Category: Career Advice

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What’s Next? Design your Mud Map to a Life After School Safety Net

Support services for WA school students

Design your own safety net. Don’t leave school without this Mud Map of services to guide you.

When you leave school, it can feel like jumping off a cliff.  These services will provide a safety net and give you wings as you fly to your next stage. Check them out and find the services that are perfect for you. 

Email me for information: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au

Bev Johnson – Democratising career information for West Australian school students

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Mind Maps to Creative Careers in Western Australia

These maps collate information about creative careers into categories. Explore Creative Careers at:

WAAPA Music Theatre Students
WAAPA Music Theatre students

Click on the maps and they will open up in the Coggle app where the links will take you to relevant sites. 

Download Creative Arts Degree courses HERE. 

Download Specialist Creative Programs in High Schools

 

Download Creative Arts Pathways for Aboriginal students HERE.

Creative Arts Analogue Courses

Digital Creative Arts VET Courses

Film and Acting – out of school

Scholarships for Creatives

Backstage Ideas

If you would like more creative industry mind maps let me know: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au

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So, you want to be an electrician. Here are some suggested pathways into electrical trades

This post contains detailed information about pathways into electrical trades in Western Australia.

Being offered an electrical apprenticeship is getting as hard as getting into medicine. At the end of 2025 hundreds of West Australian high school students missed out on electrical pre apprenticeships.

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

It seems that the best way to get an apprenticeship as an electrician is to have a family member who is willing to employ you. 

Shortage of Trainers

The resource industry is scooping up qualified electricians and paying them a bucket load to go onto the mines. It is difficult to attract qualified electricians from industry to deliver training to the 6000 apprentice electricians in WA.

Matt Shaw from Clean Energy Skills Recommendations 

Matt Shaw spoke at the Career Development Conference at Curtin late last year. He told us that there is doing to be a 4% increase in demand for electricians every year to 2050. 

He suggested that teachers go to the Clean Energy site for case studies and information about future careers.

 

 

 

From Robert Palmer at South Metro TAFE 

Rob Palmer is a senior career advisor at South Metro TAFE. I contacted him for advice on how to get into a trade as an electrician from school.

He sent this information:

A post school Certificate II in Electrotechnology (Career Start) (Electrotechnology Pre-apprenticeship) is being offered at Armadale in Semester 1 2026 and is expected to be offered again for Semester 2.
  • Semester 2 applications via TAFE Admissions typically open in late April/early May. 
The pre-apprenticeship course is also offered at Armadale as a VETDSS course for school students completing Year 11 and 12.   
(These new opportunities were snapped up as soon as they became available. It may be easier to get a place in Semester 2. Bev) 
Rob is an advocate for people enrolling in a skills set in a related trade first. He said that working as a trades assistant or builders’ labourer for a while would make applicants more attractive to potential employers. 
Careers in defence | South Metropolitan TAFE
See the video HERE.
The Defence Industries Pathways Program is a 12-month paid traineeship which gives trainees exposure to various sectors of the defence industry (e.g. manufacturing and engineering, computing and logistics)  and includes 3 X 12-week work placements with defence industry employers. 
It does not provide a direct entry into the electrical trade. However, the opportunity for DIPP participants to complete work-placements and demonstrate their work-ethic and aptitude can put them in a good position when Defence Industry employers advertise electrical apprenticeships. 

South Metro TAFE Defence Industry Electricians

You DO NOT have to enlist in the defence forces to work in the defence industry.

The defence industry is made up of businesses that supply goods and services to the army, navy and air force. 

Check out the South Metro TAFE Defence Industry Centre of Excellence for potential electrical pre apprenticeship and apprenticeships in the defence industry. You can find different, similar apprenticeships HERE.

To explore options go to your local Jobs and Skills Centre

Defence Force

If you really want the best possible training in anything to do with electrical trades, consider defence force trades. There is a range, like Electronic Systems Technician and Electronics Technician Submariner

The Defence Force has a recruiting office is down near the Convention Centre. Contact them for an careers appointment.

Checking out what is possible does not mean you are signing up!!

