Author: Bev Johnson

I am a West Australian who has worked in schools, TAFE and I keep going back to uni. I set up training programs with industry so have a great network of caring industry representatives who are keen to help school kids to find their path to where they belong when they leave school. The trust that people have in me has led me to be elected as West Australian President of the Career Development Association of Australia. Contact me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au or M: 0434056412
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We all want to belong – deciding where to belong next is the trick

If you are in Year 12, you need to decide where you want to belong when you leave school. 

Most of us don’t remember our dreams. Your dreams, or even your vague ideas will come in a whisper, not in a shout. Here are some tips on how to listen to your heart.

Tip 1:

Take the best stuff from your life now into your new life when you leave school.

Career ideas don’t come fully formed. This simple trick will help you to see some possibilities. 

Make a list of the things you do in a day. This list provides you with the raw material that you need to decide where you want to belong.

  • Get up
  • Have breakfast
  • Bus to school.
  • Maths
  • English
  • etc

Expand your list by adding what you do on a weekend or on holidays or things you liked when you were younger.

  • Play basketball
  • Go to the beach
  • Customer service at Brumby’s

When you have finished your list, highlight the things you like doing most. Check out those things and use them to guide your decisions about where you want to belong next. 

Ideas are most at risk when they are vague and new. 

Ideas need pampering or they will fade away.

Talk to your career advisor to get ideas about how you can do more of what you like doing most. 

You can also check out how to do more of what you like through a free appointment with a careers counsellor at a Jobs and Skills Centre. 

For more information go to Get on track to uni in WA 2023 or .Year 10 Magic Happens: Careers Handbook

Tip 2:

It is tricky to be clear about what is important to you 

For Donald Trump money and power are important.

For the Wiggles it is entertaining little kids.

You can figure out what is important to you through this game:

  • Write a list of 8 people who you like. They don’t even have to be real people. Your dog could be on the list.
  • Once you have finished your list write three things that you like about each person.

If you included your dog you might have:

MIssy – Friendly, fun, understanding.

You will have 24 different things that you like.

Group together similar things. The things that appear most are those things that are most important to you. 

Let those things guide your decisions about where you want to go next.

If making money and having power is important to you, you won’t want to go to care for orphans in Cambodia.

If entertaining little kids is important to you, you might check out early childhood education. That is where the original Wiggles started. 

For more information go to Get on track to uni in WA 2023 or .Year 10 Magic Happens: Careers Handbook

In Summary

From little things big things grow. 

Start by listening to what you like now. From those ideas you can grow your future.

Check to see if those thing sounds true to your values. 

Stand on the shoulders of giants. Ask older people for information. Ask what they did. We all want you to succeed. 

Get on track to uni in WA 2023                                   Year 10 Magic Happens Careers Handbook

Get on track to uni in WA 2023

To discover career opportunities in Western Australia, subscribe to In Focus Careers News

In Focus Careers News
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Ideas from West Australian career educators

After the most COVID disrupted term we have had in WA, career educators have bounced back. They are standing on the shoulders of West Australian giants in career education to deliver world class career experiences to our students. 

Here are some examples from the last few weeks. 

Construction Futures Centre

Last month Kathy Moore, from Swan View SHS, organised for career educators to go  to the Construction Futures Centre in Belmont to check out the career education resources that are available to schools.No alternative text description for this image

Twenty eight career practitioners turned up and played their way through the simulation games that can be booked for school groups. You can book a tour for yourself or for a school group HERE. 

Youth Innovation Think Tank

Kim Flintoff, from Peter Carnley Anglican Community School, is building on the work of the East Metropolitan Health Service which delivers the Youth Innovation Think Tank for West Australian high schools. 

No alternative text description for this image

You can find earlier examples of problems addressed by schools HERE.

Year 9 MyCareerRules

Brett Neasham, from Governor Stirling SHS, recently ran a career conversations session for Year 9 students. The  MyCareerRules session with ABCN and Bankwest was a great introduction to careers with mentors giving  thoughtful, honest insights and reflections on their career journeys.

