I started my career as a teacher in West Australian high schools. I believe that knowing what you want to do has power that can drive a successful life.
I have now been researching and collating information for career professionals in In Focus Careers News for the past eight years. Together we are building our capacity to help students to find their power and create satisfying lives.
If you would like to know about careers opportunities in Western Australia contact me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au or M: 0434056412
At a recent university seminar for career practitioners, one speaker complained about West Australian school leavers not going to uni.
No wonder they aren’t going
There is such a critical skills shortage happening that employers are ringing schools asking if there are any suitable students for great jobs with career prospects. Students can walk out of school and straight into a job with an okay salary.
The State Government has been pouring money into vocational education and training. There is a bigger variety of courses, they are cheap or free and many give credits to uni degrees.
Uni courses are expensive.
Why would you go to uni?
Those who are not sure what uni to go to, or what they want to study, still get onto the uni bus because:
Their friends are going to uni and they don’t want to be left behind.
The uni bus came for them while they were at school so they bought a ticket.
Their parents told them to get on the bus.
Teachers knew about the uni bus and talked about their experiences in a positive way.
Just because the university bus is ready to pick you up from school, doesn’t mean that you have to get on.
Very few students are 100% sure of the university course that they want to take. About 30% realize that the course they are studying is not the right one for them, and they change direction. Others drop out altogether and end up feeling like they have failed.
If you are not sure what to do at uni, DON’T GET ON THE BUS.
The uni bus fare is expensive
Buying a uni course is not like buying a car. You can’t sell your used course to the next buyer who comes along.
If you get off the bus before you get to the destination YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY.
If you fail, YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY.
If you change courses, YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY for the part of the course you used before you changed direction.
You can estimate how much your degree is going to cost you by using the UWA fees calculator
Defer uni for a year
If you are not sure what course you want to do, you can still apply for a place at uni and, once you get offered a place, defer taking it up for a year.
After working for a year you will have a clearer idea about which units to enrol in.
Vocational Courses
Vocational Education and Training has been the winner in the post-school revolution in Western Australia.
The West Australian government has introduced Fee Free TAFE, it has been introducing short courses, skills sets, and employer subsidies. Industry has been partnering with training providers to deliver skills on the worksite. There are hundreds of courses available.
If you are unsure what course you might like to do or how to enrol find a Jobs and Skills Centre near you for careers guidance. It’s free. They can tell you what courses will give you credits at uni.
You HAVE to do post-school learning
You can’t just leave school and never study again. Okay, you can, but poverty could be your lifelong friend.
People who have post-school qualifications earn more money and have more life choices.
The world isn’t going to stop changing just because you aren’t learning new skills.
You need to keep up with changes in the world of work either by learning on the job, or online or in a classroom. Getting tickets, qualifications, and recognition for your learning will help you to have choices and steer your career in different directions. The skills you gain may even get you credits in some units at uni.
Take Your Time
More haste less speed is an old saying.
It means, don’t rush into things.
If you are not sure what direction to take, slow down and look around. There are many directions to take as you leave school. Uni is just one of them.
Find more choices and guidance on how to make a decision. Subscribe to In Focus Careers Western Australia
The cost of travel and living in the city stop students from the country going to university. The Commonwealth government supports students who need to relocate to undertake further study. Find more information HERE
Country Education Foundation (CEF) helps rural and regional youth access education, training and jobs through grants, scholarships, support services and resources.
The purpose of this scholarship is to support regional students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who are experiencing financial hardship and have contributed to their local community.
Check the Curtin Alumni Regional Scholarship HERE.
Curtin Home Away From Home Scholarship is for first-year Health Sciences students from a rural background, providing $15,000 annually towards on-campus accommodation, along with pastoral care and support services These scholarships may be accessed through theCurtin Alumni & Friendsprogram or by checking specific scholarship details on the Curtin University website.
For students who need to relocate from a regional or remote area to commence an undergraduate degree at Curtin University, who are from a low socioeconomic background and are experiencing financial hardship. Find more at Harry Perkins Memorial Scholarship.
The Convocation of UWA Graduates and The University of Western Australia (‘the University’) are providing a scholarship to assist an eligible regional or remote student with the cost of accommodation at University Hall or other college affiliated with the University.
The UWA Harry Leaver Scholarship assists eligible regional or remote students, preferably from Moora or the Mid West region, with the cost of accommodation while they commence and pursue a Bachelor of Science at UWA.
