(extracted from “Options”)

People used to map out their careers in a very linear fashion. For example, let's say you wanted to be a lawyer. You would plan to go to good schools, land a job with a top firm, and in several years, work your way up to partner. But things don’t always turn out as planned. You join a top firm and get laid off after a year or two because of declining profits and rising expenses. You might even become a lawyer only to discover after a few years that it’s not your passion. What then? That’s where non-linear career paths come into play. A non-linear career path is different from job hopping. Job hopping implies that you’re moving from role to role indiscriminately. Non-linear career paths are intentional. Your career may not follow a straight line, but there's still a bit of planning involved. As employers and employees face an ever-changing job market, non-linear career paths are becoming the new normal. Click here to read Forbes article in full including:

• People are working longer
• Values and priorities have changed
• Skills are centre stage

• The workplace is rapidly evolving

   

5 Workplace Trends to Look Out for in 2026

In a rapidly evolving industry like accounting, change brings not just challenge but opportunity. Here are the top 5 workplace trends accountants and finance professionals should know about. Click here to read about:

1. More four-day work weeks
2. Prompt mastery is essential
3. Increased ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) transparency
4. Focus on emotional intelligence

5. Return-to-office mandates

    

ABS Labour Force Data - January 2025 vs January 2026

Link is now updated for February 2026:   Labour Force Data for February 2026

In trend terms, in January 2025:

• Unemployment rate remained at 4.0%
• Employment increased to 14,616,400
• Underemployment rate remained at 6.0%
• Participation rate remained at 67.2%
• Employment to population ratio increased to 64.5%
• Monthly hours worked increased to 1,976 million

In trend terms, in January 2026:

• unemployment rate decreased to 4.1%.
• participation rate decreased to 66.7%.
• employment increased to 14,705,800.
• employment to population ratio increased to 64.0%.
• underemployment rate remained at 5.9%.
• monthly hours worked increased to 2,007 million.

International Labour Market Update

International Labour Market Update - February 2026 | Jobs and Skills Australia

Use the STAR interview method when writing your resume

Do you get nervous and ramble during interviews? Or do you worry about what details to include and what to leave out when explaining your experience? Understanding and applying the STAR interview method can be the deciding factor between landing an offer or continuing your job search. The STAR acronym stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. I always recommend adding a T at the end for Takeaways to connect the dots between your past experience and the job you’re hoping to land. Click here to read about Harvard Business Review's article.

VET

Mrs Robyn Gooley - Program Leader - VET

• VET Program Leader Mrs Gooley is Available (Week 1 – Monday, Wednesday & Friday, Week 2 – Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
• Industry Liaison Officer Ms Heather Stabik is Available (Monday to Friday)

Congratulations to Thomas Daly being offered an apprenticeship with CAT. This is a wonderful opportunity for Thomas with CAT being a worldwide company, being offered a position in their apprenticeship programme is offering Tom a valuable opportunity to build a career with large machinery in agriculture and technology. 

Work Experience (Year 10-12 WEX)

We are in our final stages now preparing for our work experience dates. The work experience forms are due by the end of Week 2 in Term 2, so please bring in your forms if you haven’t already (they are available in the Careers Office). 

Reminder of Work Experience Dates:

Year 10 – Wednesday 16th September – Friday 18th September (Week10 Term 3)

Year 11 – Wednesday 27th May – Friday 29th May (Week 6 Term 2)

Year 12 – Wednesday 24th June – Friday 26th June (Week 10 Term 2)

If you wish to do this then you will need to come to the careers office and have a discussion with the ILO/ and or Mrs Gooley to discuss this process.

Apprentices

This year, we have had a number of companies looking for apprentices in a variety of industries.

We will connect with these companies and identify who they might be seeking to fill these positions and what they are looking for in the applicant.

Once we have sourced this information, we will:

1. Put a notice in for students to contact us with an EOI. It will be expected that the student will attach a resume in this email identifying how they meet the criteria. Students are welcome to come and discuss this in person if they wish.
2. Assist the student in connecting to the employer. 
3. Set up Work Experience or guide the employer and student on how to complete private work experience during the holiday period.

As a college, we do not offer or source apprenticeships for students. 

When students apply for WEX, they need to indicate that they are looking for apprenticeships, and we will try to match them with a company that is keen to take on an apprentice. This is not a guarantee that they will offer an apprenticeship to the student. 

Tips and Tricks for finding apprenticeships

1. Keep an eye out in notices and the newsletter for any opportunities coming up
2. Use the WEX time to ensure the employer knows you are looking for an apprenticeship.
3. Cold Call industries in the area and ask if they are looking for a school-based apprentice.
4. Review BEYOND/ SEEK for any positions that are coming up.
5. If you are out on excursions, start constructive conversations with the employers

Apprenticeship and VETiS funding changes

Students who wish to start an apprenticeship will need to understand that this will impact the funding that they will receive from the Government for the VETiS-funded courses available in Years 11 and 12.

Students need to be aware that once funding has been used, they will have to use Fee for Service or courses in years 11 and 12.  It must be noted that not all courses are VETiS Funded and will incur a cost with the RTO.