Entertainment Industry

2 units for each of Year 11 and HSC

NESA Developed Course – Category B Course for ATAR calculation

What background knowledge do I need to study Hospitality?

There are no prerequisites to study Entertainment.

Why study Entertainment?

Entertainment is a course for students who have a passion for theatre and live production within the entertainment industry. Students may wish to work in the entertainment industry, either as a long-term career or in part-time or temporary entertainment positions. However, many students study this course as they simply enjoy learning about, and participating in, the entertainment industry setting.

Course description:

Entertainment is a dual-accredited course resulting in the Australian Qualifications Framework qualification of Certificate III in Live Production and Technical Services, as well as a Higher School Certificate mark which may count towards the ATAR. The course presents students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills required to perform a range of tasks in a variety of industry environments.

The Entertainment course is divided into focus areas each with related units of work. Over two years, students cover eight mandatory areas which concentrate on developing the skills to work effectively in the entertainment industry. Core units provide additional knowledge and skills specific to this sector of the industry. In addition, students complete a selection of elective subjects that are not examinable in the HSC examination.

Main topics covered:

In the core of this course, students concentrate on developing the skills to work effectively in the entertainment industry. These include mandatory focus areas, stream units and possible elective units.

The mandatory focus area includes units with a focus on:

• Prepare to work safely in the construction industry

• Provide service to customers

• Operate basic lighting

• Undertake live audio operations

• Assist with production operations for live performances

• Operate vision systems

• Apply work health and safety practices

• Participate in collaborative creative projects

The core focus area includes units of focus on:

• Organise personal work priorities

• Work effectively in the creative arts industry

• Plan a career in the creative arts industry

• Participate in collaborative creative projects

Possible elective units may include:

• Work effectively backstage during performances

• Assist with bump in and bump out of shows

• Operate sound reinforcement systems

AQF VET Qualification

The Entertainment (240 indicative hours) course provides a pathway to the following qualification:

• Certificate III in Live Production and Technical Services

This qualification may be recognised as prior learning for related tertiary studies.

Work Placement

A compulsory component of the course is work placement. Over the two-year course, students must undertake a minimum of 70 hours work in the hospitality industry. Students will complete work placement during term time. However, students may be required to complete some work placement during school holidays. Pymble, in conjunction with a provider, organises work placement.

HSC examination structure:

This will involve a two-hour written examination. The paper will consist of:

Section I Multiple Choice

Section II

Section III

Section IV

15 marks

The examination is independent of the competency-based assessment undertaken during the course and has no impact on the eligibility of a student to receive AQF qualifications.

Competency assessment:

Entertainment is a dual-accredited course which enables students to receive an AQF qualification, at the same time meeting the NESA requirements for an ATAR after sitting the HSC.

The AQF qualification is assessed through the achievement of competency standards. This means that students work to develop the competencies, skills and knowledge described in each unit. To be assessed as competent, a student must demonstrate to a qualified assessor that they can effectively carry out the various tasks and combinations of tasks listed to the standard required in the appropriate industry. There is no mark awarded in competency-based assessment. Students are assessed as either ‘competent’ or ‘not yet competent’. Competency-based assessment determines the vocational qualification that a student will receive.

How is Entertainment relevant to tertiary studies and career choice?

Possible occupational outcomes include employment in the following entertainment sectors:

• Lighting;

• Audio;

• Vision;

• Safety;

• Customer service; and

• Staging.