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.
Piloted in 2022 and expanded upon in 2023, “Reimagining Work Experience” 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:
- Victoria Police
- RSPCA
- Endota Spa / Endota Wellness College
- Box Hill Institute (Nursing and Victoria Big Builds)
- CafEducation