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Can you wash up your coffee cup? The Generation Gap in the workplace

Have you asked a new graduate to wash their coffee cup?

Have you asked them to leave their classroom neat and ready for the next teacher?

According to some experienced teachers, asking this could risk complaints about bullying.

Work Readiness courses

There are currently 6% of Gen Zers in the paid employment and that per centage is growing, while baby boomers remain at around 20%. The generation gap between 20 year olds and 60 year olds is causing both young and old workers to resign.

Ten years ago “work preparation” courses taught uni graduates that they were not the bosses and to do the work as they were asked, without being “creative”.

Perhaps that would help, but it is not enough.

What can older workers do?

Older workers often think we know it all.

We don’t.

Dave Turner, career guru, from South Australia, says saying “hello” and asking about their weekend will make young workers feel more accepted.

He encourages employers to engage more with their local schools to:

  • gain a realistic idea of school students
  • prepare students for the workplace

Zoomers, our youngest employees

Danielle Kabilio, is building a reputation as an expert in this field.

She recently spoke on the topic to a Food Fibre and Timber Industry Training Council seminar for employees who are struggling to retain younger workers.

She is speaking on the topic at the CDAA Good Theory, Good Practice conference on 23 September. Teachers , private practitioners and HR experts are all interested in how to address the issue.

The stereotype is not the norm

The stereotype of the young kid playing on a mobile phone with poor communication skills is simply not the norm.

Kids may not be joining Lions of scouts any more but they are volunteering on environmental projects and coaching junior sports teams. There has never been more participation in competitions like It Takes a Spark and the Gamechanger Awards.

Stereotypes are not the whole answer. There are many steps that we need to take.

I’ll follow up

I will let you know what tips Danielle has to offer at the Good Theory Good Practice conference and I will put any research that I find into my In Focus Careers Newsletter.

In the meantime, say “Hi” to your colleagues and put your mobile phone away.

To keep up to speed with career opportunities in WA. Subscribe to In Focus Careers News.

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Year 12 Burnout Busters

Stress + Frustration = Burnout

Stress – That you STILL have to push through to the end of the year AND get the best possible results.

Frustration – That you have already been at school sooooo looong.

Trying to maintain interest when school seems more about the past and only vaguely about the future, can cause lack of motivation and have a bad impact on your academic performance.

Give school subjects meaning. Link your results to your future life.

See if you can re-engage with your school work by talking with your school based Career Advisor, (Year Coordinator, favourite teacher, pastoral care officer).

See an out of school career professional.

  • Jobs and Skills Centres are in most country towns and they are co-located with TAFE colleges in the city. Advisors can do aptitude tests, help you to identify your strengths and suggest possible future. You can find your closest Jobs and Skills Centre HERE.
  • University career advisors are a bit like sales people. They love helping people and they want you to find a course at their university. You will probably choose a uni that is close to where you live. Go to see a career counsellor at which ever university you choose to find out about courses and subjects and the fantastic clubs and opportunities available at that university.
  • See an independent, impartial professional career advisor (like me).

If you want impartial advice on the different universities in WA, get A Comprensive Guide to Going to Uni in WA in 2024. You can get it HERE.

Finding a scholarship to apply for could motivate you.

Check:

Scholarships not for you? Think again. The world wants you to succeed.

Scholarships for Academic Superstars

Try these ideas to motivate yourself over the next few weeks

  • Create SMART goals for each subject, then plan your timetable for the next few weeks. Find how to do that HERE.
  • Walk around your future uni campus and imagine yourself there (once you get through this last few weeks).
  • Go to an information evening at your future university.
  • Talk to a student already at the university for tips on how to overcome year 12 burnout.
  • You are not the first one to feel burnt out. Counselling services like Beyond Blue know how to support you.

There are many paths to university. Check Alternative Paths to Uni in 2024

Plan a Gap Year

If you can make it through to the end of the year, apply to uni like everyone else, then defer once you get your offer and take a gap year in 2024.

A comprehensive Guide to Gap Year Ideas that may interest you

Three Gap Year stories to give you ideas of what’s possible

Leave School Now

If you REALLY can’t stand it, take a break. Leave school if that is the best option for you.