ABCN and Bankwest at Governor Stirling

Defence Force Presentation. 

Kathy Moore, from Swan View SHS, had Defence Force Recruiting come to school to give a presentation to Year 11 & 12 students. 

No alternative text description for this image

For more career opportunities for your students, subscribe to the monthly In Focus Careers News for West Australians 

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

Pathways from High School powerpoint presentation   Get on track to uni in WA for 2023   Study Coach 

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In Focus Careers May Issue: Connecting you to trends, people and ideas for the future

As students and teachers went on holidays and started to overcome the COVID disruption of Term 1, all West Australian universities opened their doors for 2023 applications on 4 April.

Career advisory services cranked up at universities, and course information sessions were run throughout the holidays.

In Focus Careers News

 

April and May bring the Noongar season of Djeran, which brings time to get ready for the next season. 

Careers Week

Careers Week in WA kicks off in mid May with the Career Expo  followed by the Construction Futures Centre Open Day on the 17th May.

So you want to be a doctor

Notre Dame and Curtin universities have scheduled their Medicine Information Sessions for May and students who want to apply for medicine for 2023 need to apply for UCAT exams. 

Main Roads Jobs in the Bush

In an effort to return full time jobs to the bush, the Department of Main Roads is bringing road construction and maintenance back into the government. This will create over 600 jobs and 400 of those will be in the bush. 

Leaving School Early?

Going to TAFE might be an option for those who want to leave school early. Applications for Term 3 TAFE courses open in May. 

To find this and more, subscribe to In Focus Careers News for West Australian high school students

Bev Johnson Director, In Focus Careers
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So you want to be a doctor? May is important for 2023 applicants.

Medicine student

Notre Dame has its Getting Into Medicine information session on 3 May at 5.30 West Australian Time. Curtin has their information session on 9th May.

People who want to get into medicine in 2023 need to attend medicine information sessions to hear of course application procedures and they need to complete their UCAT applications. 

Notre Dame and Curtin Uni Medicine Information Sessions

Notre Dame, Curtin and UWA run medicine courses in WA. 

Notre Dame has a medicine information session tomorrow night, 3 May at 5pm. 

Curtin has its information session on 9 May at 5.30pm.

Both of these will be available online after the live session. 

UWA has not planned an information session. You can find information about medicine at UWA HERE. 

Medicine student

UCAT Applications Close Soon

To get into medicine you have to score well on a University Clinical Admission Test (UCAT)

Students undertake the UCAT at a time they can choose between 1 July to 12 August. 

There is a fee to undertake the UCAT. Concessions close on 10 May.  

Applications close on 17th May.

 

UCAT Applications Close

Late bookings for UCAT

The late booking deadline is 31st May.

To see all dates go HERE. 

There is a bank of tests that students should do to prepare for the test.

UCAT recommends:

you start by viewing the Preparation Advice and Resources before moving onto the Question Banks and Practice Tests and the Test Tools.  

Training organisations that are not associated with UCAT offer additional training. UCAT has this to say about those organisations:

Commercial organisations will be using questions that are not necessarily of the standard you will encounter in the UCAT and this may distort your performance whilst practising. Screen views may be different and commercial organisations are unlikely to include the new question types, which you may encounter in your test. They may also not replicate the UCAT scoring and banding accurately and may give misleading indicators of your anticipated UCAT score.

Good luck to all of you who aim to get into medicine. 

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News to discover trends, career ideas and opportunities for the future for West Australians

In Focus Careers News
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Make your transition to uni like your transition to high school

If you remember what your primary school teachers did to prepare you to go to high school, you can use those memories to guide your transition from high school to uni.

12 year old girls
Starting high school

In Term 2 primary school teachers will be starting to think about how to smooth the path of their Year 6 students into Year 7.

You can use these 4 tips to help you to start to think about how to smooth your path from high school into university.

Tip 1: Location

Before you started at high school you knew where it was and how to get there. Decide what uni you want to go to and figure out how to get there.

