Vocational Education and Training their time on the job, which negates the need for a part-time job for the many boys who choose to work.
An added incentive to completing a school-based traineeship is the value placed on such achievement by the QCAA and tertiary institutions. Rank score trainees (Cert III) who complete their traineeship by the end of Year 12 will receive a minimum rank score of 68. This is regardless of performance in the trainee’s school subjects, which provides a comforting safety net, because tertiary institutions equate a rank score 68 with an OP 15 for tertiary admissions.
Throughout 2014 the Year 10 students engaged in a careers education program, with an emphasis on understanding themselves and investigating possible career options. The emphasis of the program was self-evaluation, linking interests to future pathways and the resources available in the world of career education. An extension to this program was the continuation of the OSA Career Mentors Network, which was established in 2012. This network links current students to OSA members and parents, who act as Mentors to the boys in Years 10 to 12, with specific questions about their futures. This network will hopefully continue to grow through increased use, providing valuable insights, advice and connections to Senior students.
As young men leave TSS for the last time as students, it is encouraging to know that they have the information and resources to make wise decisions in the exciting years that lie ahead.
Careers education is a very important part of what we do at TSS, as arriving at a successful, fulfilling career is the ultimate goal of all our efforts. Understanding oneself and aligning strengths and interests with a career that complements this profile is vital to achieving this important ambition. Part of this process is the role played by work experience.
Best wishes to the Valedictorians of 2014.
Students in the Senior years are encouraged to participate in work experience to inform themselves, dispel possible myths and to generally come to understand the demands of the workplace. For many students, such exposure could well be the first time they have worked in a real workplace, with a supervisor monitoring performance and facing the expectations of others, as well as coping with the challenges of learning ‘on-the-job’. These are very valuable learning experiences and should help with decisions about tertiary courses and future careers.
THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL SOUTHPORTONIAN 2014
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