Untitled Document

Youth Transitions

Careers Teachers in Industry - Case Studies

Case Studies 2008

The case studies below can be used by teachers as a source of ideas for enhancing their school’s links with industry. You will also find links to resources, created by the program participants, which could be used or adapted for your own school setting.

back to top

Caroline Torode – Streamlining Work Experience at Museum Victoria

Museum Victoria is a popular destination for young people undertaking year 10 Work Experience and Structured Workplace Learning (SWL). Caroline wanted to increase both her own understanding of what could be expected during placements at the Museum, and develop awareness around the Work Experience and SWL programs within the organisation.

During her 3 weeks with the Museum, Caroline established a number of valuable relationships and worked with staff members to develop a suite of practical resources. In the spirit of good partnerships, this work has resulted in positive outcomes for Museum Victoria, Brimbank College and any young person seeking work experience with the Museum.

The resources developed by Caroline and her partners were: 

  • A draft Work Experience page for the Museum Victoria intranet site (MuseNet). The page was designed to inform potential employees about the work experience program and assist them in planning appropriate activities.
  • A student package containing meaningful activities. The activities require students to apply the knowledge gained on work experience.
  • A streamlined work experience application process including an application form that can be completed and submitted on-line.

Caroline ensured that awareness was raised by delivering presentations on her placement experiences to the staff at Museum Victoria and as part of the Western Metropolitan Region Careers and Transition Day. She has also used the relationship developed with the Museum to enter into discussions around establishing staff sharing arrangements between the Museum and Brimbank College.

back to top

Vaughan Patullock – Investigating VET in Schools and Industry Shortages

The Kyabram community is one of a number currently experiencing the severe impacts of industry skills shortages, the effects of the prolonged drought and young people migrating away to pursue further education, training and careers in the cities. Improving the retention rate of young people in the Goulbourn Valley represents a real means to addressing both skills shortages and the changing community demographic. Vaughan saw the IPP as an opportunity to assist in addressing these issues.

Vaughan is a careers teacher at Kyabram Secondary College and the coordinator of the school’s Managed Individual Pathways program. He utilised his scholarship to undertake specific research into industry perspectives on the relationship between VET in Schools (VETiS), skills shortages in the region and students’ employment opportunities.

Vaughan undertook a literature survey, and conducted a number of interviews with careers teachers and industry personnel around skills shortages and VETiS.

The outcomes of his research have been amalgamated into a significant, in-depth report, which aims to create better awareness of the particular skills shortages in the region and the vocational education programs in schools. He hopes it will serve to create better links between his school and industry, and most importantly, encourage students from across the Goulburn Murray region to fully appreciate the pathways that VET opens up for them into full time work and careers.

back to top

Russell Wheaton – Experiencing the Alpine Building Industry

When Russell set out to explore a local industry that was suffering a skills shortage, he did so with a desire to get his hands dirty. He wanted to experience for himself what it was really like to work in the alpine building industry, so he could help young people to know what to expect as a new apprentice.

Russell spent 3 weeks with CASBAK builders at Mt Hotham, getting to understand the variety of activities undertaken by a building company and trying his hand at some typical apprentice duties.

Russell used the knowledge and experience gained during his placement to produce an information resource for students considering a vocational career pathway. The student resource offers a personal account of the pros and cons associated with working on a building site. There is also a detailed breakdown of the many jobs available in the industry, a list of local employers and an outline of the preferred personal qualities of employees. 

back to top

Peter Tuohy – Working for the City of Casey

Peter undertook a placement with the City of Casey, with the aim of producing a concise and succinct resource for students on ‘Careers at the City of Casey.’

With the help of his mentor, the City of Casey Human Resources Manager, Peter constructed a schedule of questions and set out to interview as many people as time allowed. He asked employees about the duties they perform, what skills and training are required and how they might accommodate students within their departments.

Importantly, Peter identified a person within each department to field questions from students and who could also provide further information about the requirements of specific jobs or career pathways. The departments’ responses to these student questions were overwhelmingly positive. Many have undertaken to provide Structured Workplace Learning positions for VCAL students in 2008 (19 positions on offer to this point) as well as industry visits for groups of Year 10 Work Experience students.

Peter’s final resource highlights key information on the range of employment opportunities within the twenty-two departments making up Casey’s corporate structure. Information covers areas such as the types of work undertaken, required personal traits, useful senior secondary programs, and associated training at TAFE and University. The resource provides up to date information for students in a user-friendly format and reveals a range of career options available within their community and within their grasp.

back to top

Graeme Poynton – A two-pronged approach

Graeme took the opportunity of the IPP to develop his professional knowledge in two areas of industry training and employment; apprenticeships though group training and careers in local government. 

