VET and Workplace Learning (WPL)

White Card Training

At the start of Term Two, a group of 25 Senior School students took up the opportunity to complete the White Card Training Course at school. Delivered by Paragon Training, these students have identified construction as a potential career pathway and have taken the first step in pursuing what continues to be one of the state’s largest industries. Congratulations to these students who have made a positive and proactive commitment to creating real pathway opportunities for themselves. Other students who are interested in this industry, and are yet to complete their White Card Training, are encouraged to look out for future Connect notices which will advertise further opportunities to complete the course.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Workplace Learning 

The College has 56 Senior School students who will be undertaking their work placements at the end of May 2024. This is a great opportunity for these learners to develop essential work-based skills, work closely with industry experts and complete the relevant Workplace Learning requirements to achieve credits for their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). Industries include construction, hospitality, automotive, education, retail, surveying, sports and recreation, community care to name a few and clearly show the range of work placements available to our students. We wish them all well as they embark an exciting part of their career development journey.

Try-A-Trade 

The Construction Training Fund (CTF) provide funding for groups of school students to complete a range of construction-based activities through the Try-A-Trade Program. Delivered by NM TAFE – Clarkson, 14 of our students will ‘try’ bricklaying, tiling and plastering over a 3-day period. This is a great opportunity for these students as they get a taste of what these trade-based roles are like and can make informed pathway decisions. We wish them all a successful and enjoyable Try-A-Trade experience.

Adam Smith
Senior School Pathways 

Careers Corner 

On Friday, 3 May 2024 a group of 41 Year 9 female students interested in exploring careers in construction, attended the Construction Futures Centre (CFC) in Belmont. Students got to hear all about the many opportunities available to them if they chose to pursue a career in the construction industry. CFC staff were more than happy to explain why employers are seeking to employ female staff, who they feel make great employees.

Ashley Mouritz
Careers Practitioner

E: ashley.mouritz@education.wa.edu.au

National Careers Week
Monday, 13 to Friday, 17 May 2024 

National Careers Week (NCW) was celebrated across Australia, between Monday, 13 and Friday, 17 May 2024 (Week 5). The purpose of NCW is to promote the importance of career development and to encourage young people, their educators, and guardians to have conversations about the importance of career development, career planning and importantly, career decision making. Contemporary research highlights that although schools and educators play important roles in influencing the career decisions of young people, the most influential people are student’s parents, guardians, and their siblings. This is why it is so important for family members and guardians to be regularly having career related conversations with their children.

NCW, is an important week within the Term Two calendar as it aims to raise awareness of, and celebrate, the range of career pathway opportunities and services within Australia, particularly for young people. As our Year 10 students begin to consider their senior school options and the Year 12’s continue to plan beyond secondary school completion, NCW serves to remind them of the importance of making positive and informed choices. Mr Mouritz and Mr Smith will be on hand throughout the week to support all Belridge Secondary College students.

Students and parents can find a range of information regarding NCW at https://careersweek.com.au.

There will be several significant career related events taking place at Belridge Secondary College during and after NCW, predominantly being organised by the College’s Program Coordinator – Senior School Pathways, Mr Smith and Career Practitioner, Mr Mouritz.  Both Mr Smith and Mr Mouritz are highly qualified and experienced Career Pathways staff members, located within the Career Hub who are available to support students and the wider school community in career pathway guidance.

Mr Mouritz’ role is to support all Belridge Secondary College students and staff to plan and implement career education learning across the College and to support individual students with their career pathway journeys and decision-making processes.

Mr Smith coordinates all components of Vocational Education and Training (VET), both in and out of school, the Workplace Learning Program (WPL) and guiding Senior School students on pathway options.

Both Mr Mouritz and Mr Smith are available for students and parents to make appointments with.  Contact details via email:

E: adam.smith3@education.wa.edu.au or

E: ashley.mouritz@education.wa.edu.au

Finally, the Career Hub space has recently had a ‘makeover’ with a ‘lick of paint’ to freshen up the area, a new TV screen with weekly career hints, tips and information, and flyers and pamphlets available for students to take away with them. Please come down and check it out! 

Year 10 Career Education

Edith Cowan University spoke with ATAR bound Year 10 students at the beginning of Week 5 regarding their post school university pathway options. In addition, one hundred Year 10 students attended WA’s largest Careers Expo on Friday, 17 May 2024. This was be a great opportunity for students to directly network with employer and trainer representatives, ask lots of career related questions and become more informed of their career pathway options. Attendance at the event will assist students with their career development and decision making and will hopefully help guide students with their senior secondary subject selection processes, that will be taking place towards the end of Term Two.  All students and members of the College community are invited to attend WA’s biggest careers event, being held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Thursday, 16 to Sunday, 19 May. Entry is free. Visit www.careers-expo.com.au to find out more about the event, including the list of exhibitors, exceeding 120.

Later in the term students in Year 10 will also be involved in a series of career education sessions held by classroom teachers and coordinated by the College’s Career Practitioner, Mr Mouritz. Students will be supported to register for and begin compiling an individual profile on the My Future career navigation and planning tool. My Future is the premier career navigation and planning tool used by over two million Australians each year. Users create a profile and complete a range of activities designed to help them identify their skills, abilities, and interests. My Future then uses an algorithm to suggest suitable careers. Students are then prompted and supported to explore careers of interest and complete action planning for pursuing their goals. These career education sessions are designed to support students to choose appropriate upper school courses for Year 11, that will enable them to enter relevant career pathways. Visit My Future to find out more – www.myfuture.edu.au.

