Pathways and Transition

JTC Career Tools

Thank you for taking the time to read through the Pathways and Transition component of the John XXIII College weekly newsletter. To get in touch regarding matters concerning Pathways and Transition, please contact Jane Hedley, Head of Pathways and Transition: 9383 0416 or jane.hedley@cewa.edu.au 

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

• How the Pathways and Transition office can help
• University open days/webinars
• Important dates (including EARLY UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS)
• TISC guide
• University course guides
• University updates: UWA new courses, Murdoch new courses, Curtin pathways and new accommodation
• Parent education: career conversations with young people
• Year 10 subject selection advice from Curtin
• Apprenticeships and traineeships
• Defence Industry careers 
• Defence mini expo: trades
• Farming gap years
• Gap years in NZ and UK
• Medicine news
• Extra-curricular opportunities

Spotlights: Course Search tool; career as an endocrinologist; studying at James Cook University

How can the Pathways and Transition office help you?

UNIVERSITY OPEN DAYS 2022

It is open day season! Attending university open days is an excellent opportunity to ask the experts all your questions about courses and campus life. You can make FREE appointments with career counsellors at each university. Many 2022 university open days in WA have changed dates or gone online due to the current COVID-19 context. You still need to register online to attend online open days- see links below. If you are interested in studying interstate, there will also be virtual open days that you can attend- visit the respective university websites for more information.

Important Dates - 4 April Early Offers for 2023 

All universities in Western Australia are negotiating to agree on a consistent process for applying to university for 2023. You will NOT have an advantage over other applicants if you apply early.  

UNIVERSITY WEBINARS AND FACULTY INFORMATION EVENINGS 

4 April Curtin Year 12 Application Support Information Online Event

Applying to uni can be tricky to navigate, so if you’re seeking guidance, this is the session for you! With TISC applications opening on 4 April 2022, join us online for our info evening for Year 12s and parents and find out everything you need to know about applying to Curtin.

During the session you will hear from our experts who will guide you through the TISC and early offers process, one step at a time. If you have any questions about studying at Curtin that need answering along the way, our panel of experts and Student Ambassadors will be happy to help during and after the session.

5 April UWA Early Offers Webinar

Are you a current Year 12 looking to jump-start your career journey at UWA? Join us at our

upcoming webinar to find out everything you need to know about UWA’s Early Offers

pathway for 2023. Tick your application off your to-do list so it’s one less thing you need to

think about and spend that time focusing on your final year of study.

Tuesday 5 April | 6 – 7pm

Murdoch Faculty Open Nights

• 20 April Murdoch Open Nights 
  Science, Health, IT & Engineering
   Find details HERE.
   
• 21 & 28 April Murdoch Open Night 
  Humanities, Media, Business, Law & Education
  Find details HERE.
   
• 26 April Murdoch Applications Support for School Leavers.
  Find details HERE.

Fogarty Scholarship (UWA)

The UWA Fogarty Scholarships are the premier scholarships in WA. The Scholarship program has been established by The University of Western Australia in partnership with the Fogarty Foundation, to provide senior secondary students with an opportunity to undertake a cycle 1 undergraduate degree course and then a cycle 2 postgraduate degree by coursework at the University. The scholarship is intended for students who show significant academic potential, together with leadership ability and other outstanding achievements throughout Year 11 and 12.

Tuckwell Scholarship for 2023 (Australian National University)

Tuckwell Scholar students will receive:

• $22,350 per annum (2021 rate) (increasing with inflation) for each year of the length of their undergraduate degree, to cover on-campus residential costs, books, and general living expenses

Scholarships are awarded based on four criteria:

• academic potential and achievements to date;
• other significant achievements to date, of any type;
• demonstration of the Attributes of a Tuckwell Scholar; and
• a desire to eventually give back to Australia.

Applying for a Tuckwell Scholarship is a three-stage process which commences with an initial application from yourself and a recommendation from a schoolteacher.  Applications will begin in March 2022.  

ANU Applications for 2023 Entry

Current domestic Year 12 students who intend applying directly to ANU for undergraduate 

study in 2023 are advised that direct applications open on Wednesday 2 March 2022, and close on Monday 23 May 2022. 

Students can start their applications at any time and log back in, as needed, to complete the process.

Students will need to include their co-curricular activities with appropriate supporting documentation, as well as complete a Year 11 Results Form.   

Students are advised to read through Application Information before applying at Applying to ANU. 

