Pathways and Transition

Welcome back to school! 

To contact the Head of Pathways and Transition, Jane Hedley, you may call 9383 0416 or email pathways@johnxxiii.edu.au You can also make an appointment to see Ms. Hedley using this booking link: https://calendly.com/johnxxiiicollege-pathways-transition

In this week’s Pathways and Transition newsletter read about:

• University news
• Medicine News
• Training and VET news
• Senior school opportunities
• Career-building opportunities and resources
• People with a disability news
• Spotlight – Cool Careers in Food

University News

University Rankings

Read about how WA universities performed, according to student satisfaction data, in the Good Universities Guide 2023/24 and via QILT/CompareEd https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/ 

 https://www.compared.edu.au/ 

University Open Days 2024

Attend University Open Days 2024 to find what’s available and which campus suits you.

UWA Fogarty Scholarship Program

If you are aiming for an ATAR of 98+ consider going for a Fogarty scholarship. 

This is a prestigious scholarship that is awarded to 10 outstanding Year 12 graduates each year. 

To be eligible you must demonstrate outstanding achievement across Years 11 and 12. 

Find out about the program HERE.

University Admissions 2026

For students who are in Year 11 in 2024

1. How to apply for a place at university, requirements and different pathways
2. Pre Requisites

• Check out the University Admissions 2026 for a comprehensive list of prerequisites from each West Australian university. 
• Make an appointment with Ms. Hedley and go through university courses that you might choose. 
• Make sure you are doing the subjects you need to get into those courses. 

Medicine News

Getting into Medicine in WA

There is good reason to believe medical students are outstanding. 

If you want to apply for medicine:

• Take chemistry: Chemistry is a pre-requisite subject for medicine at most universities across Australia. 

Entry to Medicine for 2025 (UCAT)

In Western Australia, only Curtin University takes students into medicine straight from school*. It was designed as a pathway for West Australian school leavers. 

Candidates from rural and regional areas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds will be prioritised. 

• Rural and remote applicants: The Medicine Faculty at Curtin is keen to address the shortage of doctors in the bush in WA. Contact Associate Professor Keith McNaught - Rural Academic Lead, Curtin Medical School at Keith.Mcnaught@curtin.edu.au

There were over 3000 applicants for the 120 places being offered at Curtin in 2024.

• Applicants need to have an ATAR of 95 or higher, including Chemistry with a final score of 50 or higher. (See P4 of the Admission Guide for details.)
• A competitive score on the Universal Clinical Aptitude Test. Bookings for the Test open 5 March. Testing begins 1 July. 
• Applicants then take the Casper Test which was introduced by Curtin last year. 

Please refer to the Domestic admissions guide for information. 

School leavers with an outstanding ATAR may be granted an Assured Pathway into post graduated medicine or dentistry degrees at UWA.  Find details here:

Doctor of Medicine : The University of Western Australia (uwa.edu.au)

Training and VET News

Year 9 and above - Construction Futures Try a Trade 

Gain construction experience with CTF’s fully funded Try-A-Trade program. Participants get a taste of careers in the building industry and learn what to expect in various trades.

The Try-A-Trade program gives students in Year 9 and above, school leavers and mature-age job seekers, a chance to try various construction trades. 

Selected Registered Training Organisations deliver the courses on behalf of CTF at locations throughout Western Australia. Find details HERE. 

Get and electrical apprenticeship at Electrical Group Training 

Electrical Group Training (EGT) is the largest employer of electrical apprentices in Western Australia. Our apprentices are amongst the safest and best trained in the electrotechnology industry.

See how to get an apprenticeship by going to the EGT site. 

19 additional occupations added to the Australian Priority List

Western Australia is way ahead on prioritising occupations that are free or low fee paying VET courses.

 The WA Government now delivers 130 free training courses. 

The Commonwealth Government has now added these 19 additional fee free courses: 

There are now so many free or low cost VET courses that fees should no longer be a barrier to becoming a highly skilled technician. 

Subsidies for Apprentices

The Commonwealth Government has created incentives for apprenticeships. You can find an overview of incentives for employers and employees HERE. 

