..a world-renowned screen industry showcasing exceptional creative content and stories to the world.
The “creative content” covers a broad range of skills including management, creative and technical skills. You can read how broad the Strategy is HERE. The most exciting bit is where they commit to growing opportunities for productions to be done in WA. (See Strategy Two.)
Current University Courses
Western Australia already offers opportunities to those who want to study for careers in creative industries.
The ECU and WAAPA courses will be run from the central city campus which is due to open in 2026
There’s a Workforce Development Plan
The West Australian Screen Industry Strategy includes a new workforce development plan that allocates $11.2 million over four years. That’s less than $3m per year. There will be an additional $2 million over two years for a pilot Digital Games and Interactive Fund, which will be delivered through Screenwest.
VET Courses Provide Skills and Industry Connections
If you are willing to truly engage with the courses, do a VET course. You will quickly develop skills and get contacts who will be your passport into the industry.
Students who know how to create animation and digital games or how to maximise social media will have skills that can be used across the creative industries.
$233.5 Million Dollar Film Studios for 2026
The screen industry will be able to use the new $233.5 million dollar movie studios which is being built next to the new Malaga station. It is scheduled to open in 2026 and will have space for several productions at one time.
All providers of creative courses and products are already scrambling to gain an important role in this huge new facility.
The government is investing $31.9 million over 4 years. That’s less than $8m per year across the whole of Western Australia. Regional Western Australia is part of the plan, so those dollars will be spread thin. One new school costs double that. The new Bayswater Station precinct cost $253 million.
There is no lead agency with responsibility to drive the strategy. There is to be a Screen Industry Development Team which is chaired by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Members of the Team will report back to their Ministers, but as their Ministers don’t have prime responsibility for implementing the strategies, I don’t see screen industry strategies getting a priority.
The Workforce Development Plan aims to build industry skills but students are not eligible for project funding under the Screenwest Terms of Trade pp 3 & 4.Students will not have access to strategy funding to attempt to build professional products and skills.
West Australian students who seek a career in the screen industry are going to be disappointed. $8m per year will not deliver a world-renowned screen industry showcasing exceptional creative content and stories to the world.
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If you need to know what career opportunities are emerging in WA, you need In Focus Careers News. At $32 per issue, your organisation will have all the West Australian career information it needs to provide expert guidance to students.
Careers Week is in May so there are lots of events throughout the month.
The Careers Expo is on, uni open days are finishing up, the undergraduate course guides are out and each university has slightly different Early Offer information.
There is just so much happening in the careers world in WA in May.
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Keep up with new courses, information session, scholarships and job support. Subscribe to In Focus Careers News.
At $32 per issue, your organisation will have all the West Australian career information it needs to provide expert guidance to students.
I wrote to the Premier, asking how teachers can help students discover job opportunities in the public sector and where they can find support and information.
Here is an abridged version of the response from the Western Australian Public Sector Commission, which the Premier heads.
Public Sector School-based Traineeships
The public sector School-based Traineeship program is an opportunity for students from Year 11 onwards to gain real experience while working part time in a government agency, learning valuable workplace skills and being paid while finishing Years 11 and 12.
1 July Applications for School-based Traineeships 2025-26 open
Year 10s can apply for a traineeship for Year 11 from 1 July.
Over 18 months trainees gain real experience working part time in a government agency, learning valuable workplace skills and being paid while finishing Years 11 and 12.
The program runs two days a week for 18 months as you do your WA Certificate of Education in years 11 and 12.
The Public Sector Commission has created a communications pack with articles, emails and graphics to help schools promote the program to their students and parents/carers which you can also share.
You can register to attend an online information session to get more details and ask questions:
Thursday 23 May (focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students)
Please email us at youth@psc.wa.gov.au or call 6552 8764 if you have any questions
Look for Public Sector Reps at Career Events
A career in the public sector is promoted at a range of careers events and exhibitions targeted towards students. The Public Sector Commission attends some of these events, as do staff from agencies who present on their specific roles and their department’s employment opportunities.
