Careers and Pathways
What a huge start to the year it’s been, with lots going on in Careers & Pathways. See below what we’ve been up to and what we have coming up.
Avalon Australian International Airshow Careers Day
This year we were able to attend the Avalon Australian International Airshow Career Day with 50 ECSC students. It was a great opportunity for students to explore a wide range of career pathways in science, technology, engineering and aviation.
Students had the opportunity to network with industry, talk to education providers and get up close and hands-on with all kinds of aircraft and technologies.
The event was a huge success, with the only complaint that we didn’t have more time to spend there. We’ll certainly be looking to register again in 2027 with the aim to take a larger group and spend more time exploring.
National Careers Week
In week 5, we celebrated National Careers Week across the school with a wide range of events, activities and competitions. The Lunchtime Spotlights were our largest event of the week and was open to all students to attend lunchtime sessions where we explored all the different ways and careers that can work together to solve world problems such as world hunger, housing and protecting the environment. We ended each session with a mini game and prize. Congratulations to all our winners this year!
The Grand Competition of the week was Clocking In: A Careers Interview. Students from all across the school were invited to interview an adult in their life about their career aspirations and career journey to highlight all the weird and wonderful opportunities and pathways that are out there.
A huge congratulation to Tayliah for winning this year's grand prize. Tayliah conducted an incredibly insightful interview with her Mother that captured exactly how our career plans can change over time and how being open to opportunities can lead to amazing careers.
Please see Tayliah’s prize winning interview below.
Q: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A physiotherapist.
Q: What made you want to be that when you grew up?
A: I liked sport and I liked health.
Q: Did that go to plan? If not, why not?
A: No, it did not, I didn't get good grades in year 12 and I grew into myself and my interests changed.
Q: What do you do now?
A: I'm a contract officer for the department of justice and community services.
Q: Is this different to what you wanted to be when you were younger and how did you get into it?
A: Yes...Woah gosh! I was working as a nurse in aged care, my knee wanted a career change (injury) so I used connections and got an entry level job at Victoria Police. After being over looked again and again at Victoria Police, I applied for a legal support officer role at DJCS and was successful. I fell in love with the work they did there, I worked and earned myself a promotion to become a contract officer.
Q: What kind of study did you have to do to get into this job?
A: Most of it is on the job learning, but I have done an advanced diploma in business (legal secretary) which has helped me.
Q: What's your favourite thing about the job you do now?
A: I love arguing the legal rules when reviewing matters.
Q: What's your least favourite thing about the job you do now?
A: My least favourite thing is walking around inspecting prisoners' cells, they can be quite smelly.
Q: If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?
A: That it's ok to not know what you want in life, and it's ok when things don't go exactly how you planned, things will eventually align.
Q: What advice would you give a current student?
A: Do the best that you can, but, if you don't get what you were aiming for do not give up, there is more than one pathway to your dream career.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who does not yet know what career they want?
A: Everyone I know have all started in one career pathway and then done a complete u-turn to do something else. Not everyone knows what they want to be and even those who think they know what they want may go into the career and hate it or realise it is not for them. It is okay, take me for example. Out of high school I studied nursing and then paramedicine, I even worked as a nurse for a bit. Realised medicine was not my passion and changed careers. I am now working in corrections in the public private partnership space. My husband is another example who started in IT, moved to become an analyst and now is a police officer. This is part of life, just never give up and keep trying until you find the career and the path that makes you the best you.
Q: What advice would you give someone who wants to work in corrections?
A: Corrections is a great career and has many pathways, the best entry level would be to become a corrections officer. I work with many former correctional officers who are now in the head office with myself. Once you are in the correctional space it opens a whole new world and path, from reintegration to head office, to operations, it has great career paths.
Q for Tayliah: What did you learn from your interview?
A: I've learned that anybody can have multiple career goals in a lifetime, a person does not have to pick one career and stick to it.
VET Discovery Expo & Trade & Tech Fit Expo
As this is being published, we are preparing to attend 2 great careers expos. The VET Discovery Expo is run by our Local Learning and Employment Network to showcase careers and pathways related to secondary school VET studies. We will be attending with almost 150 students across years 9 to 12, giving them the opportunity to explore the wide range of pathway options available to them in preparation for 2026 course selections.
The Trade & Tech Fit Expo is run by the Department of Education and aims to broaden career ambitions for female and gender diverse school students with a hands-on trade and technology industry showcase. We will be attending with a small group of students across years 7 to 12.
More information about these events and how they went will be shared in the winter newsletter.
Year 10 Work Experience
We have been working hard with the Year 10 students to prepare them for their work experience placements in term 2, week 11. A huge congratulations to all those students who have secured a placement, however it’s important to remember that students will not be cleared to attend their placement until all compliances have been met. This includes signed arrangement forms and safe@work modules. We have been working through these in Career & Pathways classes, students are also able to check on their compliance status with me or the Year 10 team.
The deadline for new arrangements has now passed, but fear not, students without a work experience and/or those who don’t meet compliance will be engaged in a virtual work experience program for the week. More details will be available closer to the date.
2026 Course Selections
Just a quick flag that 2026 Course Selections will be taking place early next term. Year 10 students will be beginning their Career Investigator Assignment in Careers & Pathways classes in the coming weeks as well as exploring the different pathways and program options available to them. Also keep an eye out for the Subject Expo and Information Night registrations, these events will provide valuable information to both students and families about pathway options and course selection requirements and deadlines.
Careers & Pathways Bookings
Careers & Pathways will be closed and unavailable for appointments from weeks 8 to 10. Walk-ins will be available in week 11, and bookings will re-open in term 3. In the meantime, please feel free to direct any careers & pathways queries to your year level leaders.
See you all in term 3!
Jacqui Hunter
Careers & Pathways