SMTAFE Women in Defence Scholarship

Delivered in partnership with industry, the Women in Defence Industry Scholarship provides 6 months of free technical engineering and electronics training. Applications generally open around October/Nov for Semester 1. For information contact Martin.Turnbull@smtafe.wa.edu.au 

Fee Free Training in 2024 

Find details of the 130 courses that a fee free in 2024.

NOTE: Students still need to pay for their tools, uniforms and equipment.

Find details HERE. 

Notre Dame to deliver free Diploma of Nursing

Notre Dame is delivering a Diploma of Nursing in 2024 under the FREE VET courses offering being subsidised by the WA government. 

• Students can undertake the 18-month Diploma which leads to work opportunities as an Enrolled Nurse. 
• Students may also choose to use their diploma to gain one year credit towards a Bachelor of Nursing. 

There will be a resource fee, however, the course delivery will be subsidised. 

For more information go HERE or email to VETAdmin@nd.edu.au .

Senior School Opportunities

31 March 2024: Applications Close for Rotary Youth Exchange 2025

Rotary Youth Exchange students spend 12 months in a foreign country with board and accommodation provided by host families. 

Students make lifelong friends; expand their world views and have a brilliant time.  

Students must be between the ages of 15 and 18 on the 1 January of the year of their exchange.  Contact Rotary Youth Exchange Western Australia for details on how to apply. 

Fully supported volunteering overseas 

Projects Abroad supports students aged 15 to18 who would like to volunteer to work overseas for approximately 2 weeks. There is a range of fantastic opportunities available and Projects Abroad support participants through all stages of the experience. Programs cost about $3000.

The most popular High School Special projects include:

You can find more HERE. 

Senior School Language

Here is a quick guide to some of the acronyms and initials that you will her in senior school.  You can download a free copy HERE. 

Weekly WA Police Recruitment Sessions – Saturday mornings 

There is no age limit to apply for the WA Police Force. You must be 17 years and 6 months or older to apply for a Police Officer (Entry-level) and over 17 to apply for Cadet or Police Auxiliary Officer roles. You can register for a session HERE. 

Year 12s - Register NOW for Scholarship Alerts

Set up your infrastructure to support your transition from school at the end of the year. Register for scholarship email alerts at universities of your choice at:

• Good Universities Guide Scholarships page. 
• Your local TAFE college

Check out special needs scholarships like:

• Australian Indigenous Education Foundation
• Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training 

2025 Scholarships to Boost Diversity in STEM

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) has announced 116 scholarships to support women and diverse people to thrive in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

Applications for the Elevate program commencing in 2025 will open in early 2024.

Gap Year Study

If you think you might like to do something different in 2025, you could try studying overseas. You can find courses @hotcoursesabroad. 

Crimson provides services that link you to universities in the US or UK. Crimson staff come to Perth and give presentations each year. Register on their site for updates. 

For information about Gap Year opportunities for the end of the year check School Leavers 2025 Gap Year Opportunities HERE. 

Career-building opportunities and resources

Famelab Academy 2024

FameLab Academy is an initiative for Years 9 and 10 students to encourage their interest in STEM and develop their science communications skills.

FameLab is the world’s leading science communication competition that aims to discover charismatic early career scientists who can inspire people to see the world from new perspectives.  To find out more go HERE.

Fogarty Foundation Opportunities

Families seeking new opportunities to support their students to achieve their full potential can connect with the Fogarty Foundation which is committed to ensuring all young West Australians can receive high quality education. 

Opportunities include:

• Fogarty Scholarships. These highly sought after scholarships are for high achieving, high potential students. You can read about the scholarship program HERE. 

• EDfutures CoderDojo free sessions to help 7 – 17 year olds to be creative and solve problems using computers. You can find out more at CoderDojo@Curtin.

• The Smith Family program provides opportunities for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. 
• ABCN Fogarty Accelerate Scholarships provides intensive mentoring scholarships. 

You can get regular updated about the Fogarty Foundation programs by connecting HERE.

WAAPA Junior Academy for secondary school students

The WAAPA Junior Academy is designed specifically for young people who have a passion for performing.

The program runs in eight week blocks from February to December each year, in line with the school terms.

2024 Courses

• Acting and Performance Making - School Years 7 to 12
• Music Theatre - School Years 7 to 12
• Tell Your Story - (For CALD Students)

Education Coordinator: Gabrielle Metcalf Phone: (+61 8) 6304 6775Email: explore.waapa@ecu.edu.au

MyFuture – your one stop shop for career information 

Do quizzes, watch career videos, check out courses and what happens when you get into the job. MyFuture takes you on a career exploration pathway. 

