CONTENTS · CICA projects will include National Career Development Week (Monday 4–Saturday 10 June), economic benefits of career counselling on the Australian workforce, and reviewing

1CEAV Newsjournal • February 2007

CONTENTSCAREERS NEWSJOURNALVOLUME 35, NUMBER 1, FEBRUARY 2007

REPORTSLETTER TO THE EDITOR 3

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 5Bernadette Gigliotti

EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT/EDITORIAL 9Linda Baron

REGIONAL CAREERS GROUP REPORTS 11Geelong Careers Teachers AssociationNeil RankcomCentral Gippsland Careers AdvisorsDiana Mueller

INDUSTRY VISIT TO GS1 AUSTRALIA 14Christine Jolly

CROSS-OVER: GUIDANCE IN TRANSITION 16Tom Delahunty

SUCCESSFUL ROLLOUT OF CAA IN VICTORIA 19Denise Chidley, DEST

EXPLORING TRANSITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES 21Kate Runciman

TAFE OPTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 23Helen Hammersley

INDUSTRY AND VETICT INDUSTRY GROWTH HIGHLIGHTS NEED TOATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE 25Anne Younger, Australian Industry Group

LEARN FROM A MASTER: ADOPT-A-SCHOOL PROJECTAT BANKSIA SECONDARY COLLEGE 27Rebecca Hyde

ARTICLESVICTORIA’S NEW SKILLS STORES: WHAT’S HAPPENING? 29Bronwyn Parker, OTTE

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION CAREERS IN THE21ST CENTURY 30Mary Manning, School Library Association of Victoria

BOOK REVIEWUNIVERSITY WISDOM: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FORALL STUDENTS 31David Bruce, Avila College

ARTICLESWORKING IN RETAIL 32Jennifer Flanagan, Master Grocers Association

FASHION STUDENT FROM MULLUM CLUSTERTRIUMPHS AT AWARDS 33Suzanna Kennedy, East Doncaster SC

BARCODES PROVIDES INSIGHTS TO CAREEROPPORTUNITIES 34Brian Costello, Outer Eastern LLEN

NUMBER ONE IN NUMBERS 35Thespina Donopoulos, Institute of CharteredAccountants

DEST CAREERS STUDY AND INDUSTRYSCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 36DEST

THE MIPS PROCESS AT KYABRAM SECONDARYCOLLEGE 37Vaughan Patullock, Kyabram SC

JOBS AND EMPLOYMENT SCAMS—PROTECTING YOUNG PEOPLE 40Vera Smiljanic, JobWatch

YOUTH OPTIONS GUARANTEE 41Margaret Stewart

THE EIEP/HALLIS MODERN DAY RECRUITMENTINITIATIVE 43Lisa Nottleman

REVIEWS AND RESOURCESCAMBRIDGE NUMERACY WORKBOOK FOR VCAL 44Peter Tuohy, Berwick SC

2 CEAV Newsjournal • February 2007


In the November issue I published my reflectionsof the ACU Postgraduate Certificate inEducation (Careers Development). I would

now like to share my thoughts on the secondsemester. The two subjects I studied were ‘Educatingfor lifelong career development’ and the ‘Post-modern global workplace’, both taught by ProfessorJim Bright—a renowned leader in the field of careersdevelopment in Australia.

For those of you who have had the opportunity toview Professor Jim Bright in action you willunderstand when I say that the class was bothmemorised and enlightened by his profoundknowledge and depth of understanding of thecurrent career issues, his superb communicationskills and his total commitment to fostering careerseducation within the community. We were guidedthrough Jim’s ‘chaos theory’ of careers and offeredmany creative and practical strategies for use in ourcareer counselling practices. Jim challenged ourthinking about the more traditional theories behindcareers counselling and encouraged us to thinkoutside the square with our students. As part of thepost-modern global workplace we examined thepossible implications to future jobs/careers resulting

from sometimes unpredictable swings and changesto global issues, political systems, economiccomplexities and social structures. Resumes werethoroughly examined, and already I have road-tested his ideas with my year 10 students with verypositive feedback. Career interest, work values andpersonality inventories were also discussed, usedand evaluated.

‘Educating for lifelong career development’encouraged the class to use the power of metaphorsin creating possibilities with our students. Theconcept of recognising patterns with clients wasdemonstrated by way of a collage completed inclass, and later as part of an assignment, and thewhole gamut of creative problem-solving in careercounselling was explored and debated with ideasand solutions offered. Overall, the final two subjectshave been extremely practical, encouraging,entertaining, academic and, above all, inspiring!Highly recommended.

Angie GreavesCareers Co-ordinator, St. Bede’s College, MentonePhone: (03) 9583 3325

Letter to the EditorFROM ANGIE GREAVESST. BEDE’S COLLEGE, MENTONE

Election 2007No, not the US presidential election, but our very ownCEAV committee election.Voting closes Wednesday 21 March 2007

Your ballot paper is enclosed. Please participate in thisactivity! Thank you.



President’s ReportREFLECTIONS ON THE 2006 CEAV YEARBERNADETTE GIGLIOTTIXAVIER COLLEGE KEW

Although not a biennial conference year,the CEAV continued its drive towardsexpanding the professional development

opportunities for our members. 2006 saw an increasein interest in CEAV activities from not only ourschool-based career practitioner colleagues but manyof our colleagues that form part of the federalgovernment initiative Career Advice Australia. TheCEAV experienced higher-than-averageparticipation rates in all scheduled professionaldevelopment activities, with most sessions fullybooked out in advance. Members participated in ourprograms recognising the applicability of the topicsto their work. This report will aim to give a briefsummary of some of the initiatives that the CEAVhas been involved with on your behalf and whichwill also be part of our committee activities throughout 2007.

Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA)The CEAV has been a founding member of thisnational peak body, which offers advice andassistance to the federal government on mattersconcerning the career development of allAustralians. This volunteer organisation consists oftwelve key career professional associations. We havebeen part of the International Careers Symposiumon the benefits to western economies of careerdevelopment and human capital. This internationalgroup will meet again in Edinburgh and Australiawill be represented by DEST at this high-poweredsummit. CICA has developed the NationalStandards for Career Practitioners and the rolloutwill continue until full implementation in 2008. Thenational standards have seen a drawing together ofthe career community and, as part of CICA, we havethe support and assistance of many professionalleaders in the field to assist us. Some of the 2007CICA projects will include National CareerDevelopment Week (Monday 4–Saturday 10 June),

economic benefits of career counselling on theAustralian workforce, and reviewing the many toolsand resources used in offering career counselling andguidance. CICA will meet in Melbourne at theCEAV office on 3 March for their AGM.

The National Standards for CareerPractitioners—The Standards ProjectIn August 2006, the CEAV employed MariaFloudiotis to develop a strategy to help us with therollout of the standards. A Standards subcommitteewas formed and this group has met to examine themodels and proposals Maria has developed. Maria’swork has included a thorough examination of theimplications of the standards and we are confidentthat they can be embraced by all our members inthe given timeframe through the categoriesavailable. The National Standards for CareerPractitioners, distributed to all members in May2006, is an inclusive document—it allows us to


frame our professional profile against a common setof competencies and agreed professional guidelines.The code of ethics allows us an opportunity to workwithin an agreed set of criteria and to have ourvaluable work and identity as professional careeradvisors in schools protected. Just as in the teachingfraternity professional standards have been appliedand assisted in the professional development ofteachers, our standards will also support our work andgive us an opportunity to be recognised asprofessionals in a nationally-recognised field. InFebruary we will be gathering as much memberinformation as possible so that the Standardssubcommittee can finalise the best model for ourmembers with the intention of a full rollout for the2008 membership cycle. A member survey isincluded here and I would ask you to take a fewmoments to complete it and return it to the CEAVso that we ensure every member can secure aplatform within the framework. In 2006 we beganthe discussion on the standards in a number oftargeted activities—we will continue with this workin 2007 and will also highlight the proposed modelwith a workshop at this year’s biennial conference.More on this to come.

The Australian Blueprint for CareerDevelopment (The ABCD)Currently under review for DEST by Miles Morgan,a WA-based consultancy firm that developed theoriginal draft version (from the Canadian document)in 2003, ‘The Australian Blueprint for CareerDevelopment’ has been successfully showcased tomany members last year. The CEAV has beeninvolved in a trial with Miles Morgan and conductedthree workshops for members, including one inShepparton. Our work in this area has beengroundbreaking as other states have yet to work withthe tool as extensively as we have. Our involvementin the trial has found that the ‘one size fits all’ modelmay not work well, however the Blueprint’s 11 keycompetencies are definitely applicable to themainstream school career program or service. Ourfindings, along with the national trial, will now beconsidered by Miles Morgan, which has 18 monthsto reflect on their findings before presenting theirrecommendations. Hopefully, a completed version

will be available in 2008. The Blueprint, whenfinalised, will be the most valuable tool in our kit asschool-based practitioners.

Victorian Department of Education careerteacher scholarships for study and industryplacements 2007 and 2008Thanks to the innovative vision and forwardplanning of our colleagues in the Department ofEducation, to assist in the rollout of the VictorianEssential Learning, VELS—The Standards,government school career teachers have applied forinaugural funding to study the graduate certificate incareer education and development at RMIT, or for agrant for a four-week industry placement. The CEAVhas managed this program and our project officer,Maria, has ensured that the 20 scholarships for eachprogram have been awarded. Funds have been madeavailable for both programs for 2007 and 2008.Members will be able to hear about these activities atthe December biennial conference. Recipients of thestudy scholarships will be in an excellent position tomeet the requirements of the ‘professional’ category ofthe new National Standards for Career Practitioners.The Department of Education must be congratulatedon their continued efforts to ensure that all studentsin government schools have access to professionaland high quality career teachers and advisors.

The Victorian Catholic Education Office has alsomade available funding for postgraduate careersstudies, using the ACU program. Many of ourmembers in Catholic schools will be undertakingstudies this year. The CEO has a longstandingtradition of providing funds for professionaldevelopment and must be congratulated in theirefforts to support career education.

Department of Education, Science andTraining Career Development Scholarshipsand Lighthouse ProjectsOnce again Victorian secondary schools have beenwell represented in funding for the Career TeacherStudy and Industry Placement DEST grants.Victorian winners are listed on this journal’s insideback cover. The DEST website also outlines itsother major initiative for practitioners, the Career


Lighthouse program. A number of the 2006recipients’ projects have been featured in previousjournals. We hope that the commitment to thesegrants remains high on the agenda for the FederalMinster for Education, Julie Bishop, as we worktowards a career development culture for allAustralians across the lifespan. The work of aschool based career practitioner is the cornerstoneof this shift in understanding.

Career Advice Australia (CAA)This DEST initiative was in full rollout modethroughout 2006. The CEAV membership has grownwith new Local Community Partnership (LCP)members. A number of local communitypartnerships have begun to work in tandem withtheir LLEN and youth pathway organisations tofacilitate exciting and innovative projects. They areclearly focused to support schools with their careerand transition needs at the local level. CareerAdvice Australia has three distinctivecomponents—the LCPs working directly withschools, the regional career advisors working directlywith the LCPs and the national industry careerexperts (NICs) working with the RICAs. Togetherthese organisations have commenced to have animpact on student career and transition needs byraising awareness of skill shortages and the needs ofindustry. This year we hope that CAA organisationswill participate in sharing information and expertisein our professional development program. TheCEAV will continue to support the CAA initiativeand work with LCPs, RICAs and NICs as theydevelop a strong career network across the country.

National Career Development Week: Monday4–Friday 10 JuneThe concept of a national career development weekhas been mooted at local and national levels formany years. DEST has provided funding throughCICA to promote and develop a concept for anational career development week, similar to thatheld in Canada. This is an ideal opportunity forschools to promote career awareness to secondarystudents as they start their preparation for subjectand course selection for the following year. There is awebsite at

<www.nationalcareerdevelopmentweek.com.au> toregister interest in activities being conducted acrossthe country. This website will offer a NCDW kit forschools and community members to promote acareer development culture. The CEAV willpromote local activities and aim to showcase themthroughout 2007. We anticipate that NCDW willbecome an annual event in Australia.

