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Kick-start your career with VETiS

It is that time of year when secondary school students need to make decisions about the year ahead, as they work towards an exciting future in their chosen field.  For those in years 10, 11 and 12, the choice used to be “stay in school, or get a job”.  But does it have to be one or the other?  The pathways that previous generations navigated have now changed for the better, offering young people more opportunities than ever before.

Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) like Cire Training, now operate alongside other education institutions to help students find their own way to achieve their goals.

For students looking to kick-start their progression to employment, Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses are a great option.  VET provides secondary school students with an opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification that contributes to VCE or VCAL. These programs are delivered by trainers with expert knowledge in the field and increase the employability skills of students.

I like coming here because it’s more hands-on, and it’s easier for me to learn that way, and it’s interesting and fun. – Grace

Cire Training provides flexible learning and extra support to help students succeed.  We draw on the depth of expertise we can access from across our broader organisation through Children’s Services, our Community hubs and Cire Community School.  At Cire, we use our extensive networks to provide students with unique opportunities for work experience, placements and industry knowledge while also studying.

We proudly offer courses that align with our community-centric stance and look for education options that will lead to a range of employment prospects for our students.   For young people considering their futures, qualifications in Community Services and Early Childhood Education and Care will see them graduating job-ready to address ongoing industry skill shortages.

At our recent VET in Schools (VETiS) event for local secondary school staff, Danielle Storey from the Eastern Innovation Business Centre discussed the “Care Economy”.  Referring to the World Economic Forum, Danielle reported that almost 40% of projected job opportunities in emerging professions are being created in care professions including childcare, eldercare, and nursing.

I like doing VETiS at Cire because it’s not a big class and very welcoming and fun.  Because it’s not big, it’s like a little community where we all know each other and its lots of fun. – Lexi

Cire Training’s team understands how daunting it can be for teens, supported by their parents/ carers, to make decisions that impact their future directions and pathways. We pride ourselves on our personalised approach, supporting individuals every step of the way. Our training team offers 1:1 sessions, to discuss how Cire’s VETiS program will provide opportunities for each student to achieve their best outcome.

If you’d like to learn more, please register your interest here, and we will contact you to arrange a time to suit your family.

Applications are now open for our 2022 VETiS course, click here for further information. To discuss your options in more detail, please contact Cire Training on 1300 835 235.

 

Applied learning – preparing students for employment

We hear a lot about the benefits of ‘applied learning’ in schools and among teachers and academics, however it is often not clear what this refers to. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority describe applied learning as an approach, which emphasises the relevance of what is being learnt to the ‘real world’; the world outside ‘the classroom’. Applied learning involves students and their teachers in partnerships and connections with organisations and individuals outside the school.

Applied learning works with the learner in a holistic manner, taking into account their personal strengths, interests, goals and previous experiences. Applied learning acknowledges that part of the transition from school to work is being treated as an adult and that moving students out of the classroom to learn also means helping them to make a shift to become more independent and responsible for their own learning.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is often described as applied learning. This is because training aligns with adult learning principles and focuses on skills and knowledge required by the workplace. VET also works in partnership with industry to make sure that graduates are work ready.

Applied learning in VET is practical and hands-on developing skills and safe work practices. Many VET courses require a mandatory work placement where the student is able to apply their learning in a real workplace. Work placements are also an opportunity to develop employability skills and to gain exposure to potential employers.

If you’re not sure about your choice of course in VET, Cire Training advises that you undertake an Industry Taster or Career Planning course to see if the career path is right for you.

Tim Broderick, Landscape Trainer at Swinburne Institute of Technology, recently spoke about the joint project at Silvan Primary School and students from the Cire Community School.

‘Over the last 10 weeks, I have had the privilege of working with a group of students from Cire Training in conjunction with Swinburne Institute of Technology. The students and myself 10 planters boxes 1800mm x 1800mm x 400mm, installed soil, herbs and plants for a colourful and professional finish. The result was a great kitchen garden for the Silvan Primary School’.

‘Students were able to understand what it is like to work on a building site and learn the tricks of the trade. Most were able to learn from their mistakes and work well together. They should all be very proud of what they were able to produce, something they can look back at in time and say, “I built that”!

This is an excellent example of applied learning in action. It is also representative of how Cire Services supports our youth to achieve success and build real skills for potential jobs and careers.

For further information on Cire Community School and VET courses call 1300 835 235.