• MyFuture is thorough and delivers loads of free information.
• It is supported by ALL Australian governments. 
• The information is not biased by someone trying to sell you something. 
• They have a strong privacy policy and DO NOT share your data. 

You can register HERE.

People with a Disability News

Support for Australian Apprentices with Disability

The Australian Government provides support to Australian Apprentices with disability to help them to reach their full potential as skilled workers. A range of assistance is available including tutorial, mentoring and interpreting services as well as the Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Support (DAAWS) incentive, which is paid to employers.

Find out more and how to claim HERE.

Can Do Training for people with disability.

Marilyn Garbin has been around the WA careers education world for some time. She is providing short courses that develop soft skills, for people with disability.   Some courses like these have been cut from TAFE and Marilyn is addressing the need identified by families of people with disability.  I went to the graduation of the Term 4 group in December and all participants were supported by a family member or carer. 

Check out the pictures and find out about the courses HERE.

Employment Pathways for People with Intellectual Disability

Everyone Can Work is a website designed to help people with intellectual disability and their families to understand the supports available to get into open employment.

School Leavers kit for students with Disability

A School Leavers Information Kit specifically designed for school leavers with disability has been developed. You can find a copy HERE. 

Entry Roles Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing 

Find information about entry roles supporting the Deaf and Hard of Hearing HERE.

Spotlight – Careers in Food

7 cool careers in the food industry 

If you think of the food and hospitality industry, there are a few typical careers that probably come to mind: chef, waiter, bartender, barista… But if you’re looking for something a bit more out there, we’ve found 7 cool careers in the food industry that you might not have considered before. Let’s take a look.

Craft Brewer

If you’re looking for a career in an industry that is growing strong, craft brewing could be perfect. You could get hands-on and learn all about the brewing process and make your own beer, or be more involved in the marketing and distribution side.

If you want to learn more, check out the courses on offer from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, or have a go at a brewing course from TAFE QLD.

Food Lawyer

Yep, there really are lawyers out there for everything. Food lawyers can help advise companies that grow and sell food, work with chefs and restaurants, and advocate for workers in the industry.

If you’d like to know more about what a career as a food lawyer might look like, you can check out this article from National Geographic.

Food Stylist

If you have a sharp eye and get lots of comments on your Insta food snaps, you could consider a job as a food stylist. Restaurants and stores are keen to make their food look just as good as it tastes, which is where food stylists come in. There are opportunities for you to work freelance, or in-house for a restaurant or shop as part of their social media team.

There are even heaps of courses you can take to sharpen your skills.

Molecular Gastronomist

Molecular gastronomy is a blend of science and food used to create all kinds of weird and wonderful concoctions. You could make your start in this career by doing a cookery or food science course from a school like Le Cordon Bleu.

And if you really want to take your training to the next level, you could do something like the Hautes Études du Goût (Advanced Studies in Taste, Gastronomy and the Art of Fine Dining) program in Paris.

Chocolatier

Who doesn’t love chocolate? Chocolatiers are the people responsible for creating the sweet treats we enjoy.

Many chocolatiers start out by taking a baking or patisserie course, commonly offered at lots of vocational institutions. But there are even courses you can take online too.

Cheesemaker

If you love cheese, why not learn how to make your own? As a cheesemaker you could be involved in creating, producing and selling cheese, or maybe even experimenting to create something new.

You can start out by taking a private class, then expand on your skills to become a Master of Cheese (no, really!).

Restaurant Designer

The look and feel of a restaurant can be nearly as important as the food – this is where restaurant designers come in. Experts in design, they plan the layout, colours, furniture, and more that goes into a restaurant.

To get a start in this career, you could consider a qualification in design, architecture, or even construction. You might also like to read up on the experience of four Australian restaurant designers on Good Food’s blog.

Find out more

If we have you thinking about a career in food, you can also check out our Job Spotlights to find out more about jobs and pathways to get you there.

Jane Hedley

Head of Pathways and Transition

Direct: (08) 9383 0416

Email: Jane.Hedley@cewa.edu.au