Careers News

Year 12 Students are rapidly approaching the end of their scheduled classes and will begin external examinations soon. The final date of Year 12 classes is Friday the 6th November. The Unit 3/4 English exam kicks off the exam period on Tuesday 10th November. All Unit3/4 exams are taking place in the Maffra Memorial Hall. Students can access their exam times and dates on the VCAA examination timetable website. All Year 12 Students who are hoping to study in 2021 or 2022 have now submitted a VTAC application and should have paid their $41 processing fee. The final date to upload supporting evidence for SEAS or scholarships was Friday 9th October. Please see Mrs Clark if you need any support with this process. Year 12 students will receive their ranking (ATAR) on Wednesday the 30th of December, which is later than usual. This is a very important time to make final transition plans for 2021 and beyond. ALL year 12 students should come in to meet with Mrs Clark on either the 30th or the 31st December. As the school is not usually open during this period, each student will be allocated a time to meet in the Careers office, finalise preferences and/or your career plan. The first round of university offers will be released by VTAC on the 14th January 2021. See the back of this newsletter for all important VTAC dates. Year 12 students are reminded that even when you finish classes, you can get Careers advice to assist you well beyond your graduation. Please email or call Mrs Clark to make an appointment.

Subject Selection for 2021 

The timetable is now being finalized for 2021 and students will soon receive a letter, which has been sent home,  stating the subjects they have been allocated to for 2021 and the final costs of electives chosen. Any students who did not receive one of their top preferences have been recounselled by Careers to assist in selecting a suitable alternative. Payments (or a payment plan) for any high-cost electives (more than $50) must be made or put in place by the end of week 2 (Friday 16th October). Please contact the main office if you have questions or concerns. 

VCE Extension Studies for 2021 – For Current Year 11s 

A number of Universities are now offering VCE Extension programs for students entering Year 12 in 2021. These programs vary according to the University, but the idea is that students can choose to study a University subject alongside their VCE subjects. At some universities, the units studied can contribute to ATAR in a similar way as a unit 3/4 subject. The decision to select one of these extension programs is made in consultation with the school, and the school must provide a recommendation alongside the student application. In some cases there are prerequisite or co-requisite subjects that must be studied at VCE. Given the advanced nature of the program, we would only recommend this option to students who are achieving highly in Year 11 to ensure the success of their overall VCE program. Please talk to Mrs Clark for more information or visit the individual university websites – see below for options:

 Deakin University – Deakin Accelerate Deakin Accelerate is a distinctive VCE higher education program that allows students to study two first-year university subjects during Year 12. Studying one subject per trimester, this selective program gives students a head-start into university studies and also provides a potential boost to their all-important ATAR score. Besides the challenge of taking on a university subject, this subject will also count as part of the VCE and contribute towards the ATAR as the fifth or sixth subject. There are no tuition fees for Deakin Accelerate. Find out more, including the subjects on offer, at https://www.deakin.edu.au/courses/entry-pathways/accelerate

Federation University – Advance to University Advance to University is an opportunity for Year 12 students to study first year university units as part of their VCE. Successful completion of these units may contribute towards the ATAR, and students get credit towards their university degree. There are no fees for Advance to University. Find out more, including subjects on offer, at https://federation.edu.au/future-students/study-at-federation/advance-to-university. 

La Trobe University - VCE Plus Program 

VCE Plus is an opportunity for high achieving Year 11 VCE students to complete a pair of first-year university subjects in their Year 12 and have them recognised as part of their VCE. Students enrolled in VCE Plus choose one subject per semester. VCE Plus is offered at all La Trobe campuses and subjects are delivered online, face-to-face, or a combination of both. There are no fees associated with the VCE Plus Program. Find out more, including the subjects on offer at https://www.latrobe.edu.au/study/apply/pathways/undergrad/vce-plus