During his 3 week placement with Westvic Workforce, Graeme shadowed several employees on their daily duties, attended meetings and participated in training sessions. This experience deepened his understanding of the vast array of training opportunities available. He developed a brochure outlining the factors to be considered by young people seeking a School Based Apprenticeship and the benefits of engaging with a group training provider. This resource, along with a heightened knowledge of industry training pathways and enhanced relationships with local field officers, will enable Graeme to offer more comprehensive career advice and support to students.  

On completion of his placement with WestVic, Graeme became involved in an altogether different partnership project with Moyne Shire Council, South West LLEN, the Ai Group Regional Industry Career Advisor and another nearby school. The partners worked together to organise a Careers and Futures Expo over two Moyne Shire locations. His involvement was motivated by the apparent lack of student awareness around the diversity of careers available within local government. At the expo, young people heard addresses from Shire representatives including the Mayor, participated in small group workshops and attended site visits. Many commented that they were amazed by the number of different careers within the council.  

Graeme’s diverse experiences demonstrate the opportunities that exist for schools to become involved in productive partnerships to develop the career awareness of young people.

back to top

Jacinta Tse – Building a relationship with Cryovac

Jacinta approached Cryovac for her industry placement because of the company’s large presence in her school’s local area at Fawkner. The Fawkner location is Cryovac’s head office for the Asia Pacific region, and Jacinta recognised the opportunities this presented for interested students to pursue a career pathway with a major international company. However, her limited knowledge of the plastics or manufacturing industries prevented her from being able to offer informed advice. The IPP seemed like the ideal way for her to learn.

Jacinta’s time with Cryovac was spent getting to know personnel performing roles ranging from administration and customer service, to product development and information technology. She was not only interested in the types of duties performed and necessary qualifications, but also in the way each employee felt about working in their role and how their work balanced with their broader lifestyle. She used this information to create a brochure informing young people about careers in the food packaging industry. Jacinta was interested to learn about the complex processes and highly skilled professionals at work behind producing the cheese and meat packaging that we all take for granted every day.   

The relationships developed during her time with Cryovac have already resulted in direct benefits for students at Jacinta’s school. They have attended an industry visit at the Fawkner site and the school has hosted Cryovac representatives to talk to students about careers in manufacturing. She has also worked with the company to organise a VCAL work placement program. In the longer term, Jacinta and her industry colleagues at Cryovac are hoping to establish an ongoing school-industry collaboration focusing on environmental projects.

back to top

Cheryl Torpey – A Careers Link for Mallee Catchment Management Authority

“Links can be forged through improved awareness of career advisors” - Cheryl Torpey

Consistent with trends across regional Victoria, Ouyen experiences a migration of young people away from the area on completion of school. Cheryl, a teacher at Ouyen Secondary College, wanted to help address this problem. She wanted to find a way to inform young people of the career opportunities available in their local area.

As a major employer in her school’s district, the Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) was an obvious choice for Cheryl’s industry placement.

Through field trips and interviews with a wide variety of staff members, she developed her understanding of the role of a CMA. She also gathered information on who the organisation was employing and what skills they were looking for, and looked into opportunities for work experience, traineeships and apprenticeships.

Two important findings emerged from Cheryl’s investigations:

  • The Mallee CMA provides real and lucrative local employment opportunities for those interested in environmental and resource management, science and agriculture; and
  • The Mallee CMA has a keen interest in strengthening its community links

As a result of these findings, Cheryl and the CMA worked together to develop a careers link for the organisation’s public website. Cheryl’s understanding of the information needs of young people combined with the CMA’s knowledge of specific job requirements informed the development of the link. The end product is a valuable resource for the Mallee district community that will hopefully assist in the retention of young people embarking on their career journeys.

See:

back to top

Sue Erwin and Rhonda Fletcher – Next steps for young people with a disability

All young people face challenges when making the transition from compulsory schooling. Young people with an intellectual disability face these same challenges, but with an added layer of complexity. As teachers from specialist schools, Sue and Rhonda shared a concern for young people and their families trying to navigate the often overwhelming post-school environment. They decided to put their heads together and use the opportunity presented through the IPP to develop a resource to support students and their families in making informed decisions regarding further education and training, careers and services.