Our ‘a place of opportunity’ program coordinates and promotes sector-wide graduate and vacation programs available for university students and graduates at these events.
This is for university students but it’s worth knowing about.
Public Sector Jobs
All job opportunities in the WA government are listed on Jobs WA at www.jobs.wa.gov.au.
Spend 20 minutes playing around on this site. If you are interested in the environment, for example, identify which departments would have jobs related to that. You can look for specific jobs or enter key words and search on those. The job descriptions say what qualifications and experience you need.
The public sector employs about a third of West Australia’s workforce and the range of jobs and opportunities is so great that they deserve consideration.
Solid Futures Aboriginal Traineeship
The Solid Futures Aboriginal Traineeship program gives young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people formal training, paid employment and support to complete a Certificate III in Government.
Details of the 2025 program will be published HERE.
Additional Support
It can be tricky trying to find out about work in the public sector or to find work experience opportunities, which is why I wrote to the Premier.
I used to work in human resource management in government and we used to get calls from teachers and parents asking us to provide work experience to students. My departments were always happy to help.
If you have a student who wants to work in say fisheries, give DPIRD human resource management a ring and talk to them about what you need. It’s worth a try.
Disability Access
All WA government departments have a Disability Access and Inclusion Plan. They include strategies for supporting employees with a disability. If you are looking for work experience, a traineeship or job for someone with a disability, it is worth ringing a government department and asking if they can help.
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Keep up with new courses, information session, scholarships and job support. Subscribe to In Focus Careers News.
At $32 per issue, your organisation will have all the West Australian career information it needs to provide expert guidance to students.
Boys in Western Australian know that they can earn big money without a degree by taking on an apprenticeship that will lead to work in the resources industry.
Female school leavers who want to work in the resources industry tend to go to university. There ARE opportunities for girls in trades but it is hard. Sexual harassment has been an ongoing problem that has caused young females to stay away.
Girls who want to go into the resources industry can find great role models who have done VET and uni pathways HERE.
Training Pathways to the Resources Industry
By getting a job in the resources industry, West Australian school leavers can earn great money without a degree.
Here are VET jobs in:
Exploration
Commissioning and Construction
Operations and Mainenance
Exploration Occupations include:
Driller
Field Technician
Surveyor
Drone Operator
Finance Professionals
Hydrologist
Community Engagement Professionals
Laboratory Scientist
Land Access Professionals
Commissioning and Construction Occupations include
Excavator Operator
Crane Operator
Rigger
Scaffolder
Electrician
Welder
Builder and Carpenter
Contract Administrators
Construction Materials Testers
Project Manager
Operations and Maintenance Occupations include
Driller
Shot Firer
Haul Truck Operator
Mechanical Fitter
Motor Mechanic
Automotive Electrician
Procurement Professionals
Logistics Operators (warehousing, rail, and marine)
Telecommunications and Networking Operators
Maintenance Planner
For more information about jobs in the resources industry go HERE.
Go to your local Jobs and Skills Centre for information about apprenticeships, traineeships and pathways to these jobs.
Resources Industry Jobs that require a degree
Exploration, commissioning, and construction
Operations and Maintenance
Geologist
Community Engagement Professionals
Environmental Scientist
Engineering Professionals (IT, mining, petroleum, rail and civil)
Engineering Professionals (mining, petroleum, rail and civil)
Data Scientist
Project Manager
Site Restoration
Earth Scientists
Environmental Scientists
Environmental Engineers
Laboratory Scientists
Water Management Specialists
Field Officers
Planning Officers
Community Engagement Professionals
Contract and Compliance Professionals
For more information about jobs in the resources industry go HERE.
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The Olympics are coming. The Australian team is being selected. The Matilda’s are in the top 10.
So many students play sport. So many would love a career in sports.