Linda Terrell at North Metro TAFE has these suggestions

Linda offered some creative ideas on how to get an electrical apprenticeship.

Linda suggested:

Private training provider

 

The College of Electrical Training is now the biggest trainer of apprentice electricians in WA. They have a maths quiz as part of the application, and the CET course and will also be highly competitive.

 

Apprenticeship Support Recommends 

Apprenticeship Support has joined the challenge to find pathways into electrical trades by recommending that students start with one of these courses:

  • Cert II in Sustainable Energy
  • Cert II in Electronics
  • Cert II in Computer Assembly and Repair

Comtech Training Recommends

Practice Maths Tests

University

I have requested information from ECU about courses that lead to electrical careers. These might be easier to get into than apprenticeships.

I will publish that information in the In Focus Careers Newsletter. 

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

If you need to know about emerging career opportunities in WA, you need In Focus Careers News. At $35 per issue, your organisation will have all the West Australian career information it needs to share with your school community. 

 

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Screen Industry Boom – It’s never been a better time to go into the creative industries in WA

Sometimes everything seems to line up.

In 2026 – Streaming Services like Netflix will be required to make Australian programs so there will be demand for more Australian film and television creators. Details HERE.

In 2026 – Perth Film Studios will open in Malaga and there will be demand for creative people to use the facilities.

In 2026 – The WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) will move to its new and expanded facilities at the ECU Perth Campus where the Mindaroo Foundation has donated $30m to support creative arts over 25 years.

You can find information about screen industry roles and courses from the Western Australia Future Now Industry Training Council. 

The Government is Kick Starting Screen Industry Renewal

The WA Government has a Western Australian Screen Industry Strategy 2024-2034

The 10 year plan aims to create:

..a world-renowned screen industry showcasing exceptional creative content and stories to the world.

The Strategy includes a workforce development plan that allocates $11.2 million over four years. There will be an additional $2 million over two years for a pilot Digital Games and Interactive Fund, which will be delivered through Screenwest.

Current University Courses

Western Australia already offers opportunities to those who want to study for careers in creative industries.

Check out this range of university courses  in Western Australia that teach skills for creative careers. 

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.

VET Analogue Creative Careers

Actors, dancers, musicians and set designers are among those who join camera operators, set creators and makeup artists in this industry. 

VET Digital Creative Careers

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.

How to Start

If you want to work in the screen industry start now.

  • Sketch out a story or game idea

  • Get help from friends

  • Use the camera on your phone to create a production.

  • Look for competitions or take your show reel to lecturers at one of the teaching organisations and ask for help. 

Good luck with your screen industry career.

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

If you need to know about emerging career opportunities in WA, you need In Focus Careers News. At $35 per issue, your organisation will have all the West Australian career information it needs to provide expert guidance to students. 

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Data Standards between VET and Uni aren’t enough for seamless transition

Tertiary educators are facing barriers when they try to meet the Australian Universities Accord reforms to create better credit recognition and  seamless pathways from VET to uni. Establishing a collaboration framework that facilitates easy transition from VET into degrees needs to be built on an agreed regime in order to succeed. 

Data standards are just the beginning 

TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) is going to delver a TAFETalk on Harmonisation and the importance of shared data standards.

A critical challenge to harmonisation is that tertiary providers’ data systems are not aligned, limiting collaboration, creating duplication, and making student mobility difficult.


Australia has had agreed technical standards, that include agreement on semantics. Technical stuff is the easiest standard to negotiate. Security standards will be a critical issue.

Governance

Tertiary education providers need to agree on who is responsible for what and to what standard. These decisions can be value laden and difficult to negotiate.

Legal Framework

Establishing an agreed legal framework will be tricky as VET is a State government responsibility while universities are Commonwealth. Issues about international students, copyright and privacy will need to be agreed. It is easiest to all adopt Commonwealth legal frameworks.

Business Rules

We also need agreed Business Rules. How things are managed to preserve the reputation of collaborating organisations need to be agreed. This involves egos and personal preferences and they are the most difficult issues to negotiate. 

