Develop and implement plan for education and employment

Statement of Attainment - Certificate I Vocational Preparation

NSWTLRN201B and VBK139/137

Learning Resource and Orientation to Work/Personal Effectiveness

Copyright

© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training 2009 and Victoria University 2009.

Published by

TAFE NSW Open Training and Education Network (OTEN) and Victoria University SYVCEYouth Transitions

WelcomeWelcome

‘Those prepared ‘Those prepared see their dreams see their dreams fulfilled’fulfilled’ UnknownUnknown

What you’ll learn: develop the skills and knowledge you

need to identify your education and employment goals/direction

develop a plan for education and employment pathways

orientation to work personal effectiveness implement initial steps to achieve these

goals.

Before we start Group norms and expectations –

brainstorm on whiteboard

Fill out the VU initial assessment form if you require case management for a course, education or training–book an appointment with staff

Elements of competencyElements of competencyBy the end of this unit you should be able to:Plan an education and employment pathway• Identify future education and employment

directions• Plan an education and employment pathwayImplement education and employment plan• Identify requirements for entry to education,

training or employment for preferred employment• Apply for education, training and/or employment

The Learning Resource –The Learning Resource – Day 1-Day 1-44

Section 1 Identifying your skills

Section 2 Work choicesSection 3 Personal

effectiveness/ Orientation to work

Section 4 OHSSection 5 Education pathwaySection 6 My planSection 7 Resumes/Interviews

The Learning Resource – Day The Learning Resource – Day 5&65&6

Guest speaker?Chasing your dreams DVD‘Another day, another dollar’ - Life skills board game

Leadership program

Education and work provide Education and work provide opportunities for:opportunities for:

Better Health and Wellbeing, General Development (physical,mental and longer life)Chance of home ownership or rentingEngage as an active citizen – belonging to communityMore money over a lifetime

If you had money what would you want to spend it on?

Place this at the top of your page as a goal

Section 1- Identifying your Section 1- Identifying your skills skills Do you know what is around the corner in your life?

Do you know which turn to take? Before you enrolled in your course you must have

thought about yourself and your future. This unit will help you plan an education ‘trip’ so you have some idea of what could be around the corner.

Some people find it useful to use a map on a trip when they are in unfamiliar territory. This unit helps you to develop your own ‘map’ or learning plan.

By developing a learning plan, you will get a clear picture of the skills you have and highlight what you still require.

What are your skills? What are your skills? We all have certain skills and to enrol in this course you

used skills you may not be aware you have!

You may have used the telephone

You may have used the internet

You may have sent an email

You filled out an enrolment form

Skills can be general skills that you Skills can be general skills that you build on during your education and at build on during your education and at home. home.

Task Skill

Cooking for family events and functions

Catering, food services, presentation

Fill in forms Literacy, editing

Coached the local sports team

Training, teaching, team building, motivating skills, public speaking

Fundraising Marketing, budgeting, planning, public relations

Serving as a secretary or president of a club or organisation

Communication, leadership, clerical and administration

Do you have some skills you did not know you had?

It helps to look at your current skills to see what will help you get a job and perform at a job.

Employability skillsEmployability skillsHere is a list of skills defined as employability skills.

These are skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within your workplace:

Employability skill Example of applicationCommunication Using effective interpersonal

skillsUsing active listening skillsGiving and following routine directions and instructionsReflecting on past learning experiencesRelating past learning experiences to othersThinking about barriers

Employability skillsEmployability skillsEmployability skill Example of applicationProblem solving Developing strategies for

learningExample: Mind-mapping and brainstorming strengths, weaknesses and opportunities

Teamwork Participating in small informal group discussionsExchanging information about past learning experiencesAccepting differences within the groupWorking with others

Activity 1 Activity 1 Think about what you have done today and what skills you have used. List these skills.

______________________As you work through this unit you will be able to add to your list of skills. Keep a record so you can complete the first question of your assignment.

Activity 2 Activity 2  Still not sure what skills you have?

Often skills are described in more formal language in a job advertisement.

Look at the following table and tick the everyday skills you have then look at the more formal language that can be used to describe these skills.

Remember to keep a record for your assignment!

Tasks Skill Tick

Arranging parties Co-ordination, organisation, project management, planning, decision making and delegation

Food shopping Financial management, stock control, estimating, maintenance

Household maintenance and home decorating

Planning, designing and budgeting

Listening to and advising family members, friends, neighbours

Counselling, communication skills, empathy, patience

Employability Skill Example of application Tick

Planning and organising Managing time. Prioritising tasks

Initiative and enterprise Making suggestions about personal learning needs and strategiesIdentifying learning opportunities

Self-management Completing a learning plan Developing learning goals

Computer/technology Using technology to locate relevant learning or course materials

Learning skills Identifying the link between current study and the broader learning environment

Identifying own language, literacy or numeracy skills

Identifying own learning needs and skills

Look at this example:

Yu Ling started work in a local fruit shop and now works part-time as a receptionist. She is completing the Certificate in General and Vocational Education (CGVE) Part-time.

Following is a summary of Yu Ling’s experience that she gave her employer, and her employability skills.

 

 Name: Yu Ling  Address: Unit 4/58 Godden Street Campsie NSW  Contact phone numbers: (02) 9487 6878  Email if available: yling@bigpond.com.au  Education: Completed equivalent of year 9 secondary in Hong

Kong Currently studying Certificate of General Vocational Education through OTEN part-time. Completed Maths and English units successfully

 Skills Communication skills –Interpersonal communication skills gained from working in the fruit shop

Teamwork- gained from working at the fruit shop and from working on projects at school and with my family

Yu Ling Yu Ling Skills Skills contcont

Handling cash –gained at the fruit shop Problem solving-gained from fixing the computer at home Some computer skills—gained from school and home. I

can email and search the Internet.  Work Experience

August 2006 – February 2007 Worked at the Campsie Fruit Market

Responsibilities:

  I served customers, used the cash register, worked packing shelves with other members working there and checked stock.

