Rebecca Ambrose

Careers Counsellor | Teacher

Our Year 12s are choosing their pathways for next year and beyond. It has been excellent to hear of many securing fulltime apprenticeships and a number of our students have secured entry into their university course for 2023 through ‘early entry’ schemes. Students can apply to Queensland Universities through QTAC which is now open. For most courses, the ‘on-time’ applications remain open until the end of September. Students also need to register for their ATAR @ https://www.qtac.edu.au/atar/

Year 10s and families have been busy selecting subjects for their Senior Years. Our Senior Education Training Planning conversations have been taking place over the past few weeks. This year we have had a team of staff undertaking the interviews with our students. Thank you to our staff, students and families for entering into robust conversations regarding future pathways. We have a diverse student group and St Mary’s Catholic College, offers such a wide variety of pathways for our young people.

Our Year 10s enjoyed their time at the BLA Cairns Youth & Careers Expo on Thursday. There were so many employers, training organisations including TAFE, apprenticeship/traineeship organisations and universities from as far away as Tasmania. The students are congratulated on making the most of the opportunity and representing themselves and St Mary’s so well. Thanks to our staff who attended as well.

AusApp

The Australian Apprenticeship Pathways Mobile App provides apprenticeship and traineeship career resources for smartphones and tablets. The App can be downloaded for free from Google Play and App store and you can search through over 3000 examples of apprenticeship and traineeship occupations. Click here for information including:

Opportunities filtering by State and Territory
Tips on how to find a job
How to explore information and resources that can help you find career ideas that interest you
How to begin career discussions with family, friends and career support people at school

Key Australian Apprenticeship and Traineeships information Services resources

The Australian Apprenticeship Pathways website contains a variety of free resources to help navigate apprenticeships and traineeships pathways. They include:

Job and Training Descriptions – These descriptions can help you explore potential apprenticeship and traineeship pathways and occupations
Job Pathways Charts – Examples of potential career pathways that can begin with an Australian apprenticeship
Pre-apprenticeship Finder – Find a pre-apprenticeship in the industry of your choice by location
Practice Aptitude Quizzes – General industry based literacy and numeracy quizzes illustrating the levels required when undertaking Australian Apprenticeships qualifications.
Literacy and Numeracy Quizzes – Interactive quizzes to gauge if you are apprenticeship ready
Career Interest Explorer – A quiz to understand which type of career or work might suit you
Downloadable resources – Find resources such as industry fast fact sheets, job pathway charts by filtering down to the category of your choice.

Looking for an Apprenticeship

Gaining and/or having the skills that companies require are changing at all time. This makes the need to re-skill or upskill more vital than ever. This short video provides an industry perspective on the changing world of work. For more information the following links from myfuture will take you to government supported websites.

I want to be an apprentice
Australian Apprenticeships Pathways
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships
Australian Apprenticeship Support Network
Fair Work Ombudsman

Looking for an employer for after school apprenticeship?

The Queensland Government’s website has valuable information if you are looking for an apprenticeship or traineeship after school. There are two broad types of employers for apprenticeships – an individual employer or a Group Training Organisation (GTO). GTO’s pay your wages and organise your formal training but place you with host employers for your actual on-the-job training. Below are strategies you can use to find employers:

Read newspapers that have job ads (e.g. ‘Careers’ in the Saturday Courier-Mail)
Search the Internet for relevant websites
Contact GTO’s near you – find a list of Queensland GTOs here
Scan school and community notice boards
Contact industry associations – you can find a list of Queensland associations here
Approach previous employers - e.g. from work experience or part-time work (take a copy of your resume with you)
Visit your school VET coordinator and Guidance Counsellor/Officer
Talk to an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network provider – search for the one located near you here or ring the info line at 13 38 73

Most importantly, check out your social network (parents, extended family, neighbours and friends’ parents). Usually there is someone who knows someone who might be looking for an apprentice. Don’t be afraid to approach employers who have not advertised a vacancy. It is said that up to a third of jobs are obtained through contacts rather than advertisements. Approaching employers who have not advertised a vacancy is called ‘cold calling’. Find out more about cold calling here.

