Career education in year 12: I apply

Year 12 students need to be able to critically examine their career goals and have sound knowledge of the requirements for their planned further education, training or employment choices. They need to be aware of alternative pathways to achieve their preferred future and prepare at least one optional career choice.

Students at this stage will need to tailor their career action plan to their needs. For those students choosing to progress to further education, their career action plan will focus on short-term goals that address selection requirements and processes. For those young people who intend to enter the workforce either for employment or training, including those deferring, the focus is on developing the skills and materials to seek employment including updating their résumé and preparing for job interviews.

In developing their career action plan, students will focus on the strategic steps to achieving their pathway plan with emphasis on the academic, financial and individual demands of their goals. The students should be able to identify and document experiences and activities that demonstrate their skills, abilities and attributes. Students should be capable of effectively using a range of career resources and be making effective use of their allies.

The career education activities and development of the career action plan can be incorporated into a range of components of senior certificate programs or other programs offered by individual schools and training providers.

Year 12 career education program

Learning outcome: self development

Learning outcomes

  1. Understand and analyse how achievements related to work, leisure, voluntary work and learning influence self-concept.
  2. Re-examine your personal characteristics and determine those that contribute positively to the achievement of your life, learning and work goals.

Teachers, trainers and careers practitioners at the Year 12 level are encouraged to complete their own alignment of VCE subjects and VCAL and VET units based on their unique learning and teaching context.  Detailed examples of how to approach alignment of studies in the VCE, VCAL and VET have been provided at the Year 11 level. Teachers, trainers and careers practitioners should refer to curriculum and assessment material published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). For more information on VCAA resources please refer to:

Links to the Australian Blueprint for career development

Phase III
Area A: Personal Management
  • Competency 1: Build and maintain a positive self-image
  • Competency 2: Interact positively and effectively with others
  • Competency 3: Change and grow throughout life

Teaching Resources

Teacher planning questions

  1. Am I familiar with the career aspirations of my students?
  2. How well do I understand the further education and training requirements for students applying through VTAC?
  3. Do I understand the requirements for students applying for an apprenticeship?
  4. What assistance can I provide to my students in helping them achieve their career goals? (e.g. provide a reference for a SEAS application, review a trial apprenticeship aptitude test)

Additional activities

  1. Review your resume and update any skills, abilities, experiences and interests. Check that your referees are still available or appropriate.
  2. Add any new certificates, qualifications, awards or academic reports to your career portfolio.
  3. Research a range of cover letters and develop a sample to include in your career portfolio.
  4. Use your career action plan checklist to collate your portfolio.

Learning outcome: career exploration

Learning outcomes

  1. Identify how your education and training achievements affect your available options for courses, programs, workplace training and/or entry into work.
  2. Locate and use education and training information, occupational and industry information and labour market information in the career building process.

Teachers, trainers and careers practitioners at the Year 12 level are encouraged to complete their own alignment of VCE subjects and VCAL and VET units based on their unique learning and teaching context.  Detailed examples of how to approach alignment of studies in the VCE, VCAL and VET have been provided at the Year 11 level. Teachers, trainers and careers practitioners should refer to curriculum and assessment material published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). For more information on VCAA resources please refer to:

Links to the Australian Blueprint for career development

Phase III
Area B: Learning and Work Exploration
  • Competency 4: Participate in lifelong learning
  • Competency 5: Locate and effectively use career information
  • Competency 6: Understand the relationship between work, society and the economy.

Teaching resources

Teacher planning questions

  1. Am I familiar with the career aspirations of my students?
  2. How well do I understand the further education and training requirements for students applying through VTAC?
  3. Do I understand the requirements for students applying for an apprenticeship?
  4. What assistance can I provide to my students in helping them achieve their career goals? (e.g. provide a reference for a SEAS application, review a trial apprenticeship aptitude test)

Additional activities

  1. Review your resume and update any skills, abilities, experiences and interests. Check that your referees are still available or appropriate.
  2. Add any new certificates, qualifications, awards or academic reports to your career portfolio.
  3. Research a range of cover letters and develop a sample to include in your career portfolio.
  4. Use your career action plan checklist to collate your portfolio.

Learning outcome: career management

Learning outcomes

  1. Consider the possible implications of changes in learning and work for your own career goals and plans including financial options.
  2. Understand and apply problem-solving and goal-setting strategies in making career and life decisions.

Teachers, trainers and careers practitioners at the Year 12 level are encouraged to complete their own alignment of VCE subjects and VCAL and VET units based on their unique learning and teaching context.  Detailed examples of how to approach alignment of studies in the VCE, VCAL and VET have been provided at the Year 11 level. Teachers, trainers and careers practitioners should refer to curriculum and assessment material published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). For more information on VCAA resources please refer to:

Links to the Australian Blueprint for career development

Phase III
Area C: Career Building
  • Competency 7: Secure/create and maintain work
  • Competency 8: Make career-enhancing decisions
  • Competency 9: Maintain balanced life and work roles
  • Competency 10: Understand the changing nature of life and work roles
  • Competency 11: Understand, engage in and manage the career-building process

Teaching resources

Teacher planning questions

  1. Am I familiar with the career aspirations of my students?
  2. How well do I understand the further education and training requirements for students applying through VTAC?
  3. Do I understand the requirements for students applying for an apprenticeship?
  4. What assistance can I provide to my students in helping them achieve their career goals? (e.g. provide a reference for a SEAS application, review a trial apprenticeship aptitude test)

Additional activities

  1. Review your resume and update any skills, abilities, experiences and interests. Check that your referees are still available or appropriate.
  2. Add any new certificates, qualifications, awards or academic reports to your career portfolio.
  3. Research a range of cover letters and develop a sample to include in your career portfolio.
  4. Use your career action plan checklist to update your career portfolio.

Career action plans

The framework focuses the student’s attention on recognising and creating opportunities to make informed career choices by defining their career goals in an annual career action plan.

In each year of their career education programs, students develop a career action plan that reflects their increased learning, identifies future actions and builds on previous planning. 

Students at this level can also develop a portfolio or e-portfolio which is updated each semester and reflects their entry and prerequisite requirements, application calendar and work experiences in preparation for course selection and tertiary studies.

In-school activities that involve community engagement and participation should be a key feature of a career portfolio particularly for student’s considering tertiary courses that use interviews as primary selection.

For sample templates, see: 

Teacher advice

When preparing to implement the framework it is important that teachers reflect on the following questions:

  1. Do l have students from diverse backgrounds? If so, am l coordinating with their families, support agencies and their communities?
  2. Do l have any Koorie students? If so, am l coordinating effectively with Koorie education support officers, Koorie transition officers, Koorie families and the Koorie community?
  3. How do my own attitudes affect the way l assist students with their career goals/planning?
  4. Do l have high enough expectations of all my students in relation to their career planning?