  Contact for reference: Nick Papadopoulos

Employability skill Yu Ling’s skills

Communication Yu Ling has developed her interpersonal communication skills through working successfully with customers

Problem-solving I was good at helping my brother fix the computer when he had problems

Teamwork Helping my brother and working at the fruit shop

Self-management skills I get to work on time and can work without being supervised

Technology skills I use a computer for emailing my friends and can search the internet

Learning skills I learnt to work on the cash register at the fruit shop so had to count change. I finished the Maths units in CGVE and got good marks so I can show my results to an employer

Transferable skills Transferable skills  Transferable skills are skills you have acquired

during any activity in your life—jobs, classes, projects, parenting, hobbies, sports, virtually anything -- that are transferable and applicable to what you want to do in your next job. Some skills are easily transferable and can be taken from one job to another.

For example, Yu Ling works part time as a receptionist. She answered an advertisement that asked for experience communicating with customers.

Transferable skills >Transfer from Transferable skills >Transfer from one job to another one job to another

 

Yu Ling’s skills were dealing with customers in the fruit shop.

 These skills could be transferred

to dealing with customers on the phone.

AssignmentAssignment  Go to Question 1 in your

Assessment and complete the table summary of your details, education, skills and any work experience.

Think about any work experience or community experience you have and how that could be transferred to another job?

Activity 3Activity 3 If you are in the workforce you will probably be able to add more If you are in the workforce you will probably be able to add more skills to your list. Tick those you think you have in the list that skills to your list. Tick those you think you have in the list that follows: follows: Work duties and responsibilities

Tick

Word processing, desktop publishing

Information management

Customer service, reception duties

Arranging things in an orderly way

Caring for patients, caring for special needs, reporting, counselling

Marketing

Accounts, cash management

Stock control, displays, dealing with suppliers,advertising

Meeting arrangements, correspondence, diary management

Now as you complete each unit in the course you add to your skills. Now as you complete each unit in the course you add to your skills. Here Here are the skills that you will be able to add when you have completed are the skills that you will be able to add when you have completed this unit:this unit:Employability skills that apply to this unit Employability skills that apply to this unit Employability skill

Example of application

Communication that contributes to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers

Prepare application for education, training or employment

Teamwork that contributes to productive working relationships and outcomes

Seek feedback from others

Planning and organising that contributes to long-term and short-term strategic planning

Draft a medium term education and employment planOrganise information in the required format

Summary Summary  In this section you have looked at the skills you

have now:  that are useful for employment and decided if

any are transferable to other areas.     Assignment Now complete Question 2 of the Assessment.

Choose 3 of the employability skills in the table and for each one, write down 3 skills you have and where you developed these skills.

 Hint: This may have been at home, at school, in

the workplace or somewhere else.   

Section 2- Work choices Section 2- Work choices  

Why work?  Aside from the need to earn an income,

people work to:  . perform rewarding and meaningful activities . gain companionship.   

Job satisfaction Job satisfaction  

Rewarding and meaningful work + companionship = job satisfaction

People get job satisfaction when their work: • pays them enough to fulfil their most

important needs • pays them fairly for the work they do • looks after them, providing a protective

environment and ensuring their safety as they work

Job satisfaction Job satisfaction contcont• gives them a social life—they belong to a

team and interact regularly with different people

• makes them feel good about themselves—they can see themselves gaining experience, expertise, status and acknowledgement by their colleagues and superiors

• fulfils them—it gives them a sense of personal achievement by presenting them with new challenges, helping them grow and be creative.

Activity 4 Activity 4

Think about why you work or would like to work in the future.

Write down everything you can think of, as each reason occurs to you. ______________________________________________

When you can’t think of any more reasons, look at the list you’ve made and put the reasons in order from the most to the least important.

______________________________________________

Interview two people you know and ask them why they work. Here are some questions you could ask them:

What’s the purpose of work, for you?

_______________________________________________

Why is work important in your life?

_______________________________________________

How did you prepare for your career?

_______________________________________________

What tools do you use in your workplace?

_______________________________________________

The above material was taken from the career section of this website:

 

http://www.myfuture.edu.au

What work are you interested in?What work are you interested in?

 First try and decide what type of work interests you.

To do this it is worth doing some self assessment. Start with this activity.

Activity 5 Activity 5     1. Make up a brag sheet. Put down things

you can do that you are proud of. These things can be any things that make you feel really good when you think back to them.

 Examples:  . Worked two part-time jobs to save for a bike . Painted my house . Made a beautiful birthday cake for my daughter . Taught myself how to create a web site by reading a ‘how to book’ . Helped a friend to solve a bad personal problem . Learnt to swim   Try and list 20 things you are proud of. It is important to think of things you have

done in a variety of roles such as cooking, volunteering, learning, parenting, helping others.

2. Now choose the top seven things 2. Now choose the top seven things according to your personal satisfaction according to your personal satisfaction in doing them and pride or satisfaction in doing them and pride or satisfaction recalling them. You will use these recalling them. You will use these seven things for the next activity. seven things for the next activity.

What do I want to achieve in my life?

Imagining the best lived-life we can for ourselves helps us to determine our values, our hopes and our dreams.

Activity 6 Activity 6   Imagine you are an elderly grandparent speaking to

your great, great grandchild who asks you what you did in your life. You happily and truthfully tell them that you did everything that you had wanted to. They want details.

 

Write your personal story  Write your personal story explaining what you tell your great, great

grandchild. Include the following:  . Personal aspects . Career aspects . The talents and skills you used . Achievements Note: You could do this in point form if you don’t want to write it all

out.

  

Reflect on your storyReflect on your story

Now look at your story and see if you can identify the talents and skills you enjoy using, the work you want to undertake and the positions and goals you hope to achieve in your future work.

  The table of talents/skills that

follows may also help.

