As food security and climate change become increasingly urgent global challenges, Western Australia’s agricultural industry is recognised as world-class, with particular strengths in biosecurity, grain production and agricultural research.
People from the Department of Education will chase you up to find what’s going on.
You will cut ties with your friends and your support network of teachers, student services, VET coordinators, career advisors at school.
You could end up alone and feeling lost.
BETTER WAY: Do this preparation.
Leave School Early
Step 1: Talk with family and friends
Don’t shock your family and friends by just dropping out of school. They will get upset and add to your stress.
Talk with them, flag the idea of leaving school early. Ask what they think. Get their ideas and support.
Step 2: Get expert information
Your Mum’s best friend or your maths teacher is not the expert that you need right now. There’s a lot to know about leaving school. Talk to an expert whose full time job it is to know about career pathways.
This mind map provides links to expert information about leaving school in WA. Play with different links to see what’s available. Write down questions to ask your career advisor.
Meet with your school career advisor
Take a list of questions.
If you don’t know what you want to do, they will explore different opportunities with you.
They can help you to get a job application ready.
They can link you with an apprenticeship/traineeship company that employs lots of apprentices.
Jobs and Skills Center free information and advice
Jobs and Skills Centres are co-located at TAFE colleges. There are 19 across WA and they provide free information, advice and support.
Private Career Practitioners
Look up “career practitioners” in your “suburb”. There will be career practitioners who can be employed to guide you through the process from school into a job or further study.
Step 3: How to leave school
Get your career advisor and family to help you to arrange a full-time job, enrol in a full-time course or a combination of both.
It needs to go to the Minister for Education. They won’t come back with a flat “no” but you may be asked to add some more information to your application.
Once you have permission you can leave:
Get a copy of your latest report.
Get references from supportive teachers.
Check with the front office to see if you have forgotten anything.
Say goodbye to your life as a school student
MORE INFORMATION
Common pathways from school
1. Nursing
2. Computing pathway – leave the pretty stuff for later
There are so many computing jobs. Learn the hard, foundation, boring stuff. It will put you way ahead of others who focus on pretty, creative computing.
In Focus Careers News is the ultimate solution for high school career news and advice. Over 150 West Australian high schools already subscribing, our newsletter provides unbiased and up-to-date information on a wide range of career options. Don’t miss out on this valuable resource – subscribe now and give your students the career guidance they need to take action.
If you tell a 14 year old to start working with a mentor, expect a negative reaction.
As they emerge from the chrysalis of childhood, 14 year old’s want to be responsible for what they do themselves. They want to work towards the future with their peers.
They do not want to engage with an authority figure of YOUR choice. Friendships are never more important than in the vital mid teenage years.
If you think kids would benefit from having a mentor, you need to:
match the kid to the right mentor program, then
help those kids to be clear and enthusiastic about wanting a mentor.
Sport Coaches
The idea of having a coach, rather than a mentor, might be more familiar to kids.
The coach and the team are all working towards a single purpose.
Students who play sport could tell you that their coach:
has superior knowledge in their field
suggests ways that they can improve
will offer words of encouragement
sets clear boundaries
can be trusted
helps them to set clear goals
What motivates the coach?
Kids know WHY the coach is there, it could be their love of the game, maybe their kids play in the team, maybe they played for the team at one stage.
Kids don’t know WHY a mentor is there.
They will be asking:
why would a total stranger would want to get to know me?
what is the payoff for this stranger?
what is the purpose of the relationship?
is it safe?
When they are clear about all these things, then they need to learn that the mentor:
will be working with them towards an agreed purpose
has superior knowledge in their field
suggests ways that they can improve
will offer words of encouragement
sets clear boundaries
can be trusted
helps them to set clear goals
How are mentors different?
If you want a one on one approach to help you to identify and achieve goals, a designated mentor could be your answer. A mentor will provide guidance and support, just to you.
Establishing trusted one on one relationships is more difficult with a mentor than with a coach as part of a team. You will need to work harder to establish a relationship with a mentor.
There are lots of mentor services in Perth. Many have a specific focus.
I will build on this map as people let me know about more mentoring services in WA.
You can choose different mentors for different purposes.
Finally
No-one seems to be focusing on the significant long term impacts of COVID that middle school students experienced just as they were leaving the comfort of childhood.
I hope that by providing an environment, rich in ideas and opportunities, middle school students will be able to progress through a scaffolded approach to adulthood. It will take conscious and deliberate effort to engage…. if they are to arrive as confused, disoriented and bewildered as the rest of us.
Addendum
In the Boredom Breakers blogwhich I wrote last week, I provide a range of opportunities that young people could choose to explore as they move along the long path from childhood to adulthood . All of those suggestions have a leader who will be a bit like a sport coach.
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You would think there was SOMETHING for everyone at high school, but what if there is nothing for you?
If you haven’t found where you belong in the chess club or the swimming club or in the choir, look outside school. One of these could be the place where you might have some interesting experiences.
Check out these opportunities for exploring your world in middle school.
Acting, music and dance short courses are run on weekends and holidays. There are classes for young kids through to those who already have some experience.
