Page 4697 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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simulated businesses set up and run by students as part of their study program. This is with support from an educator and is called practice firms. Australian school-based apprenticeships offer students the opportunity to achieve a nationally recognised vocational qualification by combining paid work and training as part of their education program and contributing towards their year 12 certificate.
Work experience opportunities are available for students at public colleges, high schools and special schools. These placements are short-term, unpaid participation in the workplace. The moving forward program places one additional full-time equivalent teacher in each ACT public college. This targeted staffing is assisting in facilitating the transition of students into and out of the college sector and improving students’ access to career programs and vocational learning. This initiative also ensures that all career advisers in schools will hold the certificate IV in career development by 2012, to align with the introduction of national professional standards for career advisers which also come into force in 2012.
The Australian National University secondary college program operates in partnership between the department of education and the ANU and offers high-level extension courses for year 11 and 12 students in mathematics, physics, chemistry, conservation biology and Japanese. High-achieving students who are accepted into the program remain enrolled in their home college and generally complete one of the extension subjects after school hours.
The Canberra Institute of Technology vocational college offers personalised and tailored approaches to studying for the year 10 and year 12 certificates. Enrolment in access 10 enables students to achieve an alternative, self-paced year 10 certificate or the year 10 subjects needed to engage successfully in year 12, further education or vocational training.
Students can also complete year 12 at CIT. Both tertiary and accredited non-tertiary courses are available, as well as vocational study. Students can enrol in YARDS, a transitional support program for young people that aims to give them the personal and life skills they need to bridge the educational gaps so that they can transition into further education, training or work.
CIT central courses are available to provide an opportunity for young people in year 10 to try out a career. The courses run for 14 weeks and result in a statement of attainment in the chosen course. CIT scholarships offer students assistance with fees and course materials. The program is being expanded to approximately 1,000 students per annum in the areas of skills shortages.
Student management consultants work in schools to build teacher and system capacity to support learning outcomes for students with challenging behaviours. The complex needs team consists of three student management consultants, one inclusion support consultant and one social worker, who work with schools, supporting the inclusion of young people with high and complex needs. Youth support workers work in high schools to facilitate connections to broader support networks. They work to re-engage young people in education and support their participation in school and community life. Of course, school counsellors provide assessment and counselling for students and advice to teachers and parents.
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