In this issue

As students are preparing for Year 12 exams and planning for life after school, it is important that they consider all options available to them, not just the popular careers. You only have to look to Hollywood which has released some fantastic movies highlighting people in ordinary careers doing extraordinary things. What I like about these movies is that they are based on real-case stories rather than fiction. Students will often lament about having to complete maths and the necessity  of the subject, questioning when will it ever be used in ‘real life’. The movie Hidden Figures shows how maths played a huge role in the development and success of the space program at NASA. The King’s Speech demonstrates how a speech therapist ended up working with the then King of England, showing that no matter who you are or what your role in life is, you may still require support from others. The movie, Unstoppable, highlights the roles that our transport workers play in keeping us safe while transporting goods from one end of the country to the other. Then we have the character of Erin Brockovich, who shows that tenacity and empathy as a legal clerk rather than as a lawyer, can find justice for many people.

This highlights for me that it does not matter what career you choose or how ‘mainstream’ it may appear, it is up to YOU to make it extraordinary! Whatever you choose to do, do it well and to the best of your ability and who knows, maybe one day, there will be a movie made about you and the impact that you made.

“The big secret in life is that there is no secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work.” – Oprah Winfrey

Sarah Luck
Head of Careers
sluck@stpaulsags.vic.edu.au

Years 9 and 10 Students

The Santos Science Experience – Agriculture

The University of Melbourne is running an exciting three-day program at the Dookie campus between 29 November – 1 December 2023. The Dookie campus is located between Benalla and Shepparton on a working farm – a centre of agricultural research and teaching. You will join scientists and agricultural student mentors in hands-on activities in the laboratory and paddock investigating real-world issues. Activities include biodiversity, sheep science, plant science, protein content of milk, cheese making and robotic dairy. There are 35 places remaining and accommodation is available at an additional cost. The cost of the program is $210 which excludes meals, travel and accommodation.  Accommodation is available if required.
For further details and to book your place visit: www.scienceexperience.com.au

VTAC

Key Dates
VTAC timely applications are now open and applications must be submitted by 28 September at 5:00 pm.

You can also download the VTAC Quick Reference Guide for Year 12 Students or a postcard with key dates.

VTAC Year 12 Guides 2024
The online VTAC Year 12 Guide and the downloadable VTAC Tertiary Research Guide are designed to provide students with useful information regarding course research and the application processes for entry to tertiary study in Victoria in 2024.  Year 12 students are encouraged to browse both resources and begin to familiarise themselves with what lies ahead over the coming months.  This includes requests for special consideration (SEAS), scholarship applications and other supporting documentation that may be required by institutions.

As already mentioned to Year 12 students, you need to create an account through VTAC to apply for university and some TAFE courses.

VTAC Help Webinars
If you need help with the VTAC application process (Victorian courses), VTAC is running the following live webinars to assist students and families with applications:

5 September – Pathways
12 September – VTAC application process

To register for an upcoming session, visit https://www.vtac.edu.au/events
Watch information videos via VTAC Media

Events and Information Sessions

Over the coming weeks, ACU will be hosting online panel discussions featuring ACU graduates across a range of different professions.  Students are encouraged to register for one or more sessions to get helpful advice and learn more about working in those professions.

To register for one or more, visit Talk with Industry Series.

Natural Health Course Information Sessions
Endeavor College of Natural Health is running virtual information sessions throughout September for prospective students who are interested in natural health careers.  If you have been thinking about a career in natural health, in any of the study areas below, these free information sessions may be of interest.

Endeavour College offers courses in the following study areas:

• Naturopathy
• Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine
• Acupuncture Therapies
• Chinese Medicine
• Complementary Medicine

Information and registration, www.endeavour.edu.au/events/

Fine Art, Design and Architecture Experience Day
Calling all Years 10 to 12 students; explore your curiosity and creativity in Fine Art, Design and Architecture at Monash!

This on-campus event to be held during the school holidays is for students interested in studying Fine Art, Design or Architecture. Students will participate in hands-on workshops and learn about Monash courses.

Students are invited to participate in one of the workshops to gain a better understanding of different art mediums, design thinking approaches and architecture studios at the Monash Caulfield campus.  Students will find out what it is like to be a student for a day, meet the staff and explore the workshop spaces they would get to work in as a student at Monash.

