Category: Vocational Education and Training

TAFE and Training courses, entry requirements, apprenticeships.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

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. 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Don’t get on the uni bus unless you know where it’s going

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. 

 

Check out Leaving  Year 12? These gap year ideas may interest you

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

Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Out Now – In Focus Careers News April 2025. Discover your path to careers for tomorrow.

Discover your path to careers for tomorrow in the April issue of In Focus Careers News. 

Unearth future possibilities in the evolving landscape of work. Identify innovative pathways to a career you love. 

The April issue leads you through new courses, support programs, scholarships and career events available to you in Western Australia now.

In Focus Careers inspires dreams and empowers you take action to shape your tomorrow. 

Subscribe Now

In Focus Careers provides a clear guide to career professionals and families trying to wade through a tsunami of career information.

Bev doing research for 2025

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Building apprentices’ road to riches – What support is available for WA construction apprentices?

Apprentice plumbers, electricians and carpenters are to receive $10,000 payment from the Commonwealth government, spread over their 4 year apprenticeship.

Apprentices will receive $2,000 at six, 12, 24, 36 months, and at the completion of their apprenticeship.

2024 WorldSkills representatives Nick and Lewis

The funding aims to:

  • attract more people into construction apprenticeships by lifting their wages which are often below minimum wage.

  • take pressure off employers who are being asked to pay apprentices more. 

  • encourage people to train for jobs in residential housing construction.

What money is already available?

The Construction Training Fund provides information on:

  • The $1000 Apprentice Support Bonus

  • The $1000 Apprentice Tool Allowance

  • The Apprentice Travel and Accommodation Allowance

  • The $500 Pre-Apprenticeship Award Payment 

It will also provide information about this new $10,000 funding for apprentices. 

It also provides information about grants to employers of apprentices. 

Construction Futures Centre

The Construction Training Fund has established the Construction Futures Centre in Belmont. 

Students can explore a range of construction jobs available through hands on experience at the Centre. Schools can book in for an excursion HERE. 

Construction Futures Centre | Digital Services Case Studies OKMG

Try-a-Trade Program

Students can gain construction experience with CTF’s fully funded Try-A-Trade program. Participants get a taste of careers in the building industry and learn what to expect in various trades.

The Try-A-Trade program gives students in Year 9 and above, school leavers and mature-age job seekers, a chance to try various construction trades. Selected Registered Training Organisations deliver the courses on behalf of CTF at locations throughout Western Australia. Find details HERE.

Women in the Construction Industry

Although there are lots of incentives for females to go into construction industry jobs, most women in the industry tend to work in the office, in logistics, design and management roles. 

The industry knows about discrimination against women and sexual harassment in workplaces and there are moves by many companies to create an environment where women and supported. 

There are Apprentice Connect organisations that have been funded to work to reduce barriers for women.

Perth & Surrounds

Outback 

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to women going into non traditional trades from:

Subscribe to In Focus Careers

To keep up to date with  West Australian careers information subscribe to In  Focus Careers News

Bev doing research for 2025

In Focus Careers logo

Posted on by — 3 Comments

TAFE Applications for 2025 are opening soon. This is how to apply.

Key Dates for TAFE applications for 2025

  • Applications open — Friday 6 September 2024. …

  • Applications and preference change close – Friday 1 November 2024. …

  • Offers (competitive courses) – Wednesday 4 December 2024. …

  • Offers (non-competitive courses) – 6 September 2024 to 24 January 2025.

Vocational Education and Training has become a preferred pathway for West Australians because of the big money that can be made in the Resources Industry. 

Our housing shortage is also making building trades a well paid career pathway and the Construction Training Fund has designed a range of courses for females so that they can also enter well paid jobs in the industry, without trying to break into the male dominated traditional building trades. See the courses HERE. 

Go to TAFE Admissions to find an application form.

Free Course Advice

If you would like to do a VET course, but you are not certain exactly what to do, get along and see one to the brilliant counselors at your nearest Jobs and Skills Centre. You can do aptitude tests, check your abilities, chat about what is possible and find the best path for you.

If you want to apply for an apprenticeship, they will tell you how to apply and give you interview tips. 

What Level Certificate is right for you

Certificate I delivers entry level skills that prepare you for further study. All Certificate I courses deliver literacy, numeracy, computing and life skills. Some provide additional skills, like basic trade skills and occupational health and safety. Certificate I is great for those without OLNA or WACE.