VET course in Queensland?

One source of this information is the Queensland Skills Gateway website. Use the training course search function on the site, enter the field of work (e.g. carpentry), the level of the course (e.g. All) and the industry (e.g. Construction). While the website's focus is vocational education and training (VET), it does include an occupational search function that has information on a broader range of careers and other helpful sites.

Want to be an electrician?

Electro Group Training and Apprenticeships is a group training company that specialises in training people for the electrical industry. It employs and monitors the training of electrical apprentices. For more information, visit the Electro Group website (click on ‘Apprenticeships’). While you are on the site, read about the attributes and skills required of an electrical apprentice. Also, do the self-assessment to see if you have the maths and science skills needed for the job.

Australian Defence Force (ADF) Information Sessions

The Australian Defence Force holds career information sessions across Queensland highlighting a number of different ADF career pathways. For details about the following events and for information on Army Reserve Information Sessions, visit the Defence Jobs Australia Facebook site. Click on the link below to find out more:

Australian Apprenticeships offer a world of opportunities

Did you know that more than 500 occupations across Australia offer apprenticeships? You can learn a traditional trade or an emerging occupation. Most sectors of business and industry offer apprenticeships at various certificate levels. With an Australian Apprenticeship, you can earn a wage while completing a nationally recognised qualification. It's a great way to get a head start in your chosen occupation. myfuture has put together an article explaining the benefits of apprenticeships including information on:

Find an apprenticeship that suits you (with links)
Improve your chances
Career stories

Career quiz to give you some ideas

Career quizzes are not designed to give you a definite answer about what you should do but they can give you some fresh ideas to research. Explore Careers free quiz will help you discover the Australian industries and careers that you can research. The quiz results will tell you about companies that you could work for. Click here to start the quiz.

MyGain

The Australian Apprenticeships' My Gain YouTube Channel, contains over 200 video interviews with apprentices, trainees and employers, showcasing the stories and experiences of Australian Apprenticeships. Check them out to see if you find anything interesting!

Selecting senior school subjects

There is a lot to consider when choosing senior school subjects while having potential careers in mind. myfuture provides information to help you navigate this process, including an article which offers tips on selecting subjects for Years 11 and 12 and how parents and carers can assist. This article is only a guide and you should talk with your Guidance Officer/Career Counsellor/Head of Curriculum if you have specific subject selection questions.

Still trying to work out your career ideas?

You may be wanting a particular occupation but unsure as to how you can qualify or you may still be exploring ideas and where your interests, values and skills may take you. You can search over 350 occupations on myfuture to find education, training and skill requirements (including related courses) or identify suggested occupations to research by completing My career profile. All you need to do is log in to search occupations and/or log in to My career profile to complete a career interest quiz.

Employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities

Learn How to Become has written an article for students with disabilities who may feel wary about searching for employment opportunities and whether or not to disclose a disability when applying for work. Today’s job market is vast and accommodates people with a wide range of skills, interests, talents, goals and abilities. A disability, whether physical or mental, should not limit anyone’s career aspirations or job prospects; finding success and satisfaction at work is ultimately about identifying your interests and where your strongest attributes and skills lie. Although this is an American organisation the information can be relevant in the Australian context. Click here to read more about:

What to look for in a job
Employment and disclosing a disability
Career ideas for your abilities
Challenges and rights for workers with disabilities
Advice on asking employers for accommodation

School Leaver Employment Support (SLES)

School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) is a planned, specific funding item for Year 12 school leavers who are current or eligible participants with the NDIS. SLES is designed to help teenagers aged 16 – 19 to prepare for work and gain real-world experience prior to or just after graduating high school. If SLES funding has been approved, you will be eligible to receive support for a maximum of 2 years. These supports are varied and diverse and focused on improving employment opportunities and work-readiness. Click here to find out more about the SLES activities that can be funded/provided.

