NCAT has close relationships with industry, and with many tertiary education providers in our areas of specialisation. Students form clearly developed career pathways into further study, apprenticeships or employment. We place particular importance on careers and pathways planning through the development of a personalised Career Action Plan (CAP); work experience and structured workplace learning programs; individual careers counselling sessions and parent/guardian involvement in career conversations.

Careers & Pathways Planning

At the Northern College of the Arts and Technology we believe that it is important for students to develop an understanding of the range of career, vocational and education options and pathways available to them in order to reach their desired career goals.

Parents are encouraged to take an active interest in their child’s career development. The college offers opportunities for parental interaction with the Careers Adviser and other relevant staff at Parent Teacher Days, Open Nights, the VCE and VCAL Information Night and through the subject selection process each year. Students and parents are also encouraged to make individual appointments with our Careers Adviser to discuss potential career directions and particular course and career requirements.

Career Action Plans (CAPs)

The Career Action Plan is a planning document that is completed by students at each year level and is intended to reflect their increased career development learning. The Career Action Plan helps young people to develop their awareness and understanding of education, training and employment options, and to develop the skills, knowledge and capabilities to effectively manage their educational transitions and careers.

The development of a Career Action Plan is designed to assist young people to set their goals, to clarify the actions needed to achieve these goals, and to commit to participating in planned career-related activities.

Work Experience & Structured Workplace Learning Programs

NCAT actively fosters strong industry relationships and industry bodies regularly advise on relevant technology and content for learning. The college views Work Experience and Structured Workplace Learning as an important and integral part of this connectedness to industry and the workplace as a whole.

Throughout the course of the year all students in Year 10 are required to undertake a Work Experience placement, while students in the General VCAL Program at Years 11 and 12 are required to do a Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) placement as part of their studies. Year 10 and VCAL Work Experience / SWL placements are scheduled to take place during the third and fourth weeks of Term 3. In addition to participating in this two-week block of Work Experience the 10T (Technology) form group also undertake two further blocks of Work Experience at the end of both Terms 2 and 3.

NCAT views Work Experience / SWL as an important part of both the Year 10 and VCAL Programs as it offers students a valuable learning experience through an insight into actual work situations. Students are strongly advised to find a placement in an industry or job in which they have a genuine interest, as this will provide a much more enjoyable and worthwhile on-the-job learning experience. Students are placed with employers at the employer’s premises primarily to observe and learn.

Structured Workplace Learning is also a central feature of NCAT’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program across Years 11 and 12. As part of this program, students undertake two two-week blocks of SWL each year in industry areas related to their specific studies. Participation is crucial to fulfilling the requirements for the VET and VCAL certificates that form the core of each student’s study program.

Careers Advice & Assistance

Students are offered advice and assistance with subject selection, course information, vocational pathway planning, goal setting, resume writing, job applications, employment information, and VTAC processes and applications.

Parent/Guardian Involvement in Career Conversations

Parents and guardians have the capacity to play a pivotal role in influencing, supporting and assisting with regards to making career choices and decisions. For this reason it is important that parents / guardians actively engage with students in discussions regarding career and learning pathways.

It is always important that young people have someone with whom they can discuss their ideas, thoughts and questions about the pros and cons of career and learning options and it is here that parents/guardians, as well as teachers and counsellors, can play an important role by listening, guiding and offering up their own experiences and knowledge. When engaging in such conversations however, it is important to be open-minded and encouraging in discussing the range of options possible and to remember that it is the student’s career journey.

Successful careers conversations are ones that are conducted in a spirit of respect and valuing diverse ideas and points of view. When talking about career development with students, it is paramount that the focus not only be about finding a job, but on the skills, knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and competencies that the student will need to lead a productive and fulfilling life.

Arts Careers & Pathways

The Arts is a significant employment area in the Australian economy. The College takes great pride in having assisted hundreds of alumni to establish successful careers in the Arts industries. These alumni also provide an invaluable resource, together with dedicated specialist careers advisors, in guiding current students into appropriate and viable employment pathways.

