Robert Townson High School

I am a Safe, Respectful Learner

Telephone02 9824 7777

Emailroberttown-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Careers/TVET

Mr Michael Johnson - Careers Adviser

Some children are attracted to a particular vocation at an early primary school age. Others will not identify with an area till much later. A number of developments in high school education have occurred over the last decade, which caters for those students who connect with an occupation. In a nutshell they can develop the foundations of a career between year 10 and 12 by gaining specific industry training and experience. The programs that are available at Robert Townson High include;

  • VET - (School Based Vocational Education and Training)
  • School Work Experience Program
  • TVET - TAFE Delivered Vocational Education and Training
  • SBAT's - School Based Apprenticeships & Traineeship

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Careers Advisory Service

The role of a school careers advisor is varied but fundamentally they are trained to help students explore issues that relate to future work and education. By doing this a student is in a better position to manage their transition from school to work or a tertiary education.

This is achieved by;

  • Identifying particular vocational areas that a student likes. This is possible even though the student is unable to suggest a specific area.
  • Helping students acquire or develop work related skills. This includes how to search for specific employment opportunities, understanding labour market trends, preparing work applications, and resumes, addressing essential and desirable criteria in advertised positions and appreciating the job interview process. Identifying skills gaps and suggesting relevant training courses is also part of this area.
  • Liaising with potential employers, further educational institution, training providers, professional bodies, private employers and government departments (open days, expo?'s, specialised work shops, careers markets, tertiary course selection, pre-apprenticeship/traineeship courses, scholarship applications and work-experience programs) to ensure students take opportunities that relate to their career needs.
  • Preparing students for life after school. For example, the attrition rate for first year university students across all courses is currently around 25%. Many arrive unprepared emotionally, socially and academically. This includes making flawed assumptions about the course and not being able to adapt to University life and a tertiary level of study. The risk signs include not attending class, failing to hand in assignments and a lack of motivation and engagement. The majority of students that leave do not seek advice from any staff. Thus the importance of seeing a careers advisor or lecturer cannot be stressed enough when these circumstances exist. When this occurs the student is much more likely to continue their course or make arrangements to change to a more appropriate selection.
  • Encouraging students to submit a tax file number applications for secondary school students. This is by far the quickest and easiest way to obtain a tax file number. Details on the application are matched to existing school records and sent to the tax department.

It cannot be stressed enough that students who strongly gravitate towards a particular career are usually incredibly well informed and motivated. They are reading material about developments in the industry, participating in forums, working or attempting to gain paid, voluntary work or work experiences in that area, as well as networking with people associated within the industry. Careers advisors are positioned well to mentor these students.