Activity 7 Activity 7 Tick the box which best captures your degree of Tick the box which best captures your degree of interest. interest.

Interest Dislike Not keen Unsure Like Like a lot

Persuading or service

Organising or clerical

Nature or recreation

Practical or mechanical

Helping or advising

Creative or artistic

Analytical

AssignmentAssignment

Now go to Question 3 of your Assessment. This is a plan you will submit.

See if you can fill in the first answer now; if not come back to this later.

 

Occupations you may be Occupations you may be interested in interested in   There are many government websites giving

information on different occupations. One to look at is http://jobsearch.gov.au. Go to the top of this website and click Careers and then look at the information for different occupational groups.

Another website that has information about careers is the Australian Government website. This has a comprehensive listing on careers and descriptions of the skills needed:  http://www.myfuture.edu.au

What follows is a short list of different occupations.

Look through the list to see if there are other occupations you have not thought about or have not heard of.

Information TechnologyInformation TechnologyJob

Job description

Helpdesk consultant Provides remote technical advice and support to help people use computer software and hardware

Graphic designer Produces art and layouts for print and electronic media such as magazines, newspapers, books and websites, and for advertising

Systems analyst Researches, reviews, develops and tests various IT systems

Information technology manager Plans, administers and reviews the use of computer telecommunications systems within various organisations

Webmaster Designs, creates, produces and maintains web pages using relevant software packages

Librarian Manages collections of material that may be contained in books, journals, newspapers, manuscripts, maps films, computer disks, sound recordings, microfilms and CD-ROMS, as well as computerised online services.

Office AdministrationOffice AdministrationJob Job descriptionSecretary Assists professionals by performing clerical, secretarial

and stenographic duties

Receptionist An office worker employed chiefly to receive visitors and answer the telephone.

Executive secretary Usually works for an executive, with more responsibilities than a secretary. The duties vary a great deal according to the size and type of organisation in which they work but experienced secretaries may advance to positions of higher responsibility.

Office manager Manages the functions of an office to ensure the company runs effectively and efficiently.

Desk Top Publisher Produces professionally designed and presented documents using desktop publishing software.

Health care and children’s Health care and children’s servicesservicesJob Job descriptionChild care worker Cares for the social, emotional, physical and educational

needs of infants and young children in various care settings.

Enrolled nurse Under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse, assists in the provision of nursing care in hospitals, aged-care facilities, the community and other health care settings.

Registered nurse Provides preventative, curative and rehabilitative care for patients in a wide variety of settings including public and private hospitals, nursing homes, the community and home-based services and industry.

Chiropractor Works with the body’s bones and muscles, to improve health and movement by manipulation and other therapy.

Social worker Helps people to deal with personal and social problems by carrying out programs that benefit individuals, groups or communities

Job Job description

Community nurse Works in the community providing nursing care and group programs to individuals and families and may be involved in community development programs

Food technologist Develops and improves food products and food standards

Dietary supervisor Supervises the dietary sections usually within a hospital, ensuring patients receive correct meals for their conditions as determined by a dietician

Occupational Therapist

Assesses and treats people who are limited in their ability to undertake the activities of daily life

Day Care Director Manages the activities of child care centres and services

Aged care worker Cares for older people in nursing homes etc

Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, PropertyHuman Resources, PropertyJob Job descriptionAccountant Analyses and gives advice on

financial matters for organisations and individuals.

Accounts Clerk Puts together summaries of the financial transactions of business.

Bookkeeper Maintains records of financial transactions and prepares regular statements and balances of accounts.

Human Resource officer Recruits and employs staff in larger organisations

Real Estate Sales people arrange the sale of houses, businesses, factories, shops and farms on behalf of their client.

Building and engineering Building and engineering Job Job description

Builder Works with tradespeople on construction sites doing a range of manual labouring jobs

Carpenter Constructs wooden structures and fixtures

Architect Develops plans, specifications and drawings for buildings. They may also negotiate with builders and planning authorities.

Civil Engineer Plans, designs, and constructs, structures including roads, bridges, dams, airports and large buildings.

Electrical Engineer Designs and develops electrical systems used in industrial applications.

Landscaper Plans and designs areas for outside areas such as schools, plazas, holiday resorts hotels.

Activity 8 Activity 8    Look at one of the web sites or the

samples provided above. Alternatively, use your own personal experience or friends to help you choose three occupations that interest you.

Now organise these occupations in the order that they appeal to you from 1 (most) to 3 (least).

AssignmentAssignment

Go to Question 3 in your Assignment and write down the first two careers or education goals that interest you, if you have not done so already.

SummarySummary In this section you have:   investigated why people work thought about work you might

be interested in thought about what you might

want to achieve in your life researched occupations of

interest to you.

Section 3:Personal Section 3:Personal effectiveness/ Orientation to effectiveness/ Orientation to workwork

In this section you will learn: Self esteem Attitudes Communication Assertiveness Handling Conflict Stress and coping

What is Self Esteem? - What is Self Esteem? - discussiondiscussionAs a group explore self esteem and what it may mean

and involve. This will create awareness among and look at the way we feel about ourselves and why this is important for mental health. This discussion also challenges that self esteem is either high or low and looks at self worth on a sliding scale. As a group discuss: ‘What is self esteem?’ Scribe answers on board. Group will discuss that Self esteem is the value you give yourself. We all have areas that our self esteem is high and areas in which it may be low. Things we can say, ‘I do that well’ and things we may give ourselves a hard time about. Moreover we have days when we may feel better about ourselves and days in which we may be having a bad day. ‘How do we deal with those bad days? What gets us out of them?’