Financial Rules

If there is a standard framework then recognizing VET skills by unis will be low cost. VET providers will need to establish systems to ensure that unis don’t bare the costs involved in recognizing VET qualifications. 

Summary

The Australian Government developed its first Strategy for Joined Up Government in 2003. It is a great template that could be used by those trying to develop seamless pathways. Without an agreement, transition from VET to uni will continue to be ad hoc and wasteful. 

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Sneek Preview to New City ECU Campus from a non ECU visitor

I was one of a small group of visitors invited to an early inspection of the new ECU City Campus.

It was a tour of a building site. We had to wear PPE. There is plastic protecting the carpet and cardboard taped up to protect some of the walls in high traffic areas. Workers were everywhere and tradies’ boomboxes blared from each floor.

Overall impression

So much thought has gone into this building. It is actually two buildings, joined by gangways in middle floors and the two buildings become one at the top. It reminded me of Boola Bardip. Lots of open space and connectivity. It seems to soar up and it feels spacious.

What’s missing:

  • Coffee Shops: It may seem trivial, but there are no coffee shops in the building. Students wanting coffee will be forced to go out of the building to interact with people in the city.

  • No big theatre: There is no big theatre. The Heath Ledge Theatre is only a few hundred metres away and it is envisaged that students will graduate from the smaller ECU studios into the big public theatres.

  • No Parking: There is no parking at the campus. Public transport is the obvious way to get there. You come out of the Perth City Bus Port just metres from the front door. The Perth train station is across Yagan Square, a couple of hundred metres away.

What’s there:

  • Bespoke Design The building has been designed for teaching. The theatres are designed so that lighting students or sound students or creative students are the clients, rather than an audience. Expert lecturers and students from ECU and Boorloo custodians were involved throughout the design process.  The final colours inside are going to reflect the colours of West Australian wildflowers.

  • Dance Studio Floor The floors in the four dance studios are the best they could find from anywhere in the world. They were designed in England as were the sound panels on the ceiling of the double height rooms.

  • Sound. Light. Action The best architects have consulted with the best creative practitioners to ensure the sound, lighting, theatrical teaching opportunities are the best in the world.

  • Built on springs The building is vulnerable to vibration because it is built over the train line and bus station. It has been engineered to sit on a spring foundation like that used in earthquake zones. This will be a particular advantage for the high tech equipment in the building.

  • Top floor services There is no room under the building for services, so they have been located in the top floors. This seems weird, but if they had been located on lower floors they would have disrupted the flow from one section to the next, which is a feature of the building.

Design

It feels like Boola Bardip. There are lots of open spaces and many hubs where you can sit and study. There are two main buildings connected with walkways on the lower floors and joined together at the top.

  • Orientation: The creatives face Northbridge. Business, law and cyber security are on the city side.

  • The entrance: The foyer off Yagan Square welcomes you with beautiful wooden bleacher like seating for public and students. An escalator to rival that in Boola Bardip draws you up into the building. The entrance ceiling is 40 metres high (don’t hold me to that) and to your left is an LED wall where students’ work will be showcased.

  • Ground floor gallery. There is an art gallery on the ground floor where student art will be displayed. This is a proper gallery, open to the public. You can see into it from Yagan Square.

  • Piano Museum In homage to the role pianos have played in early white settlement of Western Australia, there will be a museum of old pianos on the ground floor.

  • Theatres: There are three theatres, all with outstanding sound proofing. The recital hall impressed me most with its beautiful wooden sound proofed and acoustically perfect walls and crafted wooden ceiling. The theatres are small with the layout focusing on teaching. The playhouse theatre has tiered seating, which will be perfect for productions for a small audience.

Learning Spaces

The library area is still a work in progress, so it was difficult to understand what it will look like. There are many open study zones throughout the building. The traditional lecture rooms are high tech, as would be expected in a future looking learning space.

Logistics

  • The building is handed over to ECU on 19 December and staff will move in over the Christmas break.

  • WAAPA courses, Business and Law, Science including some IT, and Arts and Humanities will be based at the City Campus.

  • Education will move from Mt Lawley to the Joondalup campus.

  • There will be 1000 staff working from there and the building has the capacity to support 9000 students.