Check out Alternative Paths to uni in WA 2024

I have talked to many parents who have pressured their year 12s to:

“Hang in there.”

“You are so close to the finish line. Don’t waste it.”

They are doing this because they love you and want what’s best for you. They clearly don’t understand your level of burnout.

Take time to explain your distress.

Talk with a counselling service like Beyond Blue. They will know how to help you.

There are a million paths to your best possible future and getting great end of school results is just one of them.

Don’t get on the Uni Bus unless you know where it’s going.

Year 12 can be an endurance test. Trying to link future you with what you are doing now may help. Good luck as you enter this final stage of your school career.

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News to find opportunities that help you to find where you belong.

Cover of July In Focus Careers Magazine
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Alternative Paths to uni in WA 2024

All universities have developed lots of pathways to their door. The choices can be confusing.

Alternative Pathways to Uni in WA 2024  collates information on all the different pathways and provides:

  • tables of courses offered by each university

  • links to more detailed information for each pathway.

What’s good about alternative pathways?

Alternative pathways are frequently free.

As you do the course you find out about uni life and about a range of degrees that are available. You may find out about less expensive ways of doing your degree or about scholarships. 

Courses like medicine, which have strict quotas, are not available through alternative pathways, but most courses will be open to you. 

Although each course is different there are usually 4 subjects like….

  • Academic Writing

  • Research Skills and Information Literacy

  • Communication Skills

  • Essential Maths

You will meet new people, talk about courses, costs and career options with them, explore the campus and libraries and get familiar with the uni IT systems. 

How to choose a university

Pick a university that you would like to belong to. 

 Is it close? Are your friends going there? Does it have a great course? Do you like its ranking by past students

  • Go to that university and meet with a career advisor. Tell them what you would like to study.

  • Ask them what is available to help you to meet entry requirements. They will point you to the best course for you, or design one that meets your needs. 

Check out Which Uni is Best for You? for a quick overview of West Australian unis.

Final Tips

  • Students can calculate their anticipated ATAR HERE

  • Students can check the Lowest Offered ATAR Rank in 2023 to see if they have a chance of getting in next year.

  • If something goes wrong in Year 12, you could apply for special consideration through the TISC Access Scheme

Get your copy of Alternative Pathways to Uni in WA 2024

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Are creative career pathways a passport to poverty? No Way. Check out these Digital Creative Arts VET courses

Are creative career pathways worth following? STEM careers are all we hear of.

Do not dispair. Creative thinking, social influence, flexibility and agility are all up there in the World Economic Forum Top 10 Skills.World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report

Since 2015 the World Economic Forum  has analysed a significant shift from a focus on:

  • Complex Problem Solving ,

  • Critical Thinking and

  • Quality Control

to a 2027 predicted focus on:

  • Creative thinking,

  • Leadership and social influence and

  • Resilience, flexibility and agility. 

It seems as if there is an emerging trend towards more human skills in the workplace. 

Christopher Rodwell from Barking Gecko Theatre  recently wrote on LinkedIn  that 

 …. the world’s most vibrant cities have arts at their core…and the only way you can achieve that connection with the arts is through introduction at a young age.

He reported that performing arts lead to:

  • 50% improvement in capacity to improvise/sustain creative scenarios (ie problem solving and innovation)

  • 55% expansion in perspectives and interpersonal skills (ie strengthening teamwork skills)

  • 10% increase in hope for the future after one year (ie their perspective on likelihood of performing well at school or graduating)

You can read Christopher Rodwell’s post HERE. 

I began my full time career as an English teacher. My love of creative arts has enriched my life and helped me throughout my working life. I am starting a campaign to celebrate creative arts careers. 

I am collating creative industries opportunities into a poster of career blocks like the 16 Mind Maps for Career Advisors16 Mind Maps for West Australian Career Advisors

One of the Mind Maps will identifiy Digital Creative Arts VET courses.

You can find the Mind Map HERE.

The Mind Maps can be updated so please let me know of any opportunities that I haven’t captured. 

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News to discover career opportunities for West Australian students.

Email me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au

 

 

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16 Mind Maps for West Australian Career Advisors

16 Mind Maps for West Australian Career Advisors

For some time I have been concerned that I overwhelm people with the amount of information I’m sending out. I have collated information into handbooks, made career events calendars and made Coggle mind maps in an effort to make the information more user friendly.  