Building Self Esteem Building Self Esteem Don’t be hard on your self, or focus on your mistakesDon’t blame yourself for the way other people actFocus on positive things Remember what you have to offer no one else in the world can offer – you are unique/one of a kind

Activity: fill in the blanksThings I’ve done that I feel proud of are ……………………………..What I like about myself is…………………………………………………..3 things I’m good at are (strengths)…………………………………….3 things I do that are unique/special are………………………………3 things I need to work on are (limitations)………………………….What I want from my career is…………………………………………….Some things that I’d like to do in my life are …………………………………………………………………………Some things that I’d like to do in the next year are ……………………………………………………………………………

““A Person with High Self-Esteem A Person with High Self-Esteem Knows . . .”Knows . . .”

Discuss how thoughts can affect feelings which then affect behaviour. Look at ‘A Person with High Self Esteem Knows..’ handout and choose 4 favourites from the list. Use as your own personal affirmation card and place in a prominent position eg. mirror. This way each day you can tell yourself something positive.

 “ “

A Person with High Self-Esteem Knows . .” A Person with High Self-Esteem Knows . .” handouthandout

•I have a right to be treated with respect.

•I am human. I make mistakes.

•I am responsible for my own happiness.

•My opinion of myself is more important than others’ opinions of me. I don’t need other people’s approval—even though it would be nice to have it.

•I ask for help because I am worth someone else’s time.

•I am neither wonderful nor helpless. I’m OK.

•I acknowledge my good qualities. Not to do so would be to cheat myself.

•I acknowledge my not-so-good qualities. Not to do so would be to lie to myself.

•I accept challenges as a way to grow.

•I cannot satisfy all my needs, but I am responsible to do what I can to meet them.

•I am still somebody, even if I have been rejected by others.

•I have realistic expectations of myself.

•I have a right to my feelings. No one else can decide how I am supposed to feel.

•I say what I feel. What I have to say is important to me.

•I am capable of defining my own limits and setting my own priorities.

•I will rebuild my life on the foundation of my positive traits.

•I will make and keep commitments.

Self Esteem and Confidence Self Esteem and Confidence DiscussionDiscussion How others actions affect your feelings of

worth/How your behaviour can affect others reactions towards you

Your feelings and appropriate responses to acceptance or rejection. Strategies to overcome fear of rejection or low self esteem

Certain ways to express confidence – positive attitude can be seen in your attitude, the clothes you wear, hygiene and self care

Feeling good about yourself means you will tolerate differences in others

Attitudes Attitudes A common reason given to dismiss people is that they "don't have the right attitude."

What does this mean? What would be looked at by the boss in determining a person's attitude?

What attitudes do you have which could have an effect on the type of job you should do?

What do your answers to the following activity indicate to you, about you?

ACTIVITY – Attitudes handout ACTIVITY – Attitudes handout On the Attitudes handout, CIRCLE those words that apply to you now.UNDERLINE those words that you would like to apply to you.

My attitude to WORK usually is:

slack, dedicated, disorganised, efficient, keen, effective, ambitious, industrious, innovative, hard working, hyperactive, persistent, uncaring, sincere, academic, practical, responsible, lazy, businesslike, flippant, mature, bored, organised, positive, punctual, reliable, immature, adaptable, negative.

My attitude to my FRIENDS/WORKMATES usually is:

cooperative, cheesed off, aloof, independent, superior, inferior, equal, competitive, thoughtful, sympathetic, inspiring, caring, racist, bored, irritable, protective, helpful, shy, quarrelsome, tolerant, friendly, trusting, polite, moody, pushy, aggressive, supportive, sexist.

My attitude to AUTHORITY usually is:

dependable, rebellious, angry, subservient, scared, eager to please, stubborn, loyal, crawler, cautious, suspicious, happy, argumentative, sneaky, open, assertive, passive, aggressive, tolerant, proud, cynical. Job Seeker's Workshop CD Choosing Choosing A Career/Attitudes

Attitudes and Communication Attitudes and Communication RoleplayRoleplay

Three volunteers, go outside to practice roleplay starting a job at Big W - one of them is keen, one is average and the other doesn’t care about the job. Act out their attitude only by using body language - not by speaking. Bring them back into the room. Group is to guess who is who after a short explanation.

Developing assertive Developing assertive communication skillscommunication skillsAssertive “means expressing your point of view in

a way that is clear and direct whilst still respecting others. Communicating in an assertive manner can help you to minimize conflict and to control anger to have your needs better met and to have more positive relationships”

Aggressive means that you try to force people to have your opinion, you don’t respect that they may have a different view and that that is ok. You don’t control your anger and you intimidate people.

Developing assertive Developing assertive communication skills communication skills contcontPassive “Not speaking up for yourself either because

you think your views don’t matter or for reasons like trying to please everyone or keep the peace, putting your needs last to the needs of others, allowing yourself to be bullied or ignored. Speaking quietly, or with a hesitating voice or looking at the ground. E.g. Only if you don’t mind or it really doesn’t matter that much to me – even though it does!

 If you use a passive communication style can be damaging to your self esteem and to your relationships, others are more likely to ignore your needs which may leave you feeling hurt or even angry for not treating you better.

How do you handle conflict How do you handle conflict and stress?and stress?Aggressive, Passive and Assertive

Communication Role Play - Shopping Line:Aggressive –Young Person 1 “Hey you just pushed in, get to

the back of the line”Young Person 2 “But I’m in a rush”Young Person 1 “I don’t give a shit, get to the back bitch”Young Person 2 “Who are you calling a bitch”Young Person 1 “You, how dare you push in front of me”

At this point be really close to Young Person 2 and almost stand over her, then stop the role play as security has now been called.

 

Aggressive, Passive and Assertive Aggressive, Passive and Assertive Communication Role Play CONT - Communication Role Play CONT - Shopping Line:Shopping Line:Assertive-Young Person 1 “Excuse me, there is actually a line

here, it would be better if you could wait your turn, like the rest of us” Young Person 2 “Oh sorry love I didn’t realize” Young Person 1 “No problem”

 Passive- Young Person 2 “Can I just push in cause I’m in a rush”Young Person 1 “Ah…well….if you really are in a rush as I am too, I need to catch the next bus”Young Person 2 “Well yeah I am, thanks for that”

 Get group to discuss which role play was which style and discuss what the outcomes would be in each.

