At Cobram AGS, we endeavor to provide a careers education program that gives every student the opportunity to explore their individual talents and aspirations. Life is a journey that takes us on many different roads; it is not necessarily a straight line.
As a school, our goal is to prepare our students for the ‘real world’ of work. It is now widely acknowledged that while young people need a combination of technical skills and knowledge related to specific areas, their capacity to adapt to change, identify and embrace opportunities, and develop resilience for the inevitable tough times are skills that are crucial to their future success in a world where rapid change is the only constant.
Our Careers department has developed a career education program that not only meets the challenges of the world but also ensures students have the skills and knowledge to navigate multiple career pathways. The Program commences at Year Seven and focuses on the following:
Year Seven – I Discover
Year Seven students use a range of activities to discover their strengths and interests to develop a positive self-image that provides the foundation for optimistic pathway planning. Students build their career action plan on the self-knowledge they have acquired through the activities they have undertaken.
Year Eight - I Explore
Students in Year Eight research a wide range of occupational profiles to examine the nature of the work, the personal attributes and skills necessary to perform the tasks, and the required entry-level education and training. They revisit their annual career action plan and review their career and learning goals in line with their academic achievements.
Year Nine - I Focus
Year Nine students focus on the contribution that personal attributes and effective communication skills make to their future life and work roles. Students also participate in Morrisby Online profiling and have an unpacking interview with Careers Counsellor Jade Drew to help guide their future pathways. Students examine the changes that have taken place in the workplace over a period of time and apply their knowledge to consider the nature of change on their planning for their preferred future. In their career action plan, students apply their knowledge of their personal attributes and reflect on possible future pathways taking into consideration education and training requirements and the impact of change.
Year Ten - I Plan
Year Ten students focus on planning their pathway to achieve broad career goals that offer a range of options. In their career action plan, students identify their preferred future pathway and explore a range of scenarios that will provide optional pathways. Students will participate in work experience to gain exposure to the workforce. Research has proven that work experience is one of the most effective ways to gain insight into specific professions and the nature of work in our culture, which can help young people make decisions about their own future plans. Research also tells us that people who have already worked are more likely to gain further employment.
Year Eleven - I Decide
The focus for Year Eleven students is confirming and managing their career action plan. Students should be able to identify the skills and abilities they have acquired through activities and experiences in school and their community, including paid and unpaid work or volunteering. Year Eleven students should be able to identify the transferability of their skills and abilities to future career choices. Students will participate in a camp to Melbourne/Ballarat to explore what universities and TAFE providers have to offer, as well as attend the Victorian VCE and Careers Expo.
Year Twelve - I Apply
Year Twelve students need to be able to critically examine their career goals and have sound knowledge of the requirements for their planned further education, training, or employment choices. Students undertake activities to assist in their Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre and/or Universities Admissions Centre applications. The goal for Cobram AGS is to ensure every student achieves a quality destination post-school. A quality destination is tertiary study, apprenticeships, traineeships, or employment with a long-term future. We provide the resources and opportunities for students to pursue their passions through our Senior School alternative pathways, including:
- VET delivered to Secondary Students (VETDSS)
- School Based Apprenticeship/Traineeship (SBAT)
- Structured Workplace Learning (SWL)
Cobram AGS now offers the new VCE Vocational Major for students entering Year Eleven and Twelve. Students in Year Ten who are considering the VCE Vocational Major will have the opportunity to participate in the Project Ready work readiness program. This will also provide students with a Certificate II in Volunteering.