Students will also be informed of the importance and process involved in gaining a Unique Student Identifier (USI), which is necessary for enrolment and recording of TAFE, training and university course learning. All Year 10 students will be instructed that it is a requirement they register for a USI – via www.usi.gov.au – and then communicate their USI details to the College, before the end of Term Two. Students can contact the College’s Career Practitioner, Mr Mouritz, if they need assistance with this important process. 

Ashley Mourtiz 
Career Practitioner; and 

Adam Smith
Program Coordinator - Senior School Pathways

Year 9 ‘Furniture Polishing’ Career Taster
Thursday, 28 March 2024

On Thursday, 28 March 2024 a group of Year 9 students attended North Metropolitan TAFE’s Balga campus for a Furniture Polishing career taster. Furniture Polishing is a niche industry that has been largely replaced by mass production and overseas outsourcing of timber manufacturing and coating. Nevertheless, there is still a demand for the specialised skills and expertise of furniture polishers in both residential and commercial fields. Furniture Polishers largely work with timber products, but they also apply finishes to other surfaces, such as fabricated cladding and metal. Furniture Polishing can involve applying finishes to decorative surfaces; removing old finishes and replacing them; mixing and applying stains, paint, lacquers, and varnishes; and making repairs to damaged furniture and timber products. As the excursion was held at North Metropolitan TAFE students had to be attired in steel cap boots, long cotton tops and pants, as well as wear safety glasses the entire time they were inside a workshop.

During the day students participated in a range of hands-on activities to complete their given task: to decorate and apply finishes to a prefabricated timber shield. Students benefitted from the instruction of their lecturer for the day, Gary, who delivers Certificates II (pre-apprenticeship) and III (3 to 4-year apprenticeship) Cabinet Making and Timber Technology. Students learnt about the importance of safety in the industry, the tools and equipment used in the industry, as well as the safe use of solvents, lacquers, paints, and other decorative finishes to decorate their shields.  Our Lecturer, Gary, shared his 40 years of industry insights and explained to students the importance and lucrative nature of the work performed by Furniture Polishers if they became specialised in the field.

Attendees also benefitted from a comprehensive tour of many of the facilities and different workshops at the site. Students were able to view and speak with TAFE staff from a range of different trades that deliver training at the Balga campus, including carpentry, plumbing, tiling, plastering, bricklaying, stonemasonry, glazing, and ceiling fixing.  This career taster certainly opened student’s eyes to the many trade-based pathways they can follow once they complete their studies at Belridge Secondary College.

Year 9 ‘Belt Splicing’ Career Taster
Friday, 26 April 2024

On Friday, 26 April 2024 a group of Year 9 students attended North Metropolitan TAFE’s Midland campus for a Belt Splicing Career Taster. ‘What is Belt Splicing?’ was the question that was asked by students prior to the excursion.  Belt splicing is an important and extremely lucrative career that involves conveyor belt maintenance, repair and installation. It is an essential role in the mining, manufacturing, and transport industries. There are currently hundreds of job opportunities available across the state, due to the shortage of skilled and experienced workers. Historically Belt Splicing has been learnt on the job and there has not been a qualification attached to the role. However, due to the wide scale industry skills shortage and technical components of the job, Belt Splicing has recently been professionalised. This means that employment in the industry now involves completion of an apprenticeship, which includes on the job training, in combination with theory and practical assessments at a training organisation, such as North Metropolitan TAFE.

During the day students participated in a range of hands-on activities at the recently constructed and purpose-built Belt Splicing training shed. Students benefitted from the instruction of their lecturer for the day, Marius, who delivers Certificate III in Polymer Processing, which is the qualification that is needed to complete the three-to-four-year apprenticeship. Students learnt about the importance of safety in the industry, the tools and equipment used in the workplace, and they even had the opportunity to perform simulated maintenance on a functional conveyor belt system. Lecturer, Marius, shared his 25 years of industry insights and explained to students the importance and lucrative nature of the work performed by ‘belties’. He explained that the necessity and shortage of staff across the mining, manufacturing and transport industries has led to employees in the role earning between $120,000 and $250,000.00 a year! This information was well received by students in attendance, many who have decided to gain a trade qualification on completion of their secondary studies.

Attendees also benefitted from a comprehensive tour of many of the facilities and different workshops at the site. Students were also able to view and speak with TAFE staff from a range of different trades that deliver training at the Midland campus, including fitting and machining, metal work, automotive, carpentry and graphic design. Students were enlightened by the tour, as it made them aware of the certificates, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training that are delivered at the Midland campus. At the end of the day students were praised by Marius, the Lecturer and Career Practitioner, Mr Mouritz, for the impressive way they all conducted themselves during the event. It was also great to see how well Belridge students engaged with other Year 9 students, from John Forrest Secondary College, who were also involved in the excursion. It was great to see students from the two Colleges working in unity.  The Career Taster opened student’s eyes to the many trade-based pathways they can follow once they complete their studies at Belridge Secondary College.

Mr Ashley Mouritz
Career Practitioner