 RMIT University – VCE Extension RMIT’s VCE Extension allows Year 12 students to undertake university subjects while completing their VCE. These courses are VCAA-accredited towards VCE results and students may be eligible for credit in a related RMIT program. Students will get a taste of university life; they attend lectures and study on campus with full access to all the services and facilities enjoyed by RMIT students. VCE Extension subjects are taught at the City campus and are counted towards students VCE and provide a boost to their ATAR. RMIT charges no fees for RMIT Extension courses. Find out more, including the subjects on offer, at https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-withus/levels-of-study/pre-university-study/rmit-extension

University of Melbourne – Extension Program. The Extension Program is an opportunity for high achieving Year 12 students to study a university subject whilst at school which counts towards their ATAR, as well as experience university life. The University of Melbourne does not charge any fees for participation in the Extension 

Program. However, some School Centres where an Extension subject is taught may charge a reasonable fee to cover teaching and administrative costs. Find out more, including the subjects on offer, at https://study.unimelb.edu.au/study-withus/programs-for-high-achievers/university-of-melbourne-extension-program

Students Interested in Nursing / Allied Health Careers 

The usual work experience program run by Central Gippsland Health Services has not run in 2020, due to COVID-19. Unfortunately this means that any students interested in careers in nursing / physiotherapy / occupational therapy / allied health / medicine have not been able to pursue this opportunity to explore these careers further. CGHS have decided to run a virtual work experience programthis year, via an online webinar that is taking place on Thursday October 29th between 11:30am and 12:30pm. The flyer is on Compass. The session will run in the library, but all participating students will need to log in individually and use headphones. You also must register individually if you wish to attend - at the following link: https://www.trybooking.com/BKOXO . Please also email Mrs Clark to tell her you are attending, so I know who is attending and can put it on compass for that session - marie.clark@education.vic.gov.au 

Emerging Occupations 

The National Skills Commission (NSC) has developed a data-driven approach to identify emerging occupations within Australia. They identify emerging skills and look at how these skills change existing jobs, and can thereby identify emerging or new jobs in the labour market. New occupations often emerge as a result of the need to adapt and learn new skills. The current COVID-19 crisis has seen situations such as manufacturers having to learn new techniques to make unfamiliar, in demand products, and restaurant owners having to quickly developed or enhanced their skills in e-commerce, for example. Students are encouraged to browse the National Skills Commission website at the following address: https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/introduction and learn more about emerging occupations

 Paramedic Courses in Victoria in 2020 

What a paramedic does can be as varied as restarting a patient’s heart down to helping solve social welfare issues. Ambulance paramedics are called when people feel they have no other options and are suffering what feels like an emergency to them. An interesting fact to remember when applying to become a paramedic is that the majority of the workload is not lights and sirens driving to save a patient's life. This job is more about helping people in their time of need as opposed to being a hero

Medical Imaging Courses in Victoria in 2020 

Medical imaging technologists operate X-ray and other imaging equipment, such as MRI and Ultrasound, to produce radiographic images which are used in the diagnosis and subsequent management of disease or injury. Below are links to the specialised medical imaging areas, some of which are detailed in the Good Universities Guide: Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Medical Imaging Technology, and a useful links - So, you want to be a Sonographer?, and Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences at Monash

Media, Communication & Journalism Degrees in Victoria in 2020 Many universities in Victoria offer advertising, media, media & communication, and/or journalism degrees. These areas of interest are often also offered as majors in Arts degrees. For a comprehensive list of all courses (including double-degree options) visit VTAC.

Medical Imaging Courses in Victoria in 2020

Medical imaging technologists operate X-ray and other imaging equipment, such as MRI and Ultrasound, to produce radiographic images which are used in the diagnosis and subsequent management of disease or injury. Below are links to the specialised medical imaging areas, some of which are detailed in the Good Universities Guide: Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Medical Imaging Technology, and a useful links - So, you want to be a Sonographer?, and Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences at Monash

Paralegal Degrees in Victoria in 2020

 A paralegalis an individual, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible. In other words, a paralegal works in the legal industry but is not a lawyer. Visit VTAC for a comprehensive list including all double degrees on offer.