Being as part of a team gives you a shared purpose, a feeling of belongingand goal to strive for.
If you want to work in the sport you love, there are hundreds of opportunities.
Sport Super Stars
You know who you are. You have natural talent. You have enormous capacity to endure hardship and you have trained your skills to perfection. You are going for GOLD.
Through your weekly engagements you will be noticed. You need a trusted, wise mentor and coach, who is dedicated to your success and who knows how to guide you through the politics of elite sport.
Search “Sport Scholarships”. There is no collated list of all scholarships so you will need to do your own research. The Australian Institute of Sport is a good place to start.
Leaving school is one of the biggest changes we ever face. Change is scary and exciting.
When you leave school you can go to uni or TAFE, or you can explore your world and beyond by taking a Gap Year.
This post identifies Gap Year opportunities in:
Agriculture
Defence
Volunteering overseas
Studying overseas
Working in the outback.
AgCareerStart / Agriculture Gap Year Program
If you’re 17-25, this unique gap-year program provides you with a paid job, training and development, not to mention the opportunity to build your networks within the agriculture industry.
You can indicate which farm type you’d prefer and where in Australia you would ideally like to go. Find details HERE.
Summer School Harvest Jobs with CBH
Summer jobs with CBH are a tradition in the West Australian wheatbelt. Students work hard through the heat and dust to earn good money to travel, buy a car or fund their study.
The pay is only about $30/hour but there is loads of overtime, there is training, free accommodation and a range of roles. Check details HERE.
Vacation Swimming Instructor Jobs
If you are 17 you can be a qualified swimming instructor. Check the qualifications you need HERE.
The horticulture industry relies on people to pick their fruit and veggies. In the past the pay and conditions have been shocking, but the pandemic caused the industry to change work practices.
The Harvest Trail is a more regulated employment trail for nomads.
Defence Force Gap Year
You can apply for a Defence Force Gap Year in the Airforce, Navy and Army.
There is a range of different job opportunities that you can apply for.
To be eligible to apply, you’ll need to be an Australian citizen aged between 18 and 24 on COMPLETION of military training. You’ll also need to have completed Year 12 (subject passes required vary by job) and have passed in Year 10 English and maths.
Applications for all roles are now open – and will close as positions are filled. Learn more HERE.
Army Reserves – part time defence jobs
If you want to do something different on a part time basis, you can apply to join the navy, army or air force reserves. There is a range of jobs you can do.
Resorts and roadhouses are importing workers from the Pacific Islands in order to stay open.
Look for these jobs on sites like Seekor phone/email the local tourist bureau and ask where to find a job in the area.
If you are 18 you can earn more money serving alcohol than cleaning or serving in a cafe. You will need your Responsible Service of Alcohol certificateto be able to work serving alcohol.
Work on a Station
Can’t ride a motor bike or muster cattle? Maybe you can make scones or serve coffee.
Ellenbrae Station Scones
Most stations supplement their incomes through tourism.
If you can clean you can probably find a job supporting the station tourism industry. Look for jobs on sites like Seek.
VolunteerOpportunitiesfor school leavers
Cahoots provides camps and programs for young people with disabilities. They are looking for Year 12 school leaver volunteers who are willing to support young people to engage with recreational activities.
With projects based on the edge of the world’s best safari and close to Mount Kilimanjaro, it’s no wonder that Tanzania is one of our most popular destinations.
We’ve been based in Tanzania for over 12 years, giving us time to cultivate meaningful placements. Why not explore this magical country and leave a positive impact of your own?
In Tanzania, you’ll help support Maasai communities. Consider the following options:
If you would like to study overseas, you can check out your options at hotcoursesabroad.
Crimson is a company which links Australians to university courses in the UK and US. You can get the latest information HERE.
Need Experience? Volunteer at Home
Once you leave school it is tricky getting work experience as employers aren’t insured to cover unpaid volunteers.