A couple of weeks ago Dr Kathleen Franklyn from the Jobs and Skills Centres posted a UK banner on LinkedIn. The banner was of 16 ways to discover your future. 

I took that idea and created 16 categories of information that subscribers to my newsletter find most useful.

Behind each category I have created Coggle mind maps of websites, tools and information that provide a ready reference for West Australian career advisors. 

The resulting poster is one of the best resources I have put together. It gathers masses of information into categories. Users can click on a category and be linked through to a mind map of websites and tools that are useful to West Australians. 

16 Mind Maps for West Australian Career Advisors

I use the Coggle mind mapping tool because:

  • you don’t have to subscribe to use the information

  • I find it easy to update the maps

Each Coggle Map looks like this one that shows Green Volunteering opportunities that I posted last year. 

Green volunteering mind map

If you would like a copy of this poster, they are available HERE. 

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

In Focus Careers logo

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Career Quizzes to help you to find where you belong

Career Quizzes

Career quizzes are a great ideas starter. 

They do not tell you that you should take up tap dancing immediately but the ideas you get will lead you into conversations with your family and friends that could spark curiosity in some careers.

These career quizzes are a sample of career quizzes that you can use as a starting point for your career conversations.

Check some out HERE

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

Keep up to date with emerging career opportunities in Western Australia.

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News and share the information across your school community. 

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It’s Career Expo Time – Don’t sign anything! 3 tips for the Career Expo

Tip 1: Don’t sign ANYTHING

Many visitors sign up for thousands of dollars worth of training based on a noisy 5 minute discussion in the crowded Convention Centre.

The Careers Expo is great fun. There are lots of giveaways. There are glossy brochures and high-tech displays.

People on the stands are friendly and helpful.

Of course they are!

You aren’t going to buy something from someone grumpy. 

The biggest, most professional-looking displays, closest to the entry, with the loud music and happy staff, are investing a lot to get you to sign up for their products.

Tip 2:

Don’t wait until you get to the Expo.  Find the exhibitors on the Expo Page before you go.

If you are interested in having a Gap Year check out which exhibitors will have information that will interest you.

If you are interested in Trades, check out the ones that will be of most interest.

Make the decision about which ones to visit and what you want to know. 

You could also ask….

  • How much will it cost?

  • How long the course will take.

  • What are the entry requirements.

  • How long it takes their graduates to get a job in the industry?

  • What sort of work do graduates get?

Tip 3 See your career advisor after the expo

If you don’t know a career advisor, go to a Jobs and Skills Centre and talk with them or make an appointment with a uni-based career practitioner. It’s FREE. The Jobs and Skills Centres are usually based in TAFE colleges, they also have information about unis.

Each month In Focus Careers News helps West Australian teachers to guide their students towards career opportunities. You can subscribe HERE.

Bev Johnson Director, In Focus Careers
Email: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au

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If these are the 25 Jobs on the Rise in 2023, how to you get these jobs?

The LinkedIn 2023 Jobs on the Rise report shows the jobs with the highest growth.

As many of these jobs are new, I wondered how you would get into them. I’ve done a quick summary of pathways to each job.

In many cases I recommend starting with a VET course, to find out more about how the industry is changing, before moving on to specialising through higher studies. 

  • Eleven of the jobs require significant IT skills. 

  • If you are interested in IT, get started in TAFE with a certificate and find what part of IT you like. Then go to uni using your VET credits to study the course that best suits your interests. 

  • There are substantial subsidies for VET courses making courses free or low-cost. You can use the money you would pay on uni fees to buy a car.

LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise in 2023

How to get started on the road to this job

1.     Technical Program Manager

Check out different courses in IT and IT Systems at your closest TAFE or uni. You can gather “manager” skills through different jobs and further study. 

2.     Clinical Exercise Physiologist 

The Health Industry is our fastest growing industry. Check Clinical Physiologist on MyFuture for information about jobs and qualifications. Check out health industry courses at your local TAFE college or university. 

3.     Site Reliability Engineer

You need qualifications in IT Systems and you need to grow your knowledge of risk and project management. All of these can be learned through VET courses which lead to degrees.