The programs on offer are:
Tuesday 26 September: Fine Art – Drawing into space
Wednesday 27 September: Design and Architecture studio workshops

Spaces will fill quickly. Register your place via Monash Experience Day

Discover Monash
Monash is running the following exciting course information sessions in September:

Register your place for the above events via www.monash.edu/discover

Illustration and Portfolio Workshop
Whitehouse is running the following workshops in September at the Melbourne campus:

The workshops are for aspiring designers and are recommended as a starting point for students wishing to develop their illustration skills and create a portfolio for application to the Bachelor of Design program.
For information on costs and to register your place, visit https://whitehouse-design.edu.au/workshops

Swinburne Workshops
Students in Years 9 to 12 are invited to visit the Swinburne Hawthorn campus during the holidays to experience the university first-hand.  With talks, presentations, hands-on workshops into future study areas and more, there is no better way to feel prepared for university life.  There are four days so students can register for the one they are most interested in.  They will all run from 9:30 am – 3:15 pm.

Find out more and register at A Day in the Life of a Swinburne Student

RMIT Campus Tours
In the upcoming September holidays, RMIT will be hosting campus tours for secondary school students across the City, Brunswick and Bundoora campuses.  These would be worth registering for, particularly if you missed the recent RMIT Open Day.

VCE Revision Lectures 

STEM Zone is running VCE Revision Lectures to be held at the St Paul’s Warragul Campus during the September school holidays in preparation for end-of-year exams in Term 4.

STEM Zone is a local education centre in Drouin that is offering students direct access to the lectures listed below, provided by expert teachers and former VCAA assessors, without having to travel the long distance to Melbourne.

• Wednesday 20 September 9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Maths Methods
• Wednesday 20 September 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Psychology
• Thursday 21 September 9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Biology
• Thursday 21 September 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Chemistry
• Friday 22 September 9:00 am – 1:00 pm: General Maths
• Friday 22 September 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Physics

For further information and to book a session visit: STEM Zone

Monash University is running VCE revision lectures at the Clayton campus during the September holidays at a cost of $10 which includes a set of comprehensive revision notes to be used throughout the session. The following subjects will be run on these dates:

• Monday 25 September: Mathematical Methods
• Tuesday 26 September: Biology
• Wednesday 27 September: Physics
• Thursday 28 September: Chemistry

Book your place via VCE revision lectures

University News

Federation University Co-operative Model
Federation University Australia is becoming Australia’s first co-operative university.  The university has made a commitment to embed co-operative learning in every university degree and TAFE course by 2025.  Co-op involves designing and delivering education in co-operation with employers.

Co-op benefits students by connecting them to employers and industries throughout their studies and giving them access to new opportunities.  Co-op also provides a clear pathway from enrolment to graduation and employment – and the foundation workplace skills needed to hit the ground running.

Every Federation Co-op undergraduate degree will include foundation workplace skills as well as the technical skills to prepare students for future careers as well as industry experiences and a range of workplace learning opportunities including:

• paid cadetships
• extended internships
• shorter learning in the workplace opportunities
• a team-based project for an industry partner

Please visit Fed Uni Co-operative Model to find out more.

News from the University of Melbourne
Fine Arts and Music Degrees in 2024

Year 12 students applying for the following Fine Arts or Music courses at the University of Melbourne for 2024 should note that the VCE prerequisites for these courses are:
Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL.

Note: Each of the courses listed below has extra requirements for eligibility to be selected.  All applicants must submit their Supplementary Application Form (available from their VTAC account) by the dates listed.  Applicants must pay a non-refundable assessment fee with their Supplementary Application Form.

Recorded auditions or folios will need to be uploaded with the Supplementary Application Form by the closing dates listed on VTAC and students are encouraged to browse UniMelb Auditions and Interviews for more details about interviews or call-backs for short-listed applicants.

Pathway to Engineering
The Monash Bachelor of Science can be used as a pathway into graduate Engineering at Monash.  If you love science and also have an interest in engineering, keep your options open and be on track to earn both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Professional Engineering.

Students keen on studying science but also hoping to keep engineering as a possible career option, can choose up to four Engineering Foundation units to study as electives in the second and third year of their science degree.  Students can choose from one of the five engineering masters specialisations  selecting the Engineering Foundation units that relate to the discipline/s they are interested in which will enable them to fast-track their Masters.

In the final year of their science degree, provided the entry requirements are met, students can apply for graduate entry into the Master of Professional Engineering.  The successfully completed Engineering Foundation units can be credited to the Master of Professional Engineering and students can commence their Masters in either the start or mid-year intake and be on track to complete their engineering masters in two and a half years instead of three years.

Find out more at Graduate entry – Master of Professional Engineering

Scholarships

Westpac Young Technologists Scholarships

Westpac Scholars partners with universities, Westpac and the community to invest in individuals with the ideas and drive to shape Australia.

Westpac offers the Young Technologists Scholarship which is designed specifically for secondary school graduates who are passionate about studies in STEM and are eager to explore its potential for good.  Recipients receive $20,000 over three years to really inspire their thinking but are also assisted in developing into a strong leader through the Disruptive Leaders Program, which includes five days in Asia as part of an international learning experience (pending no travel restrictions).  Recipients of this scholarship also have access to paid internships and inspiring mentors.  Best of all, they become a lifelong member of the Westpac 100 Scholars Network: an inclusive group of some of the brightest young minds in Australia.