In Western Australia you can apply for volunteer work through Volunteering WA. People put in requests for volunteers to them and they place people and cover them through the Volunteering WA insurance.
The Volunteering WA people said that when you first start with them they are careful of the sort of work they let you do until you have proven yourself.
Youth Central provides trusted government advice on gap year opportunities
Youth Central isn’t trying to sell you anything. They don’t want anything from you. They are just trying to help.
Check out Youth Central. It’s a Victorian Government site that has clear, unbiased tips on taking a gap year.
The Career Expo is like the Royal Show. There is so much to see and do that you can miss something you love by not knowing where to look.
I have done three worksheets for schools which families might find useful to check out.
Step 1: Pre Expo Preparation
This is the most important step. Without at least some preparation the visit can become a race through and you could miss information that could change your life!!.
This stage is really just for schools and teachers. It ensures students can reflect on their Expo experience and identify what steps they are going to take based on what they learned.
Where to find different exhibitions and lecture theatres.
Where to find student accommodation
How to read the presentation and demonstration schedule.
Get an authentic experience
Plan to go with a friend
Ask your friends to go with you and your family. What they are interested in? Make sure you know what they might want to explore. Make a commitment to support each other on the open day.
Your parents. will have the biggest influencers on your career choices, but your friends are great to bounce ideas off. They will give you views of someone your age.
Check
Check the university open day web page with your parents and friends to find details about any special courses that you want to investigate or talks you want to attend.
You may need to change the time you attend to see a presentation that is of interest to your career choice.
On the Day
Find out how uni works
Each degree is made up of subjects (units) for which you get points. (Check First in Family site)
Ask how many years it will normally take as a full-time student to get enough points for a degree.
Ask about subject choices for each of the courses you are interested in.
There will be handouts.
Ask about scholarships
There are many scholarships you can apply for. Ask the careers staff to give you a full breakdown of scholarships that could match your profile.
If you are interested in staying in uni accommodation, ask what financial support is available.
Clubs
There are a million clubs that you can join at university. You have more than a year to make choices so check out a few. You can join some clubs while still at school.
Book an appointment with a career counsellor
These appointments are free and it is the job of the career counsellor to help students.
If you get this help in Year 11, you will be more settled throughout the rest of the year and through Year 12 because you will have a stronger idea about what you want to do when you leave school.
Entry Requirements
While you are checking out the courses ask about prerequisites and recommended courses that you should take before applying for particular courses. You also need to know the required ATAR score and alternative pathways to uni.
Despite mountains of research showing the value of career education, career advisors struggle for resources, time and recognition.
Don’t try to face these challenges alone. In 10 hours per year, you can get the support of a dynamic group of local industry representatives who will transform how career education is recognised in the school.
This will be the group you go to for advice and support. They will be the first ones you go to for guest speakers, work experience, mentoring, expos and industry tours. They will have networks to support your goals.
Example
Vet Nursing Advisory Board for South Metro TAFE
At one stage in my career at TAFE I was put in charge of Veterinary Nursing. I knew nothing about it so set up an industry advisory board with members from the Australian Veterinary Association, The Vet Surgeons Board, Vet Nurses, industry groups – from agriculture, racing and gaming and a student representative.
They delivered information, advice and support to the students and enhanced the work we did by aligning it more to industry needs. They provided industry connections for work experience, and recommended us to pet food companies that donated food for animals in our clinic.
Your Guide
Hour 1: Get the support of your principal
Put a pitch together about how an Industry Advisory Group will enhance the career education of students. The Principal may want to know details which I have put in “Hour 2”.
Hour 2: Thinking Time
Decide roughly who you want on the group:
Someone from a Jobs and Skills Centre
A member of the local Rotary Group (great for mock job interviews, work experience and mentors).
A member of the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Someone from retail (Coles/Woolworths/ Bunnings/McDonalds)
Someone powerful who is willing to help – in my area we have Hofmann Engineering, they are a multinational company and they so generous with their time and support.