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Trades & Technologies Careers & Pathways

The Trades and Technologies area offers many employment opportunities. Whether as a skilled trades person, through apprenticeships, or through qualifications at tertiary and TAFE level there is a broad range of careers available. Together with, significant Industry partnerships, and specialist careers advice, the College is well placed to offer students a range of future careers in this area.

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Useful Websites

Finishing Year 12 – What Next?
Year12 – What next? Is a portal for Year 12 students who are thinking about their post-school options. The portal has tips and ideas on the wide range of options after Year 12 including: future work opportunities, Post-school education and training, working while you learn, and the benefits of education and training.
www.leavingschool.com.au/year-12-what-next/

Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC)
The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) is the central office that administers the application and offer process for places in tertiary courses at university, TAFE and independent tertiary colleges in Victoria (and a few outside Victoria). VTAC receives and forwards application information and supporting documentation to the course selection authorities at institutions.
www.vtac.edu.au

Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA)
VCAA is responsible for the administration of the VCE & VET. Subject information, exam timetables and past exams are available from this site.
www.vcaa.vic.edu.au

ATAR Calculator
This is a useful resource for VCE students as it allows them to estimate what their VCE ATAR score will be.
www.atarcalc.com

Study Assistance
A one-stop-shop for all questions about Australian Government assistance available to help finance tertiary studies.
www.studyassist.gov.au

Good Uni Guide
The Good Uni Guide provides information about tertiary education pathways, including postgraduate courses and career options in Australia.
www.gooduniguide.com.au

MyUniversity
This website provides students with a broad range of information about Australian universities and other higher education providers.
www.myuniversity.gov.au

Victorian Skills Gateway
The Victorian Skills Gateway (developed by the Victorian Department of Education and Training) is a one-stop-shop of Victorian vocational education and training (through Tafe and other providers) to help find students to find their best training option. Searches can be performed on occupations, courses, training providers, videos and written case studies.
www.education.vic.gov.au/victorianskillsgateway

TAFE Course Directory
The Tafe Course Directory provides a comprehensive list of current courses on offer at TAFE, from pre-apprenticeships through to Advanced Diplomas.
www.tafe.vic.gov.au

My Future
This site provides information on career planning and exploration information, occupation profiles, courses, job-search tips and information for parents.
www.myfuture.edu.au

Job Guide
Useful information about work and occupations to best suit you, based on your interests/abilities. Links to courses Australia-wide.
www.jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au

Hobsons Course Finder
A comprehensive database of courses, careers and education institutions as well as ranking that may help students choose between them.
www.hobsonscoursefinder.com.au

My Skills
A government initiative website to assist individuals and employers to choose the training provider that best suits their needs, featuring all publicly available, nationally recognized vocational education and training in Australia.
www.myskills.gov.au

Ace Day Jobs
Ace day jobs is a series of five minute video episodes about Australians who really love their work and explains how they got into their jobs. Often there are a few twists and turns on the way. Students can find out how to write a ripper resume, or what to do if you don’t know what to do, and other frequently asked questions. Students can also check out the job match to see which featured careers match their ideal work environment.
www.abc.net.au/acedayjobs

The Young Worker Toolkit
This site helps students to find information about their rights and responsibilities in the workplace.
www.youngworkertoolkit.youth.gov.au

Australian Apprenticeships
Helps students to find out information on applying for an apprenticeship, wages and training. This site provides information and resources about Apprenticeships and Traineeships. This includes over 3,000 job and training descriptions and in excess of 60 job pathway charts.
www.aapathways.com.au / www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au

Group Training Australia
Group Training Australia is the national association for the group training network, Australia’s largest employer of apprentices and trainees. Provides information about Group Training Organizations that take on Australian Apprentices, loaning them to ‘host’ employers.
www.grouptraining.com.au

Incolink
A joint enterprise by employer associations and unions in the building and construction industry. Covers a wide range of Apprentice related issues and information.
www.incolink.org.au

Universities & Tafes

Australian Catholic University
Box Hill TAFE
Deakin University
Federation University
Kangan Institute
LaTrobe University
Melbourne Polytechnic
Monash University
RMIT University & TAFE
Swinburne University & TAFE
The University of Melbourne
Victoria University & TAFE
William Angliss Institute