Career education in year 7: I discover

Year 7 students use a range of activities to discover their strengths and interests to develop a positive self-image that provides the foundation for optimistic pathway planning. They develop an awareness of the importance of social and interpersonal skills in their future life and work roles.

Students investigate the contribution of work to the community and family, recognising the role of paid and unpaid work. They focus on understanding issues relating to stereotyping and discrimination through the study of occupational and labour market information.

Students build their career action plan on the self-knowledge they have acquired through the activities they have undertaken.

Year 7 career education program

Learning outcome: self development

Learning outcome 1


1. Recognise the importance of how behaviour and attitude affect personal performance.
Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 1, Term 1
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Physical, Personal and Social Learning: Interpersonal Development, Personal Learning
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities - Economics, English
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication, Thinking Processes
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non-Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work Education Classes
Planned classroom activities
  1. Review achievements, skills and qualities through a timeline of major life events.
  2. Draft a personal statement of current career aspirations.
  3. Identify a mentor and prepare a career profile.
  4. Begin a career action plan using goal setting strategies.
Learning and teaching resources
Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeApply knowledge and skills (e.g. in the areas of personal management, interpersonal relations, planning) in familiar contexts.
Sample assessment taskUse the career action plan template to complete a career action plan that indicates three short-term learning goals to be achieved by the end of the first term.

 

Learning outcome 2


2. Utilise effective social and interpersonal skills when interacting with others.
Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 1, Term 1
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Physical, Personal and Social Learning: Interpersonal Learning, Personal Learning
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities – Economics, English
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication, ICT, Thinking Processes
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work Education Classes
Planned classroom activities
  1. Negotiate ground rules for group work.
  2. Develop a strategy for organising time, including effective use of school diary to improve performance.
Learning and teaching resources
Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeTransfer knowledge and skills (e.g. in the areas of personal management, interpersonal relations, planning) to various contexts.
Sample assessment taskGroup activity: Use ICT to complete and present a PowerPoint presentation to the class on a selected topic, e.g. work through the ages.

 

Learning outcome 3


3. Understand the concept of stereotypes, biases and discriminatory behaviour in relation to career and work options.
Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 1, Term 2
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Physical, Personal and Social Learning: Interpersonal Development, Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities – Economics, English
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication, Thinking Processes
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work Education Classes
Planned classroom activities
  1. Collect and analyse images of people in work.
  2. Debate views on 'men's jobs' and 'women's jobs'; work versus non-work or unemployment.
  3. Identify ways to challenge stereotyping, at school, home or in the workplace.
Learning and teaching resources
Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeHave a knowledge of content (e.g. terminology, vocabulary, information) in relation to career research.
Sample assessment taskDevelop a list of words related to stereotypes in the workplace. Identify three types of discriminatory behaviours in the workplace and offer possible solutions for these behaviours.

Links to the Australian Blueprint for career development

Phase I/II

Area A: Personal Management

  • Competency 1: Build and maintain positive self-image
  • Competency 2: Interact positively and effectively with others
  • Competency 3: Change and grow throughout life

Teaching resources

Teacher planning questions:

  1. What are some of the ways I can help students record their dreams and aspirations?
  2. How well do I know what my students’ career goals are?
  3. Am I current with my knowledge of the ways in which the subject I teach fits into the world of work?
  4. Do I find opportunities for group discussions to talk about issues like stereotyping and biases with relation to social interaction, careers and work?
  5. Have I discussed the importance of how having the right attitudes, interests, values and beliefs, influences career choices?
  6. What are the ways in which I can help students explore the vital role of positive communication amongst peers and adults?
  7. Are there ways in which I can communicate career education activities for my subject area with parents through events in school?

Learning outcome: career exploration

Learning outcome 4


Discover how different kinds of work require different combinations of skills and knowledge.
Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 1, Term 2
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities – Economics, English
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication, Thinking Processes
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work Education Classes
Planned classroom activities
  1. Match employability skills with subjects in school.
  2. Match personal qualities to employers' personal attributes.
  3. Mind-map skills, talents and qualities of students in the classroom.
Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeApply knowledge and skills in the appropriate contexts (how work requires various combinations of skills).
Sample assessment taskIn pairs, students:
  1. List and discuss skills learned outside the classroom that can be used at school or in the workplace.
  2. Discuss the skills they have developed in school (academic subjects, sport, music, art) and how they can be used at work.

Learning outcome 5


Understand the contribution of work to family life and explore the effect of work on people's lifestyles.

Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 2, Term 3
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Physical, Personal and Social Learning: Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities – Economics
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication, ICT, Thinking Processes
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work Education Classes
Planned classroom activities
  1. Define the term 'work'.
  2. Match personal qualities to employers' personal attributes.
  3. Collect and analyse images of people in work.
  4. Investigate people's feelings about work.
  5. Research different people's career paths.
  6. Identify jobs for life - or not.
  7. Explore working from home, self-employment and globalisation.
Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeApply knowledge and skills in the appropriate contexts (areas like contribution of work to family life and lifestyles).
Sample assessment task

Students conduct a survey of people they know who work at home and in the community. Students produce a report in a written, oral or visual format that examines why the people they have surveyed work and how it affects their family and their lifestyles.