Over three weeks, Sue and Rhonda set about interviewing government service providers, teacher networks, disability support workers, past and present students, parents and community networks. This process helped them to improve their knowledge of the specialised transition support and post-school options available. They discovered that many young people with an intellectual disability and their families experience difficulty in accessing information regarding these services and deciding which are most appropriate for them. Sue and Rhonda used the insights and knowledge gained though their research to develop a resource package that is user-friendly, up-to date, and responsive to the needs of the target cohort and their families.

The resource was initially conceived as an exit package for young people with an intellectual disability leaving school. However, as the resource was taking shape, Sue and Rhonda began to realise its potential to assist in the Managed Individual Pathways (MIPs) process for all students aged 15 years and older at their schools. The resource is now in use at both teachers’ schools. It is distributed to assist young people completing school and their families, but also used as a teaching resource in the career education program, helping students build a solid foundation for a successful transition through MIPs. 

The IPP has served as a launching pad for Sue’s and Rhonda’s project. From here, they will continue to develop and update their resource, ensuring it continues to add value to both career education programs and post-school outcomes for the young people at their schools.   

back to top

Pennie Hadjithimou and Kerry-Ann Wainwright - Cross School Collaboration

By collaborating on their industry placement and project, Pennie and Kerry-Ann were able to cover a lot of ground.

First, they attended a workshop conducted by the then Department of Education, Science and Training, which improved their understanding of how Local Community Partnerships (LCPs) and Regional Industry Career Advisors (RICAs) interact with schools and employers to assist young people in finding a suitable education, training or employment option. Pennie and Kerry-Ann appreciated the opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns at the workshop, as well as learn about the skills needs in their local area. The workshop also served as an initial point of contact from which stemmed a productive dialogue between the teachers and the LCP that lasted several weeks. The dialogue revolved around issues regarding employers’ understanding of VET and VCAL, new methods of accreditation and learning, sharing information on skills shortages and more.  

Pennie and Kerry-Ann then undertook the industry component of their placement at Melbourne Eastern Group Training (MEGT) in Ringwood where they explored the services and programs available through the organisation. They shadowed MEGT Industry Employment Consultants in a wide range of fields, meeting both employers and young employees. During their time with MEGT, Pennie and Kerry-Ann compiled a large collection of photographs of young people working in a variety of fields with a training pathway. These photos were used to develop a set of classroom posters designed to increase the awareness of students in years 7 – 9 around the variety of career destinations achievable through apprenticeships or traineeships. The posters are available for download through the link below.

Pennie and Kerry-Ann comment that the IPP has been invaluable to their respective schools. They have established a constructive relationship with their LCP and, along with the posters, have also developed improved strategies for advising students on employment and training options, current and future skills shortages and how to present favourably to potential employers and training providers.  

back to top

Janet Incledon – Careers that Move

Janet approached her industry placement with a desire to squeeze as much out of the opportunity as possible. She chose to focus on the transport and logistics industry, and planned her placement along with an industry mentor, Dr Hermione Parsons from the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (DIIRD). With broad experience working in both government and the private sector, Dr Parsons was able to help Janet organise an amazing program of industry visits.

Over three weeks, Janet visited companies involved in road, rail and sea transport, warehousing, ports, transport and logistics training, professional logistics advice, barcoding and supporting industry workers. She found all organisations to be welcoming of her visits and more than willing for her to attend meetings and site tours, and to interview employees. Her eyes were opened to the sheer size and complexity of the industry, as well as the important role it plays in our everyday lives.

Janet has actively sought opportunities to share the knowledge gained during her placement with a variety of audiences. She delivered addresses at both the Freight Week conference in Melbourne and the DIIRD Transport and Logistics Round Table Meeting. She used these opportunities to outline her ideas for services that could assist young people interested in a career in the industry and encouraged industry representatives to devote more resources to ongoing programs targeted at secondary students. She also partnered with her LCP to organise a careers expo at her school, called Careers that Move, highlighting the transport, logistics and maritime industry.

Janet greatly values the opportunity the IPP provided to gain insight into ‘the real world’ outside of school. She now feels confident in promoting careers in transport and logistics to colleagues, students and parents. She also fields offers from industry representatives to come and present at her school. Janet’s positive experience should encourage other teachers to get out into the ‘real world’ and make the connections that can lead to improved outcomes for both young people and industry.

back to top

Peter Bollard – Understanding automotive

Peter wanted to use the Industry Placement Program to help both the teachers and students at his Warrnambool school understand more about an industry in the local area. He had noticed a decline in the number of students pursuing training and employment in automotive and observed a lack of awareness of automotive industry careers among teachers.

