After the most COVID disrupted term we have had in WA, career educators have bounced back. They are standing on the shoulders of West Australian giants in career education to deliver world class career experiences to our students.
Here are some examples from the last few weeks.
Construction Futures Centre
Last month Kathy Moore, from Swan View SHS, organised for career educators to go to the Construction Futures Centre in Belmont to check out the career education resources that are available to schools.
Twenty eight career practitioners turned up and played their way through the simulation games that can be booked for school groups. You can book a tour for yourself or for a school group HERE.
Youth Innovation Think Tank
Kim Flintoff, from Peter Carnley Anglican Community School, is building on the work of the East Metropolitan Health Service which delivers the Youth Innovation Think Tank for West Australian high schools.
You can find earlier examples of problems addressed by schools HERE.
Year 9 MyCareerRules
Brett Neasham, from Governor Stirling SHS, recently ran a career conversations session for Year 9 students. The MyCareerRules session with ABCN and Bankwest was a great introduction to careers with mentors giving thoughtful, honest insights and reflections on their career journeys.
ABCN and Bankwest at Governor Stirling
Defence Force Presentation.
Kathy Moore, from Swan View SHS, had Defence Force Recruiting come to school to give a presentation to Year 11 & 12 students.
For more career opportunities for your students, subscribe to the monthly In Focus Careers News for West Australians
In March, UWA, Curtin and Murdoch universtities told career educators about their new courses and priorities for 2022 and beyond.
You can find highlights of those presentations in the April issue of In Focus Careers.
The big trend this year is towards more student centric services. All universities highlighted the new facilities and services that are available to future students.
Early Offers
All universities agreed to wait until 4 April to open their doors to early offers in 2023 but, in March, only Curtin had clarified that they will be directing applicants straight to TISC.
Middle School Programs
Universities are providing more opportunities for middle school students to explore a wide range of career opportunities through a range of emerging programs. I will continue to report on the new programs as they are announced.
Open Day Changes
COVID has impacted on the open day schedules at each university. I have put a table of the changes into the April issue.
Career Conversation Schedule
The WA Education Department has launched a comprehensive schedule of career conversations designed to help families to understand the career options for WA school students. You can find links to these presentations in the April issue.
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Curtin, UWA and Notre Dame universities all offer a medical degree course and UWA also offers dentistry. None of these universities has planned a 2022 information session.
Curtin accepts students straight from high school.
UWA wants you to have a degree first but you can be assured a place directly from school. Successful applicants who gain an Assured Pathway place will commence UWA undergraduate studies and progress to their postgraduate degree without the need to sit a graduate admissions test or undergo further interviews.
Notre Dame requires students to do a degree, and get great results first, before applying.
If you do extremely well on the ATAR and UCAT you will be shortlisted to do a Multiple Mini Interview examination.
Curtin
Curtin offers the only direct entry Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery program available to school leavers in WA and there is strong competition for the places.
It opened in 2017 with a focus on delivering high quality medical experts to regional and remote areas.
ATAR: 95 (there are conditions around this that need to be explored HERE.)
Essential WACE courses
Essential: Chemistry ATAR, or equivalent. (Contact the Course Coordinator to find out what to do if you don’t have chemistry.)
Applicants are required to successfully complete a First Aid Certificate (including CPR) or equivalent by the completion of the first semester of the course. Students are also required to obtain criminal record history clearance, Working with Children Check as well as relevant immunisations and health screening.
Desirable WACE courses
Mathematics Methods ATAR, Mathematics Specialist ATAR or Mathematics Applications ATAR
Desirable: Study in one of the following Mathematics ATAR courses is desirable:
Mathematics Applications, Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Specialist, or equivalent.
Non-school leavers (notional ATAR from previous tertiary studies and UCAT)
Curtin course switchers (Course Weighted Average from current studies and UCAT).
Top ranked applicants will be invited to attend a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). The interview process provides an opportunity for shortlisted applicants to demonstrate how they communicate, critically appraise information, and think about issues important to the medical profession. Applicants will be ranked and selected for offer based on their ATAR or equivalent, the UCAT score and the MMI score. Final selection will be made by this composite score. Applicants for this course should refer to the Curtin website for more information on specific admission requirements for Medicine. http://courses.curtin.edu.au/course_overview/admission-requirements/medicine.cfm
Multiple Mini Interview Those students who score highest on their ATAR and UCAT will be given an interview. See notes below on Multiple Mini Interviews.
