Parents
As parents it can be confusing when it comes to advising your son or daughter about their career options. Parents really do have a vital role in influencing their children’s choice of career. Explore some of the sites on this page and our links page in order to inform yourself about the various pathways a young person may choose to take.
If you talk to your child about the things that they like doing and explore careers from there, it is far more likely to be a pleasant discussion and a rewarding one!
Try some of these links to familiarize yourself with what is out there for young people transitioning from school to work or from school to further study.
A guide to options and choices for after school life
Hints to overcome HSC stress and pressure as well as information for parents of HSC students
The School Leaver’s Resource Guide with lots of information and a summary of other sites and brochures
DEEWR site with brochures you can view or order for free for young people and parents
Descriptions of many jobs including training required and institutions which provide the training
A unique and comprehensive online career information service designed to help students make an informed decision on career planning and pathways.
Also contains a very extensive personality test programme for career choice.
Parents and workplacement
Parents and Carers should access and read the guide below prior to their sons or daughters attending workplacement as it contains important information about workplacement. You should be provided with a copy of this guide from school or TAFE your child attends. Or the guide can be accessed here –
Parent & Carers Guide to Workplace Learning.
Workplacement is a compulsory part of your student’s HSC when studying a VET course. It is just as important as all their other assessment tasks. If a student does not complete the mandatory hours of workplacement they can be awarded an N award and thus, not be awarded the HSC.
How can parents help their children while they are on workplacement?
- Ensure that you have carefully read and signed their Student Placement Record, provided to you by the school or TAFE. This guarantees your child is insured. Check that everyone else such as the employer and the school/TAFE has signed the form.
- Encourage and assist them to call the employer a week before the placement to introduce themselves and ask questions about how to get there, what to wear etc. This is very important as some employers will refuse to accept students who turn up without calling first.
- Ensure that they take a copy of the Student Placement Record and any other paper work with them on the first day. Ensure they have some kind of emergency contact card or sheet with school numbers and home numbers in case of an emergency.
- Ensure that they have the correct equipment with them eg. Workboots, hard hat, chef’s uniform, appropriate clothing etc. Details of these requirements will be on the Student Placement Record or on the Employers Profile sheet.
- Help them to research transport options. Try this website for public transport:www.131500.com.au
- Ensure that they attend every day and that they are punctual. If they are REALLY sick, ensure that the school and the employer are notified. They will need to make up the hours they miss at another time and perhaps with another employer. They will need a doctor’s certificate and will need to discuss make up hours with their teacher.
- Encourage them to be positive and to be enthusiastic even if it is not the job they really want to do. They will gain some useful skills and may even secure a part time job.
- Encourage them to leave a thank you card for their employer and to give feedback to their teacher or to us about how the workplacement went.
If you are able to offer workplacements for students please contact us and we will be happy to forward some information and come and visit you.