Assertiveness and Assertiveness and Communication RoleplayCommunication Roleplay

Three different volunteers, go outside to practice roleplay starting a job at Big W. Use bad/good attitudes or aggressive/assertive and passive aggressive verbal communication:

questionning and language styles active listening by reflecting back giving feedback assertively receiving it non defensivelyGroup is to guess which is which. What are the

advantages of assertive behaviour?

Stress and it’s causesStress and it’s causes Stress is ok, it’s normal. A certain amount of

stress get’s a person motivated. Stress is simply a response or reaction to something stressful. Although when stress in a person’s life becomes greater that their individual coping capacity, they can become ill from stress.People respond differently to situations that make them feel angry or worried or overloaded. Highly stressed people worry about things that may not worry other people.

Discuss – what makes you Discuss – what makes you stressed?stressed?

Exams, Arguments, Homework, Being harassed, Being left out of a group, A new school, Getting married, Having a baby, Moving out of home, Going to the dentist, Going for a job interview, Taking on a new responsibility

How to cope with stress?How to cope with stress?Usually learnt from parentsBecause it’s a learnt thing that means

you can re-learn new coping skills to deal with stress better

Think back to stressful times. How did you deal with it, was it helpful? Was there a situation where you dealt with stress really well?

Discuss as a group. Write down stress coping strategies to remind you for the future

Skills, attitudes and values Skills, attitudes and values required to gain employment - required to gain employment - DiscussDiscussWhy are those skills, attitudes learnt earlier

important? They are considered work valuesDiscuss the need for co-operation, mutual

respect and reciprocal effort in the workplace.Why is self image, self motivation and self

confidence important?Prepare strategies for self improvement

eg.punctuality

Section 4Section 4

OHS – Occupational Health and Safety

Presented by David/Charlie Pagano VU Community Initiatives Group

Section 5 - Education pathway Section 5 - Education pathway

Now you may have some ideas for occupations or jobs you are interested in. But how do you get there? You may already know what you need to know about jobs or occupations you are interested in. If not, you need to do some research to find out something about the jobs or occupations.

You need to plan an education pathway. This is the way qualifications you gain at school, TAFE or other training providers are linked up so you can reach your career goal by different pathways. It can also mean identifying the education qualifications you need to enter a particular occupation.

Who can help you? Who can help you?

There are many people who can help you find out what courses you may need to complete or what experience you may need to have. Imagine you want a job in retail.

The following are suggestions about how to find The following are suggestions about how to find out about a retail job: out about a retail job:

Talk to friends or family who work in retail

Ask at a store: Here’s what the manager of a large store said: ‘We like to employ people who have their School Certificate and have some experience serving customers and handling cash. We also really like them to go and study Certificate II in Retail.

…. Suggestions cont.

Ask a TAFE counsellor Look at the Victoria University website

for course information. Go to selected retail course, click on the course code and course details. You can get information about any course on this website. Go to http://www.vu.edu.au/courses

Course information Course information

TAFE has excellent information about occupations and courses and pathways into those careers. Look at the sample Course Information that follows. Look at a course of interest and find out more information about it.

TAFE directory TAFE directory Look at the TAFE courses directory website for course on offer. When contacting TAFE they will send you information about courses. All it takes is a phone call to ask for a leaflet or an Internet search to obtain your own information. To start searching for a course, enter a key word into the search box to the left. Another option is to browse through a listing of jobs and careers, or go to search for a job outcome.

http://www.tafe.vic.gov.au/TAFECourses/

Activity 9 Activity 9

Occupation Course

Occupation 1

Occupation 2

Occupation 3

Now complete the table below.

Fill in the course you may need to complete to enter each of the occupations you chose earlier.

Explain why a course is not needed if this is the case.

Entry requirements for selected Entry requirements for selected occupations occupations

What is an entry requirement?

To do a course you must meet the entry requirements of that course. Course information leaflets that describe courses also describe the entry requirements that you need. The entry requirement may be a previous educational qualification or it could be a certain age or certain experience.

Examples of some entry Examples of some entry requirementsrequirementsCourse Entry requirements

Certificate I in Vocational Preparation conducted by TAFE.

You need to have the ability to read and interpret short, simple text, as well as write simple sentences.

Certificate IV in Business run by TAFE that trains students for the following career opportunities: receptionist, administrative assistant and secretary.

No entry requirements. Selection process requires educational qualifications, employment history (volunteer work) and life experience etc. These are taken into account in selection.

Diploma of Community Services Lifestyle and Leisure run by TAFE that trains students for the following career opportunities at: residential facilities and community agencies and day care centres.

To qualify for admission, it is preferred that applicants have completed either an aged care or a disability course at certificate III level or equivalent. All applicants must attend an interview. Recognition of Prior Learning may be available based on skills and knowledge acquired by the applicant through previous study as in articulation, informal or formal learning or from work and/or life experience.

Selection criteria and selection Selection criteria and selection method method

Some courses are more popular than others and course co-ordinators must make a decision on who they can accept for enrolment. For example, if there are two hundred applicants and one hundred places you have to make a case to compete for the small number of places.

A course co-ordinator can tell you what the selection criteria will be. The selection criteria are the factors taken into account when TAFE Victoria assesses and scores your application form and decides if you will be offered a place in a high demand course.  Courses run by private colleges also have selection criteria which may or may not be the same as TAFE.

  For most courses you need to address the selection criteria on the next page when you fill in your application form. Courses run by private colleges also have selection criteria which may or may not be the same as TAFE.

For most courses you need to address the selection criteria on the next page when you fill in your application form.

 Selection Criteria  Part C in a TAFE application form  Education and training: Here you would put any

previous education and training  Part D in a TAFE application form  Demonstrated relevance of the course: If you need

to study the course to continue working in an area that would be relevant.

