Teaching and Learning

As part of the VCE: Vocational Major Program, you will spend 3 days at school, and one day each week doing a VET (Vocational Education Training) course and SWL (Structured Workplace Learning).

At Peter Lalor Secondary College, your days look like this:                  

When you are at school, you will spend 1 session on each of your 4 subjects a day:

Literacy:

Literacy empowers students to read, write, speak and listen in different contexts. Literacy enables students to understand the different ways in which knowledge and opinion are represented and developed in daily life in the 21st Century. Students learn how information can be shown through print, visual, oral, digital and multimodal representations. 

Along with the literacy practices necessary for reading and interpreting meaning, students must develop their capacity to respond to information. Listening, viewing, reading, speaking, and writing are developed so that students can communicate effectively both in writing and orally. 

A further essential part of literacy is that students develop their understanding of how written, visual and oral communication are designed to meet the demands of different audiences, purposes and contexts, including workplace, vocational and community contexts.

Numeracy:

Numeracy empowers students to use mathematics to make sense of the world and apply mathematics in a context for a social purpose. 

Numeracy gives meaning to mathematics, where mathematics is the tool (knowledge and skills) to be applied efficiently and critically. Numeracy involves the use and application of a range of mathematical skills and knowledge which arise in a range of different contexts and situations. 

This study allows students to explore the underpinning mathematical knowledge of number and quantity, measurement, shape, dimensions and directions, data and chance, the understanding and use of systems and processes, and mathematical relationships and thinking. This mathematical knowledge is then applied to tasks which are part of the students' daily routines and practices but also extends to applications outside the immediate personal environment, such as the workplace and community.

The contexts are the starting point and the focus, and are framed in terms of personal, financial, civic, health, recreational and vocational classifications. These numeracies are developed using a problem-solving cycle with four components: formulating; acting on and using mathematics; evaluating and reflecting; and communicating and reporting.

Personal Development Skills:

Personal Development Skills study focuses on helping students develop personal identity and individual pathways to optimal health and wellbeing. It begins with concepts of personal identity and the range of factors that contribute to an individual's perception of self. Students will investigate health in their community and play an active, participatory role in designing and implementing activities to improve community health and wellbeing. The study examines interpersonal skills and social awareness in different settings and contexts. Students will examine leadership qualities and the characteristics of effective leaders and how these qualities can be applied to the achievement of goals within personal and community contexts.

Work Related Skills:

VCE VM Work Related Skills allows students to understand and apply concepts and terminology related to the workplace and further studies to understand the complex and rapidly changing world of work and workplace environments. It helps students understand and develop their skills, knowledge, capabilities and attributes as they relate to further education and employment, to develop effective communication skills to enable self-reflection and self-promotion and to practically apply their skills and knowledge.

Students think about and investigate potential employment pathways, to develop a career action plan, to seek appropriate advice and feedback on planned career and further study objectives. They are required to consider the distinction between essential employability skills, specialist, and technical work skills; to understand transferable skills and identify their personal skill and capabilities and promote them through development of a cover letter and resume and through mock interviews.

We hope you have a better understanding of our VCE VM program.