Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)
Career Advice Australia
Career Advice Australia is an Australian Government initiative committed to improving the quality of career education and helping young Australians make a smooth transition from school to further study, training or work.
Who is Career Advice Australia for?
Career Advice Australia aims to assist all young Australians aged 13-19 years through a range of programs and services. The Career Advice Australia network helps parents, schools and career teachers better understand post school options, industry developments and current career opportunities. The initiative also encourages industry and employers to help shape their future workforce by being actively involved in young peoples' career and transitions development.
Programs and Services
Local Community Partnerships
A national network of over 130 Local Community Partnerships covering 213 service regions work with schools, parents, businesses and community organisations to assist young people to obtain career development skills, relevant work experience, a better understanding of post school options and access to professional career advice.
This is achieved through three Australian Government funded programs:
- The Structured Workplace Learning program facilitates the provision of structured workplace learning opportunities to students in a real or simulated workplace.
- The Career and Transitions Support program facilitates access for young people to a range of career and transition support programs.
- The Adopt a School program encourages businesses to work with school(s) to engage young people in hands-on learning experiences and develop their understanding of work and employability skills.
Quality LinCS Mentors for our Students Pilot Program
In December 2008, Quality LinCS was successful in obtaining funding from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to trial a mentoring program in the region. The Mentors for our Students (MfoS) pilot program is an exciting opportunity for young people and schools in the Quality LinCs region. The program will target identified skill shortage careers in the trades, professional and paraprofessional careers associated with maths, science, and engineering subjects. Each MfoS pilot program must ensure a minimum of 30 mentors and 90 students are engaged.
The program aims to:
- engage young people with recently retired tradespeople, professionals and paraprofessionals as mentors to encourage young people to seek out careers in areas experiencing skill shortages and to enhance their industry knowledge;
- utilise the knowledge and experience of older Australians to pass on their skills and knowledge to young Australians; and
- improve school retention rates and transitions of young people.
Key objectives of the program are to:
- ensure that young people are able to explore career options and increase their knowledge of the work environment;
- encourage young people to seek out careers in areas experiencing skill shortages and to enhance their industry knowledge;
- support young people to stay in school;
- pass on the skills and knowledge of older Australians to young Australians; and
- improve transitions of young people.
- improve the profile and understanding of skill shortage areas for young people and consequently lift participation, improve economic productivity and growth and improve labour market flexibility.
The program also aims to help meet future skill needs, address current skill shortages, address the challenges of an ageing workforce and in doing so secure the workforce of the future by using the skills and knowledge of retired Australians.
Several schools in the Quality LinCS region have expressed an interest in their involvement in the program. Currently 10 schools have registered their interest. The response from the community has been excellent. Quality LinCs has received Registration of Interest forms from a number of possible mentors. All mentors will receive police checks and complete Induction and Mandatory Notification training in May. Mentoring will commence in schools in July. All mentoring will occur at the schools sites and will be predominately 1:1 mentoring. Some group mentoring will be offered.
For further information on the Mentors for our Students program or for a Registration of Interest form please contact Nicole Theodorou on 8372 6951 or 0407 393 708 or email quality.lincs@urrbraehs.sa.edu.au
Regional Industry Career Advisers
Regional Industry Career Advisers facilitate relationships between businesses and schools; they engage employers and industry bodies within their region, and using these networks provide advice, information and resources through Local Community Partnerships to schools and young people. Fifty-seven Regional Industry Career Advisers work in service regions across Australia to bring schools and businesses together to ensure that all young people have access to high quality, relevant, regional industry career information.
National Industry Career Specialists
Ten National Industry Career Specialists support the Regional Industry Career Advisers network through providing industry specific career information. Each National Industry Career Specialist represents an industry sector and focuses on identifying skills needs, training pathways and career opportunities within their industry sector.
Youth Pathways
Youth Pathways assist the most at-risk young people to make a successful transition though to the completion of Year 12 (or equivalent), and ultimately, to further education, training or employment and active participation in the community. Intensive individualised assistance and transition support is delivered by over 60 providers in 100 service regions covering the nation.
Connections
The Connections initiative provides young people who are disconnected from mainstream schooling with another chance at learning through flexible and accredited education and training options delivered in supported community settings. Under the Career Advice Australia network the Connections program will be extended to national coverage through 60 service regions across Australia.
Other ways that Career Advice Australia is improving the standard and status of career support include: Scholarships for School Career Advisers; Australian Career Development Studies; School and Industry Leaders' Forums; and the Career Education Lighthouse Schools Project.
What are Local Community Partnerships?
Local Community Partnerships (LCPs) implement three Australian Government funded career development and transition support programs:
- The Structured Workplace Learning program facilitates the provision of structured workplace learning opportunities to students in a real or simulated workplace.
- The Career and Transitions Support program facilitates access for young people to a range of career and transition support programs.
- The Adopt a School program encourages businesses to work with school(s) to engage young people in hands-on learning experiences and develop their understanding of work and employability skills.
Local Community Partnerships work with schools, parents, businesses and community organisations to help young Australians.
What do LCPS do?
LCPs assist young people by working with schools, industry and professional career development practitioners to:
- develop individual transition plans and improve understanding of study and work options
- provide access to professional career advice
- facilitate industry work placements
- engage parents, teachers and career advisers in education about post school options
- manage and promote industry led Adopt a School projects
- promote vocational and technical education pathways and opportunities
- enhance monitoring and mentoring arrangements for all young people, particularly year 9 and 10 students.