Resources

Year 12s – Handy resources

• School Leavers Info Kit and Service - https://yourcareer.gov.au/school-leavers-support/ 
• Compass Career News Resource –Transitioning to University 2021 Graduates (attached) which includes snippets of information about support services, study and travel, useful links, info on LinkedIn, and the Low Income Health Care Card.

MAS Beyond School Webinar Series

Attached is a flyer with some information about some free webinars suited to school leavers. 

It would be worth a look with your parents. Please register if you are interested.

Australian Jobs 2021 Publication

Call me weird, but I love this publication :)

Australian Jobs gives an overview of trends in the Australian labour market. It is designed to support students, career advisers, career influencers, job seekers, those considering future training and work and people interested in labour market issues.

Australian Jobs will step you through all aspects of the labour market. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the labour market and there is now more competition for jobs. It is more important than ever to understand what employers are looking for and to understand the labour market you're moving into. The Australian Jobs 2021 publication is available here as a PDF or URL.

Some quick observations:

• Youth were/are particularly hard-hit by the pandemic;
• Our recent context has brought about challenges, opportunities and some resulting emerging occupations;
• Workplace experience is valued but can be demonstrated via alternative experiences (eg. school, sport, volunteering);
• Great data about the Australian Skills Classifications and the value of transferable skills;

• Helpful Government programs and resources for job seekers, especially youth, including Youth Jobs PaTH, Transition to Work and the School Leavers Information Kit and Service;
• The positive impact of education on employment outcomes, especially VET.

OECD for the future of work across Australia

This OECD report examines the potential impacts of automation on people and places across Australia. It also sheds light on policies and programmes that can help regions and cities to prepare for the future of work.

The following recommendations emerge from this report, focusing on future-proofing people, places and firms in Australia:

• Ensure workers most in need receive targeted support to re-skill and up-skill.
• Support the emergence of local partnerships for skills development.
• Strengthen programmes with sector-focused training.
• Facilitate transitions towards sectors facing a lower risk of automation, building on the existing skills base of the local population.
• Consider developing measures to incentivise SME training uptake.
• Promote the emergence of SME networks for skills development.

FYA Update

FYA has undergone some changes in recent times. They are keen to share their new look website and programs which aim to support and transform the future of youth. Details are here.

Women in Apprenticeships

There are quite a few initiatives arising with the assistance of funding from the Victorian Government's Apprenticeship Innovation Fund through the Apprenticeships Victoria 'Women in Apprenticeships' Project.

Here is the Women in Apprenticeships link and list of some of the current offerings:

• Accelerating Women in Automotive
• WAVE Women in Electrical
• Women in Plumbing
• Careers Plus
• Women in STEM – Engineering and ICT
• SPRINKS – Fire protection
• Women and Their Trade
• Women in Aviation Apprenticeships
• Women on Track – Rail industry
• Women Only Multi-trade Pre-apprenticeships

Here are details relating to just two, but expect to see more in the next few months:

• Women and Their Trade (WaTT) – which is designed to provide career opportunities for women in the electrical industry, where apprenticeships starts for women make up a mere 3.5% of the total starts. The opportunities connected with this include ‘Try-a-trade’ days, female mentoring, networking, additional training, training support and training delivery. Those interested can find out more via this WaTT link.
• Accelerating Women into Automotive – a joint initiative between Women in Automotive (WinA) and the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) with the aim to increase the number of women commencing apprenticeships in the automotive industry, which currently sits at 6.3%, the program also seeks to increase the talent pool of women at a time of acute skill shortages impacting the automotive industry. Those interested can find out more via this Accelerating Women into Automotive link.

VCAA announces the new names for the senior secondary pathways 

Following extensive consultation with students, educators and the broader community, the names of the new senior secondary pathways have been announced.

The vocational specialisation in the VCE will be named the VCE Vocational Major.

The foundation pathways certificate will be named the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).

The names reflect the aspirations and perspectives of students and the community for quality and excellence in all senior secondary pathways.

These will replace the Foundation, Intermediate and Senior VCAL with a staged introduction commencing in 2023. More information is available Pages - Victorian Senior Secondary Certificate Reform (vcaa.vic.edu.au)

VCAA and VTAC announcements relating to results, ATAR and offers

VCE results will now be released at 7am, Thursday 16 December, VTAC confirms that the ATAR will be released to VCE students at the same time.

The December offer round for domestic students will not run in 2021. 

The first offer round for domestic year 12 students will be the January round, with offers released on 14 January.

The Australian Garden Council – career pathways in ornamental horticulture and gardening

I recently received some beautiful little booklets relating to pathways in gardening and horticulture. Pathways in this area would obviously suit keen gardeners, but also those who enjoy, science, the environment, working outdoors, artistic endeavours, practical learning, travel and tourism. If this sounds like you, consider checking out the Australian Garden Council website which offers a wealth of information about working in the diverse and growing (pardon the pun) sector, inspiring videos and career snapshots and further advice. 

• Information booklets - https://www.gardencouncil.org/p-schools-40.aspx or hardcopies at the Careers Office (Jericho 10)
• Careers and pathways stories - https://www.gardencouncil.org/p-careers-26.aspx 
• Individual advice – contact info@gardencouncil.org 

Scholarships to Study Abroad 

Looking to study abroad but worried about the costs? Good news! There are hundreds of scholarships to study abroad, including general scholarships and more specialized funding schemes. Some are offered by government agencies, some by individual universities, and others by external funding organizations and charitable enterprises.

The Top Universities website is an excellent resource to learn more about what scholarships are on offer.  Students can search for region-specific scholarships or country-specific scholarships.  Students can even search for subject-specific scholarships.

Students are encouraged to browse Top Universities - Study Abroad Scholarships  

University Study Abroad & Exchange Programs

Students who choose to take up an opportunity to do some of their university study overseas get the opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture, study at an overseas university, and really get to engage with students and lecturers at those institutions.  An added bonus of many study-abroad programs is that students get to study for one or two semesters at these overseas partner institutions and earn credit towards their degrees.

Find out more about the Study Abroad programs offered by browsing the following links:

Vicroads – Hazards Perception Test is now available ONLINE 

If you or someone you know is ready to take the Hazard Perception Test, did you hear that you can do it online? Learn more about the test and how to register below.The Hazard Perception Test Online is the same as the computer-based test you’ve always been able to take in-person. But with the HPTO there’s no appointment fee or booking required. And no need to visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre to take the test - all that’s needed is a myVicRoads account, a compatible device with internet connection and you can take the test at home.

Visit The Hazard Perception Test webpage for more information.

Job Seeker Tips:

• Video interview guide – Tips for a successful video interview https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/video-interview-guide 
• Also for video and phone interviews, why not consider having a well-planned ‘cheat sheet’ on hand to refer to? Ideally this would include key organisation information, your unique skills and experiences, prepared list of questions to ask regards the position and organisation. https://www.fastcompany.com/90549127/how-a-cheat-sheet-can-help-you-ace-your-next-video-interview 
• 10 best skills to include on your resume – Tips for the most relevant skills to include, what skills to include and how to include skills in your resume https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/best-resume-skills 
• Skills for success – interesting insights into what young job seekers, recent hires and recruiting managers think are essential skills, in short communication skills and attitude are critical. https://community.naceweb.org/blogs/tylor-behrens1/2020/09/15/re-defining-the-skills-for-success-formula-what-jo 

Children, Work and School

Despite popular opinion, 14 years and 9 months is not the minimum age of employment – to be employed without a permit, a child must be 15 years. 

Further, in Victoria, students cannot leave school until they are 17 years old and have completed Year 10.