Decide how often you will meet. Probably twice a year for an hour.
Decide what will happen to their ideas. Maybe the minutes of the meetings are sent to the school management and school board and they will guide your work. Say you will report back on progress at each meeting.
Set a date and time for the meeting at the school. Book a room.
Hour 3 and 4: Busy Work
Ring people. Invite them to be a member of the (name of school) Industry Advisory Group that aims to build the capacity of career education within the school.
Follow up with an email invitation to the first meeting.
Hour 5: Hold the Meeting
Make sure you have tea and coffee and a biscuit for them.
You are a teacher. You KNOW how to facilitate a brilliant meeting.
You might want to:
Welcome and introduce the purpose of the group.
Do some brainstorming with the group through a SWOT analysis.
I like to analyse to SWOT to get ideas for how to Use each of the Strengths, Stop the Weaknesses, Exploit the Opportunities and Deny the Threats. That gives me a “to do list”.
Tell them you will write up the notes from the brainstorming and send them out to them.
Set a time for the next meeting.
Build relationships. Have a cup of tea/coffee and a talk.
Hour 6 – 7: Write up the notes and distribute
After the meeting write up what happened in a report send it to everyone.
Talk about it at staff meetings. Put it into your school newsletter. Let the District Office know. Let me know and I now and I will put it in the next In Focus Careers newsletter.
You will be able to call on your Group members to support any of the initiatives you want to launch at school.
Hour 8: After 6 months write a Progress Report
After 6 months write up a basic Progress Report for your next meeting and email it to everyone in the group.
Include the time and place for next meeting.
Hour 9: Prepare for Next Meeting
Book a room. Get tea and coffee. Prepare the agenda. Would your principal want to come?
Hour 10 Hold Next Meeting.
Report on and discuss progress and note further suggestions.
Repeat 3- 10 above for next year.
You are on your way
Your Industry Advisory Group will be your greatest asset. They provide work experience, mentors, guest speakers, expo displays and industry advice AND they can be a powerful voice that trailblazes the way for career education in your school.
It really is worth setting aside 10 hours per year to put in place infrastructure that will make your life easier.
A Skills Passport is an online record of all your qualifications and skills.
The government is about to initiate consultations with employer groups, unions and educators aimed at identifying the advantages of creating a National Skills Passport. This initiative would consolidate all your qualifications and skills into a single, user-friendly database.
You need one because..
It might significantly ease your transition from one employer to another.
Many people may not realize that completing certain courses, such as a White Card or a barista course during school, actually grants them formal qualifications.
It’s possible to inadvertently overlook a job opportunity if you forget about a customer service qualification earned during your initial employment at McDonald’s or Bunnings.
As you progress through life, continuous learning is inevitable. Without a comprehensive database to store your course history, it’s easy to forget what courses you completed a decade ago.
What does it do?
It consolidates all your qualifications into a single database.
It will be integrated with standardized criteria, ensuring that certifications from”Dodgy Brothers Training” are not seen as the same as those from TAFE colleges or universities.
The system will adhere to interoperability standards, guaranteeing that all qualifications are recorded using a uniform format, which will allow seamless sharing and compatibility.
Why I won’t use it…
I used to work with IT security specialists and I am cautious about sharing personal information.
Identify theft is easier when everything is in one place.
I don’t trust that the information would not be used for different purposes.
I can keep my own records of my qualifications.
If they let me know what standards and format they want in a database, I will create my own sharable database that I will manage.
Make up your own mind
If you are a teacher or career advisor, you may want to use it to make sure school leavers have a record of all qualifications they have achieved. In that case a Skills Passport may be a convenient solution.
There will probably be an opt out clause that will allow users to stop using the service.
I think a Skills Passport could be a cool solution to people not taking responsibility for keeping their own records.
The 10 year plan aims to create:
The guide contains detailed information on:
