The Challenge
To facilitate innovative, industry-based career immersion activities that are viable alternatives to the traditional work experience programs offered to secondary students.
In addition to creating a bridge between secondary school and postsecondary success, immersive career activities play a critical role for secondary students. High-quality career immersion helps give meaning to the learning students are doing while in school, provides focus for decision-making, and inspires hope for where their learning and hard work can take them.
The Result
In partnership with local industry and training providers, Gateway LLEN hosted a week-long series of “Reimagining Work Experience” activities. Each activity was aligned to one of the (6 priority/ 6 flexible) VDSS pathways and was developed to address recommendations 32 and 33 of the Firth review and explore middle years responses.
Since its pilot in 2022, the Reimagining Work Experience program has been expanded throughout 2023 to 2025. The program provides students the opportunity to develop careers insight into sector-specific occupations and gain a sense of the workplace by directly engaging with industries that have been identified as priority industry sectors and areas of interest by schools in the region.
The structure and content of each experience is developed collaboratively with each industry partner; generally comprising of and comprise of a site tour, careers insight presentation and two relevant practical activities.
Key industry partners include:
- CafEducation
- Endota Spa/Endota Wellness College
- Hawthorn Football Club
- Port of Melbourne
- RSPCA
- Victoria Police
- Victoria Tunnelling Centre