Finally, 2007 is a biennial conference year. It will beheld at Latrobe University Bundoora from Sunday2–Tuesday 4 December. Many members will nodoubt realise that we have broken with tradition tooffer a conference in the city. A number ofmembers requested a Melbourne-based event. Wehave taken this step to encourage as many membersas possible to attend. We are conscious of the factthat our country members would love to travel toMelbourne and participate in activities that willbroaden their understanding of what is available fortheir students at a city university. Latrobe UniversityBundoora also has regional campuses and they willbe represented too. We wanted to encourage ourcareer teachers from the western and northernsuburbs to attend the conference, as this university iswell regarded and utilised by their students. At mostbiennial conferences our numbers range between 250and 300 participants—we hope that this year we willattract a larger delegation, closer to 400, by offering awider variety of workshops, seminars, hands-onactivities, industry tours and high qualityinternational, national and state speakers. If youhave been unable to attend a conference for anumber of years, this will be the one not to miss!

Our Annual General Meeting will be held at theCEAV office after school on 22 March and I hope tosee as many of you there as possible, particularlyregional group presidents. I would also like to extendmy services to any president who would like me orLinda to speak with their career groups on any careerdevelopment matters they would like raised. Have agreat 2007.

Kindest regards, Bernadette Gigliotti



Executive Officer’s Report/EditorialLINDA BARONCEAV EXECUTIVE OFFICER

continued on page 28

Here is thefirstjournal for

the year, and a chanceto share withcolleagues somecongratulations—asmany of our Victorianmembers will beembarking on someexciting projects thisyear. Congratulationsto the recipients of the DEST scholarships andindustry placements and to our inaugural recipientsof DoE scholarships and industry placements. Bestwishes also to catholic sector colleagues who havebegun their scholarship places in the postgraduatestudies program.

It was not that many weeks ago that most of youwere feverishly assisting Year 12 students at Changeof Preference time. We extend our appreciation toall members for their important work in assistingyoung people with their transitions: both out ofschool to further study and employment, andhelping students move successfully from one yearlevel to the next.

The 2006 year was a very busy one here, as in yourown workplaces. We have had Maria Floudiotis joinus two days per week, to work on the Standards andthe new DoE professional development project. Herdepth of knowledge, versatility and professionalismhave been a tremendous boon.

Many hundreds of members availed themselves ofvarious CEAV professional developmentactivities—with more than 100 people at MooneeValley in April, and more than 80 delegates at theannual New Careers Coordinators Conference.

Underpinning these activities has been KimAnning’s tireless support and good humour in theoffice, where she managed hundreds of bookingswith advertisers, our bookshop sales and processedmore than 4,000 MYOB transactions for the year.Annual thanks are also due to Vanessa Webb forwebsite and design assistance. We hope you like thenew cover for 2007, which she has designed.Bronwen Perry continues to do the article layout forthe inside pages, and is especially committed to thiswork, as she was once a careers adviser, and knowsmuch of the content of this specialist field.

Please note the election pack in this mailout and ‘dothe right thing’ and vote. Everyone is invited to theAnnual General Meeting on Thursday 22 March. Itis always a great opportunity to relax with friendsand colleagues, without the pressure of a formalworkshop to be presented!

You may not all be aware just how much annualsupport the association receives from presidents andsecretaries in the regional careers networks.Countless emails are forwarded to you, via theircomputers, and countless favours are asked, to getideas for PD, venues, speakers, review materials,assist new careers personnel and . . . the list does notstop, you know who you are, those who listenpatiently to my entreaties and favours, and give backyour best efforts. Thanks also to the DoE Manager,Leela Darvall, who works closely with us to enhancecareer education in Victoria.

Huge thanks to the Executive who take on bigworkloads as volunteers, to handle the monthlybusiness of an active and expanding association.Bernadette Gigliotti carries us all along with herenthusiasm and determination to enhance theesteem and expertise of career practitioners, and to



Regional careers group 2006 reportsREGIONAL CAREERS GROUP PRESIDENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES

Geelong Careers Teachers’ AssociationNeil Rankcom, North Geelong Secondary CollegePresident, Geelong Career Teacher’s AssociationIt has again been a very hectic year in Geelong.The GCTA has worked hard this year to offer thestudents of Geelong the best in career educationand counselling. The highlight of the year was theCareer Expo held at Deakin University, WaterfrontCampus. The organisation of this major event tookall year. The committee consisted of a number ofcareers counsellors and representatives of FordMotor Company, Centrelink, Gordon TAFE,Deakin University and Rotary Clubs of Geelong, aswell as a representative from the LLEN. Onceagain, the committee also made valuable allies inthe students from Western Heights SecondaryCollege who became involved with the planningand presenting of the event. Members of BaysideRotary were also on hand to assist with the settingup, directing exhibitors to their tables and helpingconfused parents and students on the night.

The night was a huge success and between 5,000and 5,500 parents and students attended theevening. There were more than 100 stalls and 170careers represented. This year we also bussedstudents from Colac and Cobden schools. I wouldlike to congratulate the expo committee for theirefforts throughout the year. Special thanks must goto Louise Lee from Centrelink and TerryMcKiernan and Brad Hili from Ford Australia forthe enormous amount of work they put in tomaking the expo a success. Planning has alreadybegun for next year’s event.

Meetings this year were held at a number of venuesand thanks to G Force Recruitment and GordonTAFE for their hospitality. A look at the Gordonand what the TAFE has to offer students was veryinteresting and I can highly recommend a visit. We

also visited The University of Ballarat and weretreated to an excellent day’s activities.

This year buses were made available to students andparents to visit the open days at a number ofuniversities. Students visited Deakin, RMIT,Victoria and Monash universities. Students werevery impressed by the facilities and the courses onoffer from each of the universities.

The TIS program was again, a well-attendedprogram and thanks and congratulations must go tothe TIS organising committee. This year apresentation by Deakin University drama studentswas presented to reinforce the information given bythe representatives on the stage. This was an overwhelming success and both students and teachersreacted positively. Deakin University at WaurnPonds was again a great venue and I would like tothank Deakin for the use of the KD Stewart Centre.

Work experience has been a big job for all teachersand it has been getting more and more difficult tofind jobs for the students to do. Thanks must go tothe many employers that have taken the time togive placements to local students.

The GCTA has looked closely at the operation oftheir meetings and a decision was made to changethe format. There is a lot of expertise in the GCTAand a change of format to some meetings hasbegun. Every second meeting is dedicated to‘concerns’ and ‘best practices’ that our secondaryschool members have. It is early days yet but itseems to have been a real success and members areenjoying the chance of learning about new thingsand hearing what others are doing. A decision hasalso been made to run an in-service in November*looking at VELS and its possible effect on the roleof the careers teacher.


*CEAV committee member and past president JulieRyan presented at this event, on VELS and careers.

Finally, I would like to thank the members ofGCTA for their support and assistance throughoutthe year and I look forward to working with them inthe future. I would also like to personally thank thesecretary, Peter McKenzie, and Treasurer, BrianCouper, for all their hard work. Congratulationsmust also go to Tom Adair for his Herald-SunTeacher of the Year Award. Tom, a past President,was a stalwart of the GCTA for many years and thisaward is very deserving.

Central Gippsland Careers AdvisorsDiana Mueller, Leongatha Secondary CollegePresident, CGCACMembers of the CGCAC Group have all been busy.The following are snippets of reports forwarded tome by various members.

MONASH GIPPSLAND VISITS

Many schools in the group took students to MonashGippsland and others had representatives come totheir schools. Kate Spencer (Coordinator,Cooperative Education and Prospective Students)has done a fantastic job meeting our student needs.Not only did she organise members from MonashGippsland faculties and university students to visitbut also organised presenters from Gippsland GroupTraining and GippsTafe. Having three differentproviders certainly targeted more of our students.Kate has worked very hard to make sessionsinformative and interactive. Justin Kohlman fromMonash Gippsland, who also liaised with our groupover the past three years, returned to a position inCanada. He has also certainly done a great job andwill be missed.

WOMAN AND CAREERS

Baw Baw Latrobe LLEN in May and SouthGippsland Bass Coast LLEN in August organised an‘Inspiring young women’ event and ‘Woman andcareers expo’ respectively. Both events were verywell received. The girls who attended were inspiredby experienced women in their respectivecommunities and were encouraged to think broader

in terms of their career aspirations. Below is part ofreports received on the two events.

INSPIRING YOUNG WOMEN

More than 80 women from all walks of lifeparticipated in the second annual ‘Inspiring youngwomen’ event at the Waratah restaurant in Morwellon Wednesday 17 May. The aim of the event was tointroduce young girls from the local Latrobe Valleyschools to older, experienced women in thecommunity. Throughout the evening stories wereshared and pathways investigated between groups, asyoung girls were encouraged to seek out careers ofinterest and pathways they had not previouslyconsidered. The event was organised by the BawBaw Latrobe LLEN and the Latrobe Valley LCP andsponsored by Chris Humphreys, Office National,Employment Innovations Victoria and Berry StreetVictoria.

WOMEN AND CAREERS EXPO

On Friday 6 August more than 250 young womenacross the region attended Inverloch CommunityCentre to find out all about a variety of careers. Apartnership event of the South Gippsland BassCoast LLEN, YMCA, South Gippsland LCP,Kilmany Uniting Care, Capreview Mitre 10, SouthGippsland Shire Council and the Department ofVictorian Communities, the activity was attendedby more than 40 local businesswomen and all thehigh schools across the Bass Coast and SouthGippsland regions. ‘The expo aimed to encouragegirls to think broader in terms of their careeraspirations’, Jodie Matthews from the SGBCLLENstated. ‘The day provided an opportunity for ourregion’s young girls to ask first hand about a numberof careers. We had interactive activities and prizesthroughout the sessions and was very well receivedby students and businesses alike’.

DEST INDUSTRY PLACEMENT AT LOY YANG B

Trish Johnston, careers and tertiary studies advisor atLavalla Catholic College, and long-time member ofour group, completed a DEST industry placement atInternational Power Loy Yang B in term 2. The aimof her placement was to develop an ‘internationalpower’ career brochure and PowerPoint presentation


giving an overview of the power industry, companyand potential career options which were targeted atsecondary students. Trish also developedsupplementary web pages on the company website,detailing educational pathways in areas ofprofessional, para-professional and trade careeroptions and career pathways as well as nontraditional job opportunities. This was presented ina way that aimed to attract women into the powerindustry. She also developed an image gallery ofvarious workplace plant and equipment andincluded a brief description of each image. Sadly, wewished Trish farewell after many years in the groupand wish her all the best for her new ventures.

EDUCATION CENTRE GIPPSLAND

David Lane, Manager of career and transitionprograms at Education Centre Gippsland’s DESTLCP and his team, Karen Tanswell, Nicole Smithand Lynne Auden, have been involved in manyprojects and activities. Listed are just some of them:GAP information sessions, apprentice/traineeshiplunchtime information sessions, employability skillspromotions, work experience evaluation sheets,school industry panels of speakers, promotion toindustry groups, dairy farm day, careers expoquestionnaire worksheets (Ed’s note: posted onCEAV website), local jobs fortnightly listing,development of electronic transition plans (MIPS),customising of PACTS (Parents asCareer and Transition Support)program for delivery in 2007,mentoring training, establishinglocal industry network (largeemployers), career mentor directory(proposal developed), promotion tolocal community, to be launchedearly 2007 and planning for BawBaw Career/Jobskills Expo July2007.

We have had many happenings inthe region. The above are just a fewof the major items and a report fromthe EGC LCP. On a number ofoccasions we have had speakers atmeetings. These have always been

Back row left to right: Collette Beck, Bev Wort, Jamie Cummins, Merrick HiltonFront row left to right: Jahna Pulford, Diana Mueller, Anne Hendry, Peter Lynch

informative. We have had meetings at variouslocations and thank you to our hosts who havealways provided a suitable meeting place and lunch.As President I look forward to the chance tonetwork, share ideas and keep our membersinformed.

THANK YOUThank you to Jenny McComb

(VET East), Jan Moody

(Apprenticeships Plus), Priscilla

Wadham (ANU) and Lois

Carlton (NMIT) for permission

to use their students’ photos in

our new cover art design.

Thanks also to Vanessa Webb for

the design.


At a recent industry visit by careerspractitioners to GS1 Australia in MountWaverley, significant focus was placed

on the importance of logistics—the cost-effectiveprocess of planning, implementing and controllingthe efficient movement and storage of goods fromthe point of origin to the end user.

GS1 standards have been developed to improveefficiency and visibility of global supply anddemand chains. The GS1 system makes possiblethe unique identification of all trade items,processes services, shipments, assets, companies andlocations to facilitate communication, datacollection and exchanges of information in theinterest of trading partners.

The GS1 System is composed of four key productareas:• global data and application standards for barcodes• global standards for electronic business messaging• Global Data Synchronisation Network

(GDSN)™—allowing all partners to haveconsistent item data in an automated standards-based global environment

• EPCglobal—providing standards for theElectronic Product Codetm (EPC) to support theuse of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

GS1 Australia works with a diverse range ofindustries, including automotive, fresh produce,mining and resources, communications/ICT,furniture, music and entertainment, confectionary,general merchandise, seafood, defence, grocery,steel, textile, clothing and footwear, electricalappliances and consumer electronics, hardware,healthcare, timber, food service, liquor andtransport and logistics.

Industry visit to GS1CHRISTINE JOLLYCAULFIELD GRAMMAR SCHOOLWHEELERS HILL CAMPUS

Many career opportunities in the transport,distribution and logistics industry are areas ofidentified skills shortage, including logisticsengineering, business analyst, consulting andrecruitment, inventory analyst, sales and businessdevelopment and contract administrator. Salariescommonly range from $30,000–$150,000 perannum depending on experience.

In 2007 there will be a new program offered forpost-Year 12 students—Certificate IV in Logisticsand Supply Chain Principles—designed incollaboration with Victoria University andChisholm TAFE. The course involves one year full-time, with four days per week at ChisholmDandenong. Learning also involves industry visits,work placement and practical/computer applicationworking with GS1 Australia. Course pathwayswould involve a diploma and advanced diplomaand degree in logistics management. For furtherinformation contact Alfred Chech at ChisholmDandenong on (03) 9212 5033 or email<[email protected]>.

In order to improve knowledge of global standards,GS1 is currently negotiating with severaluniversities, e.g. Monash and Swinburne, to offer agraduate certificate in schools such as healthscience, business technology and internationalbusiness. Tertiary courses in logistics are currentlyon offer through VTAC at the Australian MaritimeCollege in Tasmania, RMIT and VictoriaUniversity.

Of particular interest to participants on the visit toGS1 Australia was the Supply Chain KnowledgeCentre. Internationally recognised and awarded bythe Supply Chain Council for academic excellencein innovation, the Supply Chain KnowledgeCentre provides a unique learning environment.


Built with industry input, the interactive simulationmodules are instructor-led and balance theory withinteractive trading scenarios.

Schools are welcome to bring classes, particularlyinformation technology and business, to lessonsconducted in the high tech knowledge centre.Work experience opportunities are also availablefor students interested in logistics and supply chainmanagement and information technology.

For further information on school visits, contact:Steven Pereira, Chief Information OfficerorRosetta Net, Australia DirectorPhone: (03) 9558 9554

Paul HackettManager, Supply Chain Knowledge Centre DevelopmentPhone: (03) 9558 9559.

CEAV Annual General Meeting

Everyone is invited to the CEAV AGM on

Thursday 22 March 2007

at 5.00 for 5.30pm

Statewide Resources Centre, Carlton

RSVP Monday 19 March

Guest speaker:

Denise Chidley

Manager, Career Advice Australia

DEST Victorian office

Refreshments provided.

Come along and enjoy catching-up with

colleagues and meet some new ones!


The IAEVG Denmark conference involvedtaking a train to the outer suburbs, rathersimilar to going to La Trobe or Monash

really. The campus was small, but it took somefinding, even from the station platform right nextto it. When we arrived the introduction wasunderway. At home a speaker often starts with ajoke. Our host, Dr. Peter Plant, began with a songand then got the entire audience to sing along—itwas fun and we loved it. Very folksy, very early ’70s.

The venue was built in the 1930s and taken over bythe Nazis during the war. It was used as a refugeecamp at some stages of the war and as anadministration centre earlier on. Standing on thefirst floor of the central hall, in the picture, it is easyto imagine rousing speeches to attentive soldiersbelow. Peter went on to explain the conferencetheme of cross-over—cross-methodological,theoretical, cultural, and so on—and finally it beganto make sense.

The crossing is importantbecause not only iscareers an importantcomponent of all schoolprograms, its validity isdependent on thealliances crated withindividual students, staffand organisations. In aschool it is important thatcareers practitionersengage with differentfaculties, administration,outside agencies, differentcultural groups andspecial needs groups. Theconference was led byacademics from around

the world giving details of their research. The majorpoint in summary is that careers counselling andeducation is a cross-over discipline and must engagewith other disciplines, faculties, personal and inparticular other aspects of people’s lives to beeffective and relevant. Family, friends, values,spirituality are all important issues in a successfulcareers counselling encounter.

In the workshops a range of issues and approacheswere advanced and among those was theimportance of the narrative. I became more attunedto the ‘narrative’ approach to counselling, last year,during my postgraduate careers studies at ACU. Forthis reason I begin my Year 10 student interviewswith a discussion on early memories, parentaladvice, their favourite things and games they playedwhen they were young. It is amazing the clarity ofthe picture that evolves. Often students who lovedlego and cubby houses want to be engineers, thosewho loved chess and computer games are keen onICT careers, those who just loved to be with people,

Cross-over: guidance in transitionIAEVG 2006 CONFERENCE, 23–25 AUGUST, COPENHAGENTOM DELAHUNTYTRINITY GRAMMAR SCHOOL


playing and having fun want to be teachers, nursesand doctors. The difficulty is the 15-minute timeschedule. The student cannot tell their story in asingle 15-minute session; clues will be missed.Another important aspect discussed was the conceptand the validity of ‘positive uncertainty’. Notknowing what you want to do is not a problem, solong as you know how to look for what it is you wantto do. It can be as big a problem to be absolutelycertain of what it is you want to do. The question isimportant and the answer may change often.

The importance of ‘the story’ is in building apersonal connection between the counsellor and theclient. This of course requires a degree of trust andopenness by the counsellor. In addition, thecounsellor must make time to listen, rather thantake control and advise or direct. In an ideal worldthe client would come to his or her own conclusionswithout undue influence from the counsellor. This isa challenge in schools where the expectation is highcontact ratios, but lack of resourcing dictates thatthe contact time is minimal. Much more time isneeded to create the type of relationships espousedby Savickas and Carl Rogers.

An alternative strategy is a degree of group work. Iuse this approach with years 10 and 12, andespecially with the international students. The levelof personal engagement in group work is mixed andyear 12 students are the best case in point wherethose with the highest needs are the least likely toattend the sessions. The international studentsattend their sessions, but are difficult to engage inconversation—they seem to prefer to receiveinformation. This is a particular example of cross-cultural challenge in my work life. There are othercross-cultural issues with the international students,especially those for whom the parents have made adecision on their vocational direction and, at times,the student is not interested or able in that field.

Day two of the conference was in Sweden. A trainfrom Copenhagen to Mälmo took only half an hour.The University of Mälmo offers a three-year, full-time degree in careers. In order to gain entrystudents must have some workforce experience. We

were fascinated by the course and while the scope ofthe course was excellent it appeared to bring themup to the sort of standard we were operating at withour postgraduate diplomas and certificates with afew years experience.

The conference dinner was held at Mälmo and wasa very low key and casual affair. The informal dinnerthe night before in Copenhagen was more energeticand engaging. We got to meet up with the otherAustralians and many other practitioners fromaround the world.

Good things about Denmark and Sweden. There areno university fees. Oh for the good old days. Theuniversity buildings were new and the environmentwas positive and engaging. The students we met andthe general feel of the place was sensational.

The afternoon session involved a trip to a localemployment agency. These were similar in someways to our CES offices of the past, although they

Meeting hall where the conference social gathering happened


had the good sense to separate the functions offinancial support and mutual obligation from theirrole as an employment office. The cultural aspects ofmodern Sweden were explained by the manager.The area we were in was a ghetto with a highly-defined cultural group as the dominant population.Near the employment office the poor people hadlittle opportunity. Lots of poor people from differentethnic and racial groups living close together,separated by their racial and religious differences.The changing nature of industry in Sweden meantthat education was vital to creating opportunity andemployment. As we walked back toward theharbour, the neighbourhood changed and appearedmore wealthy and the people we saw in the streetwere more middle class.

My conclusions from the international experienceare that, in Australia, we are among the worldleaders, but clearly behind Canada and the UK. Themajor reason for the difference has been acommitment by the governments of Canada andBritain to supporting the cause of careerscounselling as a means of assisting people in makingimportant decisions about their career direction.This can lead to a more satisfying work life andbetter success in choosing a direction and universitycourse.

An example of the cross-over was in evidencearound Copenhagen. Atthe time we were there acultural festival wastaking place in which 22Muslim nationsparticipated in culturalawareness and diversityprograms. Most of thesewere in the arts. Aspectacular example wasthe public awarenessprogram using billboardadvertising. The posterfeatured a very western-looking woman in anarabic scarf. The band-aid across the nose

represented the efforts being made to heal thewounds caused by misunderstanding and the 2006Danish cartoons controversy in particular. Therewere several of these massive billboard pieces, onefeaturing a woman on the beach reading HarryPotter and another of a Muslim man playing cricket.

The conference finished with an address by NormAmundsen. He played ‘Bridge over troubled waters’as his introduction and then followed with anengaging story using metaphors relating to bridges,ships and all things nautical. The young person hesays is like a yacht, subject to the weather, alwayschanging direction, swift and responsive and loadedwith adrenalin. The older person is more like a ship,holds to the same line, slow to change direction, safeand steady, even in big weather and able to take onbig loads.

Next conference:Guidance and diversity: research and applicationsInternational IAEVG conference and General Assembly4–6 September 2007Padua, ItalyWebsite: <http://iaevgconference07.psy.unipd.it>Languages: Italian, English, Spanish and French

Left to right: Tom Delahunty, Julie Ryan, Ellen Fleming and Naomi Corlett before the conference dinner


Successful roll out of CAA in Victoria in 2006DENISE CHIDLEYDEST VICTORIA

In 2006 the Australian Government launchedCareer Advice Australia or CAA. Theinitiative is administered by the Department of

Education, Science and Training (DEST). CAA, athree-year initiative, supports a range of programsand services and enables the Australian government,in collaboration with the states and territories, tobuild a truly national career development andtransition support system for all young Australiansaged between 13 and 19 years of age.

CAA achieves this through:• Local Community Partnerships (LCPs), which

have been extended to national coverage toassist all schools to deliver career developmentand transition support services

• Regional Industry Career Advisers (RICAs),which ensure that young people, parents,schools and local business receive relevantlocalised industry career information, adviceand resources

• National Industry Career Specialists,representing 10 industry sectors, which supportthe Regional Industry Career Advisers byproviding industry sector-specific information

• Youth Pathways, which offers personalisedservices to assist young people that are at risk ofnot making it through school and onto furthereducation, training or employment.