Certificate II is like year 10 in academic difficulty. Some Cert II courses are general, like the Certificate of General Education for Adults and some are more specific like Security Operations and in Health Support Services.

Certificate III is like year 11 academic difficulty. You do a Certificate III to become:

  • Photo courtesy of Directions Training

    A carpenter (Certificate III Carpentry)

  • An electrician (Certificate III Electrotechnology Electrician)

  • A farmhand (Certificate III Agriculture)

  • A techie (Certificate III Information Technology)

Certificate IV is designed to be a more mature qualification for those with experience or previous qualifications:

  • A carpenter could go on to do a Cert IV in Building and Construction

  • An electrician could specialise in a Cert IV in Electrical Instrumentation

  • A farm manager could do a Cert IV in Agriculture to become a more effective at managing the business

  • A techie may specialize in Cert IV in Cyber Security

No OLNA or English – No Worries

Pathways for those without their WACE or OLNA

The Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment  (OLNA) is designed to enable students to successfully meet the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) literacy and numeracy requirements.

There are several alternative other pathways to TAFE for school students who do not achieve an OLNA.

  • Certificate I entry level with no qualifications required.

  • Vocational pathway (VET in schools): school students who complete a vocational course while at school can rely on their school qualification to demonstrate their literacy and numeracy skills i.e. students can achieve an OLNA or a Certificate I, II or III to gain entry to a TAFE course.

  • TAFE Admissions testing: School students may be eligible to register for TAFE Admissions testing if they have not sat the OLNA at school within the six months preceding TAFE Admissions testing and if they have not exhausted their maximum six attempts at the OLNA while of compulsory school age.

  • Alternative assessment: students can be referred to the learning area at their preferred TAFE college for a Learning Area Assessment.

    • Students can enrol at any Certificate I level, as there are no entry requirements, and

    • Students can enrol into one of the foundation skills and equity courses.

For more information, download the TAFE admissions guide for entry to full time courses for entry to full time courses.

  • Subscribe to In Focus Careers News to find career opportunities in Western Australia

Cover of August In Focus Careers

        Posted on by — Leave a comment

        Skillaroos – West Australia’s WorldSkills Champions at the Skills and Employment Expo. Good Luck in Lyon!

        Proud. Excited and VERY good  at what they do.

        There are six West Australian competitors heading off to France in early September where they will represent Australia to win recognition as best in the world in their chosen fields. 

        All six of them are showing off their skills at the Skills and Employment Expo. 

        They have just come back from a training competition in China where the Chinese competitors were trained at an organization that JUST trains competitors for WorldSkills type competitions. 

        I ran into Lewis Italiano from Bunbury who did his cabinetmaking apprenticeship in at South Regional TAFE in Bunbury. His family is going over to WorldSkills to watch him compete. 

        His expert lecturer from South Regional TAFE is Nick Johnston. Nick is going too.

        Next to Lewis and Nick were Lachlan Gelavis and Kai Baharthah-King who are representing Australia in a Cyber Security Team Event. They had also been to the trials in China.

        You can see from the screens behind them, they were busy “playing” with code.

        These are our Champion Geeks. They are already working in industry. 

        Congratulations to these six West Australians who are going to WorldSkills

        • Lewis Italiano – South Regional TAFE – Cabinet Making;

        • Jacob Dixon – North Metropolitan TAFE – Wall and Floor Tiling;

        • Antoinette Jackson – MPA Skills – Painting and Decorating;

        • Mitchell Rigney – North Metropolitan TAFE – Jewellery; and

        • Kai Baharthah-King and Lachlan Gelavis – North Metropolitan TAFE – Cyber Security (Team Event).

        Who are the Experts?

        WorldSkills Australia has also selected five Western Australians as Experts to coach the Skillaroos in the lead up to, and during, Lyon 2024.

        WA Experts:

        • Nick Johnston – South Regional TAFE – Cabinet Making;

        • Liam Cochran – North Metropolitan TAFE – Wall and Floor Tiling;

        • Brendan Hibbert – North Metropolitan TAFE – Graphic Design Technology;

        • Ryan Goggin – North Metropolitan TAFE – 3D Digital Game Art; and

        • Todd Bell – Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety – Electrical Installation.

        Good Luck to you all.