It is possible to gain a Assured Pathway (guaranteed place) into medicine or dentistry if you have an ATAR of 99. (You still need to complete your first degree prior to starting medicine or dentistry.)
There are 24 places Assured Pathway places available in Dentistry and 65 placed available in Medicine.
Year 12s should apply for a Assured Pathway place via the normal TISC process in August-September.
You will require a:
Minimum ATAR of 99 or equivalent (Applicants are also required to submit the Predicted ATAR form.)
Competitive UCAT score.
The UCAT testing will be open from 1 July to 12 August.
A personal folio that demonstrates your suitability for medicine at Notre Dame.
Grade Point Average
Notre Dame says that successful applicants will already have a degree with a minimum Grade Point Average of 5. This score may be misleading as students usually have a Grade Point Average higher than 6.
Notre Dame also requires a Student of Medicine Application Folio which demonstrates more about the student’s personal attributes and suitability for acceptance.
Notre Dame usually wants to know WHY you want to study at Notre Dame and WHY you want to study the course you have chosen for any course so you would need to be clear on that.
Pre-Medicine Certificate
Notre Dame offers a Pre-Medicine Certificate that its students can take WHILE they are doing their undergraduate degree (and getting a high GPA!).
This pathway also provides students with a mentor from the ND School of Medicine.
Completion of this Certificate will guarantee an INTERVIEW as part of the medical course application process if your GPA and GAMSAT reach the minimal score. It does not guarantee a place within the program.
Multiple Mini Interviews
The interview process is made up of 8 Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs). You move from each interview into 8 different rooms. You are given a question and have 3 minutes to prepare your answer, then you go into the room and give your response for 8 minutes. There are two rest breaks.
The MMI’s take 88 minutes.
I have heard this process described as an endurance test.
Interviews are done by trained MMI interviewers who are trying to determine your suitability for the medical profession.
YouTube videos and sites likeMedStudents Online and Whirlpool will give you some ideas about what to expect BUT your experienced interviewers are not looking for rehearsed answers, they want to know about you and your suitability for the profession.
UCAT
Curtin and UWA Assured Pathways Entry require a UCAT score as part of their application process.
This test may be taken from 1 July – 12 August.
There are thorough instructions, trial tests and videos available on the UCAT site.
Extra Help
I like asking questions on Whirlpool.net.au. It might not be any more reliable than Facebook but you get to ask people who are in the field for their thoughts. You can even ask what students at different unis think about their medical courses.
Medstudentsonline is similar to Whirlpool. You can join in discussion threads about the application process.
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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.
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.
I wrote the Study Coach to help you to save time and get better marks.
You need great marks to:
get the most out of scholarships on offer and
get into competitive courses.
Each ATAR subject area delivers ATAR success workshops throughout the year. Your teachers will tell you about them and I will put them into the Infocus Careers News as they are scheduled.
Check out study coaches and ATAR revision programs HERE.
There are information evenings throughout the year. Keep up with the Infocus Careers News to find what is coming up.
There are career advisors employed by every university. Think of some questions to ask. Make an appointment and visit them.
Alternative Entry Pathways
Creating a portfolio of your work is just one alternative pathway to university. If you want to try for portfolio entry you will need to start putting your portfolio together.
Check out the alternative pathways to university in Western Australia HERE.
Summary
These tips help you to create a smooth pathway from school to uni:
Get uni credits while still at school
Get Great marks
Check out unis
Check out courses
Check out alternative pathways
Get career news for Western Australians
Get career information curated for West Australians. Subscribe to Infocus Careers News.
Every life comes with a story … and a possibility for a great adventure.
Make this the year your future self will thank you for as you create your amazing life.
If you are lucky, you will have family and friends and teachers who all WANT you to succeed. They can help you to achieve your amazing life.
A great school experience can set you up for your great future. Get all of the help they can give to boost your academic and life experiences.
If academic success is what you need to to make your crazy dreams come true, you can get extra academic support to boost your ATAR, OLNA and NAPLAN results.
Revision Programs
Check out these different programs to see if any of them can help you to take the next step to your amazing life.
Revise Online
ReviseOnline specialises in providing online education. It provides teaching resources and support as well as practice tests and exams.
