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Vocational Information for Senior Secondary Students This is a very envolved area of our students’ educational process and it is important to have the support of some one with experience in this area and in particular, experience relevant to Home Based Education families. Intro Note from Jason Caldwell I believe, that the necessary focus should be on planning the best path to ensure access for our students to their desired and God given vocational directions. While doing so we still need to ensuring they have an educational foundation that will also give them options and access lifes opportunities. I have put some of my opinions that relate to many home education families at the end.
Within this section of our site we will cover information on: *Career choices and help *Set Plans We also encourage students and families to seek vocational guidance from Jason Caldwell who has experience in this area and can guide you through this process. The information here is helpful background information as our parents usually desire a greater involvment and understanding than some dayschool parents may require. For general vocational guidance we refer our students to several sources, the main one is www.myfuture.edu.au Once our students reach Grade 10 and have been given their LUI number they can access the Career Information Service with the Qld Education Department at: https://cis.qsa.qld.edu.au/
It is also good for students choosing a vocational direction to visit the workplace and to speak with someone from within that industry. They may also seek a work placement or experience or paid/unpaid work in the industry they are looking into. This will give them a real life understanding of what they are signing up for and often dispels any romantic or misconceptions the student may have. Education
All Year 10 students are required to complete a Senior Education Plan which outlines their short-term and long-term goals. This Plan assists students to plan for career implementation. Desired Year 11 and 12 subjects are determined along with, tertiary or apprenticeship destinations. The SET Plan is worked on by students, their parents and School. Our Set Plans are the IEP set by our staff in conjunction with parents. For Vocational and Trade students we need to start looking for opportunities for our students to gain experience concurrently to their school program. Vocational Education and Training for Senior Students
Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 can attend TAFE, usually for one day per week during the school term, over a period of two years, to complete a Certificate II or Certificate III. If the Certificate course has been identified in the student’s SET Plan, no tuition or amenity fees apply, however there will still be costs for student ID, utility fee, material fee and sometimes uniform items. Students participating in a Certificate III course at TAFE would typically be studying four subjects at school – Mathematics, English and two others. Each TAFE campus has different certificate courses available to students enrolled in schools but may include: business, retail, hospitality, information technology, aged care work, community and children's services, horticulture, automotive, hairdressing, mechanical, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, engineering or furniture making. * Some TAFE colleges such as those in North Queensland insist on a minimum age of 15 years.
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships
School-based Apprenticeships or Traineeships are available from many employers through New Apprenticeships Centres (NACs). Vocational training, usually one day per week, is provided by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) such as a TAFE college which provides certificate courses similar to those already mentioned. Another day is spent working for the employer gaining on-the–job skills and experience. Once again tuition fees are not paid by the student. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Queensland Government’s Apprenticeship Information Hotline on: 1800 210 210 or visiting www.apprenticeshipsinfo.qld.gov.au
Students Aiming for University Students heading for University may and are also encouraged to take TAFE Certificated courses or Uni Short or “Head Start courses”. For these students we need to ensure that a student wanting to go onto university courses have enough academic vigour in their program to enable them to do well in SAT1, which is one of the paths that we recommend. This exam is accepted as a moderating exam for university entrance as well as other universities internationally.
SAT1 is accepted in place of Core Skills Test The SAT 1 is an accepted moderating exam that I often recommend student sit in their final year instead of the Core Skills Test. The Core Skills Test is used in State schools in Queensland as a moderating exam mark. This is paired with school based Year 12 OP Subjects and any credits earned towards a Queensland Certificate of Education, to give an OP scores which are translated into an Entrance ranking by QTAC in the same way. The SAT1 is Translated into and Entrance Ranking score in the same way as the Core Skills test. The SAT1 has the advantage of counting towards the individual student’s entrance ranking where the Core Skills Test is used by the governing body to allocate to a school the number of OP 1s, 2s, and so on up to 25 that they have to give out. The other main advantage of the SAT1 is that students may sit it more than once and their highest mark in the English or Maths sections from either sitting will be taken. Students can sit the SAT1 up to three times before they loose marks. The SAT1 is also internationally recognised. The Core Skills Exam is only done in Queensland.
There is a lot of misinformation with regard to Op Scores which range from 1 to 25, with 1 being the highest. OP Scores are a common path to University but they are not the only path and many schools are no longer recommending the completion of 5 OP subjects to obtain an OP to the majority of students. Many schools are also encouraging students to go for a “Nominal OP” which is issued by QTAC after taking into account a range of study programs that often are school based. Families often ask about the new QCE system. Several years ago, Education Queensland decided to offer students completing their High School education a QCE instead of a Year 10 or 12 Certificate. This ties in with all students from Grade 10 on being issued with a LUI number which ties into their learning account and having a Set Plan for future career and vocational planning. Here are the facts from the QCE Facts Sheet: The QCE is To be awarded a QCE, students will need to achieve a significant amount of learning, at a set standard that includes basic requirements in literacy and numeracy.
