Careers & Pathways News

Ms Geraldine Borgonha

Here's what's happening in careers!

Vocational Major Awards 2024

Westall students cleaned up at the Regional Applied Learning Awards held recently at Moorabbin. On top of that our very own Geraldine Borghona won an award for her great work supporting our Westall students in Careers and her incredible connections with the industries that support us at Westall.

Well done to the following students:

George Paora- VCE VET Student of the Year Bintang Rara - VCE VM Vocational Major Student of the Year

Isabelle Lette- Applied Learning Student of the Year

William Lette - VCE VM Vocational Major Learning and Personal Development Student of the Year

Elaiza VCE VM Vocational Major - SBAT Student of the Year

Zar way Lar - VCE VM Vocational Major Peer Support Student of the Year.

Mr Gary Bottomley

VCE/ VM Teacher

REGIONAL AWARDS - Applied Learning Awards (ALA) 2024

Westall has had a very successful year with Nominations for the 2024 Applied Learning Awards both for our students, employers and Ms Geraldine Borgonha. These nominations were submitted by Mr. Gary Bottomley, Miss Donna Yuan, Ms Vasilakis, Miss Anna Papagiannopoulos and Ms. Geraldine Borgonha.

There were many schools in the cities of Bayside, Glen Eira and Kingston that submitted nominations and the judges had a hard time choosing the winners.

The well-deserving student winners have each received a certificate and a Westfield gift voucher and the Employers, a certificate/plaque.

Thanks to Assistant Principal Mr Jason Tickner, our Director of Learning – Senior School Mrs Helen Ifandis, Mr Gary Bottomley, Vocational Major Teacher, Mrs Leanne Read, Teacher and our best VET Cookery Teacher and Mrs Lynette Loczy, Education Support in our Commercial Kitchen for their attendance at this Annual Event held in LOEV - Moorabbin. In addition thanks to our wonderful parents who attended this star spangled evening and George Paora deserves a very special mention for his musical rendition which graced this occasion. More photos on our school’s TV screens with the winners and grinners.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to receive an ALA, nominated students must be:

attending school within the Bayside, Glen Eira and Kington areas AND/OR
actively participating in VCAL, Vocational Major, VETiS or and SBAT course within the Bayside, Glen Eira and Kingston areas.

To be eligible to receive an ALA, nominated support person must be providing services to at least one student who meets the above criteria.

Winners of the 2024 ALA awards

Student - Applied Learning Student of the Year	Isabelle LETTE
Student - SBAT Student of the Year	Elaiza PALALAGI-SUNDAR
Student - VCE-VM Vocational Major Student of the Year	Ketut Bintang RARA
Student - Peer Support Award (sponsored by Stride Education)	Zar Way LAR
Student - VCE-VET Student of the Year	George Paora
Student - Learning and Personal Development Student of the Year	William Lette
Employer - Applied Learning Employer of the Year	Goodman Fielder Pty Limited – CLAYTON SOUTH
Employer - School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT) Employer	Sheen Panel Service – all suburbs
Employer - Structured Workplace Learning Employer	Kanooka Childcare Centre - CLAYTON

Our thanks go to STRIDE Education and supported by Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia, Rotary, the BGK LLEN and Tania Hutchinson, Operations Manager at

IN 2 LIFE INCORPORATED

CAREERS – shines a spotlight on SBATs

What does it mean when a student is doing a SBAT (School based apprenticeship/Traineeship) ?

These are available to secondary school students who are over 15 years old are enrolled in VCE or VCE – Vocational Major (VM).

A SBAT offers students the option of combining part-time employment, school and training. The program runs under a contract with an employer and has a training plan registered with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority. The training must lead to a nationally recognised qualification.

The vocational training components of SBATs also contribute credit towards a senior secondary certificate. Many school based apprentices and trainees move on to a full-time contract with their employer after leaving school, while others choose to continue their education and training at a registered training organisation or university.

Other news in from Careers!

We have students Mitch Fielden and Ryan Li completing two SBATs – Certificate III in Supply Chain Operations through National Food Industries with Employer GRE8. Congratulations Ryan and Mitch, you have represented Westall Secondary College’s values so well in your work place by your prompt attendance and great work ethic.

We have Elaiza Palalagi Sundar who started her SBAT at REECE – Clayton HVAC on 26th October 2022 and completed it on 26th October 2024. Thank you to her trainer Di Menz at Murray Mallee Training Company.. Congratulations Elaiza who was always trying to help other Westall students to get an SBAT with her Company.

In 2024, we have Erena Mani who is currently doing her SBAT with REECE – Camberwell and Demarcus Tereva in Year 10 who has just commenced his SBAT with REECE -HVAC-RL Pty Ltd - Doveton

We take this opportunity to thank our valued Registered Training Organisations (RTO) mentioned above and Employers.

We also thank and congratulate our SBAT students in Years 10, 11 and 12 and parents for all their support.

2024 Speed Careering Day - Wednesday 18th December

Years 8, 9 and 10 students, Parents and Care givers are welcome to attend our School’s Sport Centre on Wednesday 18th December 2024 where this program will take place as follows:

Year 8 – Period 1

Year 9 and 10 Period 2

Refreshment break for our Presenters 11:30-12

WHAT IS SPEED CAREERING?

Our school holds an annual event known as “Speed Careering”.

The activity is designed to build student awareness of the various roles/ work options available in our community, including the fact that there are just as many individual career pathways as there are roles.

It involves small group informal discussions. It is, but a dialogue with students and their parents and caregivers from Years 8 to 10.

Monash Mentoring Program

Lucky last, we showcase our ACCESS Monash Mentoring Program which is an amazing opportunity for our Year 11 and 12 VCE students to have access to a mentor from Monash University to help them with a particular subject and give them advice while navigating their final school years.

Thank you, students, for your attendance and registration.

Thanks Ladies

Kind regards

Ms Geraldine

Careers and Pathways Advisor

Mock Interviews

Vocational Major students took part in Mock interviews with industry professionals: Sheen Panels, APM - Apprenticeship and Traineeships, Bayside Glen Eira Kingston Local Learning & Employment Network, WCIG – Community Engagement Specialists and Goodman Fielder. Special thanks to Ms Gerladine and WRS teachers Nick Smith and Gary Bottomley

As Part of Year 11 Work Related Skills, handling career and job interviews are an important part of the skillset needed to negotiate a future in a selected industry and workplace. Our students were very successful in the mock interview process. The feedback we received from each of our industry interviewers was some of the best ever.

The quote below sums them up.

"Hey Geraldine,

I just wanted to say a special Thank you for inviting me to meet and mock Interview your lovely Students.

They are so proactive and the best Students I have met to Mock Interview in 12 years. So Congrats!"

Liz De Nittis

Business Engagement

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of the great event. The students were so impressive.

We all really enjoyed it and hope we can continue to collaborate into the future.

Mr Gary Bottomley

VCE/ VM Teacher

Partnership with Goodman fielder -local business

Information in their recent newsletter on working with Westall Secondary College

At Clayton, we have a close partnership with Westall Secondary College, which is located close to our bakery. To build the relationship between ourselves, the students and school community, we have delivered a number of activities across the year, including: Hosted work experience students; Attended the CareersExpo (Fran Crawford and Poonam Ahvad); Gave a site tour to 22 students and 2 teachers (facilitated by Fran Crawford, Phil Runciman, Michelle Page, Mark Low & Poonam Ahvad); Donated bread for Sports Day; and Donated bread to their Breakfast Club We look forward to continuing the partnership and fostering future career pathways and/or community support for local kids