On Campus Accommodation

If you CAN stay on campus, do that.

We want students to stay at the on campus accommodation, whether they are from South East Asia or South Perth.

Professor Harlene Hayne, Vice Chancellor Curtin University

St Catherine's College, Curtin

St Catherine’s College Curtin

There are people employed by accommodation colleges to build a rich, diverse university experience for you. They have knowledge, networks and power to create an amazing university life for you.

$$$$$$$$: Check accommodation scholarships HERE.

Public Transport

If you will be taking public transport to uni, figure out the best route and timetable and find out how to get your SmartRider ticket.

Tertiary SmartRider

 

Parking

Not being able to find parking when you are under pressure can break you.

Get your parking stickers/app during the holidays. Find where you can park and where to find parking during peak hours. Try to find free parking, although most good free spots will be taken by students who have been at uni for a while. D7 at Curtin Bentley — StudentVIP

Campus Layout

Go to movies, food van markets, play sport or join clubs on campus. Each baby step you make to become familiar with your uni will make your transition easier.

Walk around the campus. If you are doing engineering, go to the engineering building. Check out the room and lab locations. Find the library.

Whatever course you are doing, find your buildings and know where your classes will be held BEFORE Orientation Week.

Online Study V On Campus 

Get your student number and connection to the internet sorted. You will be given instructions about how to do this around Christmas time with the offer that comes after the final TISC results come out.

If face to face classes are available on campus, go to them. Uni is so much more than curated information about different subjects.

Lecture theatre

Tip 2: Subjects

If you aren’t certain which subjects to take,  do a uni prep course – its free and it will help you to make better subject choices. You will be able to go to the same campus as your friends who are leaping into their degree straight away, and you will learn enough to be clear about what course you want to do before you start your degree. 

  • About 30% of students change courses as they find out more about their degree. This is an expensive path to take. Each subject/ unit at university will cost around $2000. You can check how much each unit will cost on the UWA Fee Calculator.
  • Only 26% of university students go straight there from school on their ATAR results. Consider taking a gap year before you go to uni. You will expand your world and get clearer about what you want to do next. Check out Gap Year Ideas 
  • If you are worried that you won’t ever start to study again if you stop studying after Year 12, go to uni and choose broad subjects that allow you to specialise later, when you know more about the course or working in that industry.
  • In response to COVID disruption ALL universities in Western Australia have significantly increased the amount of support that is available to future students. Use the free career advice that is available at every university.

Tip 3: Timetable

Your school timetable is a good model to follow when choosing your class times. Lectures, tutorials and workshops will be scheduled throughout the week. You choose your timetable.

Treat uni like school. Organise your timetable so that you go to uni every day. Don’t be tempted to pack your scheduled times into a few days and just go during scheduled times. Spend your “free time” doing your research and assignments. 

If you treat uni as a job, with a 40 hour week and some good study planning. Schedule breaks where you meet your friends and where you play sport or engage in club activities. A mix of work and play is what you need to have a great time at uni. 

Tip 4: Frie

Going to university is a great opportunity to make new friends. Hopefully this time you will be wiser in your choice of friends than you were when you started high school, when you may have made some naive choices. 

The friends you make at uni can stay with you for your entire life. 

There will be so many people to choose from. If you go to Curtin, there will be about 50,000 people to choose from. If you go to Notre Dame in Fremantle, which is our smallest uni,  you will have about 6,000 to choose from. 

If you pick clubs or sports or volunteer activities from the amazing choice that is available, you will find friends there who have the same interests as you. You can join clubs during Orientation Week. 

If you arrange to stay at university accommodation you will meet lots of new people there. 

So just 4 Tips

  1. Decide what uni to go to and how to get there.
  2. Decide what to study, or at least choose a path that will help you to decide. 
  3. Look at timetables for this year. The chances are that they won’t change much next year. You will be able to draft your study timetable  before Orientation Week. 
  4. Look forward to meeting a bunch of new, wonderful people who like doing the same things that you do. 