As part of the CAA initiative, 23 LCPs, 4 RICAsand 15 Youth Pathways providers were establishedin Victoria in 2006. CAA is strongly focused onimproving the standard and status of careerdevelopment services in Australian schools. Toachieve this, the Australian Government has alsofunded initiatives to provide teachers and careeradvisers with training and developmentopportunities such as the Careers Lighthouse andscholarships programs.

In Victoria CAA provides a unique opportunity tobuild on an already strong youth transitionsenvironment and DEST is aware of the need forCAA providers to add value to existing initiativessuch as MIPs, in government schools, and the workof the LLENs.

DEST, both at the national and state level metregularly with representatives of all educationsectors throughout 2006 to give and receivecontinuous feedback regarding the implementationof CAA and to inform ongoing career andtransition policy and program development. DESTVictoria has also welcomed the support andcooperation we have received from CEAV. Moreformal consultation arrangements will beestablished in 2007 with the formation of a stateadvisory committee.

Induction workshops for all CAA providers inVictoria were conducted in February 2006 toprovide an overview of the CAA framework, anoutline of their contractual obligations and toemphasise the importance of forming strategicrelationships within the CAA network and withother key stakeholders. This theme of building aculture of collaboration and cooperation wascontinued at a number of Victorian state workshopsconducted for LCPs and Youth Pathways providersthroughout the year.

The success of CAA is dependent on CAAproviders sharing their ideas, identifying bestpractice, talking through issues and supporting eachother. Consequently, at the national CAAPartnerships at Work Conference in Brisbane inSeptember 2006 the Australian Education, scienceand training minister, the Hon. Julie Bishop MP,announced $392,000 in funding to help supportand encourage state and national networking for


CAA providers. The Victorian LCPs and YouthPathways providers met on a number of occasionsduring 2006 and have demonstrated that they haveestablished a professional and effective consultativemechanism.

DEST conducted monitoring visits to all providersin 2006, and results from these visits indicate thatCAA providers in Victoria are delivering real andexciting outcomes for young people and theircommunities. LCPs are successfully implementingstrategies against each of their contractedprograms—structured workplace learning, theCareer and Transition Support (CTS) program andthe Adopt-a-School initiative. The Parents AsCareer Transition Support (PACTS) in particularhas proven to be a very successful strategy underCTS for engaging parents and schools.

Selected LCPs were also contracted to conduct anumber of school industry leaders’ forums in 2006.School and industry leaders’ forums aim to bringschool, industry and business leaders together todevelop relevant and locally specific careereducation programmes in schools. Forums wereconducted in Shepparton, Western Melbourne,Warrnambool and Bendigo and local action planswere developed to encourage ongoing interactionbetween LCPs, principals, career teachers andbusiness and industry. Further forums will beconducted in 2007.

In 2006, more than 3,700participants wereregistered for youthpathways services inVictoria. In addition, aspart of the Better MentalHealth Services forAustralia measures,participant numbers inVictoria have beenincreased by 50 per centcommencing in 2007;and youth pathwaysproviders are beingfunded to complete

mental health training. These changes representthe Australian Government’s commitment toaddressing mental illness arising from the July 2006Council of Australian Governments (COAG)National Action Plan on Mental Health.

The successful roll out of CAA in Victoria in 2006has laid the foundation for a vibrant careereducation and transition support system for allyoung Victorians. CAA providers have played asignificant role in assisting young people to makechoices about their future, informed choices thatset them on the path to a fulfilling and satisfyinglife.

Further informationMore information on all CAA initiatives can be foundat the DEST website at <www.australia.gov.au/careeradviceaustralia>.

The DEST Melbourne Transitions Team (from left): Charlie Simson, Brian Richardson, Denise Chidley(Manager) and Matthew Holland


Exploring transitions and opportunitiesA TOPICAL CONFERENCEVETnetwork BIENNIAL CONFERENCE, CAIRNS, OCTOBER 2006KATE RUNCIMAN, MELBOURNE GIRLS COLLEGECEAV REPRESENTATIVE ON THE NATIONAL VETNETWORK STEERING COMMITTEE

650 delegates attended the VETnetwork Australiaconference in Cairns in October, including a largenumber of non school-based practitioners, such asLCP representatives, government agencies,training practitioners and industry representatives.As a result, there was a varying level of knowledgeabout VET and VET in schools. However, thisprovided the opportunity for a great deal ofnetworking and ideas sharing.

The opportunity to gather for the social dinner ina unique environment (the rainforest) withAboriginal dancers and army duck rides asentertainment also provided an opportunity tohighlight the many employment opportunities inthe tourism industry around Cairns. Otherindustries that were highlighted through toursincluded Smithfield (technology perspective) andYarrabah (Indigenous perspective), as well as thesnorkelling and scuba diving tourism servicesoperating on the Great Barrier Reef.

Keynote Tania Major from the Kowanyama JusticeGroup Inc. presented an overview of a workplacement scheme used in remote Cape York toincrease youth mobility. Her presentationhighlighted how welfaredependency is at theheart of many of CapeYork’s problems. Forexample, in 2003 only55 per cent of CapeYork students made thetransition from year 7 toyear 8, only 6 per centcompleted year 12, andless than 3 per centundertook highereducation. Delegatesfound her programs very

inspiring, considering she is working against theodds of much wider social and economic problems.

Among other inspiring presenters, Jimmy Phamdescribed his VET program, albeit a little bitfurther from home—in Vietnam. Jimmy’s KOTOprogram (if you ‘Know One, Teach One’) is atraining program for homeless youth in Hanoi togain their chef apprenticeship in his not-for-profitKoto restaurant. See the website at<www.koto.com.au>.

Papers from this conference are available on thewebsite <www.vetnetwork.org.au/conferences>.You might be interested to have a look at the dataprovided for ‘The jury’s out: has ten years of VETin schools made a difference?’ by Mike Frost fromthe Tasmanian Qualifications Authority. Otherworkshop papers available include enterpriselearning, models for local industry partnerships,DEST’s Career Advice Australia—connectingyoung people to their future, best practice modelsof work placement and partnerships, relationshipsbetween LCPs and skills shortages, and the newAustralian Technical Colleges.

Audience, Cairns Convention Centre


One of the highlights for the Victoriandelegates was the judging of the NationalVETnetwork Excellence Awards thatsaw Penny Vakakis, Executive Officer ofthe Inner Melbourne VET Cluster, winthe national award. Penny wasrecognised for her outstanding work as aprofessional working with VET inschools. This award rewards innovationand excellence and publicly recognisesthe outstanding efforts of individualsinvolved in the practical day-to-day workinvolved in delivering high quality VETin Schools programs. We congratulatePenny for her well-deserved award.

Do you know someone who is making adifference in VET? If so, please considernominating them for an excellenceaward. Further information will beprovided throughout 2007. The nextVETnetwork Australia conference willbe in Sydney in 2008. We hope to seeyou there!

Car—part of the Queensland Department of State Development exhibit

Jimmy Pham


TAFE options for international studentsHELEN HAMMERSLEYCAREERS COUNSELLORWESLEY COLLEGE, GLEN WAVERLEY

Iattended a meeting of Victorian TAFEinternational managers to represent thenetwork of career advisers of international

students. Due to the realisation that secondaryadvisers needed more specialist information, theVIT representatives initiated an evening cocktailmeeting for us on Wednesday 29 November atHolmesglen Chadstone.

We know that most international students focus onuniversity courses. Often it is not until studentsreceive the results of their mock or trial exams, oreven the final exams, that they suddenly think ofthe need for alternatives!

Several career advisers, international co-ordinatorsand myself attended. There was a very short formalpresentation where each TAFE representativesummarised the courses available at theirinstitution and the credit transfer arrangementswhere applicable. An informal time with drinks andnibbles followed providing an opportunity forfurther discussion and individual questions.

This event managed to fill a gap in my knowledgeabout good TAFE options and pathways forinternational students. It seems that the TAFEsector is ever-expanding with new options such astheir associate degree and degree courses.

It was not only course information that wasvaluable. Most institutions offer the students theopportunity to ‘sit in’ on classes so that they canhave the TAFE experience. There is also verystrong pastoral care support for students at TAFE.Courses assisting students with their ‘permanentresidency’ applications are very popular and fillquickly. Students interested in these areas of studyshould be encouraged to apply early, before theirresults become available.

The evening wasan excellentinitiative, giving usthe opportunity tomake personal contact with the TAFEinternational staff as well as update courseinformation. Watch for this event next year.

TAFE speaker summariesLOUISE BLAND—HOLMESGLEN

• advanced diplomas allow students to apply intoyear 2 of university with some students beinggiven18 months credit towards their universitystudies

• transfer programs are offered in the followingareas—Commerce and Nursing at Deakin,Technology (Computing and Infrastructure) atMonash, Multimedia at Swinburne and VisualArts at La Trobe

• degrees offered—Applied Science (BuiltEnvironment), Business (ExecutiveAdministration) and Business (Accounting)

• associate degrees—Accounting and SocialScience (Justice)

• Charles Sturt degrees studied fully atHolmesglen—in hotel management, IT andbusiness studies.

CHRIS WALLIS—SWINBURNE

• credit transfer from advanced diplomas of up to18 months—see pathways chart on website

• Swinburne College at Hawthorn (internationalstudents only)—offers Uni_prep foundationcourses in Business, IT and Science/Engineeringand Uni_link degree transfer programs inBusiness and IT

• Prahran campus offers Uni_prep and Uni_linkcourses in Design

• transfer to year 2 of university from Uni_link


students must complete six of the eight subjectsat 50 per cent or higher

• students make direct application to Uni_prepand Uni_link through the international office.

COLMA FECHNER—KANGAN BATMAN

• has a new Docklands campus• credit transfer to Deakin Commerce from the

business courses• many areas for study give articulation to a

variety of universities• specialist area of study for Kangan is

engineering—aerospace, polymer andautomotive

• other areas of study include IT, fashion anddesign, and sport development.

MARCUS SCOTT—NMIT

• Preston and Collingwood campuses mostpopular with international students

• huge range of courses available across thedifferent campuses

• have some new degree courses—aquaculture,music, equine studies and viticulture

• students are able to sit in on classes before theyapply—contact the international office.

TAMARA FORBES AND MIKE HESTER—VICTORIA

UNIVERSITY

• city campus—new Arts campus in FlindersStreet—multimedia, design, graphic arts

• Diploma of Business (1 year)—has anassimilated business with national companies aspart of the program, receives eight credits intobachelor programs

• commercial cookery has patisserie asspecialisation, now delivered between Footscray,Sunbury and city campuses

• Diploma of Hairdressing in Salon Managementhas pathway and credit into Bachelor in SmallBusiness and Entrepreneurship.

ROSIE DEMANT—CHISHOLM

• articulation to Commerce at Deakin,Technology at Monash, Software at LaTrobe

• also Business Accounting at La Trobe—creditdepends on grades achieved

• courses for permanent resident status verypopular—commercial cookery, automotive,nursing

• Graphic Arts—100 per cent job outcome.

JEFF HYDE—BOX HILL

• vocational degrees—Biotechnology andInnovation, Applied Music and ComputerSystems (includes Cisco and otherqualifications)

• associate degrees—Software Development (intoDeakin Year 3), Commerce (into Deakin Year3) and Fashion Technology.

DANNY MABILLA—WILLIAM ANGLISS

• two degrees—culinary management and tourismand hospitality

• hospitality has different streams and internshipprograms are available

• also popular—resort programs (dive, marine orspa) and event management.