The Westpac Young Technologist Scholarship program is offered at the following universities:

• Murdoch University
• Queensland University of Technology
• RMIT
• Western Sydney University
• University of Wollongong

Applications open 4 September 2023 and close 15 January 2024.  Students are urged to browse Westpac Young Technologists Scholarship to find out more.

Gap Year

Army Logistics (ADF)

The Army Logistics (ADF) Gap Year role is a unique opportunity for students to experience life in the Army, without needing to make a long-term commitment.  The skills obtained through this program will provide you with valuable work and life experience, which are transferable to civilian employment opportunities.  It enables personal and professional development for your next endeavour.

As part of one of Australia’s largest supply chains, Gap students ensure that soldiers have the food, equipment, ammunition and fuel they need to complete their mission.  They play a key role in delivering supplies to the right location at the right time – whether they are in the warehouse sorting inventory or behind the wheel of high-performing Army transport vehicles.

Explore more about the Army Logistics (ADF) Gap Year or contact Defence Force Recruiting by phone on 13 19 01 for more information.

Exercise Science and Sport Degrees in Victoria in 2023

Many of the courses listed below provide an accredited pathway for graduates to be eligible to register and practise as an Accredited Exercise Scientist with Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA).  They are also often used as pathways to post-graduate study in courses such as the Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology, Graduate Diploma or Master of Applied Sport Science, Graduate Certificate of Strength and Conditioning and Graduate Certificate of Sport Performance, to name a few.

For a comprehensive list of courses, including double degrees, on offer at both TAFEs and universities, visit VTAC

University Accommodation

If you have to move away to study, you will need to consider accommodation options. If you would like to live on-campus, you will need to start considering your options now as some universities are ‘first in, first served’.

Steps to apply for on-campus accommodation

• Make an Excel sheet or table in Word.
• List the universities you are applying to.
• Google the university and the term ‘accommodation’.
• In your table, list the types of accommodation available (for example; studio, shared apartment, catered, non-catered).
• Then list the weekly or yearly price for each option and the contract period.
• List the application method, the closing date, cost to apply and if a deposit is required.
• Speak to your family about budget considerations.
• Then tick off the accommodation you have applied for once this is completed.

Download a Victorian accommodation guide https://slmcareerresources.edublogs.org/

University Snapshot – University of New South Wales (UNSW)

• Established in 1949, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) today has more than 59,000 students and a 7,000-strong research community.
• UNSW is a member of the Group of Eight, a coalition of Australia’s leading universities.
• The UNSW rankings are consistently high.
• The main UNSW campus is located on a 38-hectare site at Kensington, seven kilometres from the centre of Sydney. The other major campuses are Art and Design in Paddington and UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
• UNSW has seven faculties, with a number of schools within each faculty:

• • Arts, Design and Architecture
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Law and Justice
  • Medicine and Health
  • Science
  • UNSW Canberra at ADFA

• An extensive range of courses are offered at UNSW at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
• UNSW offers the Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine at its Kensington campus.
• UNSW is one of Australia’s leading research universities, with over 4,000 dedicated research students.
• UNSW offers a number of support and development services for all students.
• UNSW also offers a broad range of scholarships to students.

UNSW is the largest provider of student housing in Sydney, with award-winning accommodation on and off campus.

Resources

Good Universities Guide
Students can search over 400 different occupations narrowed down by the field or type of work they would like to do in the future, explore university courses and compare ratings for undergraduate degrees, www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au

Course Seeker
Students can explore university courses for each state on the one website and can research courses, prerequisites, selection criteria and ATAR profiles for the 2024 intake, www.courseseeker.edu.au/

Australian Apprenticeship Pathways
You will be able to undertake apprenticeship aptitude tests, find local apprenticeship and group training centres, and learn about different trade occupations, www.aapathways.com.au/

4 steps to finding an apprenticeship or traineeship
Australian Apprenticeships Pathways has developed a fantastic four step process for students to follow when seeking an apprenticeship or traineeship, www.aapathways.com.au/

My Skills
You can search for and explore vocational courses across Australia, learn about in-demand jobs and watch videos of young people who have completed vocational training, www.myskills.gov.au

Employment Resources
Do you need a Tax File Number (TFN)?  If you are planning to get a job or if you would like to study at university or TAFE next year, you will need a TFN. To start the application process, go to www.ato.gov.au

Find out about your rights at work
Learn about your rights, responsibilities, how to resolve issues in the workplace and rules about unpaid work, www.fairwork.gov.au

Learn about safety in the workplace
Your rights and responsibilities, visit www.safe-t1.net.au

How to stay safe – www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/young-workers