University Clinical Aptitude Test 

Students wishing to study undergraduate Medicine in 2023 must undertake the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT); registrations are now open and will close on 17 May 2022. Read the attached flyer for more information. You can also scroll down in this newsletter to read more information about studying Medicine in Australia. 

12 – 15 WA May Careers Expo 2022

This is the biggest career expo in WA and the first one of the year where you can visit all the West Australian universities and TAFE colleges in one place. 

You can check the exhibitors HERE.

Large school groups go through on Thursday and Friday, particularly in the morning.  Families will find it less crowded on the weekend. 

You can find details HERE.  

ATAR Revision Programs 

If you are planning to go to university in 2023 or if you plan to apply for a competitive VET course, you may be interested in doing at least one ATAR holiday revision program. 

You can find a list of some of the main programs in WA HERE. 

TISC University Admissions Information 2021-2024

TISC Online - Course Prerequisites

TISC is the Tertiary Institutions Services Centre. It is the Centre that organises applications to universities across Western Australia. 

Find information about:

• Guaranteed ATARS
• Minimum ATARS
• Selection Rank
• Lowest Offered Rank

University Course Guides: 2023

Students looking to engage in tertiary study at university (particularly Year 12 students) may wish to spend some time browsing through university course guides to gain an awareness of all courses and majors of interest. Most universities add and/or change courses and course majors from year to year. Here are some links to the 2023 course guides for WA universities. Be sure to look for the undergraduate guides in the first instance:

UNIVERSITY UPDATES

New Courses to UWA in 2023

• Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Human Rights
• Bachelor of Modern Languages

Many of the new courses are new ways of combining subjects to create novel learning experiences which help you to specialise in your fields of interest. 

Visit UWA New Courses for more information. 

Bachelor of Commerce- new Business Analytics major.

The ability to analyse business data is highly sought after. The Bachelor of Commerce Business Analytics major is a new opportunity that will be offered in 2023.

A new Bachelor of Commerce/Master of Commerce pathway can be completed in 4 years.

UWA Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

Through this 4 year degree you can focus on these engineering fields:

• Automation and robotics
• Biomedical
• Chemical
• Environmental
• Mining
• Civil
• Electrical and Electronic
• Mechanical
• Software

Subject prerequisites:

• Maths Methods and at least one of the following:
  • Mathematics Specialist or
  • Chemistry or
  • Physics. 

Find out more HERE.

Assured Pathway to Podiatric Medicine

This undergraduate pathway is for academic high achievers who have not commenced any tertiary studies, including university degree studies or vocational training at diploma level or above.

SHORTER PATHWAY

Assured Pathway students who undertake the Podiatric Health & Medical Sciences will commence the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine in the second year, reducing the overall study period by one year. Find more information HERE.

Murdoch Bachelor of Global Security

This sounded like an exciting new course that would lead to careers solving global and local threats.

It involves security analysis of issues in health, business and climate. 

It is recommended that students undertake a double major in two of the three choices:

1. Security, Terrorism and Counter-terrorism. 
2. Environment, Conflict and Security
3. Global Politics and Policy

This degree includes an option to study and work in Indonesia.

Find out more HERE. 

Murdoch Master of Engineering Starting in 2023

A new Master of Engineering Practice approved for students commencing in 2023. The Bachelor of Engineering Technology will offer specialised units from the 2nd year, including

• Intelligent Industrial Control & Autonomous Systems Engineering,
• Environmental and Sustainable Systems Engineering, 
• Smart and Renewable Electrical Power Systems Engineering.

 On completion of their 3rd year students can study for 1.5 year Master’s program.

Pathways to Curtin

1000 new accommodation places at Curtin

It doesn’t matter if you are from South East Asia or South Perth, Curtin wants you to stay in their on-campus accommodation. 

In 2022 the new accommodation is subsidised 50% so some rooms are only $80/week. Substantial subsidies will continue in 2023, although they are unlikely to be as generous as in this inaugural year. 

The rooms are nice but haven’t changed much in 20 years, but the pastoral care and support is outstanding.

Residents get help through tutoring, with scholarship applications, connections to industry leaders, closer engagement with Curtin academics and networking with experts from other universities. 

Students settle into university more quickly, get better academic results, feel safer and make friends with other residents. 

Find more information about St Catherine’s HERE.

Find information about Curtin Perth on campus accommodation HERE.  