Get clear, unbiased career information for West Australian school students and educators.

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News. 

To subscribe email: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au

Pathways from High School Video Presentation for Senior Students
Get on track to uni in WA 2023
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Give yourself every chance to succeed – ATAR Revision Programs for Senior Students

        We’ll use your year 11 results to assess your application for an early offer and calculate your predicted ATAR. 

Curtin University Early Offers Advice 

Is ATAR still important?

While there are many alternative pathways, ATAR is still the most common way that school leavers use to get into university.

Final ATAR results are still important as:

  • final offers are made on actual rather than estimated ATAR results. 
  • courses with lots of applicants for limited places will offer those places to the students with the highest ATAR scores. 
  • academic scholarships are usually based on ATAR results. 

Most senior students undertake some form of extra revision programs to give themselves every chance to succeed.

Many schools offer revision programs.  

  • Your school newsletter will identify revision programs or additional support that your school will be offering. 
  • You can often find semi retired teachers, who have been expert advisors on exam content and style, who are available as tutors. Ask at your front office if they have a list of available tutors. 
  • Some of the best programs are offered by subject specialists who advise on the style and subjects of the exams. Ask your specialist ATAR teachers if there will be an ATAR Exam Information session on their subject.

Private Providers

Several organisations specialise in tutoring students in preparation for ATAR, OLNA or NAPLAN exams.

ECU

ECU has run ATAR revision programs in the past. In 2021 it did them online because of COVID. A program for 2022 has not yet been published but watch out for them as they are free and they fill up quickly.

I will put a notice in the In Focus Careers Newsletter as soon as details become available. 

Academic Task Force

ATAR Revision Courses

Academic Task Force Holiday Revision Courses are designed specifically for students looking to revise ATAR course content and practice exam-style questions in preparation for exams.

Students will increase their understanding, receive fresh insights and gain intensive revision of their subject during this short course. Each subject is taught by a  highly qualified and vaccinated ATAR teacher with a strong background in marking and writing exams to increase their performance.

  • Rossmoyne Senior High School 
  • Churchlands Senior High School 
  • Duncraig Senior High School 
  • Perth Modern School
  • Online 

Enrol HERE.

MasterMind

Master Classes are one hour sessions conducted once a week in term time. Each week they reteach, revise and reinforce the topics and areas of study that the students are dealing with in their classes at school.

Masterclasses offer students

  •  Ongoing academic support
  • More confidence at school
  • A better chance of success in assessments
  • Individualised help solving specific problems
  • Small group classes

Find programs for students from Years 7 – 12  HERE.

ReviseOnline

ReviseOnline offers specifically designed multiple choice, short answer and extended response questions in a range of Year 11 and 12 courses which match the format of ATAR exams.

Once you submit a completed test or exam you’re provided with ATAR-standard sample responses and can evaluate your answers against a fully-worked marking key. All our courses are up to date and WACE specific, so each question you complete is improving your exam skills and ultimately boosting your ATAR!

Check out the courses HERE.

The Exam Experts

Nailing the ATAR and getting the results you are hoping for isn’t necessarily about being the smartest kid in the class. It’s about being well-prepared, knowing what to focus on and understanding what questions are most likely to come up in the exams and how to answer them.

With the help of T.E.E. Consultants’ July holiday intensive exam revision program, Year 12 students can access ten hours of additional teaching per subject, to truly understand the course curriculum and perform better in exam conditions.

Students are invited to enrol in up to five subjects in Week One of the July holiday period. Country students can access heavily discounted, full board accommodation packages which offer safe, secure, supervised accommodation on-site for regional students who enrol in at least three subjects.

Courses are run at UWA and at Murdoch.

Check their programs HERE.

InTuition

At inTuition, each student undertakes an assessment and programs are customised to meet their needs. Tutors are qualified teachers or experts in their fields.

The office is based in Osborne Park

You can find their programs HERE.

To keep up to date with news for West Australian school students, subscribe to In Focus Careers Monthly News

Email Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au for details.