ADAM ROBERTS—RMIT

• design and social context—popular TAFEcourses include design, multimedia, fashion andtextiles, interpreting and translating,photography, interior, landscape TAFE intodegreeNote: students may be interviewed or needfolios, not just grades for some programs

• Business—the major pathway TAFE program isthe one-year diploma of business that articulatesdirectly into the second year of most bachelorsof business; advanced diplomas are also availablein some disciplines

• science, engineering and technology—popularprograms include IT, building, laboratory,engineering, biotechnology and aviation (atPoint Cook)

• four pathways to university from two-yearassociate degrees in science, engineering andtechnology (articulate into third year of somebachelor degrees).

I can be contacted at<[email protected]> should youwish to join our network.


Representatives from the Information andCommunication Technology (ICT)industry have been providing a consistent

message throughout 2006—skills shortages arewidespread and are becoming a growing problemacross Australia. The Australian Computer Societyand the Australian Information IndustryAssociation say declining enrolments in ICT coursesover the last few years, combined with industrygrowth, are leading to a skills crisis in the industry.

With an increasing convergence of technology andbusiness, ICT skills are becoming crucial to theperformance of all industries and the economy as awhole. Employment in ICT is expected to grow by15.8 per cent between 2003/04 and 2011/12, wellabove the industry average of 9 per cent.Computing services is one of the top fiveemployment generating sectors. The pick-up indemand for ICT skills is also evidenced by higherlevels of online vacancies.

From October to December 2006, employers in theAustralian ICT industry were the second mostoptimistic of all industries, with sentiment abovethat recorded a year ago. In Victoria,telecommunications employers were the mostoptimistic across all industry areas, followed byemployers in professional services, construction, ITand financial services. A shortage of skilledcandidates is considered by employers to be one ofthe top three IT staffing challenges facing businessover the next twelve months.

Perceptions of the ICT industry appear to behaving a significant impact on skills shortages inICT. Research suggests the Australian tertiarycourse enrolment trends are at least due to a lack ofawareness amon students, teachers and parentsabout the extent to which ICT skills permeate a

diverse range of industry sectors and jobdescriptions. A 2004 report by the Department ofInfrastructure in Victoria found that incorrectperceptions and negative attitudes held by youngpeople about the ICT industry were creatingbarriers to entry into the industry. The reportsurveyed recent Year 12 graduates and showed:• while most respondents were positive to the

ICT industry, young women were more negative• 59 per cent of students thought an ICT career

meant ‘sitting in front of a computer all day’• 51 per cent thought working in ICT would be

boring• 12 per cent thought they had a clear

understanding of ICT; and• of the 85 per cent of students who were

planning tertiary study, 55 per cent of these had‘no real interest’ in ICT at a tertiary level.

Other findings indicated that girls perceive ICTcareers as lacking ‘people-based’ skills. These girlsbelieved the ICT industry to be male-dominatedand to potentially have a glass ceiling. A decreasein required university entrance scores also appearsto have had a negative impact on the perception ofICT study generally.

Current and anticipated shortages are from acrossICT areas. Some of the ‘hot’ skills areas includeenterprise architecture, business process re-engineering, systems design, IT security planningand management, customer-facing applicationdevelopment, artificial intelligence, and datawarehousing. A list of the areas expected to havethe biggest growth in jobs over the next five yearswas developed from a 2006 Australia-wide survey ofIT professionals. The top ten includes:• web services• wireless/mobile• business intelligence

ICT industry growth highlights need to attract young peopleANNE YOUNGERNATIONAL INDUSTRY CAREER SPECIALIST: INNOVATION AND BUSINESSCAREER ADVICE AUSTRALIAAUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP


• service-oriented architecture• identity management• disaster recovery/continuity planning• data management/business analytics• e-business• RFID• antivirus protection.

Initiatives to boost an interest in ICT studyand careersThe ICT industry is working hard to attract youngpeople through a number of initiatives. A careerawareness campaign and events were held acrossVictoria from July to November 2006. The eventswere coordinated by Multimedia Victoria with aworking group of Australian Information IndustryAssociation, Australian Computer Society, ICTcompanies, universities and TAFE institutes andthe Australian Industry Group. A total of around1200 students heard recent ICT graduates andindustry professionals from diverse industries andbackgrounds demonstrate the flexibility andopportunity an ICT qualification can lead to.Further events are planned for 2007.

Other initiatives include:• the Australian Interactive Media Industry

Association calling on its member companies tohost media teachers to update their skills to takeback to the classroom

• an industryleadership groupbeing established todevelop andfacilitateparticipation in ICTstudy and careers asrecommended inthe BuildingAustralian ICTSkills: Report of theICT SkillsForesighting WorkingGroup, May 2006

• the ChiefInformationOfficers Executive

Council rolling out nationally their ‘Our FutureLeaders’ Program, a career awareness campaigncommencing in NSW

• the use of a five-day calendar of tasks forstructured workplace learning in ICT developedby the Department of Education, Science andTraining

• websites and events for girls in ICT, such as GoGirl Go for IT.

Please provide a photocopy of this article to yourHead of IT studies in your school. You may alsowish to include some of the information in yourschool newsletter.

Contact:Anne YoungerNational Industry Career Specialist: Innovation andBusinessCareer Advice AustraliaAustralian Industry GroupPhone: (03) 9867 0172email: <[email protected]>

Young ICT graduates enthuse the audience at the event held at Box Hill TAFE Institute on 27 July 2006


We’ve all heard about Jamie Olivergiving a chosen few kids a break inlife, using cooking to get them on the

right path and give them a chance, but that’s juston TV right? No, it’s happening right under yournose, like when renowned chef Frank Camorratook on Banksia Secondary College student KieferWilliams to work in his acclaimed restaurantMoVida over the holidays.

Mr. Camorra is the head chef and owner at one ofMelbourne’s hottest dining destinations. It’s notunusual to have to book to secure a table midweekat the tapas-style restaurant, MoVida. But for a fewdays in September Mr Camorra stepped out of hisbusy kitchen and into the classroom at Banksia andwas excited by the talent he found there.

He taught the Year 9 and 10 students the art of‘Churros con Chocolate’ the popular Spanish treatthat can be served as dessert, breakfast or anindulgent and effective hangover cure.

After learning the secretsto perfect churros, theinternational cookeryclass took to the taskwith relish, closelywatching the consistencyof their hot chocolateand checking whetherthe boiling oil was at theperfect temperature.

‘I want them to see howit really works, get arealistic idea of what thejob would be about, thelong hours, the hotenvironment, the

constant pressure’, said Mr Camorra.

For many of these students cooking is a chore. Insome cases these 15 and 16 year olds are living outof home and cooking is just one of the list of thingsthey have to do. Ruby lives out of home and isenjoying cooking today for fun rather thannecessity. She works part-time at KFC and isthrilled she can take some in for her workmate’sbirthday. ‘I want to take some to work, they’ll loveme’, she said with a grin.

Her cooking partner Ken, normally on the shy side,is now eager and competent, churning out churrosat a rate that would make any head chef happy. Theverdict? Mr Camorra, a veteran of kitchens, wasimpressed. The churros whipped up by Sarah andEmily met his high standards. ‘They’re the besttasting, the right consistency’, he said.

Sarah and Emily were among the keenest there,carefully watching their churros and recitinginstructions. They presented their dessert

Learn from a masterADOPT-A-SCHOOL PROJECT AT BANKSIAREBECCA HYDERMIT JOURNALISM STUDENT

Frank Camorra in the kitchen with students from Banksia Secondary College


beautifully, surrounded by fresh fruit, the pride intheir work undeniable. They said it’s great gettingtaught by an expert. ‘It’s good to have someone inthe classroom who actually owns and works at arestaurant’, said Sarah. Sarah and Emily were thedeclared the winners of the cook off, taking home achurros making machine each.

Student teacher Lily, who helped select a winner,said the whole idea was fantastic. ‘It gives the kids ago, someone out there is giving them a chance andletting them know what it’s like to be a chef, tochoose it as a career. I can’t believe their interestand good behaviour’.She said it’s a goodalternative totraditional classroomactivities. ‘It makeseducation morepractical. The kids loveit. It makes life moreexciting and gives thesekids a go’, Lily said.

Mr Camorra said all thestudents were reallykeen but he wanted totake on ‘someoneconsidering cooking asa career and give theman insight into it’.

Kiefer Williams and John Hehepoto were chosento do the work experience at MoVida but there’sno doubt everyone involved got something out ofthe experience. Such was Kiefer’s enthusiasm theyasked him if he would like to come back duringthe school holidays.

A room permeated with the smells of chocolateand churros, happy students, a head chefimpressed by a bunch of teenagers, and anopportunity to see into a chef’s world. This goes toshow sometimes all people need is a chance.

Ruby lines up the pastry

tirelessly keep taking that message out togovernment and industry stakeholders.

The committee also does a vital job—undertakingroles such as mentors and presenters at the annualNCCC and the biennial conferences, liaising withthe membership via the regional groups andrepresenting us in many forums includingVETnetwork, Job Watch, VISTA workshops,university faculty meetings, and so on. Much of our‘output’ is quite transparent, but just as much

happens behind the scenes, and a million littlequeries, favours, insights, professional support andacts of generosity characterise this field of careersadvisers in schools. Always remember that peopleare aware of your efforts, and appreciate your selflesscommitment to your students, and your careerscolleagues. This association grows stronger due toyour efforts.

Linda Baron

continued from page 9 ...


Thirteen ‘Skills Stores’ will be establishedacross Victoria over the next three years.Five skills stores will be in operation by

June 2007. Three of these will be in themetropolitan areas of eastern Melbourne, northwest Melbourne and south eastern Melbourne andtwo will be in the regional areas of Goulburn Ovensand Central Gippsland. The five skills stores will beoperated by the following organisations:• Eastern Melbourne—Box Hill Institute of TAFE

and private training provider MEGT• North West Melbourne—VETASSESS• South Eastern Melbourne—Link Employment

and Training (based at shop fronts inDandenong and Frankston

• Goulburn Ovens—Goulburn Ovens Institute ofTAFE

• Central Gippsland—Central GippslandInstitute of TAFE (based at an internet café inWarragul).

Four more skills stores will be established in 2007and a further four in 2008. These will be establishedin strategic metropolitan and regional locations.Skills stores are an initiative under the stategovernment’s 2006 skills statement, ‘Maintainingthe Advantage—Skilled Victorians’. They willprovide a public access point for the education andtraining system and a point of reference for schoolcareers advisers. They will be located in accessibleareas such as shopping centres or as mobile unitsand will provide Victorians with individuallytailored face-to-face advice about further educationand training options, an initial assessment of theirexisting skills, and referral to training organisationsfor recognition of prior learning.

What does it mean for careers advisers?The skills stores have two primary functions:• to provide free professional advisory services

about training options to individual members ofthe public

• to provide a point of reference for school careersadvisers.

School careers advisers will be able to visit a skillsstore, or access a mobile unit if available, andreceive information on local issues such as localindustry and business needs, employmentopportunities and training pathways. This will helpcareer advisers support students as they start tothink about what they are interested in, helping tocontextualise their school work and make it morerelevant to them and their future. The local SkillsStore will provide a number of benefits to careersadvisers including:• providing local knowledge with information on

jobs and career opportunities• providing a local resource that present and past

students can be directed to• enhancing understanding of Vocational

Education and Training (VET) options• smoothing the transition from school to work• ongoing access to a ‘one-stop-shop’ with a

network of registered training organisations,local industry, industry skills advisers, onlineresources and links to other government andnon-government advisory bodies.

More information on the skills stores initiative willbe available through a website which is anticipatedto be established in March 2007.