When does the QCE start? Students who started Year 10 in 2006 are the first group to work towards achieving a QCE. How does the QCE work? The QCE recognises broad learning options and offers flexibility in what, where and when students learn. At the same time, a required pattern of learning ensures that core areas of learning are covered.
A wide range of learning, including academic subjects, vocational education, workplace learning and university subjects undertaken while still at school, can contribute towards the QCE. Different types of learning contribute different credits. Students must have at least 20 credits at a set standard, and in the required pattern of learning, to be awarded a QCE. Planning for a QCE Students in Year 10 will develop a senior education and training (SET) plan or career plan. The SET plan helps students structure their learning around their abilities, interests and ambitions. It will map out what, where and how a student will study during their senior phase of learning — usually covering Years 10, 11 and 12. The SET plan needs to be agreed to by the student, their parents or careers, and the school. It can be started at any time, but should be finalised by the end of Year 10.
Registering young people
All schools are required to register their students with the QSA in the year they complete Year 10, or turn 16, whichever comes first. Your Teacher will help you with this. When a student is registered, the QSA opens an individual, web-based learning account for them. The account is password protected and can be accessed by the student. What makes up the QCE?
The QCE is made up of credits from Certificated or Board Registered subjects such as OP subjects and TAFE Certificated subjects. Students don’t need to complete 20 credits in order to enter university and there are many alternative paths.
On completion of the first year of university, employers and institutions will ask for the University reference of University Units completed rather than the QCE.
For vocational and trade students, many employers still want to see a Year 10 or 12 Certificate or reports as they are able to relate to this. These Certificates and reports are school based and not part of the QCE system. You will see on the chart below that one of the three options will give a complete QCE, however, not having a completed QCE does not mean our students can not access University or TAFE -depending on their path:
In addressing some misinformation, it is important to note that school based reports and assignment marks do not go onto the student’s QCE record. All that is registered on the QCE is the number of Credits completed out of twenty as well as the courses completed to acquire these credits. These records can only be accessed by the school, the student and the Education Department. The information is not open to the general public.
Interesting information from Jason Caldwell The system for University access has been freed up in the last 5 years and our families often prefer to submit to QTAC (the central body that decide students’ “entrance ranking”) for an entrance ranking based off:
Alternative paths to University are also very common in day schools. They are referred to as “nominal OPs.” The students who are on these programs do a range of Registered and Non-Registered subjects ie in-school and external subjects, just as our students are able to. The only difference is that we bypass the “Nominal OP” paper work as QTAC simply recognises the Final Report, SAT1 results, TAFE Certificate 2/3 and/or early Uni courses (that can be undertaken while completing Years 11 and 12 school subjects) and issue an Entrance Ranking.
“Start Uni Now” and “Head Start” courses Even the Universities are promoting the non OP paths by offering “Start Uni Now” and “Head Start” courses, that our students are able to and do gain access to in their senior years. Several Universities are also now handling their own course entry and sometimes we are able to go direct to the Uni department to gain access to a course. Students who gain an OP equivalent by completing courses that are not QAS OP subjects eg some of the TAFE Certificate 4 courses can gain automatic entry into courses of study within University. The Advantage of SAT1
Some of my families decide they do not even need an SAT1 to ensure their path into Uni. I would still encourage students where applicable to do the SAT1 to give them a clear “moderating Exam Mark” just as the Qld schools do the “Core Skills Test”. The SAT1 has an advantage in that students can sit it more than once and take their best marks on and they also get to own their own result. The problem with the OP system is that the moderating exam results are taken as a collective for that school and this determines the number of 1s, 2s, and so on up to 25. This is why some schools don’t even have any 1s or 2s to give out. It is common in an academically struggling school for the Dux to get a 4 or lower when they actually attained very high results.
We have still submitted Maths B and A and English programs to QSA for recognition so that our students are able to gain QCE Credits for their work. We are however, focusing on the subjects and options that our students need. Maths B for example is one of the few prerequisite courses for some University courses but many of the your 11 and 12 courses are costly to moderate and are not required for University entrance if you have and SAT1, School Based Year 12 Certificate and some QCE credits showing a moderated pass at that level. Our focus is Distance Education Students needs driven. |