Save Time Get Better Results with Study Coach

Evangelist for insanely great careers education in Western Australia
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Scholarships for Year 12 Academic Superstars

Universities love academic superstars.

They all offer scholarships to attract the most academically gifted students to their university. 

These sites identify key academic scholarships at West Australian universities. There are many scholarships for you to apply for. 

This is your place to shine

Don’t stop at applying for one scholarship. This is your place to shine. This is where you find the resources to support yourself while you are studying at university. 

Check Mistakes Students Make When Applying for Scholarships and How to Avoid Them. 

Curtin

 

 If you have a high ATAR you will automatically be awarded the Curtin Excellence Scholarship if you’re a domestic year 12 student, graduate with an ATAR of 96+*, have an eligible Curtin course as your first preference and accept our main round offer:

If your ATAR is 96 – 96.99, you’ll receive a one-year scholarship valued at $5,000.

If your ATAR is 97 or higher, you’ll receive a three-year scholarship valued at $15,000.

2022 Curtin ATAR Achievement Scholarship (Closing Date: 02 Dec 2022)

For students who have achieved an ATAR that exceeds their predicted ATAR by 3 points in 2022 and wish to pursue an eligible undergraduate course at Curtin University.

[More info…]

2023 – Curtin Excellence Scholarship (Closing Date: 19 Dec 2022)

Students who have demonstrated academic excellence through their ATAR in 2022 and wish to pursue an eligible undergraduate course at Curtin University.

[More info…]

*Medical school students are ineligible for this scholarship.

See Tips for Applying for a Scholarship

UWA

 

 Academic Excellence Scholarships provides financial support to students who have been recognised for their outstanding academic results. These Scholarships are available to both Domestic and International students across all study areas.

View all Academic Excellence Scholarships

ECU

Edith Cowan University logo

 ECU Excellence Scholarship is open to Western Australian year 12 school leavers displaying outstanding academic excellence. You will be considered for this scholarship when you select Edith Cowan University as your first preference on your TISC Application. The scholarship offers a payment of $2,500 per semester (or pro rata for part time study) for a total of $5,000 per year for the duration of your course.

Science Excellence

High performing students can apply for ECU Science Excellence Scholarships valued at $15,000, based on their ATAR. Available for qualifying candidates interested in science or computing & security courses, successful students receive $15,000, paid as $5,000 per year over 3 years once they enrol at ECU. 

Learn more.

See ECU Excellence Scholarships

MurdochMurdoch University > CareerHub | Australia's largest and most active student recruitment network, for more than 10 years.

 With over $2.5 million in scholarships awarded every year, students from all walks of life are enjoying the benefits a scholarship can bring. Unlike loans, scholarships do not need to be repaid so you can spend more time focussing on your studies. Whether you’re a domestic or international student, new or continuing, we encourage you to explore the opportunities available.

See Murdoch Excellence Scholarships

 

Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame Australia - Wikipedia

 Twenty students will receive support to kick-start their university studies thanks to The University of Notre Dame Australia’s new suite of scholarships.

The scholarships, worth up to $20,000 each, will be awarded to students commencing undergraduate and postgraduate programs in 2022 on the basis of equity or merit.

Scholarship recipients will receive $10,000 in their first year of study and $5,000 in subsequent years of their degree (up to 3 years).

See Notre Dame Excellence Scholarships

Keep up with West Australian career opportunities. Subscribe to In Focus Careers News.

Email: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au

 Get on track to uni in WA 2023  

Pathways from High School in WA Video Presentation

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Career Educators are the Light on the Hill – with examples

Being a career educator is the best job in the world.

The expert knowledge and guidance of career practitioners is powerful.

We make a difference. 

251 Maslow Pyramid Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock

If you are a fan of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs  you can happily map your potential impact on the ladder to self actualization for your students. 

That’s the amazing, satisfying, powerful job satisfaction that we get.

We know our Why.

We know how important our work is as ride the tsunami of emerging pathways from school.