 

For example, Yu Ling would write out the following on her application form when she finishes CGVE and wants to apply to study the Certificate III in Business:

Selection criteria  Part C in an application form  Education and training - Completed CGVE in 2007   Part D in an application form Demonstrated relevance of the course I am working in an office part-time and would like to

complete the Certificate III in Business so I can get a full time job.

I have a good knowledge of office work from my part-time experience and my supervisor has written a letter to support my application.

I have attached this letter.

Entry point to a course Entry point to a course

  There are different entry points to a course according to the education level you have obtained. Look at the following diagram for some entry points to some of the business courses.

  You can see that for two courses a Year 10 Certificate or equivalent like the Certificate in General and Vocational Education would be an entry point. However to enter Certificate IV you need to have completed Certificate III in Business. This is the entry point to Certificate IV.

Statement of Attainment in

Medical Administration

Minimum Year10

Certificate IV in Business Administration

Certificate III entry

Certificate III in Business

Year 10

Harder

Easier

Transferable experience Transferable experience

Sometimes the entry requirements are specific and the experience you have may not clearly match. However, you can try to show it is transferable experience.

Consider the case of Julie who wanted to do the Aged Care Certificate.

She had looked after her grandmother for six months before she passed away from a terminal illness. Julie also had experience in running a playgroup before this.

She needed to prove this experience as just telling a teacher she had this experience was not enough.

Julie got a letter from her doctor who was impressed by the care Julie had given her grandmother. The secretary of the play group gave her a letter to verify that she had worked hard in the play group role. Julie was accepted into the course because the experience she had was accepted as transferable experience.

It pays to think about experiences you have had and how they may be used to prove certain skills!

Barriers to achieving your Barriers to achieving your goals goals

 Outside barriers  When you are planning for a career

it is wise to plan for the unexpected.

Careers can change as technology changes, demand changes, the economy slows etc.

Some examples:  At one time service stations employed people to

fill up your car but now you fill it yourself and it is rare to be offered this service.

Some department stores have introduced self serve registers where you scan your item and put your money in a machine, doing away with many of the cash register operators.

Many companies have taken their business overseas and retrenched Australian workers preferring to hire cheaper workers overseas.

These are just a few examples of the changes you may face in terms of career changes that may be forced upon you.

What can you do about this?

Have a backup plan and look at a number of career options. You never know when a barrier might be thrown up by changes like this.

Internal barriers Internal barriers  Sometimes we do not plan to overcome our

own internal barriers. For example:   Not having enough confidence in our own

abilities Not making enough time to study Putting the work of researching a job or

career off till another time Not getting enough information about a

course until you start and then decide it is not right for you

Activity 10 Activity 10

  

What are your barriers to achieving your career plan and how can you plan for the unexpected?

_________________________

Career pathway Career pathway

 

A career pathway is the unique route you choose, from the many routes available, to reach your career goals. It will involve you completing formal or informal learning, developing your skills and experiencing education and training, community and personal life.

So if we take the retail example earlier and you complete the Certificate II Retail course and get a job in retail, you might then aim to become a store manager/supervisor and a course like Certificate III Retail, Certificate IV Retail Management or Diploma of Retail Management may help. You could then go on to do a Bachelor of Business (Retail Commerce and/or Marketing)

What level qualification is right for What level qualification is right for you? you?   If you look at the pathway diagram for retail

you will see different qualification levels mentioned (see VU Course Guide 2010: go to http://www.vu.edu.au/courses/find-a-course/course-handbooks-and-guides Click on Undergraduate course guide, Go to pg 24-26).

You will notice that it is called a pathway because you may enter at one point with a low level qualification and then move up the career ladder and possibly complete another qualification.

Look at the example given on the next page.

Diploma of Retail

Management

Store Manager, Merchandise

Manager, Buyer, Sales Manager

Sound business management principles and

practices of retail management

Certificate IV in Retail

Management(Traineeship only)

Store Manager, Department Manager, Merchandise Manager,

Sales Manager, Customer Service

Manager, Shift Manager

Higher management or support large retail

senior management or retail store

management business retail

Certificate III in Retail (Industry only traineeship)

Sales assistant, Customer Service Representative, Crew Leader, Shift Manager, Team

Leader, Department manager, Assistant Store Manager,

Checkout Supervisor, Merchandise Coordinator Basic retail

operational knowledge and

practical skills to enter the retail

industry

Certificate II in Retail (Traineeship

only)

Sales assistant, Customer Service Representative, Crew Member,

Checkout Operator

Education Job/Outcome Job Education Job/Outcome Job DescriptionDescriptionBachelor of

Business (Retail Commerce

and/or Marketing)

Retail Operations Manager,

Merchandising, Administration, Finance

and Sales promotion

Retail operations and/or supervision

First line management for

various retail and/or wholesale industries

Grading of qualifications—AQF Grading of qualifications—AQF   It used to be confusing for some people working

out what are low level qualifications and what are higher level qualifications. The Australian Qualifications Framework now makes this easier.

Qualifications are now designed to take with you anywhere in Australia. The national framework that is used throughout Australia is called the Australian Qualifications Framework or AQF. The framework helps you move through different education levels and different state systems by standardising the outcomes achieved.

You can be sure that what you learn at TAFE measures up to rigorous national standards. This framework makes sure that TAFE and other trainers and the qualifications they issue are recognised throughout Australia.

 

Vocational and Education Training Vocational and Education Training Sector (VET) Sector (VET)    Education levels Difficulty TAFE Statement, Statement of Easier Attainment and other short courses Certificate 1 Certificate11 Certificate111 Certificate1V Diploma Advanced Diploma Graduate Certificate Graduate Diploma Harder

Higher Education Sector-University

Diploma EasierAdvanced Diploma Bachelor Degree Graduate Certificate Graduate Diploma Master’s Degree Doctoral Degree Harder

SummarySummary  In this section you have completed the following:

 . Looked at why you want to work and asked others why they work

. Investigated your areas of interest for work

. Chosen three occupations of interest

. Started thinking about an education pathway

. Looked at entry requirements for the courses that may be necessary to complete in order to gain the job you want

. Looked at barriers you might face, both external and internal

. Looked at the levels of qualifications

. Looked at the qualifications framework in Australia

Section 6 – My plan Section 6 – My plan  

Have you ever booked a holiday and received an itinerary? Have you arranged to meet friends and had to organise a place, a time and a date? We often put more work into planning our holidays and social life than we do into mapping our work and life directions.