Industries where the jobs are right now

If the upheaval of the pandemic has made you reassess your career, Seek.com reports that job ads are up. When deciding what to do and/or study after school it's a good idea to see what jobs and industries are trending now so you can get some idea of what may be ahead. So just where are the opportunities at the moment? Click here to read about:

A list of current job opportunities and growth
Workers are in demand
Building your career in Trades and Services
Check out a role in retail

Interested in being a police officer?

Visit the Queensland Police Recruiting website to begin your exploration. Click on Join QPS for information about the entry requirements and determining suitability. To be eligible to apply to become a Queensland Police Service Recruit, you must first successfully complete the QPS Entrance Assessments (QPSea). They state that while advice from family, friends and serving police may be well intended, you must rely on the current and specific information available from Police Recruiting for the Application Requirements and recruiting assessments.

Interior designers are in demand

When thinking about interior design you may think of furniture, floorplans or fabrics but there is much more to the job. Being an interior designer is about making spaces livable, practical, safe and inviting. Interior designers plan, design and supervise the construction of buildings. They must consider a variety of regulations including, work, health and safety (WH&S) regulations and building regulations.

Interior decorators and interior designers often work on the same tasks. Interior designers work to design new builds while interior decorators work with existing buildings. Your Career has put together an article where you can read more about being an interior designer and:

Changes in the industry
What does an interior designer do?
Education pathways
Tool and resources

Is your first job one for life? Probably not!

The idea of a ‘job for life’ doesn’t really fit with the future of work. With so much change on the horizon, flexibility and a proactive approach is key. So, what can young people do to find job security in an ever-changing world? This short video talks about the world of work now and in the future and how young people can best be prepared.

Pilot aptitude test

Do you want to be a pilot but not sure if you're suited for the job? If you are unsure about your aptitude to be a pilot, you could investigate sitting for a pilot aptitude assessment at Aviation Australia. Find out more and book a test on the Pilot Aptitude Assessment website.

Soft Skills Super Star Series

If you’re struggling to keep up with the demands in our ever-changing world, watch SkillsRoad's, Soft Skills Super Star Series which could help you to understand and develop valuable soft skills. Soft skills are worth the effort because you’ll be able to use them in any role or career! SkillsRoad have put together short videos on the following soft skill:

The Other Services industry info

Around 4.1% of workers have their main job in the Other Services industry. This diverse industry includes a broad range of services such as:

hairdressing and beauty services
diet and weight management centres
funerals, crematoriums and cemeteries
religious services
car repair and maintenance
machinery repair services
private households employing staff
other personal services.

Over half of the workers in this industry have a VET qualification although around one third do not have a post-school qualification. More than half of those with their main job in this industry are employed full-time. Average earnings are $1,000 per week, lower than the ‘all industries’ average of $1,200. Click here to find out more including employment, Outlook, Sectors, Occupations etc

What can you do with an Economics degree?

At first glance, the Bachelor of Economics is often misunderstood as a degree consisting entirely of numbers, money and analysing the nation's interest and inflation rates. However, the study of economics is simply about trying to understand the relationship between different things in order to make informed decisions, or reverse bad ones. This process often involves seeking to understand human behaviours and how those behaviours impact the world around us, especially in terms of resource allocation, wealth distribution, access to justice and more. By applying a social understanding or pattern or even the absence of either, to populations of human beings, economists can uncover:

why markets react the way they do
what results might occur and why (e.g. basic supply and demand)
how a nation’s future might be economically impacted by these
how we can influence change now to build a different future

Click here to read the full article published by The University of Queensland.

Where can a Law degree get you

The non-legal career options for law graduates and established lawyers are increasing. Data suggests that a law degree places you in good stead to secure employment in a variety of career fields. According to Graduate Careers Australia, 74 per cent of Australian law school graduates obtain full-time employment within four months of graduation. This is higher than the national average for graduate employment which is 69 per cent. Click here to read about jobs that you could do with a Law degree:

Accounting
Journalism
Recruitment
Politics
Management consulting
Judge's associate
Human resources
Wealth management/investment banking
Police prosecutor
Advocacy
State and Australian Government

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