Learning outcome 6


Explore the different types of work opportunities, including paid and unpaid work, volunteer work, self-employment and periods of unemployment in people’s career journey.

Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 2, Term 4
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Physical, Personal and Social Learning: Personal Learning
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities – Economics
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Thinking Processes
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work Education Classes
Planned classroom activities
  1. Research the language used in different jobs and workplaces.
  2. Explore and explain vocational education and training and its place in their career action plan.
Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeHave a knowledge of content (terminology, vocabulary, information) in relation to career research.
Sample assessment task

Links to the Australian Blueprint for career development

Phase I/II/

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

The Australian Blueprint for Career Development

Teacher planning questions

  1. Have I discussed with my students that acquiring the maximum amount of varied skills and knowledge will open up a wide range of careers and jobs to choose from?
  2. What is the best way to keep parents informed of their children’s career choices? How is the family affected by those choices?
  3. Am I emphasising the fact that developing good learning habits and study skills helps achieve good education and better career options?
  4. Have I helped my students begin to understand the ways in which work contributes to family life and the community and the effect work has on their lifestyles?
  5. Have I explained the impact that a good academic record of the past, present and future has when selecting careers and job roles?
  6. What are the various ways in which I can help students practice writing a career portfolio? How can they use technology for this purpose?
  7. Have I discussed with the students that their career journey would include paid, unpaid, and volunteer work and that there would be periods of unemployment as well?

Learning outcome: career management

Learning outcome 7

7. Recognise the underlying concepts of the career building process by developing a career action plan that includes goal setting.

Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 2, Term 3
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities – Economics
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication, Thinking Processes
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work Education Classes
Planned classroom activities
  1. Prepare a career action plan that reflects their aspirations, interests and abilities and indicates their career planning steps.
  2. Link learning to career ideas and goals.
  3. Present their career action plan for a career guidance interview.
Learning and teaching resources
Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeApply knowledge and skills (e.g. in the areas of personal management, interpersonal relations, planning) in familiar contexts.
Sample assessment taskUse the career action plan template to: Update career action plan reviewing the three short-term learning goals to be achieved by the end of Term 4.

Learning outcome 8


8. Explore the education and training requirements of various work roles.
Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 2, Term 4
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Physical, Personal and Social Learning: Personal Learning
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities – Economics
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Thinking Processes
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work
Planned classroom activities
  1. Research the language used in different jobs and workplaces.
  2. Explore and explain vocational education and training and its place in their career action plan.
  3. Choose a mentor, someone they admire and track their career journey.
Learning and teaching resources

Decision Learning Careers Resources

Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeHave a knowledge of content (e.g. terminology, vocabulary, information) in relation to career research.
Sample assessment task

Learning outcome 9


9. Understand the range of career information resources through networks, the internet, television and newspapers that provide occupational and industry information.
Delivery timeframe adviceSemester 2, Term 3
VELS Domains Standards Level 5
  • Discipline-Based Learning: The Humanities – Economics
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: Communication, ICT
  • Careers/Work Education Classes
  • Non Government: Pastoral Care, Religious Education or Careers/Work
Planned classroom activities
  1. Use the library, careers centre, software, the internet, guest speakers and other sources of media to prepare a Career Research Portfolio.
  2. Identify occupation families and qualification levels.
  3. Explain possible progression routes through a sample chosen career pathway.
Learning and teaching resources
Sample assessment advice to achieve the learning outcomeHave a knowledge of content (e.g. terminology, vocabulary, information) in relation to career research.
Sample assessment taskUse a range of resources to locate five occupations of interest. Students choose one to present to the class/group.

Links to the Australian Blueprint for career development

Phase I/II

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 assisting my students to develop career action plans and helping with their goal setting?
  2. Have I given students leads to collect information through networks, the internet, television and the newspaper for their career information resources?
  3. How do I support my students when they are making decisions and career choices?
  4. Have l explored with my students how a variety of problem solving strategies can help them with goal setting and making career and life decisions?
  5. Am I providing students with guidelines on how to locate information on educational, social, industrial and economic trends when working on career choices?
  6. Have I emphasised the importance of developing short-term career action plans that are flexible and adaptable?
  7. Have I informed students of how personal goals can be achieved through combining work, community, social and family roles?

Additional activity

Interview someone whom you know, who is employed in a non-traditional trade (for example: a female builder or a male childcare worker, or someone who has selected an unusual occupation in the trades) and ask them about the positives and negatives of being in the kind of job they are in. Students may like to present their findings in a multimedia format.

​​​Career actio​​n plans

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

For sample templates, see:

Teacher ad​​vice

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?