He made contact with the Warrnambool Automotive Industry Committee and, after meeting with some of the Committee representatives, realised that there was an opportunity for him and the industry to help each other. The industry is experiencing severe skills shortages and sees attracting high quality young people to apprenticeships and other related training as critical to addressing this problem. However, a stronger understanding of the needs and attitudes of the newest generation of job seekers is required in order to effectively promote careers in the automotive industry.

Peter hoped to use the IPP to help bridge the knowledge gap between local schools and the automotive industry. He attended a diverse range of automotive businesses and interviewed employees ranging from apprentices to experienced technicians and senior business managers. He developed a strong understanding of the variety of pathways available across the industry and the issues faced by both employers and employees. He also engaged in productive conversations with employers regarding the challenges associated with attracting and retaining ‘Generation Y’.

When he returned to school, Peter put his new knowledge and connections to work by organising a shared industry visit for year eight students from three local secondary colleges. He has arranged for students who attended the visits to be invited back with their parents in 2008 to have a personalised tour of one of the dealerships in Warrnambool on the Warrnambool Automotive Industry Open Day. These tours are intended to encourage students and their parents to feel confident about the opportunities and pathways available in the automotive field. Peter has also re-examined his school’s technology education program, in light of what he learnt on his placement, to find ways in which it could be modified to incorporate skills sets development in shortage areas.

His industry placement has enabled Peter to establish valuable links between a local industry that is suffering from a declining workforce and schools that represent a potential skills pool. Peter hopes the inclusion of automotive industry visits in the career education curriculum and amendments to his school’s technology education program will represent ongoing improvements to pathways between school and careers in automotive for young people in Warrnambool.

back to top

Jane Bloodworth – Working in Transport and Logistics

The transport and logistics industry is diverse, global and experiencing rapid growth. It offers exciting career pathways for young people with a variety of skills and interests. Jane wanted to work with a company to increase awareness of these pathways and Toll Holdings, being Australia’s largest logistics company, seemed like the perfect partner.   

Jane was keen to get a sense of the variety of careers available within such a large organisation, and she was not disappointed. During her placement, she spent time interviewing staff and touring the operations of a number of Toll’s businesses. She visited corporate head office, the national contact centre, docks and warehouses. She even spent two days accompanying pick-up and delivery drivers on their routes.

Representatives from across the company expressed a strong desire to get young people more informed of the career opportunities available in transport and logistics. Jane believed that she could help to achieve this and since her placement, has been actively using her new knowledge and contacts to bridge the gap between the industry and young people exploring their career options.

The results of Jane’s placement are evident both in her own school and the industry. Transport and Logistics has been incorporated into the business program at her school and links have been formed with local logistics businesses to arrange industry tours, speakers and school based apprenticeships. Jane delivered a presentation to a large industry audience as part of Freight Week and she has developed a brochure that is being professionally published and used by Toll to connect with schools.

Jane is encouraged by Toll’s eagerness to work with schools towards positive outcomes for both the industry and young people. She would like to see other school careers coordinators tapping into this area and working in partnership with employers and industry bodies to both open up pathways for young people and address industry needs.

back to top

Lynda Vague – Making the link with Australian Apprenticeships

In order to gain maximum value from the Industry Placement Program, Lynda looked at her school’s destination data and Strategic Plan in deciding where to undertake her placement. She selected LINK Employment and Training, a group training company, because of her school’s emphasis on increasing the number of year 12 completers attaining a destination with a training component.

Lynda interviewed and observed LINK trainers in a wide variety of fields ranging from children’s services and aged care, to construction and automotive. She also sat in on some pre-apprenticeship testing and applicant interviews, and met with the Manager of Training to discuss considerations for young people, schools and industry around training pathways. Discussion focussed on factors affecting the attainment of a training or apprenticeship position and completion rates. 

Her time with LINK helped Lynda to clarify her understanding of the role of group training companies as well as some of the things schools can do to better prepare students for apprenticeships and traineeships.

Through her relationship with LINK, Lynda has been able to implement several initiatives contributing to the attainment of her school’s strategic goals. LINK’s Manager of Training delivered a presentation at the school, and four LINK recruiters worked through the application and interview process with students. All students gained valuable experience and received written feedback from the recruiters. Some were invited by LINK to continue the application process on completion of their exams. Students’ eyes were opened to the expectations of potential employers and the alternatives that should be considered if unsuccessful in achieving a first preference.

The connections made during Lynda’s placement have resulted in her students connecting more directly with the world of training and careers, and a new capacity for the school to facilitate interviews between students and LINK as vacancies arise.

back to top

More information

See: Industry Placement Program