Victoria’s new skills stores: what’s happening?BRONWYN PARKERMANAGER, VET SECTOR DEVELOPMENT OTTEDEPARTMENT OF INNOVATION, INDUSTRY AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT


The library and information industry in the21st century is a dynamic, innovative workenvironment. As well as the libraries that

we are all familiar with (such as schools, universitiesand public libraries), library and informationprofessionals work in all sorts of companies andorganisations such as law firms, newspaper andmagazine publishers, film and television, architects,engineers and construction, finance, ICT, medicalresearch institutes and even forensic science! Butwhat all these library and information professionalshave in common is the desire to connect people withinformation and to support and educate others innavigating the sometimes overwhelming informationenvironment. What many information professionalsenjoy is the ‘thrill of the chase’, chasing down thatelusive electronic resource, article, statistic, image oreven book that will make all the difference to theircolleagues, clients or students.

Technology, of course, has an enormous impact onthe library and information industry with so muchinformation, data, sound and image availableonline—so the library and information professionalis the person who has the high level combination ofIT skills and communication skills to manage thiswealth of information and make it useable, accessibleand ‘people-friendly’.

According to recent ABS reports, library andinformation professionals are ranked highly when itcomes to opportunities for ‘employment in growthindustries’. This means that an above-averageproportion of library and information professionalswork in sectors estimated to grow strongly in theforeseeable future. These statistics also indicate thatthis industry is relatively well-paid compared withthe Australian workforce as a whole. These facts,combined with a looming skills shortage mean thatwell-remunerated opportunities abound for young

people training in the range of roles available withinthe profession. Employment opportunities are notlimited to Australia either—our library andinformation courses and qualifications are highlyregarded and internationally recognised, so graduateswishing to travel are generally snapped up foroverseas contracts.

Again, diversity is the word when it comes to entryinto the library and information profession.Universities offer undergraduate and postgraduatecourses in librarianship and informationmanagement, the TAFE sector offers a range ofcourses for library technicians, and traineeships arealso available so that young people can combinework and study. Young people currently make up 90per cent of enrolments across the board, and coursescan be undertaken on a full-time, part-time andonline basis.

What’s it like to work in the library andinformation profession?TREVOR MCKAY

LIBRARIAN, BAYSIDE LIBRARY SERVICE

As a new graduate, I feel that I have entered theprofession at a very exciting time, where client needs andexpectations of libraries and librarians are changing. Myfavourite thing about being a librarian is that I love theideal of the public library: ‘everyone is welcome’. Thecommunity’s interests and tastes are reflected in thelibrary’s collections and I love that too. But I especiallylove helping hundreds of people each week answerquestions they couldn’t answer on their own. I work witha fantastic team to bring new ideas and innovations andto continually improve the range of services and theefficiency with which we provide them.

Although a relatively new graduate, I’ve been working inlibraries for nine years, beginning with a work experienceplacement in Year 10, which led to a job after school.

Library and information careers in the 21st CenturyMARY MANNINGSCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA


After I left school, I completed a diploma of library andinformation science at Swinburne University ofTechnology, while working as a full-time library officer atMonash Public Library Service. When I knew that thiswas what I really wanted to do, I began studying onlinewith Charles Sturt University, and in November 2004, Icompleted my Bachelor of Arts (Library and InformationManagement). This is when I took up my currentposition as a librarian at Bayside Library Service.

JANELLE CLEARY

CLIENT SUPPORT LIBRARIAN AND INTRANET LIBRARIAN,

PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY OF VICTORIA

I have a shared role at the Parliamentary Library ofVictoria that enables me to take on two very different setsof tasks. As the client support librarian I am responsiblefor training members of parliament and their staff in howto use the library services and make the most of the vastrange of research facilities at the Parliamentary Library. Ialso undertake reference inquiries, answering anyinformation requests from MPs. These requests mightmake up background information for a project agovernment official is researching, or may be an urgentrequest, critical to voting as parliament sits. As theintranet librarian, my role is a hands-on, technicalposition with responsibility for developing and maintainingthe library’s website and the resources it contains. Thebest thing about my job is the variety of work I do. Everyday is different. And I get a great mix of working withpeople and working with IT, which I love. I studied aBachelor of Business (Information Management) atRMIT and I’m currently undertaking Master of Business(Information Technology)—after that I plan to use myqualifications to work overseas!

Further informationFor further information regarding a career in thelibrary and information industry visit <http://www.alia.org.au/education/careers.html> or<http://jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/search.cfm >.

University Wisdom: a practical guide for all studentsWritten by Vanessa McCallumPublished by Zermatt Press, 2004Paperback, 130 pages, ISBN 978 0 0775080 2 0Cost: $30.50 direct from the author/publisher at<www.zermattpress.com> or <www.universitywisdom.com>This book deserves a wider audience than I fear it willget. It is always difficult for authors who self publish toget their work known yet here is a valuable resource forstudents to read. While it is called ‘University Wisdom’and, yes, there is a section on university clubs andfacilities, the book has much of value to anyonecontemplating higher education.

I would hate to see TAFE students bypass it because of itstitle. In fact it is appropriately targeted at year 12students, offering much sanguine advice in preparing forfurther education. I thought the range of topics was veryuseful. The reader is given snippets on an array of issuesabout moving on to higher education. And I like the waythe author is both non-judgemental of her audience andprepared to share some of her personal experiences. Itgives the feel of a friendly guide!

This is not a book that is going to give students heaps ofinformation on a particular topic. There are otherresources for that. Rather Vanessa McCallum hasproduced something that will assist the inquirer—it is aplace to start. For that it deserves to be read. It isavailable direct from the author at<www.zermattpress.com>.

David BruceAvila College

Note:University Wisdom is available direct from:Zermatt Press22A Bembridge AvenueFrankston South VIC 3199<www.zermattpress.com>

Book Review


Do you consider working in retail to be the‘job you have while looking for a realjob?’ Or is it the part time/casual

occupation that puts dollars in your pocket whileyou are studying? Do you think that retailemployees are unskilled and working a second ratejob because of that? Think again.

Retail is the fastest moving employment sector in theworld. Business owners in the retail environment arepushed by consumers, and are not allowed the luxuryof slowly pacing their business growth, storerefurbishment, stock updates and so on to suit theirown overdraft and desire to upgrade. Retailers haveno choice but to swiftly pick up on new world trends,as the critical judges (the consumer) vote with theirfeet should they lag behind.

Staff working in retail have to be able to think andwork on their feet, dealing with computerised stockordering cycles and subsequent delivery cycles ofanything up to 80-100 suppliers for even a medium-sized store; marketing, advertising and promotionalcycles; sophisticated front-end scanning systemsthat allow back office stock control, automaticstocktaking; and reordering from warehouses aspreset stock level indicators kick in. In thebackground everything is electronic andcomputerised, yet on the shop floor everything ismanually hands-on—opening cases and stockingdisplay shelves.

All of this is going on in while that same retailperson is on the shop floor dealing with customerqueries, irregular and unpredictable flow ofnumbers, plus visiting company merchandisers andrepresentatives.

Retail has taken me around the world, and mycolleagues in IGA and FoodWorks Supermarkets

last year alone travelled to China, Europe, theUnited Kingdom, South Africa and Americaviewing the latest trends and learning the newestconcepts.

The students working part-time and casual at themoment are our store managers, marketers andadvertisers, computer and software designers, storearchitects and display and fitout designers of thefuture.

How do you reach this variety and success? Turningup with a half hearted 50 per cent attitude of ‘I’mhere, I do as little as I can get away with, I get outof here asap—I just want the dollars’ will not takeyou anywhere, and you will be bored in the journey.If you want to engage in more than the pure salesside of retail it takes your energy and input. Theopportunity is there for you but you have to take itup. Knowledge of your product, services, hours,advertising, store policies, who to turn to promptlyfor the difficult questions is important.

Presentation is everything in retail—yoursincluded!Clean, fresh, modern and bright applies to allaspects of retail. You are far from exempt. Thisapplies to hair, makeup, jewellery, dress, shoes,speech and manners. Service means providing thecustomer with just a little more than they expected.That is your personal challenge with each customer.

Know your terms and conditions of employmentand what is expected of you and what is required ofyour employer. Wage Line and trade associations orunions are there to answer your questions. Manycan be answered by a visit to their website. You willneed to be able to provide the exact address and theformal company name (this should be on yourpayslip). If talking with someone at one of these

Working in retailJENNIFER FLANAGANEXECUTIVE OFFICERMASTER GROCERS AUSTRALIA


organisations, please tell the truth. Too manycallers provide us with such information so as toelicit the answer that they have pre-determined intheir minds. Employers can make errors inpayroll—after all it is the work of one of theemployees to input the information and a politequestion or note of enquiry is the first step to anyclarification.

WorkChoices legislation has provided manyflexible opportunities to employers and we haveseen some really innovative arrangements in theagreements we have written for our members. The

skills shortage in our workplace is quite genuine,and the best of the student part time and casualemployees are enjoying workplace rewards - or theemployer risks losing that employee to the nextretailer.

If you want more out of retail than you presentlyreceive, have a think about what you are putting in.Is it ‘turn up (or sometimes not), do little, get out,get paid’ then try an experiment of six–ninemonths of really going the extra distance and notethe difference in respect from your employer. Ifnot—move on, he/she deserves to lose you.

Fashion student from Mullum cluster triumphs at awardsSUZANNA KENNEDYVET COORDINATOREAST DONCASTER SECONDARY COLLEGE

Evelyn Yeung is a Year 12 student at East DoncasterSecondary College and in 2006 completed herCertificate III in VET Fashion Studies at SienaCollege. She entered the Apex Australia TeenageFashion Competition held in Ballarat on 7 October.There were three sections open to students—fancydress, after-five wear and casual day-wear. Evelyn wonfirst place in the casual day-wear section. Her entrywas an impressive red jacket, which she spent manyhours making. Evelyn then went on to compete atthe nationals, which were held at the Hyatt Hotel on29 October. After a long day she was rewarded withthird place. There were 60 entrants from aroundAustralia and only one other student from Victoria(Frankston) got a place—second in the fancy dresssection. Evelyn is to be congratulated on the timeand effort put into the jacket, as well as showing theinitiative to seek out what competitions (if any) wereavailable for her to enter. Maria Repanis, from SienaCollege, is also to be acknowledged for assistingEvelyn in entering the competition and supportingher throughout her studies. Evelyn hopes to pursue afashion course at RMIT next year and we wish her allthe very best in her endeavours. Evelyn’s jacket modelled by her cousin


At a recent visit to GS1 at MountWaverley, a group of teachers from outereastern Melbourne were treated to a

state-of-the-art training facility that, for most,provided new insights into the excellent careeropportunities in the transport and logistics industry.

As explained by Paul Hackett, GS1 manager forSupply Chain Knowledge Centre Development,these opportunities are not well appreciated byyoung people, teachers and the general community.However, with the industry itself becoming moreintegrated and sophisticated, there are indeed awide range of skills required in a sector which isexperiencing strong and sustainable growth. Somekey companies are becoming pro-active in seekingways to attract new people and much of this effortis directed at youth.

The visit to GS1 was part of a continuing effort byOELLEN to raise awareness of transport andlogistics in the region. Teachers and students inother parts of Melbourne and some regional centresin the state will have been given more exposurethrough initiatives already underway. However, theouter east has suffered from a lack of opportunity—

largely, access to relevant education and trainingprograms. It is hoped that increased activity in thearea created by the East Link project, and theproliferation of warehousing and distributioncentres in that corridor, will result in greateropportunities for youth in the outer east and south-east. An indication that this may be the case is themounting of two relevant programs by ChisholmInstitute of TAFE (Dandenong) and a proposednew offering by ATC (East Melbourne).

OELLEN expresses appreciation to Alfred Cheahand Shane Hennessey at Chisholm for providingthe opportunity for OELLEN to introduce its groupof teachers to GS1, and to Paul Hackett for hisexcellent and most interesting presentation.

GS1 registers and manages its bar code standardinternationally through its global network. It is anot-for-profit, member based, organisation with 105member organisations in Australia. The GS1 centrein Mt Waverley offers the opportunity for similargroups of teachers to visit the centre and alsoaccommodates smaller groups of students who areoffered the opportunity to participate in moreinteractive learning exercises—all at no cost.