Mastermind
Master Mind Australia intensive revision of the syllabus and assessment preparation, including the effective modelling of answers to ATAR-style exam questions.
Academic Task Force
Academic Task Force specialist teachers work with students showing them how to apply what they have learnt at school, how to prepare for their exams and how to maximize their exam performance.
ATARGET
ATARget ATAR Revision, ATAR Exam Preparation and Study Skills programs focus on strengthening students’ understanding of subjects, boosting classroom confidence and improving examination performance.
WACE+
WACE+ ATAR Revision, ATAR Exam Preparation and Study Skills programs focus on strengthening students’ understanding of subjects, boosting classroom confidence and improving examination performance.
TEE Consultants
TEE Consultants deliver intensive courses for year 12 students seeking university.
Accredited Tutor delivers small group classes in most WACE classes, exam preparation and study skills.
INDIVIDUAL TUTORS
Many semi-retired teachers continue to tutor in their specialty subject.
These teachers have a lifetime of knowledge of their subject, what examiners are looking for and tips for success.
Ask at your school front office to see if they know anyone you can contact.
ECU ATAR Free Program
ECU ATAR revision programs are run during the September holidays at the Joondalup and Bunbury campuses.
These are a free service to Year 12 students.
Get Essential Career Information for West Australians
Subscribe to In Focus Careers
Testimonial
I have found your material invaluable. The information you have put together is thorough – a one-stop-shop in a sea of information that is out there. I have utilised this information on a regular basis with others throughout the school.
The Careers Expo is great fun. There are happy, smiling people. There are glossy brochures and beautiful displays. People on the stands are friendly and helpful. Of course they are! They are professionals. You aren’t going to buy something from someone who isn’t nice.
Many visitors sign up for thousands of dollars worth of training based on a noisy 5 minute discussion in the crowded Convention Centre.
The Expos are a prime marketing place for all education and training organisation. They spend a lot of money on their displays and get their best, nicest, most professional sales people to tell you about their courses.
Tip 1:
Don’t sign ANYTHING.
STEP 2:
Know that the biggest displays, those closest to the entry doors, and the most professional looking displays have spent the most money on trying to sell to you.
Some are pure information, like the WA Police Force, Construction Training Fund, WA Department of Education – Teaching and Defence Force Recruiting. Others have courses they would like you to know about.
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 you must visit.
Make the decision about which ones to visit before you get sucked in by the bright lights and music!
STEP 4:
Figure out three questions to ask exhibitor one before you meet with them. Make sure one of your questions is about price if they are selling courses.
Don’t be surprised if they don’t want to answer you about. You may get answers like “It depends on…… ” and “We have a great loan to cover your costs”.
You could also ask….
How much will it cost?
How long the course will take.
What are the entry requirements.
For contacts with current students.
What successful students are like.
Do they have a mid year intake.
If they have links with industry that provides work placement.
How long it takes their graduates to get a job in the industry.
What sort of work graduates get.
STEP 5 – FINAL STEP
Go to see your career advisor to discuss what you have discovered.
If you don’t know a career advisor go to a Jobs and Skills Centre and talk with them. Its FREE. The Jobs and Skills Centres are based in TAFE colleges but they also have information about unis.
Go back to the places you are interested in. You will end up paying a lot for your course. This is probably the first BIG thing you have ever bought. Make sure you are buying something that is perfect for you.
Testimonial:
Thanks for the latest newsletter Bev, and for all the information and inspiring ideas over the year. Since I have become a part of the (In Focus Careers) network I have grown in knowledge and motivation to really make a difference for our young people.
This is a snapshot of universities in Western Australia.
Notre Dame
BEST IN AUSTRALIA
88.4% of Notre Dame undergraduate students were satisfied with the overall quality of their learning experience according to the Quality Indicators of Learning and Teaching (QILT).
91.1% Were positive about their skills development.
76.6% found full time employment
Notre Dame is a Catholic University but you don’t need to be Catholic or Christian or even religious to go there, and the fees are comparable with other universities.
The point of difference is that Notre Dame does have a spiritual, values driven, caring approach to teaching and learning which underpins their interactions and decision making. That’s why they are topping the QILT ratings.
It is quite a small university with 10,000 students and the vast majority of them are domestic students.
The university is in beautiful renovated old buildings around Fremantle.