Career Conversations with Young People (for parents): 5 and 28 April from The Department of Education WA

Career Conversations are a fabulous new initiative from the Department of Education. Sessions will be run across the Metropolitan area, some in the morning and some in the evening. They will then be rolled out across the State

Parents and carers are the greatest influence on their child’s career decision making. Students and carers are invited to attend a Career Conversation to hear:

• what industry wants from young people
• what opportunities are on offer
• young people sharing their experiences
• where to find accurate, up-to-date career information.

Registration is required for each attendee. 

Parents may also be interested in reading this short article from Study Work Grow: 11 Tips For Talking to Your Teen About Their Career

Year 10 Subject Selection advice from Curtin

Year 10s will soon be required to identify what courses they want to take in years 11 and 12. Curtin recommends that you ask yourself 5 questions before you pick your subjects:

1. What is your end goal? (Try the Curtin Career Quiz.)
2. Do you need to fulfil any prerequisites? (See Get Into Curtin.)
3. Where do your strengths lie? (Check your year 10 subjects.)
4. Are you studying subjects that align with your interests?
5. What is you really don’t know what to pick? (Check pathways.)

Download Explore your options.

Apprenticeships and Traineeships

The Australian Apprenticeship Pathways website aapathways.com.au is your first stop if you are looking for information about apprenticeships and traineeships.

Information includes:

• Job and Training Descriptions –2500 job descriptions filtered by state, choice of industry or keyword.
• 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 & 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 one is best suited for.

3 April Construction Futures Centre Open Day

The Construction Futures Centre introduces you to everything from design and project management to entry level trade assistant roles. You can learn about the many diverse career opportunities within Western Australia’s building and construction industry by visiting the Construction Futures Centre. At The Centre, you will find virtual reality, augmented reality, videos, games and kinetic sand and designed specific hand-on interactive experiences to educate and inspire the next generation of construction workers. There are 3 open days planned for the next few months. The first of which is this Sunday 3rd April. Registration is essential.

Register here to attend the 3 April Open Day 

Busy Sisters

This is a Commonwealth government mentoring program designed to support girls and women in trade careers. The Busy sisters mentoring program runs over 6 months and provides weekly support from Tradeswomen. 

Bricklaying Apprenticeship Program 

With fancy bricklaying, the future of skilled bricklayers is looking good. This video is about a new bricklaying apprenticeship program

Defence industry career advice

A dedicated defence industry team is available at the Rockingham Jobs and Skills Centre to provide advice about jobs, careers, and training pathways into the defence industry.

All services are free, and available to anyone in WA!

To contact the team; call or email or drop in for a chat.

T: 08 9599 8655 E: defence.careers@smtafe.wa.edu.au

Defence Trades Mini Expo

Defence Trades & GE Mini Expo, Saturday 2nd April 2022, Perth City

Defence Force Recruiting would like to invite you to the Trades & GE Careers Mini Expo on Saturday, April 2 2022. 

Across every one of their 200 roles, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) offers excellent career opportunities for everyone. If you’ve ever wondered what a career in the ADF is like, then go along to the Trades & GE Careers Mini Expo and find out. 

You’ll get to hear first-hand, from current ADF personnel, what it’s like to be in the Navy, Army or Air Force. This is your opportunity to find out more about life in the ADF, have your questions answered and learn more about the application process.

Date: Saturday, April 2 2022 

Session Times (click to book): 

Session 1: 10.00am - 11.30am 

Session 2: 11.30am - 1.00pm

Session 3: 1.30pm - 3.00pm 

Address: Level 7, 66 St Georges Terrace Perth

If you have any questions or queries, please email CPT WA. 

Letz Live Gap Year (NZ, UK)

Letz Live is an organization that has established relationships with over 200 prominent schools globally and they make several hundred gap year placements, annually. Peruse their website to be guided through the whole process. You can also book a Letz Live online information session to hear about their gap years to New Zealand and the United Kingdom: Information Sessions | Gap Year and Working Holidays (letzlive.org)

Farming Gap Year

Want to spend your gap year travelling around the country, experiencing life in the country, and gaining valuable work experience? 

MEDICINE NEWS  - Do you want to study Medicine? 

Curtin University Year 12 Application Support Info Evening

4 April 2022

Join Curtin University online for their information evening for Year 12s and parents, and find out everything you need to know about applying to Medicine at Curtin.

MedEntry 

MedEntry is a government-accredited Registered Training Organisation specialising in UCAT preparation. MedEntry offers discounts of 40% for groups of two or more, and many other discounts including for those nominated by their teacher. For more information, please visit www.MedEntry.edu.au

Getting into medicine blog

WA Careers newsletter InFocus Careers has a detailed blog post about getting into medicine in WA. The post is written in response to people not understanding the difference between an UNDERGRADUATE and a POST GRADUATE degree. 