Barcodes provide insights to career opportunitiesBRIAN COSTELLOOUTER EASTERN LOCAL LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT NETWORK

Participants at ABCD professional development activity presented by CEAV in October


Would you like to introduce yourstudents to an in-demand career thatoffers worldwide portability, access to

an infinite variety of businesses and industries andgreat pay, conditions and job security?

The Institute of Chartered Accountants inAustralia conducts a range of careers events andprovides materials and information especially forsecondary school students who are consideringtheir career options. Becoming involved with theinstitute’s careers events is a great way to enrichyour school’s careers curriculum and open yourstudents’ eyes to a whole world of opportunity—atno cost or inconvenience, because we do it all foryou. It’s just a matter of choosing the type of eventor communication that best suits your careersplanning and curriculum needs.

The institute’s careers events for secondarystudents includes:The Chartered Accountants Cadetship ProgramYour students can gain access to work experiencecadetships by attending the institute’s specialcadetship evenings. Places are open for studentsonce they complete secondary school, before theystart university. At the cadetship evening studentshave a chance to meet potential employers, otherinstitute and professional representatives andsubmit their resumes. More than 60 cadetshipswere offered in 2006 it is a great opportunity forstudents to make initial contact with futureemployers. The 2007 cadetship evening will beheld on Wednesday 23 May.

The Chartered Accountants SpeakersProgramGroups of interested students can receive apersonal visit and tailored presentation from atrained careers spokesperson with first-hand

experience ofcharteredaccounting. Ourspeakers takeyour students through the what, why, where andhow of chartered accounting, answering questionsabout everything from study loads to salariesthrough to advanced career options.

Representation at your school’s careers fairor equivalentThe Institute can arrange the personal attendanceof appropriately qualified individuals and/orprovide written and other useful career-relatedmaterial at your school or other local careersevents.

charteredaccountants.com.au/studentsThe institute’s dedicated student portal and ‘jobslounge’ contains updates and descriptions of reallife Chartered Accounting careers and a host ofuseful features including online resume and jobapplication tools, interview and recruiting tips,subject selection information, technical updates,competitions, student newsletters and more.

How to get involved or find out moreIf you think your students or school will benefitfrom involvement with the institute in any or allof the events outlined above, or you want to findout more, simply contact Thesspina Donopoulos,your local institute’s careers marketing specialiston (03) 9641 7410 or email<[email protected]>. We’ll then let you knowabout dates, times, and everything else you needto get things started. In the meantime, we’veoutlined some facts about careers in charteredaccounting and the role of the Institute ofChartered Accountants in Australia. Please take alook—it may surprise you!

Number one in numbersCHOOSE A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY AT<charteredaccountants.com.au/students>THESSPINA DONOPOULOSTHE INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS IN AUSTRALIA


Some straight facts about a charteredaccounting career—and how one careersevent can lead to a lifelong work pathwayWhat: Chartered accounting is a post-graduatequalification gained ‘on the job’ in an accreditedaccounting or similar organisation. It is a globalqualification recognised in 107 countries across theworld as demonstrating that the individualconcerned meets rigorous academic, ethical andpractical standards. Chartered accountants arehighly sought-after and in 2006, accountinggraduates made up 25 per cent of all graduatepositions*. They work in diverse roles acrossindustry, academia, government and private practicearound the world.

How: The qualification is generally gained byaccounting, commerce or business graduates. Itinvolves completing the Institute of CharteredAccountants in Australia’s chartered accountantprogram while employed by an institute memberfirm.

Who: The institute is the peak professionalaccounting body in this country, comprising 43,000qualified chartered accountants plus 11,000 or so ofAustralia’s best accounting graduates who arecurrently undertaking the qualification. Theinstitute is also Australia’s only member of the700,000 strong Global Accounting Alliance, whichrepresents the experience, knowledge and resourcesof the world’s premier professional accountants.

Where: The institute has staff operations in everystate and territory, who are available to offereducational professionals from secondary through topost-graduate level solid, practical support inguiding talented students toward a charteredaccounting career.

Why: The institute believes that early contact withthe best and brightest of our young people is the bestway to ensure the continuing high standards andreputation of our profession. Our support continuesas they move through university, including withassistance with temporary and permanent graduateemployment. Once their chartered accounting

qualification is achieved, students can becomemembers themselves and in turn gain access to allthe resources and support that the institute offersmembers.

*Australian Association of Graduate Employers2006 Recruitment Survey

Key statisticsDuring 2006 our student web pages and ‘jobs lounge’attracted:• more than 15,000 student registrations• more than 9,000 students to Institute careers

fairs/events• more than 2,000 jobs advertisements• more than 800 employer listed vacancies• more than 9000 job applications.

CongratulationsCongratulations to the 2007 DEST Careers StudyVictorian Scholarship RecipientsMs Dianne Jardine, Swan Hill CollegeMr Louie Traikovski, Ilim CollegeMr Tony Stirling, Pascoe Vale Girls CollegeMs Jacqui Coleman, Lake Bolac CollegeMs Kristen Burt, Padua CollegeMs Samantha McIntosh, Upper Yarra SC

Congratulations to the 2007 DEST IndustryScholarship Victorian RecipientsMs Marian Schnuriger, Fairhills High SchoolMrs Bronwyn Cullinan, Monash Secondary CollegeMs Rosalind Allen, St. Margaret’s SchoolMrs Delia Currie, St. Joseph’s CollegeMs Carmel Weber, Narre Warren South P–12 CollegeMs Annette Davie Smythe, Firbank Grammar SchoolMs Sharon Mellington, Benalla CollegeMs Kirsten Larn, Camberwell Grammar SchoolMr John Horley, Gisborne Secondary College

Applications for 2008 scholarships will open in earlyMay 2007. Curriculum Corporation (Cameron Picton)will be handling the program again. Schools will getinformation via the CEAV and other organisations.Contact: [email protected] or visit<www.dest.gov.au/careerscholarships/>. There will bethe same numbers offered nationally as in the previoustwo years, 54 all together.


The MIPs Process at Kyabram Secondary CollegeKY ACTIVE PATHWAY PARTNERSHIPSVAUGHAN PATULLOCKKYABRAM SECONDARY COLLEGE

Our aim is to ensure that all post-compulsory aged students leave schoolwith a career pathway that will be

successfully negotiated. We offer assistance tostudents exiting school and facilitate the sixmonths follow-up data of exit students. Supportand/or referral are offered to the student shouldthey not be going onto further education andtraining or secure employment.

The Kyabram Active Pathways program (MIPs)provides our students with an integrated model ofcareers, transition and personal support duringtheir post compulsory years at school. TheVictorian Education Department’s ‘Kirby Report’clearly demonstrated serious and complex issuesfacing young people in their transition from schoolto further education, employment and training. Itidentified the need for better support for youngpeople, including the need for better personalguidance and careers support. Our whole-schoolapproach is married to our performance anddevelopment culture.

GoalsGoal 1: All students will focus their futureeducation, career and personal ambitions,strategically, through explicit teaching of skillsthat enable them to take responsibility formanaging their own individual pathway. All post-compulsory students will have a KAP plan thatbecomes the integral focus of all curriculum,careers and discipline and welfare meetings.

Goal 2: The KSC performance and developmentculture will ensure that the KAP vision isunderstood, actioned and sustained within thecollege by all staff. This goal is one of the fourbeing targeted by the year 9–12, Careers, VET/VCAL, Welfare and KAPs coordinators within

their own performance and development plans. In2007 we are targeting this as a whole-school goal.The language of the KAP is becoming universallyunderstood, accessed and actioned by staff,students and parents. Staff will form ‘pathwaypartnerships’ with their students to facilitate thisdevelopment.

Strategies• pathways database—to develop and refine our

user-friendly, dynamic, active tool for ourstudents from years 9 to 12

• Year 9—all year 9 students will complete stage 1of the KAP database during semester 2, 2006

• Year 10—all year 10 students will address andupdate their KAP during the compulsory careersunit and at other key times during the year

• Year 11—all year 11 students will continue towork with their plan during course selection andindependent careers interviews

• Year 12—all year 12 students will update theirKAP as they negotiate their VTAC, work, orfurther training applications as part of transitionfrom school.

School effectiveness strategies• Welfare staff—staff who engage with a student

on a welfare matter will employ the KAP plan asthe basis for making further decisions

• MIPs coordinator—as the staff member withoverall implementation responsibility, he/shewill ensure that all other key stakeholdersunderstand and fulfil their roles.

Student cohort strategies• in semester 2 Year 9 students will commence a

KAP plan that becomes the integral focus of allcurriculum, careers, discipline and welfaremeetings as they pursue their post-compulsorycourses


• all year 10 students will continually update theirKAP plan during their semester-long careers unit,use the KAP as the basis for all interviews,including course selection, work experience,structured work placements, discipline, welfare orany other counselling received

• all year 11 students will print out their plan priorto their independent KAP interview—followingthat interview, course selection interviews, workexperience or structured work placements,discipline, welfare or any other counsellingreceived, the KAP must be updated

• all year 12 students will print out their KAP planprior to a transition/year 13 interview, thenupdate it following the transition interview,course selection interviews, work experience orstructured workplace learning placements anddiscipline, welfare or any other counsellingreceived.

A significant tool employed at Kyabram to activatecareer planning is the electronic program Pathway,our KAP database. Pathway provides each studentwith security due to its positioning on the schoolintranet, which requires each student’s individual login and only allows them access to their individualplan.

The opening teacher’s screen of Pathway allows staffaccess to:• all student’s MIP plans• the date when the student

last worked on their KAP• which students are looking

for a traineeship orapprenticeship

• which students are lookingfor ongoing work

• which students are requestingadditional counselling

• write comments following allinterviews conducted by staff.

Pathway prompts students toconsider their future career plansunder a series of screens thathave the following headings and

inputs:• personal details—allows drop-down screen access

to each student’s contact details• educational direction—details each student’s

educational strengths, weaknesses and focus• history—subjects currently studied at school and

likely senior pathway• interests (and personal qualities)—examines

student’s strengths and interests, which developspersonal awareness

• work history—looks at all jobs and workexperience undertaken, including voluntary work

• work (related) skills (competency based)—dropdown menu shows the generic work skills thateach student may have utilised as well assituations where they used them

• milestones achieved—immediate and longer term• goal planning—provides many of the lists of which

student’s goals require input from the careers staff• barriers to success—what does the student

perceive as potential blockers/barriers to success?• exit—when did the student exit and why? where

have they gone?• referees—the students may list more referees, but

we suggest three and recommend including amember of the school administration

• diary—where the student enters details of whatthey have discovered during class or in aninterview situation


• interviews—where we input interview comments(this page is not open to student view).

Pathway’s introduction has provided us with atransparent process that is easily actioned by allstudents and staff. Most students in years 8, 9 and 10access their plans during our Thinking and LearningClasses (TLC, formerly Form Care) or year 10careers classes. It forms the central discussion pointduring all interviews whether careers-based,discipline and welfare-based, or staff/student-based. Itis available to all students through studentapplications on the intranet and because it is writtenin MS Access it is available on all computers on thenetwork, including staff laptops.Staff are being in-serviced on itsuse and application, though thistakes time and requires staff tosee the value of theircontributions.

Our whole-school approach ishow we are developing pathwaypartnerships between staff andstudents. Each staff member isprovided with a ready-made goaland SMART targets to assistthem to form these partnerships,which then form one of theirfour performance developmentgoals.

The database is available togovernment schools to use, butwe must stress that our majorfocus has been on adopting awhole-school approach tomanaging MIPs, not just relyingon the energies of a few. Schoolprincipals play an integral part insupporting the MIPs coordinatorand developing the culturalchanges that underpin such anapproach. Kyabram SC’sperformance developmentculture has been a key driver inour ability to begin to create our

approach. As a result, the MIPs coordinator hasspent time working with and in-servicing staff toassist them in developing pathway partnerships withour students.