        To learn more about the Skillaroos and their journey to Lyon 2024 visit www.worldskills.org.au/competitions/lyon-france

        For the latest career information for West Australian High School Students Subscribe to In Focus Careers News.

        Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

        Posted on by — Leave a comment

        VET and Uni Pathways to Careers in the Resources Industry

        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:
        DrillerField Technician
        SurveyorDrone Operator
        Finance ProfessionalsHydrologist
        Community Engagement ProfessionalsLaboratory Scientist
        Land Access Professionals 

         

        Commissioning and Construction Occupations include
        Excavator OperatorCrane Operator
        RiggerScaffolder
        ElectricianWelder
        Builder and CarpenterContract Administrators
        Construction Materials TestersProject Manager  

         

        Operations and Maintenance Occupations include
        DrillerShot Firer
        Haul Truck OperatorMechanical Fitter
        Motor MechanicAutomotive Electrician
        Procurement ProfessionalsLogistics Operators (warehousing, rail, and marine)
        Telecommunications and Networking OperatorsMaintenance 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 constructionOperations and Maintenance
        GeologistCommunity Engagement Professionals
        Environmental ScientistEngineering Professionals (IT, mining, petroleum, rail and civil)
        Engineering Professionals (mining, petroleum, rail and civil)  Data Scientist
        Project Manager  
        Site Restoration
        Earth ScientistsEnvironmental Scientists
        Environmental EngineersLaboratory Scientists
        Water Management SpecialistsField Officers
        Planning OfficersCommunity Engagement Professionals
        Contract and Compliance Professionals 

        For more information about jobs in the resources industry go HERE.

        Subscribe to In Focus Careers News

        Subscribe to In Focus Careers for all the information you need about careers for West Australian school students. 

        Posted on by — Leave a comment

        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

        Posted on by — 3 Comments

        2024 Key Career Events for Schools in WA

        2024 WA Careers Planner

        This planner identifies the key career events for school in WA in 2024

        Subscribe to the only careers newsletter in Australia, designed to provide comprehensive monthly coverage of local trends, ideas and new approaches to the career challenges for school students.

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

        Posted on by — Leave a comment

        Employers want to know what certificates students have

        Do you have any certificates?

        This article by Kareena Waters from Industry OneCARD explains her solution to a problem students are experiencing when they apply for jobs.

        Students often don’t understand the difference between a VET Delivered in Schools course, and their non VET school curriculum. When potential employers ask them if they have any certificates, the reply is often “No” or “I don’t know”.

        Case Study

        A construction/mining employer recently decided to engage a couple of school graduates for a Traineeship in Administration.

        After screening resumes and interviews, they finally choose a couple of very suitable candidates, only to find that when the  Australian Apprentice Support Network (AASN) signed up the candidate into a traineeship, one already had a Cert III Business Admin, and the other had completed most of the core units.

        There was no record of these achievements on their resumes, or any reference to the training during the interview or understand the significance and the value of ‘That training we did at school’.

        The Gap

        There is a gap between what students do, and their understanding of how their work contributes to their resume.

        Employer’s ability to engage a student on a traineeship is impacted by what VET in Schools certificates a student has commenced or obtained.

        Many students have been issued a Unique Student Identifier (USI) but have no idea what it is, or how to access their portal. 

        Even though Nationally Accredited Units will be recorded on the student’s USI most employers:

        • want to view and save the certificates, not the USI transcript, and
        • want to know about any inductions, safety and other inhouse training from students work placement, and or part times jobs, which won’t appear on a USI.
        Industry OneCARD

        How Industry OneCARD Helps

        The OneCARD ™ provides a platform to help employers manage the administrative nightmare of employees’ training and licence records.

        Kareena Waters Founder of Industry OneCARD ™ and her team want to provide students, trainees and apprentices a complimentary Industry OneCARD™, to help keep all their certificates, induction records and achievements in one place, and to support the cultivation of good habits around the management of their valuable achievements both accredited and non-accredited.

        We have built some great features into Industry OneCARD™  that help when someone is applying for positions, that ensure all records are presented to a recruiter, in a high professional standard.

        For more information please contact:

        Admin@industryonecard.com or Phone 0417760224

        Be the first to know about West Australian Career Opportunities

        Subscribe to InFocus Careers News

        ← Back

        Thank you for your response. ✨

        Evangelist for insanely great careers education in Western Australia