The UWA Harry Leaver Scholarship provides $15,000 per annum to support accommodation fees at University Hall, and is administered and awarded by the University of Western Australia.
ECU provide scholarships which have been established specifically to assist students who normally live in a rural, regional or remote area of Western Australia, or in some cases Australia wide, who are having to relocate in order to study at University.
These include the following scholarships for undergraduate students:
High achieving regional students are encouraged to apply for a scholarship that will help them with their living costs when they move to the city to study at Murdoch University.
The George Alexander Foundation (GAF) is offering six scholarships to the value of $24,000 which successful applicants can use towards the cost of their living and accommodation expenses while in Perth.
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
Apply for lots of scholarships. This is your place to shine. This is where you find the resources to support yourself while you are studying at university.
ECU Excellence Scholarships are 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.
With over $2.5 million in scholarships awarded every year, students from all walks of life are enjoying the benefits a scholarship can bring. Murdoch provides support for applicants.
Apprentice Connect Australia Providers are the organisations that support employers, help find apprentices and trainees, undertake the Training Contract signup and registration, and administer any Australian Government Employer Incentive payments.
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 revision 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 official ATAR Exam Information session on their subject.
ECU Free ATAR Revision – September
ECU’s free ATAR revision sessions are on during end of third term holidays.They are available online and on campus.
Each ATAR revision session comprises a four-hour seminar covering:
Several organizations specialize in tutoring students in preparation for ATAR exams. This is a comprehensive list of those available in WA.
Academic Task Force Academic Group Academic Associates
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.
All Saints’ College School
Churchlands Senior High School
Perth Modern School
Online
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.
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!
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.
At InTuition, each student undertakes an assessment and programs are customized to meet their needs. Tutors are qualified teachers or experts in their fields.
People from the Department of Education will chase you up to find what’s going on.
You will cut ties with your friends and your support network of teachers, student services, VET coordinators, career advisors at school.
You could end up alone and feeling lost.
BETTER WAY: Do this preparation.
Leave School Early
Step 1: Talk with family and friends
Don’t shock your family and friends by just dropping out of school. They will get upset and add to your stress.
Talk with them, flag the idea of leaving school early. Ask what they think. Get their ideas and support.
Step 2: Get expert information
Your Mum’s best friend or your maths teacher is not the expert that you need right now. There’s a lot to know about leaving school. Talk to an expert whose full time job it is to know about career pathways.
This mind map provides links to expert information about leaving school in WA. Play with different links to see what’s available. Write down questions to ask your career advisor.
Meet with your school career advisor
Take a list of questions.
If you don’t know what you want to do, they will explore different opportunities with you.
They can help you to get a job application ready.
They can link you with an apprenticeship/traineeship company that employs lots of apprentices.
Jobs and Skills Center free information and advice
Jobs and Skills Centres are co-located at TAFE colleges. There are 19 across WA and they provide free information, advice and support.
Private Career Practitioners
Look up “career practitioners” in your “suburb”. There will be career practitioners who can be employed to guide you through the process from school into a job or further study.
Step 3: How to leave school
Get your career advisor and family to help you to arrange a full-time job, enrol in a full-time course or a combination of both.
It needs to go to the Minister for Education. They won’t come back with a flat “no” but you may be asked to add some more information to your application.
Once you have permission you can leave:
Get a copy of your latest report.
Get references from supportive teachers.
Check with the front office to see if you have forgotten anything.
Say goodbye to your life as a school student
MORE INFORMATION
Common pathways from school
1. Nursing
2. Computing pathway – leave the pretty stuff for later
There are so many computing jobs. Learn the hard, foundation, boring stuff. It will put you way ahead of others who focus on pretty, creative computing.
In Focus Careers News is the ultimate solution for high school career news and advice. Over 150 West Australian high schools already subscribing, our newsletter provides unbiased and up-to-date information on a wide range of career options. Don’t miss out on this valuable resource – subscribe now and give your students the career guidance they need to take action.
Your big dream might be something as broad as “I want to have an amazing life.” And that’s a great place to start.
No matter how ambitious your vision is, turning it into reality takes a clear, step-by-step plan. If you’re working towards a strong ATAR score, that plan becomes even more important—it’s the bridge between where you are now and where you want to go.
SMART Goals
While big-picture dreams give you direction, SMART goals help you focus. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. They break your vision into practical, manageable steps—so instead of just dreaming big, you’re taking real action to get there.
Example of a SMART goal: I will improve my English result by 10% next term by asking my teacher, each week, for feedback and advice about what to work on next.
You can do SMART goals for each subject.