Government schools are welcome to contact us on(03) 5852 1711 if interested in trialing the Pathwaydatabase. A number of schools have taken it up andour technician will install it onto your network tosuit your needs. Pathway uses data extracted fromCASES 21 and is placed onto your school’s network.The approximate cost is $700–$800, depending onthe time it takes to install and whether there are anynetwork issues to resolve.


One of the main targets of job andemployment scams are young peoplekeen to get into the labour market.

Employment-related scams are primarily found inclassified ads in newspapers or on job websites.Prevention is the key to stop young people gettingcaught up in these scams.

Young people need to watch out for the followingin advertisements:• Not enough information provided in the job ad

such as the nature of the work, key terms andconditions of employment, such as employmenttype (e.g. casual/full-time), remuneration,location.

• Job ads that give 0055 or 1900 phone numbers/SMS schemes—you have to pay money forthese calls based on how long you talk or SMSand it can be quite expensive, and thereprobably isn’t a job involved.

• Get rich quick—‘Bizops’ where they offer paidwork for ‘filling envelopes’ but are generallyfronts for get-rich-quick schemes. Usually the adwill give a postal address instead of a streetaddress. People who reply are not offered jobsbut asked to send money—$20 or $30 in cash ormoney order—to receive an application form orkit. After they send the money they hearnothing more.

• Repetitive ads where the same job is advertisedweekly or monthly, especially mid-week,because work conditions are so bad that workerswon’t stick around and there is a high turnover.

• Vague or unrealistic promises—earn up to$1,000 per week, no experience necessary.

Job Watch has a series of information sheets andpublications available that provides more detailabout job and employment-related scams. Theinformation sheets outline what young people need

to be aware of and watch out for—dos and don’ts,issues they should consider—and where to get help.

The information sheets and publications areavailable from Job Watch’s website at <www.job-watch.org.au> under publications and job-huntingtraps. The topics covered include: misleadingemployment advertising, hazards of door-to-doorselling, working overseas, modeling and actin,private training courses, and misleading job andbusiness opportunity ads: how to handle them.

The work Job Watch has done in the area ofemployment and job-related scams has resulted inan invitation to become a partner of theAustralasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce OutreachInitiative. The Consumer Fraud Taskforce iscomposed of 18 government regulatory agenciesand departments who have a stake in consumerprotection in relation to fraud and scams. Thetaskforce’s outreach initiative in 2007 will focus onhow consumers can protect themselves againstoffline and online threats and fraud. As part of thatoutreach initiative a campaign titled ‘Scams targetyou—protect yourself’ will run from 5–30 Marchinclusive. The campaign will focus on fourthemes—one for each week of the campaign—‘Protect your money’, ‘Protect your phone’, ‘Protectyour computer’, and ‘Protect your identity’.

Information about the campaign can be found onthe campaign website <www.scamwatch.gov.au>.During March new content highlighting the fourthemes will be published on the website. There willalso be events, media and publications to coincidewith the campaign. So keep an eye out on the JobWatch and Scam Watch websites in March formore information about the ‘Scams target you—protect yourself’ campaign.

Job and employment scams—protecting young peopleVERA SMILJANICRESEARCH WORKER, JOB WATCH


Since 2004 the DoE Grampians region hasbeen in the process of developing aguarantee to its young people that they will

be supported to complete Year 12 or its equivalent infurther education and training (Certificate II), theacknowledged minimum education required for activeparticipation in life and work in the 21st century.

While schools play an essential role in providingsupport to young people in the pathway tocompleting Year 12, the implementation of theguarantee will draw together the full range ofeducation and training providers, employment andhealth and wellbeing agencies, which collectivelyrecognise that education and training of youngpeople in the Grampians region is their sharedresponsibility.

The four key elements of the guarantee as it hasbeen developed in the Grampians Region are:• inclusive education provision arrangementsto engage young people in learning to year 12 or itsequivalent• supportive intervention for those studentsidentified as potential early leavers to prevent earlyleaving• transition support for early leavers to andbetween educational and training providers oremployment with structured training• identification of, and provision ofreintegration support for early leavers, who havedisengaged from formal learning.

An integrated support and referral system brokeredby the four local learning and employmentnetworks (LLENs) in the Grampians region willaim to ensure that, when young people leave schoolprior to completing Year 12 or its equivalent, theyare not lost to the education and training system.

While the arrangements for the implementation ofthe Youth Options Guarantee are being managedby the LLENs, they differ between LLENs due tothe different contexts of their areas. Each LLEN hasentered into a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with its Youth Options Guarantee partners.The MoU details a set of agreements relating to theresponsibilities of each partner organisation insupporting young people. A copy of the genericMoU can be accessed in the resources section of theGrampians Education Partnership website at<www.gep.org.au/>.

The agreements in the Memoranda ofUnderstanding are based on seven principles, twoof which are highlighted here. The first and keyprinciple is a central focus on the young person,with service delivery being designed to meet theneeds of individual young people, rather than theneeds of young people in general or the needs oforganisations. The second principle states that aholistic approach, involving curriculum, health andwellbeing, will be taken in supporting theparticipation of young people. This can present achallenge to education and training organisationsin which curriculum and health/wellbeingfunctions are managed by staff who workindependently from each other.

Government and Catholic secondary schools andThe University of Ballarat TAFE Division havecommitted to this holistic approach and are in theprocess of developing (or refining where theyalready exist) their pathways/transition teams tofacilitate this holistic approach to supportingstudents to complete Year 12 or its equivalent. Theteams will play an important role in the achievingthe objectives of the guarantee and are expectedto have high status in schools and ideally beconvened by a member of Principal Class.

Youth Options GuaranteeMARGARET STEWARTDEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GRAMPIANS REGION


A key role of the pathways/transition teams will beto monitor the number of students ‘at risk of earlyschool leaving’ needing supportive interventionand, crucially, the effectiveness of theinterventions. Government schools in theGrampians region will be assisted in improvingtheir identification and monitoring of thesestudents through the Students at Risk MappingTool (known as the MIPs Mapping Tool in its pilotphase in 2005–06). Where interventions are notproving to be effective, the pathways/transitionteam would consider holistic ways of modifying thesupport, including adapting programs to better suitthe needs of individual students.

If the full range of supportive strategies that theschool provides proves to be ineffective, and thestudent decides to leave school, the pathways/

transition team would arrange transition supportfor the student to another education and trainingprogram external to the school, or to employmentwith structured training. If this is not possible orunsuccessful, the team, with the approval of thestudent, will refer the student to their LLEN,which would arrange for the support needed bythe student to progress on a pathway towardsachieving Year 12 or its equivalent.

An important role of the school pathways/transition team is to ensure:• that students are only referred to the LLEN

when a comprehensive range of supportstrategies have been implemented and provedto be unsuccessful

• when the school has been unsuccessful inarranging a transfer to other education,training or employment

• that any referrals from the school to the LLENare through an agreed process that will bedocumented in referral protocols developedbetween schools and each LLEN.

The LLENs within the Grampians region are eachdeveloping different ways of managing thereferrals they will receive from schools, TAFE andother providers and support agencies.

2007 will be a challenging and exciting year forthe region, as the partners in the Youth OptionsGuarantee initiative translate the aspirations ofthe guarantee into reality.

Further informationMargaret StewartDoE Grampians RegionPhone:(03) 5337 8421email: <[email protected]>Website: <www.gep.org.au>


On Wednesday 6 December 2006, theEIEP in conjunction with Hallisrecruitment presented a professional

development morning for all interested careerscounsellors and related staff at the Karralyka Centrein Ringwood East. The PD was well attended andfeedback was of the highest level.

As part of EIEP’s career and transition program, themain aim of this initiative was to update people onthe processes of modern day recruitment both from acandidate’s and recruiter’s viewpoint, enabling a fullappreciation of the process. The internet has wellsurpassed print media for advertising employmentvacancies using the internet as a means to advertisevacancies. Therefore an update of knowledge andskills in this area is seen to be imperative forsuccessful career and transition for young peopletoday and certainly for all people in thecontemporary job market. The seminar looked atrecruitment as a whole, from applying on the

internet to being or not being offered the position.The specific areas that were covered are listed below:• applying for a position on the internet• cover letters• resumes• do’s and don’ts of applying for a position over the

internet• pre-screening telephone calls• interviews/ agency and employer• psychometric testing, including behavioural

questions likely to be asked at interview• skills testing including Microsoft packages and

how they are administered• employers’ expectations• a snapshot of generation Y through baby boomers

and their expectations of industry.

EIEP will be running another PD in March. Forfurther information, please contact Lisa Nottelmannby emailing <[email protected]> orphone 0424 505 276.

The EIEP/Hallis modern day recruitment initiativeLISA NOTTELMANNTRANSITION BROKEREASTERN INDUSTRY EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS

Participants at CEAV Change of Preference professional development workshop at Victoria University in November


Reviews and ResourcesSELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES

Cambridge NumeracyWorkbook for VCALwritten by Sue Gunningham

Published by Cambridge University Press,

2006

Paperback, 128 pages, ISBN 0521 67964 8

Cost: $22.95

This text, one in a series of threereleased by Cambridge in 2006 (theothers being literacy and personaldevelopment), answers the call ofteachers seeking a text which ensuresthey cover all strands of theIntermediate VCAL Numeracycourse, at the same time embeddingthose strands within a range ofscenarios: getting a job, joining agym, organising a party, getting adriver’s licence for example, whichmight hopefully engage students ofthis particular cohort and age group.

VCAL teachers will of course realisethat the course strands (or outcomes)in which students are at leasteventually required to demonstratecompetence, often have to becovered a number of times, in a

number of different ways, for thatcompetence to be achieved. This textis designed with this reality in mind,offering a ‘multiple pass learningmodel’ where opportunities areprovided for each outcome to betaught, tested, then retaught andretested to ensure an optimal degreeof personal mastery of the conceptsand processes involved.

At the same time, teachers may wellbe familiar with the vagaries ofVCAL students as a whole, as well asthe underlying principle that VCALcourses should ideally be designedwith individual students’ interestsand learning styles in mind. Theymay appreciate that any text, now orin the future, can not be consideredto represent prescriptive, definitivestandards against which all studentsin all schools should be taught andassessed.

Similarly, Cambridge’s publicationshould not be regarded as a stand-alone methodology for teaching theskills a VCAL program shouldimpart. It is not a referencecontaining the basic, albeit oftenrepetitive, exercises that allowstudents to gain confidence (andsuccess) in undertaking variousmathematical calculations andprocesses (the types of activities andtasks that typify the majority of

mainstream maths texts). Also, asmuch as the various scenarios in thisparticular text might endeavour toengage students in personallyrelevant investigations and activities/tasks, they tend to provide more of asummary and practical application ofthe skills inherent within each of thestrands than they do an explanationof how those skills are actuallyperformed or might be understood bystudents. The length of theinvestigations too—there being eightscenarios plus two amalgams orreviews—may in itself present anobstacle to some VCAL studentsbecoming as engaged as one mighthope. Such is the nature of many aVCAL student to which no text canbe expected to bring about animmediate or lasting ‘remedy’.

The text does provide a good test ofwhat a successful VCAL studentmight be expected to be able toachieve to demonstrate competencyagainst the required standards—forthose unable to do so at least in thefirst instance, quicker, less detailed,more repetitive though no lessrelevant exercises might also need tobe utilised to instil those sameessential skills expected of anyVCAL numeracy course.

Peter Tuohy, Careers and MIPsBerwick Secondary College

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Documents

CONTENTS · CICA projects will include National Career Development Week (Monday 4–Saturday 10 June), economic benefits of career counselling on the Australian workforce, and reviewing