We are the trailblazers.

Changing how we think about change | by Ash Buchanan | Benefit Mindset | Medium

As with all trailblazers, we have work to do until people see our role as illuminators for the future. We need to work to be the light on the hill, to quote one of Australia’s greatest Prime Ministers, Ben Chifley.

The light on the hill - Wikipedia

We have a great objective – the light on the hill – which we aim to reach by working the betterment of mankind not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand. If it were not for that, the  Labor movement would not be worth fighting for.

Wikipedia Ben Chifley

There are outstanding practitioners in Western Australia who believe the Career Education movement is worth fighting for. They are the light on the hill. 

They are trailblazers of world best practice who apply sound research findings to their day to day work as career educators across government, Catholic and independent schools.

Three of the many trailblazing West Australian examples are:

IDEA

Co-Founders IDEA

The Innovation Design Entrepreneurship Academy was founded by Rebecca Loftus and Nicole Gazey who say:

It’s not just a different model. It’s a different culture. 

You can check out what they are creating at IDEA HERE.

The Studio School 

Another example that has stepped outside the existing system to forge a new way of operating is The Studio School which opened this year under the umbrella of All Saint’s College. All Saint’s already had a substantial enrichment programme. 

The Studio School

The Studio School is creating a learning ecosystem that extends beyond traditional school parameters. 

You can check out what they are doing HERE. 

Cyril Jackson’s Partnership Model

An early trailblazer was Cyril Jackson’s Partnership Model.

Cyril Jackson partnership model

Discover More

There are outstanding teachers in all disciplines in Western Australia, but great teaching doesn’t lead students to make great career choices. 

Career Educators are the light on the hill that students and families need. 

I will identify more great models of great career education in a new section in my newsletter called Career Educators In Focus. 

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

Bev Johnson Director, In Focus Careers
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In Focus Careers April Issue: Connecting you to trends, people and ideas for the future

In March, UWA, Curtin and Murdoch universtities told career educators about their new courses and priorities for 2022 and beyond.

You can find highlights of those presentations in the April issue of In Focus Careers.

The big trend this year is towards more student centric services. All universities  highlighted the new facilities and services that are available to future students. 

Early Offers

All universities agreed to wait until 4 April to open their doors to early offers in 2023 but, in March, only Curtin had clarified that they will be directing applicants straight to TISC. 

Middle School Programs

Universities are providing more opportunities for middle school students to explore a wide range of career opportunities through a range of emerging programs. I will continue to report on the new programs as they are announced. 

Open Day Changes

COVID has impacted on the open day schedules at each university. I have put a table of the changes into the April issue. 

Career Conversation Schedule

The WA Education Department has launched a comprehensive schedule of career conversations designed to help families to understand the career options for WA school students. You can find links to these presentations in the April issue. 

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

If you would like your school or organisation to have career information for West Australians delivered to you each month you can subscribe here:

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Pathways from High School – Video presentation for West Australian Senior Students

The content was just what our Year 12’s needed, and the timing is perfect.
This 30-minute Pathways from High School presentation with video is a great alternative to the face-to-face presentations as it can be shown to students and families, at any time.

Students can even take a copy home and watch it with their parents!!

Don’t be ridiculous!!

3 Pathways

It shows 3 different case studies. 

Pathway 1: Judy the academic superstar

Judy is an academic superstar who checks out the Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) at Curtin, medicine everywhere, and Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) at UWA. 

Pathway 2: Flynn General ATAR, Alternative Pathway

 Flynn is looking for alternative pathways for non-ATAR school leavers. He checks out all of the unis, looks at university preparation courses and seeks advice from career counsellors and Centrelink.

Pathway 3: Angie VET and Gap Year

For those wanting a Gap Year, who never to return to full-time study again. Angie looks at the Defence Gap Year program and at Harvest Trail as well as at some on the job training she can do at McDonald’s and online courses. 
I recommend that all students seek professional advice that narrows down to their personal choices, once they have a general idea of which direction they want to take.
Find this presentation HERE.