  

What is a plan? What is a plan?   A plan refers to a detailed series of

steps and it usually includes the following elements:

. Aims or goal statements

. Timeframes

. Strategies for achieving your goal

. Milestones

. Contingency arrangements

. Some way of monitoring your plan

The aim or goal The aim or goal  This needs to be specific. Successful people tend to

set specific goals for themselves. This is particularly the case with athletes.

One study that was conducted gave two groups of people a paper with different written instructions. One group was directed to write down as many things they could think of about the beach and the second group was told to write down fifteen things they could think of. Whenever this experiment was conducted the group that had specific instructions with a number to achieve always did better than the group without a specific goal.

So the first step in planning is to think about specific goals and test that they are specific.

 

    

Short term, medium and long term Short term, medium and long term plans plans

 Short term planning  Short term plans are just that, they may be

a plan to achieve some goal weekly, monthly or for any period less than a year. Short term planning you usually do regularly and unconsciously.

One example might be your weekly shopping. This plan can be broken down into the elements of planning.

The goal The goal is your weekly shopping.

Timeframe The timeframe would be the time you allocate, perhaps an hour on Saturday morning.

Strategy The strategy you use might be to write out a list of things you need.

Milestones The milestones may be to finish at the butchers, the fruit and vegetable shop and the liquor shop. Each part is a major part complete.

Contingency arrangements You might find that a particular special has run out at Woolworths so you might try Coles. Another example may be that apples are too expensive so you might buy oranges.

Monitoring your plan Monitoring your plan

There are different methods you could choose, they may include:

 . Keeping within your budget . Checking off the list you made . Having enough food for everyone

to eat for the week.

 So we all do plan and that shopping list can be worthwhile planning time.

What other examples of short What other examples of short term plans can you think of? term plans can you think of?

 . Making up a budget . Paying off a lay-by . Arranging a party . Planning a camping trip . Making up a study

timetable

Medium term planning Medium term planning

 

  A medium term plan is usually considered to be a plan that has a time period between 1 and 2 years. The plan to build a house over a year would be a medium term plan.

 

Activity 11 Activity 11  Imagine a plan for building a house and

answer the questions: 1. What is the goal? 2. What is the timeframe? 3. Write down eight steps that are part of the

plan, these could be viewed as the milestones along the way.

4. Think of an alternative arrangement the builder might have to make to ensure that he sticks to his timetable

5. How could the builder monitor his plan?

Activity 11 Feedback Activity 11 Feedback

1. Build a house 2. In the timeframe of one year 3. Footings, Framework, walls, roof, electrical work, finishing, painting, landscaping 4. Alternative arrangements may be to have extra tradesmen or to do two steps at the same time if there was a delay with another step.

  Long term plans Long term plans

A long term plan is a plan that covers a timeframe of more than two years. Some examples of long term plans are: Paying off a house Saving for retirement Saving for house renovations Finishing the CGVE course then studying the HSC Completing the CGVE course and then taking on an apprenticeship Paying off a car

Planning for your course Planning for your course

There are many strategies that you can use to do short term planning and medium term planning for your studies. Some examples: A diary is a good tool to use and many students work out a yearly study program using this as their main tool. Microsoft Calendar is also a good tool to use. Microsoft also has a tasks area in the Calendar. See the following sample for a monthly planning tool. This way you can plan your study or work weekly or monthly.

Now go to your hotmail/email address and see if you have a calendar.

Medium term plan—education plan Medium term plan—education plan

Much of the planning related to your course will be medium term planning and this will be your education plan.

Education plan Education plan As part of your education plan you have set a goal- in this case to finish your course and possibly to go on to further study or get a job of some kind. You may have a timeframe of one year or two years if you are working part-time. The significant steps are the ones outlined in your Course information booklet and the hours you need to study a week. The alternative arrangements are ways you intend to complete work if you became sick or if there is some other unforseen circumstance.

Long term education plan Long term education plan

This is a plan for a timeframe longer than two years. It may be an education plan that includes studying the VCE and going to university or it may be a plan to complete an apprenticeship or get a job in a specific occupational area.

Why include alternative Why include alternative arrangements in your plan? arrangements in your plan?

Life is full of twists and turns and often you cannot plan for the changes that you need to make. Consider this example.

 Ruhiyah planned to work in the local florist and attend TAFE to become qualified. Unfortunately the florist closed because there was not enough demand. Ruhiyah needed to revise her plan. She still had options- she could move out of the area or look for work in another occupation, or possibly start a small home business.

Benefits of writing your plan Benefits of writing your plan downdown

Writing your plan down forces you to think clearly about your goals and to think about the steps you need to take to achieve the goals. You also have something to refer to that you can pin on a wall and check off small steps as you achieve them. If you have an idea of the hours per week you need to study you can work out a plan. For an example of a study guide and diary Go to https://www.oten.edu.au/ols/resource/127/general/3202/OLS%202009_OTEN_Student_Diary_web.pdf

Google ‘study timetable’ to find a website that has Google ‘study timetable’ to find a website that has some study tips that would be useful. Here is an some study tips that would be useful. Here is an example of a study timetable.example of a study timetable.

Feedback from others Feedback from others People can help you plan and give you lots of hints, or even work experience.

  Ruhiyah would never have thought of starting a business herself but a friend suggested that they could work together to plan and arrange weddings.

  Julie would not have considered looking after her grandmother as appropriate experience to help her enter the Aged Care Course, however, her doctor suggested using it.

