Career action plans

​A career action plan is a dynamic planning document owned and managed by young people intended to reflect their increased career development learning.

The plan helps young people:

  • set their goals
  • clarify the actions needed to achieve these goals
  • commit to participating in the planned activities.

Ownership

Young people should assume ownership of their career action plan. Parents and staff can work with them to help them complete the plan. The young person must be actively involved in the process.

Parents, family members, community members, carers, guardians or other trusted adults are encouraged to comment on their young person’s plan.

Using the career action plan

The career action plan is most effective when used in conjunction with the learning outcomes in the Victorian Careers Curriculum Framework.

Young people should complete a career action plan every year from years 7 to 12 when enrolled in a school or while enrolled with a VET provider or in the Learn Local adult community education sector. The plan should be continually revised to reflect career development activities taken throughout the year. Maintaining a plan is an ongoing process, not a one-off activity.

Customise the career action plan templates below to meet the needs of your young people. For example, education and training providers may choose to change images and words depending on individual needs.

The year level associated with a career action plan may be used as a guide for young people with disabilities in special school settings. For example, the year 7 career action plan aligns with young people aged approximately 13 years.

Components

​Years 7 t​​o 10

The plan contains a range of components that develop progressively across years 7 to 10. The components reflect the three stages of career development. The components include:

  • My profile: Self-development information to assist young people to understand themselves and the influences on them through identification of interests, values and skills.
  • My progress: Self-development information to assist young people to reflect on their experiences and achievements over the past year.
  • My goals and plans: Self-development information to assist young people to develop their capabilities, and career exploration information to encourage location, investigation and consideration of opportunities in learning and future work options.
  • My review: Career management information to assist young people to adjust their career action plans and manage their life choices, changes and transitions.

Years 11, 12 VET and Learn Local students​​​

The career action plans for young people in years 11 and 12, and at VET or Learn Locals:

  • concentrate on career management information through additional components
  • address career choices and the attributes and skills required to achieve them.

The additional components include:

  • My future: Career exploration information to assist young people to consider attributes, skills, education/training requirements, courses and labour market information relating to their career choices
  • My plan: Career management information to assist young people to reflect on past goals before setting new goals that align with their career choices.

The s​​ix steps

Another component of the career action plan involves the six steps in a young person’s acquisition of skills and knowledge for lifelong career self-management. Although young people complete all six steps each year, the career action plans focus on a different step each year. The six steps are:

  • I Discover: young people discover their strengths and talents
  • I Explore: young people explore the world of work and their place in it
  • I Focus: young people focus on their values and interests
  • I Plan: young people use decision-making skills to plan their learning and career programs
  • I Decide: young people decide on their best options and opportunities
  • I Apply: young people apply their skills and knowledge to their learning and career planning.

Alignment with other plans

The career action plan should complement, not replace, other existing planning documents associated with the young person.

Other plans could be the:

  • Koorie education learning plan
  • Student aspirational learning plan
  • Individual learning plan developed for young people receiving support through the Program for Students with Disabilities.

To ensure consistency between planning documents, it is recommended educators work with members of the Koorie education workforce and Student Support Group.

Templates

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12

Learn Local and VET