Medicine across Australia

Medicine is a highly competitive course at all universities across Australia. If students are serious about studying Medicine, they ought to consider making multiple applications to institutions across Australia. Ms. Jane Hedley has a Medicine matrix resource that gives a snapshot of the application requirements and processes for tertiary institutions that offer Medicine, across all of Australia. Please contact her to access the matrix. A similar matrix is available for Dentistry.

Medical Specialty Fact Sheets

NSW Health has compiled an extensive list of extremely useful fact sheets to assist students in making more informed career choices about the many careers in the health industry, and to ensure their career plans not only fulfil their personal aspirations but also align with the needs of the industry.  Students keen on finding out more about what the job is about, whether or not there is a shortage, etc. are encouraged to browse the following link on NSW Health - Medical Career Planning. 

Ms. Hedley can also share with you a matrix of all Medicine and Dentistry courses in Australia- just ask!

EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

1 April Applications Close: Curtin STEM Outreach: Girls engineering a better world

The Girls Engineering Tomorrow program targets students studying high-level maths and offers them mentoring support, and exposure to engineering activities, courses, role models and careers.

 It's open to Year 11 female students studying Mathematics Methods and gives them the opportunity to:

• get assistance from an experienced maths tutor
• meet female engineer mentors and hear about their experiences
• participate in a range of engineering themed workshops and activities
• learn more about courses and careers

Plus, it’s free – all we ask is the student commit to the out-of-school program taking place over 10 sessions, 2.5 hours fortnightly on the weekend at the Curtin Bentley campus.

Apply here before Friday 1 April.

TEDX Youth@Perth Ideas for Change submissions open

Students aged 14 – 21 are invited to submit their Idea for Change to be presented at TEDxYouth Perth on 30 July (Please note change of date from April.).

If you’re one of the six selected finalists, you’ll get the chance to share your idea on the main stage of the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia at TEDxYouth@KingsPark on Saturday 30 July 2022.

Find details HERE. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL IN FOCUS

28 March Inspire in 5 Online – The Innovators’ Tea Party.

Learn about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths from the experts!

Join us on the evening of Monday 28th March for a free series of presentations from 4 of WA’s women in STEM champions to learn about the endless opportunities a career in STEM can offer. You will hear first-hand what it’s like to work at the frontlines of innovation.

This event is for high school students in Years 7-9, their parents/guardians and teachers. Each of our Women in STEM Mentors will give a short 5-minute presentation about their studies, career journey, and day-to-day work life, followed by an opportunity for students to ask questions in a facilitated panel discussion. 

Time: 6pm – 7pm

Register HERE

UWA Girls in Engineering Years 7 – 12

The UWA Girls in Engineering (GiE) outreach program inspires female students to take advantage of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) study and the career pathways available in this area.

Under the program, current UWA students and industry partners volunteer their time in schools around Perth to talk to Years 7–12 students about exciting engineering career options. 

Find out more HERE.

WA Academy of Performing Arts – Junior Academy for Secondary Students

The Junior Academy program gives secondary school students the opportunity to develop skills to become confident performers. They will establish strong voice and movement skills and explore a range of acting techniques that will be applied to stage, screen or musical theatre performances. 

By being a part of the WAAPA Junior Academy program, students will:

• learn alongside expert tutors from WAAPA and industry guests
• collaborate with other students who share a passion for performance
• develop and build on the foundation skills of acting or music theatre
• learn the importance of team work and working as an ensemble
• apply your knowledge to performing on stage and/or screen
• share your work with family and friends at the end of each semester

Bookings are made on a term by term basis.

Junior Academy courses

• Acting and Performance Making - School Years 7 to 12
• Music Theatre - School Years 7 to 12
• Propeller Youth Dance - School Years 9 and above

8 – 15 y/o: Curtin Kids coding and robotics holiday workshops

Curtin will be running hands-on robotics workshops during the April school holidays. Suitable for children aged 8-15 years, the two-day Robo Academy workshops run from 10am-3pm each day. It’s an exciting couple of days where kids are given the opportunity to build, program and play with a LEGO robot, climaxing with a game based challenge of sumo robots.

• 18-19 April: Beginner ($120) & Intermediate ($150)
• 21-22 April: Beginner ($120) & Intermediate ($150) & Advanced ($200)

Find out more

11 – 22 April UWA Autumn Holiday Program

The UWA Kids Sport Holiday Program is excellent for introducing kids aged 5-12 to new sports in a friendly, non-competitive environment and for keeping them active and happy during the school holidays!