Yu Ling would not have thought about a receptionist job but her mother saw the advertisement and suggested it.

So an important part of your plan is to show it to others and get somefeedback or suggestions. Make sure you do this with your plan

An education plan An education plan An education plan has the same elements as any medium

term plan: Aims/goal statement Timeframes Milestones or special times Alternative arrangements

The education plan we are going to work on is a medium term plan of between 1-2 years.

In this education plan you need to consider what education you need for careers you may want to enter. It is a chance to plan for a job when you finish this course.

See a sample plan following: See a sample plan following:

What do I want for my future?

The lifestyle you want, the job you see yourself in, the things you think will make you happy

I would like to help other people and know I would enjoy working with older people or very young children. I need the money to help my children and enjoy working with people.

How do I get there? How do I get there? The education pathway I need to follow.

Aged Care Work

I want to do Aged Care work. The pathway I need to follow is I need to preference get a job in this field and need a police clearance before undertaking workplace training. Then I can complete the Certificate 111 in Aged Care. I could go on and do nursing if I really like the work.

Child care

  I could also work in a child care centre so I would need to complete Year 12 or equivalent and then complete a Certificate 111 in Children’s Services. This is a course that is hard to get into so I may need to do volunteer work first.

Who can help me? Who can help me?

What are the things or people who will help me?

My family, my friends, counsellors, teachers

I need my husband and children to share the load at home while I study but it should set a good example for my children.

What are my barriers? What are my barriers? Things that could get in my way.

My children are demanding and I get very tired. I can overcome this by getting up early and studying in the morning and then when they are at school.

I need to do a short term study timetable to help get me organised.

What are the things I must What are the things I must choose? choose?

Include the training, jobs available in my area and education I need.

I need to check that there are jobs available in my area and that they do not have a long waiting list. I also need to see how many places are offered in the courses.

Seeking feedback from others Seeking feedback from others

People can help you plan and give you lots of hints, possibly work experience.

I have a friend who works in a nursing home so I will talk to her about the work. I also have a friend who is a nurse and I will talk to her. Another friend knows the teacher at the local child care centre so she said she would introduce me.

What do I know about the What do I know about the occupations I have chosen? occupations I have chosen?

Education required? Experience required? Salary? Work conditions?

  I have found out about the education required and I will look up more when I get closer to finishing my course.

I have not found out about the salary or the rosters or any of those things as yet.  

What do I need to find out?

More about each occupation.

Summary Summary In this section you have completed

the following:   Features of a plan Benefits of writing a plan down Benefits of making alternative

arrangements Benefits of gaining feedback from

others Drafting your own education plan

Assignment Assignment

Now turn to question 3 in your Assessment and complete your plan by answering all the other points. Finally, answer question 4.

Hand in the completed Assessment

Section 7 Section 7 Resumes/InterviewsResumes/InterviewsWhat you will learn in this section:Research a company for a potential jobHow to do a cover letterWhat you need in a resume Job Interviews - roleplaysTime manage to get to the interview

on time

Researching a companyResearching a companyWhere to go: yellow pages, internet,

employment agencies, newspapersActivity: Go to seek.com.auOnce you have found a job you are

interested in. Find out if they offer casual, permanent, shift work, seasonal, outsourced work. What’s the purpose and products of the workplace? What’s the worksite layout and production process? Hours of operation? Name of supervisor and team members?

Now Google the company to find out what sought of industry it is? How many employees do they have? Is it a rapid/slow growth industry? What other career pathways do they have? What skills do you need to enter their workplace?

Activity – Telephone roleplayActivity – Telephone roleplay

In pairs, roleplay a phone call in response to a job advertisement.

Introduce yourself, ask for appropriate person.

Tell them that you are enquiring about the job as advertised in …., and how you would like to submit an application.

Tell them of your strengths and interests in the job.

What is the street/email address. What else is needed to send with your resume?

Cover letters Cover letters

Look at hand out example and see what is expected in a cover letter. See fax cover sheet.

Activity: Have a go at writing a cover letter in response to a job advertisement.

ResumesResumesExplaining resumes and Do’s and don’ts. Look at handout.ACTIVITYWrite your own resume on the computer. Use a template from the Word program. Click the Microsoft Office Button, select New then scroll down and choose Resumes. Highlight the template you want to use and click Download. A new file will open in the template you’ve selected. Type out details, then save it to a USB, email to yourself or save on desktop. Update to suit different jobs. Address and look at selection criteria handout.

Job interviewsJob interviewsJob interview role play

Get into pairs, and role play a job interview in front of the group (questions follow). The group are then to tell you what you did well and what needs improvement.

JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS – role JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS – role playplay

So, tell me about yourself Why do you want to do this job / work for this

company? What do you think you have to offer this company? What do you know about the company? What do you believe are your key strengths? What do you believe are your weaknesses? Where do you see yourself in five years time? Can you give some skills that you have? Do you work well under pressure? Tell me about when something went wrong Tell me about a time when you have come across

conflict in the workplace

Interview/new job - time Interview/new job - time management Mapmanagement Map

Map out from start to finish of how to get to your new job/interview on time. Make sure you turn up for work/interview 10 minutes beforehand.Eg. Make time to prepare lunch/showerIf you are driving allow time for trafficIf you are catching public transport Look up Metlink for timetable a day before. Go to the Metlink journey planner websitehttp://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/

Brainstorm as a focus group volunteer scribe please!!!!!

What did you like about the program?

What didn’t you like about the program

How can we do things better?

If we had a guest speaker, what would you like them to talk about?

The end……………….is just the The end……………….is just the beginning!!!beginning!!!

We wish you well in your endeavours to a career or education.• You are halfway there to a Cert 1

Vocational Preparation so call Ruth/Charlie ph: 99197387/99197390

• Please be sure to see a VU Youth Worker if you need further advice for education. We are happy to support you ph:90918223/90918224/90918225