4.     Sales Development Representative

There are a range of degrees emerging that develop innovation, entrepreneurship and business skills as a combined degree.

This role will require industry specific knowledge. Whether you are selling iron ore or pharmaceuticals, you will need to know about your industry in order to identify development opportunities.

Interpersonal skills, negotiation and communication skills will be an advantage. It will also help to be nice. People want to buy stuff from people they like.

5.     Platform Engineer

To engineer a platform, you need IT skills and you also need to understand the intended purpose of the platform.

If you are maintaining and improving an existing platform you need to have the concentration of a saint and brilliant analytical skills.

6.     Growth Specialist

Creativity combined with solid knowledge of how to engage social media for a particular audience will important in this role.

Because social media is changing so quickly, you could start with a VET certificate or diploma in marketing then increase your qualifications through uni or  short courses as you start to specialize your skills.

7.     Claims Adjuster

As insurance claims surge due to climate change, the demand for claims adjusters will grow. This is a well-paid job that you can start working towards with a VET qualification in Financial Services and Banking.

8.     Machine Learning Engineer

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in machines, machine learning engineers will be responsible for designing systems and processes that make predictions.

Knowledge of IT is required so that the Engineer can communicate across IT and sales teams to create predictive tools.

9.     Sustainability Manager

A job for environmentalists, agricultural and forestry scientists, aquaculture farmers and electricians. Anyone who is responsible for managing the sustainability of the planet.

You can start with a VET qualification in agriculture, or land management and specialise in areas like regenerative agriculture.

Electricians have a great future as sustainable energy is used to power our lives. 

10.  Enterprise Account Executive

If you are responsible for the accounts of an enterprise, you need to have a strong business and financial services background.

You could start with a VET business degree but most people in this position have at least one university degree.

11.  Cyber Security Analyst

Start with a VET course in cyber security. Learn the basics at a college then move on to an area you are interested in and specialise in that. You can be making good money as you get a degree specializing in a field of interest. All arms of the defence forces and well equipped with cyber security experts who are among the best in their field.  

12.  Crime Analyst

You are more likely to be chasing a money launderer than a robber of your local bank.

Casinos are hot spots for money laundering. Then there are always those who are trying get-rich-quick schemes.

Law and criminology courses would be the gateway to this career.

You could also go into the police force and take opportunities for further study and promotion.

13.  Data Engineer

In a world where data is king, Data Engineers will be the rulers.

Start off with an IT course. You can start by doing a VET course where you will find out more about the industry, then specialize in a field that will lead you to engineering data to improve systems and user experiences.

14.  Job Coach

This job is associated with Human Resource Management.

There are a million gurus on the internet who have years of experience in business management and move on to Job Coaching. A degree in business, finance, human resource management or career management would be the entry point for this job.

15.  Cloud Engineer

I think Cloud Engineer and Platform Engineer require the same pathway. Both require high-level IT skills, knowledge of the industry and the ability to engineer a  platform that makes the industry more effective. Most platforms will need to be cloud-based. 

16.  Customer Success Manager

This requires marketing skills, knowledge of business systems and the ability to apply industry knowledge to maintaining relationships with customers.

Start with a marketing certificate and discover what part of marketing you are most interested in. Then focus on that through work and further study.

17.  Client Associate

This job will probably be in banking as they attend to customers’ accounts. It would be more focused on financial management than a Customer Success Manager (16 above).

18.  Business Development Representative

Business development requires creativity and business skills.

Business development representatives are often specialists in their industry, like mining engineers, training consultants, or medical specialists.

19.  Health Assistant

Health assistants can come from a broad range of specialist health professionals.

They use their specialist skills to contribute to a team of experts who care for a patient.

20.  Service Desk Engineer

These are pivotal roles in a big organisation.

They are called on by staff in every role to come and fix problems. When they are not fixing problems they are designing systems and solutions to make the organisation more effective so that there aren’t as many calls to the service desk.

21.  Delivery Consultant

Sound project management skills in any field are required to ensure the delivery of identified outcomes for the organisation. The Delivery Consultant does not necessarily need to be an expert in the field, but they need to be quick to learn and careful to make sure they have the right information before they design their solution.