Pastoral care and support developed for international students has been made available to help regional and remote students to settle in. The only shortcoming is the lack of Notre Dame student accommodation but the student support services people will help students to find accommodation to meet their needs.
Curtin University
Curtin is by far our biggest university with over 50,000 students. It seems like a city with business centres, shops, gyms, accommodation and bands and food trucks, art galleries and theatres.
I think undergraduate students could have a ball at Curtin, but the sheer size of of the place can be daunting. You need to actively work at getting engaged with the Curtin community, both social and academic, to make the most of your Curtin experience.
Curtin knows this and has invested in providing plenty of help for new students and for students with special needs, but it is up to you to seek it out.
Because of the size of the university there are many opportunities available for students to extend their experience, in Australia and internationally.
Curtin is part of a knowledge precinct in Bentley with CSIRO, Tech Park and the Pawsey supercomputer in the area. Staff and students actively seek to engage with industry to get knowledge and experience and do industry based research. It is number 2 in the world for Metals and Mining Engineering programs. This industry focus underpins the feel at Curtin.
Curtin seems exciting, dynamic and very cosmopolitan with lots of international students and with campuses in Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai as well as the one at Bentley and in Kalgoorlie.
ECU – Edith Cowan University
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching ranks ECU as the top public university in Australia for undergraduates’ student experience. You can feel the quality of the experience when you contact ECU for information. They get back to you. They try to help.
ECU started as a college for teacher training and gradually expanded its courses with WAAPA being one of the first ventures into new areas. Now WAAPA has a reputation as one of the BEST performing arts learning academies in the world.
ECU’s more recent expansion has been into engineering with significant investment into new facilities, international learning opportunities and strong demand for graduates.
ECU is pretty big but students are on the Mt Lawley and Joondalup campuses so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
The buildings are great examples of design with some of the coolest architecture in Western Australia.
ECU is manageable and there is a strong student centric management focus which means students get help to succeed. There are many alternate pathways into ECU including the UniPrep program and experienced based entry.
People who didn’t think they could get into uni and succeed can are supported to thrive at ECU.
Murdoch University
Murdoch has recognised that the world is changing and that there is a disconnect between education and where jobs are emerging. It has introduced “adaptive expertise” as a learning spine being introduced across the university.
They are focusing on adapting traditional courses with the application of technologies. So History + STEM could result in machine learning that unearths previously unknown information about cultures. Journalism + STEM, as seen in the use of drones, is revealing what is happening in emergency or war environments.
Murdoch has a strong focus on getting girls into engineering. They have engaged with schools and support in industry to lift the number of girls entering this field which delivers 25% of the world’s CEOs.
Murdoch has the biggest percentage of international students in WA.
They are teaching students to think globally, to seek ways to apply technology to their work and to work collaboratively.
UWA – University of Western Australia
This is our oldest university. Many industry, political and community leaders in Western Australia went to UWA which gives strong links between UWA and leaders across the State.
The UWA campus is beautiful with Winthrop Hall being the most recognised symbol of “a university” in WA. The gardens, theatres and art gallery and its role as the initiator of the Festival of Perth make UWA a hub of culture.
UWA has positioned itself as the university for high academic performers and many high achieving school leavers identify UWA as their first preference.
CQU – Central Queensland University
This is a new comer to Western Australia and it is working hard to attract students from their traditional university pathways with courses in sonography and echocardiography which are new to WA.
The main campus is located near the bottom of William Street near Elizabeth Quay and they have set up study hubs in Busselton, Broome, Geraldton and Karratha. These are often on TAFE campuses.
Many of the students are mature aged, external students who make use of online learning, occasional face to face contact and phone calls to fit their learning around their work and other demands.
Although there are 20,000 students at CQU, they are spread across Australia and numbers in WA are still quite small.
Still not sure what to do?
Go to the university open days
Contact the university career advisors. They are paid to help you.
Contact me. I will be able to point you in the right direction for help.
Director of In Focus Careers Careers Resources Hub for West Australians.
Getting into medicine is a job. The competition is fierce and the pathway is rigorous. Many potential doctors fall by the wayside due to the strain of the application process.
During the summer holidays 30 students who were going into year 11 and 12 this year did a week long, hands on and theory course at the Harry Perkins Centre. The program is run by Scitech to help students to find out more about health careers in WA.