At the UWA Kids Sport Holiday Program, we aim to provide children with a highly supportive environment which nurtures a healthy lifestyle, positive social interactions, introduction to leadership qualities, development of motor skills and the concepts of sportsmanship and respect of others. 

Click here to view the schedule!

Enrol HERE.

Children's University

UWA has partnered with ECU and Children’s University Australasia to inspire a passion for lifelong learning and widen participation of students from diverse backgrounds to access higher education. 

Find out more about Children’s University HERE. 

Spotlight Resource: Course Seeker

Course Seeker is a joint initiative between the Australian Government and the Tertiary Admission Centres. It is a web-based search engine that allows anyone to search and compare thousands of study courses from different institutions across Australia. Course Seeker may be particularly useful to students looking to travel interstate for their Australian university experience. Please be mindful to cross-check entry requirements with specific university websites/course guides. Ms. Hedley is happy to assist you in planning your interstate university journey.

Spotlight Career: Endocrinologist

What is an Endocrinologist?The Health Direct website states that an endocrinologist is a medical specialist who treats people with a range of conditions that are caused by problems with hormones, such as diabetes, menopause and thyroid problems.  Endocrinologists can treat conditions such as:

• diabetes
• metabolic disorders
• osteoporosis
• menopause
• thyroid problems
• cancers of the endocrine glands

The Job Outlook website states that some of the tasks of an endocrinologist include:

• Examines patients to determine the nature and extent of problems after referral from general medical practitioners and other medical specialists and undertakes laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures.
• Analyses test results and other medical information to make diagnoses.
• Prescribes and administers drugs, as well as remedial and therapeutic treatment and procedures.
• Records medical information and data.
• Reports specified contagious and notifiable diseases to government health and immigration authorities.
• May admit or refer patients to hospitals.
• May consult other medical specialists.

To become an endocrinologist, students must first qualify as a medical practitioner, and then apply for a fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. There is very strong future growth for careers in this specialised qualification.

Spotlight Institution: James Cook University

Snapshot of James Cook University (JCU) in 2022

• JCU is the second-oldest university in Queensland and is dedicated to research in areas such as marine sciences, biodiversity, tropical ecology and environments, global warming, tourism, and tropical medicine.  It is ranked #1 in the world for marine and freshwater biology - CWUR Rankings 
• JCU is also a leading university in the tropics and ranked in the top 300 universities in the world - Times Higher Education World Rankings 
• JCU has a number of campuses with the main campuses being in Townsville  and Cairns, and there is an international campus in Singapore
• Some of the most highly sought after courses offered at JCU include:
  • Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery 
  • Bachelor of Dental Surgery 
  • Bachelor of Physiotherapy 
  • Bachelor of Veterinary Science 
  • Bachelor of Marine Science 
• JCU has six colleges and one centre
  • College of Arts, Society and Education
  • College of Business, Law and Governance
  • College of Healthcare Sciences 
  • College of Medicine and Dentistry
  • College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences
  • College of Science and Engineering
  • Indigenous Education and Research Centre
• JCU offers a broad range of student exchange programs - JCU Global Experience 
   

Fast Facts for Health or Veterinary Science Applicants

JCU has a few programs where a combination of a written application and academic results is required for selection including dental surgery, medicine, and veterinary science.  Students applying for one or more of these courses should take note of the following: 

Top Tips for Written Applications:

1. Read and follow the instructions to the letter
2. Make sure to sign the Statutory Declaration, and have it witnessed by an authorized person
3. Check and double check before you send your application in, as JCU can only accept one copy of the application per student
4. Get the application in before the closing date – for everyone’s peace of mind
5. Look for opportunities that indicate your commitment/motivation to study health (e.g., work experience, volunteer work, paid employment) etc.
6. Complete your answers within the space provided
7. Write neatly so your answers can be read
8. Keep abreast of current events as you may be asked to give your opinion on these should you be invited to an interview (medicine specific)
9. Arrange no more than 3 letters of support - It is a competitive process so if you are asked to “Provide 3 Recommendations” select your best three as only the first three will be read and any extras will not be considered
10. Remember: your application is heavily weighted to get to interview stage.  You must be passionate about indigenous, tropical, and rural health and reflect this in your application

Jane Hedley

Head of Pathways and Transition

Direct: (08) 9383 0416

Email: Jane.Hedley@cewa.edu.au