Vocational education is opening doors to jobs of the future for today’s students.
Space. Cyber security. Defence. Construction. The world is changing all around us, with new industries and new technologies springing up on an almost daily basis. These changes promise an exciting future for today’s school students, many of whom will be employed in jobs that don’t yet exist or have yet even to be conceptualised.
To ready students and arm them with the skills they’ll need for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, Catholic Education has launched a new website to help students and families explore vocational educational training (VET) options in South Australia. The website provides a searchable directory that offers information on available VET courses as well as guidance for those unsure which career pathway to take.
“The majority of future pathway jobs will include vocational pathways so they’re becoming increasingly important for young people to be aware of the benefits,” says Jacqui Asser, Catholic Education senior education adviser: vocational education. “Post-school pathways are a lot more complicated now than they used to be. The website aims to connect students and parents with some of the current thinking and information.”
In addition to gaining valuable skills and experiences, students embarking on a VET course receive credits to help them complete their SACE. “Our high-quality vocational education programs support the articulation of student pathways, prepare students for current and future training and employment options and integrate those programs seamlessly across the school curriculum,” Asser says. “They have a particular focus on students working towards SACE completion because we believe that’s very important.”
St Patrick’s Technical College student Alicia Phay, pictured, started her school-based apprenticeship in electronics and engineering at Codan Communications in February this year and hasn’t looked back. “I’m really lucky to work here,” she says. “I feel as though I’ve improved and matured a lot since getting an apprenticeship. This is my first job ever so I’ve learned new skills.”
As not only the youngest apprentice the company has employed but also one of the few female members of the electronics industry workforce, Alicia is proud to be leading the way. “I’m 16 so I’m getting a head start on a lot of people,” she says. “And I’m breaking new ground because there’s not a lot of girls in this area or even in my class – it’s just me.”
Alicia intends to use the credits from her Certificate III in Electronics and Communications to help her achieve a university qualification at the end of her apprenticeship. “I’m interested in doing a degree in electrical or mechanical engineering, she says. “I’d like to do software engineering and I’m aiming towards working in the defence or mining industries but I’m not sure which at this stage.”