  • The campus will commence operations at the start of the 2026 academic year.

There are no WAAPA Summer School classes. 

Thanks to those who invited me. It is going to be amazing!!

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Dreams come in a whisper, not in a shout. Career Influence Model for Career Advisors

Stephen Spielberg made his first feature move at 16, yet even he advised to listen for a whisper rather than wait for your dream to shout to you. You would expect the creator of the BFG, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park to know he wanted to be a movie maker.

Perhaps even Speilberg had doubts about his career choice, or wondered if there was something better for him. 

Charles Kingley said: 

It is tricky to find a job you are enthusiastic about. Those jobs don’t shout out to you. 

As career professionals it is our role to help people to:

  1. Become Aware of opportunities for enthusiasm
  2. Explore career pathways to happiness
  3. Help them to engage in work they find interesting
  4. Repeat 1 – 3 until they find something to become enthusiastic about. 

Using the Model

When working with people, ask them where they want to start on this career model: 

  • Are they looking for something totally new?
  • Do they know what they want, but not know how to get there?
  • Are they interested in their work but want to refine their target for the future?

Download this copy of the Career Influence Model to use with your clients

Download HERE. 

Download copy with Speech Bubbles HERE. 

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Exciting Gap Year Opportunities for School Leavers in 2026

Leaving school is one of the biggest changes you will ever face. Change is scary and exciting.

 When you leave school you can go to uni or TAFE, or you can explore your world 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 $33/hour but there is a load 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.

Find details about Swimming Instructor jobs across Western Australia HERE. 

Harvest Trail

The horticulture industry relies on people to pick their fruit and veggies. If you take on this work you will probably meet backpackers who are traveling around Australia. 

Check the Backpacker Harvest Trail HERE.

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. 

Find out more HERE. 

Work Overseas with LetzLive

LetzLive has opened up its working holiday opportunities in the UK, Thailand, USA and New Zealand. 

Check out the programs provided by LetzLive.

Hospitality and Tourism Adventures in WA

Because of skills shortages, resorts and roadhouses are importing workers from the Pacific Islands… and everywhere else! 

Look for these jobs on sites like Seek or 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 certificate to 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

Many stations supplement their incomes through tourism.

If you can clean and make a bed, you can probably find a job supporting the station tourism industry. Look for jobs on sites like Seek.

Volunteer Opportunities for 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.

Find out more HERE.

Volunteer Overseas with Projects Abroad

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.

In Tanzania, you’ll help support Maasai communities. Consider the following options:

These projects are available to people of all ages, so get involved! For more insight, read Laura’s story of her experience volunteering in Tanzania.

Check out opportunities HERE.  

You can study overseas

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.

How to Prepare for a Gap Year – Tips from Omio

Omio publishes a Gap Year Guide.

The guide contains detailed information on:

  • The benefits of taking a gap year

  • How to organize a gap year step by step (e.g., accommodation, transportation, entry requirements & travel restrictions)

  • Itinerary suggestions and tips for travelling in Europe on a budget

  • Volunteering in Europe (10 suggestions)

  • How to successfully find and apply for an internship in Europe

You can find all the articles here: https://www.omio.com/travel/gap-year

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News for ideas on what to do next year

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Accommodation Scholarships for University Students in 2027

It will cost nearly $30,000 to stay in university accommodation. See sample fees HERE.

Scholarships can help to make uni accommodation more affordable.

Regional

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.

You can find the Scholarship Guide HERE.

Curtin

 

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 the Curtin Alumni & Friends program 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.

 

UWA

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.

Find more at Convocation Accommodation Scholarship.

 

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.

 

Check out these scholarships.

ECU

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:

You can visit ECU Scholarships to find information on opening and closing dates, or to search for other available scholarships.

Murdoch

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.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame has limited accommodation support for any students wanting to study nursing in Broome.

Find out more HERE.

Create the world you want. Find your choices at In Focus Careers News. 

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Save Hours & Hours with July In Focus Careers News

What’s Trending in Careers in WA in July?

Subscribe now to discover opportunities for your best possible life.

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

Email me for information: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au 

M: 0434056412

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