22.  Cyber Security Engineer

Once you have sound cyber security skills you can move on to engineering cyber security systems for organisations. Current weaknesses in systems have been due to not anticipating human weaknesses, so cyber security engineers need to have outstanding awareness of the way that people work.

23.  Finance Associate

I think this is a field that the application of artificial intelligence will impact.

Gathering the correct data to assist organisations to make sound financial decisions will require the ability to ask the best questions based on sound financial management skills

24.  Product Designer

A mix of IT skills with marketing skills would be a good start for this role which would most likely be in media or business service products.

25.  Technology Project Manager

Start with your IT skills. You can kick start your learning with a VET certificate as you learn more about the different opportunities for IT careers and decide where you want to belong.

As you become more expert, you will undertake project management courses and start managing increasingly bigger projects.

Given the emergence of new jobs, going to TAFE to find out about the industry might become a logical first step before going to uni. 

I will keep an eye on this to see if it becomes a preferred pathway. 

Subscribe to In Focus Careers News for West Australian school students

Bev Johnson Director, In Focus Careers

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Get AUKUS – ready. My best guess on opportunities that will be available for WA school students

Industry Engagement

WA Industries will gear up to be AUKUS ready.  There will be skills shortages and they will be open to connecting with schools through work experience, guest speakers, and partnerships which will help schools to connect with emerging opportunities.  

To get good information about what the West Australian defence-related industry is up to, LinkIn with Serge Desilva-Ranasinghe. He frequently promotes research documents and advertises conferences and information sessions, and he is a good link to the industry. 

VET

In 2022 South Metro TAFE won the National Training Award as Australia’s best defence trainer. That is a great place to start.

All of the TAFE colleges run computing programs that are excellent and already in high demand. The demand for IT skills will increase.

There is no current nuclear energy course being run in Western Australia.

I anticipate that on-the-job knowledge of the application of skills in the defence industry will open up opportunities around the world. That will apply to all VET skills, from trades and business people.

Universities

Curtin University has a reputation for being industry-focused, but then all of our universities run world-class computing and engineering courses.

Again, all courses will have applications within this project, even urban design!

For the academic superstars, there will be a boom in opportunities to do applied research.

Normal students will have increased opportunities to work across defence and large projects around the world.

I anticipate new scholarships, internships and opportunities to study overseas.

Research

I have been in touch with Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre which had not begun any research on implications for the WA economy of the initiative. They are going to seek out any research that is underway and pass it on. 

Find how to connect with opportunities for WA students. Subscribe to In Focus Careers

Bev Johnson Director, In Focus Careers

 

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ATAR revision programs help you to get to where you belong

If you want to do well in your ATAR to get to where you belong, these ATAR revision programs will support you to achieve your goal.

Check them out. Some run during the term, and others only run during holidays. 

Revise Online 

Revise Online

ReviseOnline specialises in providing online education. 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. 

This was one of the first to offer online revision programs.

Find information HERE

Mastermind

ATAR Master Classes Revision Courses

Master Mind Australia intensive revision of the syllabus and assessment preparation, including effectively modelling answers to ATAR-style exam questions.

Master mind

They run small-group tutorials for year 11 and 12 students throughout the term and holiday tutorials.

Find details HERE.

Academic Task Force /Academic Associates /Academic Group

This group runs Holiday Revision Courses in April, July and October at:

Find details HERE. 

The Exam Experts

Enrolments for the July Holiday Intensive Exam Revision Program are open. Classes run from July 4-8.

Find details HERE.

InTuition

Intuition delivers small group classes in most WACE classes, exam preparation and study skills.

INDIVIDUAL TUTORS

Teachers

Many semi-retired teachers continue to tutor in their specialized subjects.

These teachers have a lifetime of knowledge of their subject, what examiners are looking for and tips for success.

Some schools have started to run holiday ATAR revision programs that employ these experts. 

Ask your school front office to see if they are running a program or know anyone you can contact.

ECU ATAR Free Program

ECU ATAR science-focused revision programs are run during the September holidays at the Joondalup and Bunbury campuses. 

These are free services to Year 12 students. They are scheduled later in the year. 

Subscribe by emailing:

Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au

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Email: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au