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Vocational Education and Training in schools
Australian school-based apprenticeships and traineeships
Vocational Training and Education in schools
Maybe you don’t want to wait until the end of Year 12 to start getting hands-on work skills. Choosing a Vocational Training and Education (VTE) programme as part of your school studies might be just the ticket for you.
VTE programmes are now offered at most Australian high schools. They allow you to work towards qualifications that were previously only available once you left school.
Compared with standard school subjects, the VTE programmes focus more on giving you ‘hands-on’ experience. So you'll come out with practical skills needed by employers.
Doing a VTE programme doesn’t mean you won’t complete your school studies or get a Senior Certificate.
How to get involved:
Do Vocational Training and Education as part of your school subjects. For example, you could take a Multimedia studies subject as part of your Senior Certificate and also end up with a Certificate II in Multimedia by the time you leave school.
If there’s nothing going on at your school that interests you, find out if there’s a TAFE or another registered training organisation with a course you could enrol in.
Look into starting a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship where you combine school with training and paid employment.
Consider going to an Australian Technical College. These colleges are for students in Year 11 and 12 who can enter into a School-based Apprenticeship in a trade at the Certificate III level, which leads to a nationally recognised qualification. You study academic subjects, leading to a Year 12 certificate and also gain IT, employability and business skills, enabling you to run your own business if you want. You can also keep the option to go on to further study at university. Visit australiantechnicalcolleges for more information including the locations of the 28 colleges around Australia.
The best way to find out about your options is to ask at school. Your careers or guidance counsellor is probably the best person to start with.
Australian school-based apprenticeships and traineeships
Australian school-based apprenticeships and traineeships let you earn while you learn.
To undertake one you’ll need to talk with your school. They can help you apply, find an employer and also help you plan your timetable so it combines your school studies with training and paid employment.
So what’s in it for me?
- Earn money and a qualification while completing school.
- Get a head start on your apprenticeship or traineeship. If you don’t finish it at school you can complete it afterwards.
- Be a step ahead of the competition for jobs.
- Make the transition from school to full-time work easier.
- Enjoy the variety that comes with combining school with work.
Interested in finding out more information on Australian Apprenticeships? Visit the Choose a Direction section.