SWOT Analysis
Once you have your SMART goals, do a SWOT analysis. The SWOT will help you to understand your capacity to improve your score.
Brainstorm your ideas. Have a friend help you for more ideas, or you can just do it alone.
Turn Ideas into Action: A USED Analysis is your plan for ATAR success
Once you’ve completed your SWOT analysis you’re ready to take the next step: turning insight into action.
How to Do a USED Analysis
Set aside 10 focused minutes. Look at each point in your SWOT and ask yourself:
How can I Use my strengths to support my ATAR goals? Maybe you’re naturally organised or confident in a particular subject—how can you build on that?
What do I need to Stop doing that’s holding me back? Are procrastination or poor time management dragging your results down?
What opportunities can I Exploit? Are there extra tutorials, mentoring, study groups, or resources available that you haven’t tapped into yet?
How can I Deny or reduce the impact of threats? Is stress, burnout, or a lack of support threatening your progress? What strategies or supports can help?
Example USED Analysis for an ATAR Student
At the end of your USED analysis, your ideas are a list of actions. These actions are your key to success. By undertaking these actions, you will achieve your goal.
Success Planning
Your USED analysis has given you a list of tasks that will lead you to your goal. Work with your list:
Choose the task that you want to do first.
Figure out WHEN you are going to do the first task.
When will it be finished?
How will you know you have done it successfully?
Create your plan for four actions that you want to do first.
Congratulations – you have your plan
You are now well on the way to achieving your best possible ATAR score. You have your plan. You know what to do.
Subscribe to In Focus Careers to find where to focus your efforts.
Make sure our kids have careers in a strong economy:
✔ Check the label – Look for Australian-made and owned products whenever you shop. You can find a list of those with the Australian-made logo HERE.
✔Hassle Bunnings/Office Works/Big W – Make some noise. Be a nuisance by asking big retailers for their Australian made products.
✔ Support local businesses – Whether it’s boots, clothing, food, or wine, choosing Australian-made keeps profits here.
✔ Spread the word – Share this story and encourage others to support local.
An Ugg Boot Story
About 20 years ago a friend’s parents were building their ugg boot business from their shed on their orchard near Bullsbrook. They were making a steady income by selling their boots at markets and through a few retail outlets.
The Bombshell
One day they got a letter from a copyright lawyer in the USA. The letter said they couldn’t call their ugg boots “ugg” boots anymore as it is a trademark name owned by a multi billion dollar US company.
They were devastated. They had built a shed on their property, invested in machinery and were establishing a network of suppliers and buyers.
The Power of Trademarks to Kill a Business
My friend and I worked for the WA Department of Commerce and Trade so we went downstairs and talked to our copyright lawyers. That started what became an Australia-wide fight by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and lots of small businesses, to prove that “ugg” is a regular Australian word, not a trademark.
Small Wins
After 2 decades of fighting, Australian businesses can only use “ugg” in Australia and New Zealand.
In other countries “ugg” is a brand name. Australian ugg boot manufacturers have been sued for letting people in the US buy their ugg boots online.
If you want Australian ugg boots, look for “Ugg Boots Made in Australia”and the green and gold “Made in Australia” tag.
This is just one way that the USA has used trademarks and legal action to stop Australian businesses. Now they are threatening tariffs on Australian products.
The Good News
The good news is that there are only 340 million people in the USA in a world of over 8 billion and there are lots of markets for iron ore, coal and education related services.
It’s small businesses that will need our help.
Buy Australian-Made!
Many of the products on the Australian Made site are made by small businesses, like the ugg boot makers. Their capacity to sell online to the USA will be restricted by tariffs or by unfair copyright laws.
We can stand up for Australian businesses and jobs for our kids:
✔ Check the label – Look for Australian-made and owned products whenever you shop. You can find a list of those with the Australian-made logo HERE.
✔Hassle Bunnings/Office Works/Big W – Make some noise. Be a nuisance by asking big retailers for their Australian made products.
✔ Support local businesses – Whether it’s boots, clothing, food, or wine, choosing Australian-made keeps profits here.
✔ Spread the word – Share this story and encourage others to support local.
We need to be in this together to make sure our kids have careers in a strong Australian economy. It’s time to buy Australian.
Subscribe to In Focus Careers News
Keep up to date with West Australian careers information. Subscribe to In Focus Careers News.
About 20 years ago a friend’s parents were building their ugg boot business from their shed on their orchard near Bullsbrook. They were making a steady income by selling their boots at markets and through a few retail outlets.
