VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate Provision

Policy

This policy outlines the provision expectation for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Vocational Major (VM) and Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) for Victorian government secondary schools.

Summary

• All students must be supported to choose and access the senior secondary pathway that best aligns with their strengths, interests and aspirations.
• All Victorian government secondary schools are expected to provide:
  • the VCE VM and
  • the VPC where it is a suitable pathway for students at the school.
• Provision of the VCE VM and VPC means that Literacy, Numeracy, Work Related Skills and Personal Development Skills studies are delivered on-site by the school.
• The department and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) are supporting schools to deliver the VCE VM and VPC.
• There are limited exceptions to the certificate provision expectation, including selective entry and specialism schools, schools registered as specialist or specific purpose schools with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, and schools not providing education to Years 11 and 12 students. While the certificate provision expectation does not apply to these schools, they are encouraged to provide the VCE VM and VPC where it is suitable for their student cohort.

Details

VCE Vocational Major

The VCE VM is a 2-year vocational and applied learning program that enables students to transition into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training and university (via non-ATAR pathways).

For more information on the VCE VM, refer to the VCAA’s About the VCE VM website.

For curricula and support materials for the VCE VM, refer to the VCAA’s VCE VM Study Designs website.

Victorian Pathways Certificate

The VPC is an inclusive Year 11 and 12 certificate which is designed to meet the needs of students who require a more individualised and flexible program for their last 2 years of secondary schooling. The VPC is not a senior secondary certificate of education, however, students can use it as a pathway to the VCE, VCE VM, or Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificates. The level of learning in the VPC is aligned with Australian Qualifications Framework Level 1.

Enrolment into the VPC should be a decision made on a case-by-case basis. Discussions about the VPC’s suitability for a student should be conducted between the school, student and their parent or carer. The VCAA has developed the VPC Suitability Guidelines to inform whether the VPC is appropriate for individual students before they are enrolled in the certificate.

For more information on the VPC, including the VPC Suitability Guidelines, refer to the VCAA’s About the VPC website.

For curricula and support materials for the VPC, refer to the VCAA’s VPC Curriculum Designs website.

Certificate provision expectation

VCE Vocational Major

All government secondary schools are expected to provide the VCE VM.

Certificate provision of the VCE VM means that VCE VM Literacy, Numeracy, Work Related Skills and Personal Development Skills studies are delivered on-site by the school.

Victorian Pathways Certificate

All government secondary schools are expected to provide the VPC where it is a suitable pathway for students at the school.

Certificate provision of the VPC means that VPC Literacy, Numeracy, Work Related Skills and Personal Development Skills studies are delivered on-site by the school.

In the case of single or low student enrolments in the VPC, schools can determine how to deliver the VPC according to their context and operational requirements. For example, schools may have VPC students working in the same classroom as other students, such as those undertaking the VCE VM.

VCAA guidance on co-delivery of the certificates is included in the support materials in the VPC Curriculum Designs and VCE VM Study Designs.

Vocational Education and Training delivered to school students

Schools can provide access to VET components off-site through a third-party provider, such as a TAFE, registered training organisation or on the campus of another school.

Schools are supported to provide access to a core offering of VET certificates that align with Victoria’s priority growth industries, regional needs and students’ interests and aspirations. However providing access to the full core offering of VET certificates is not a requirement to deliver the VCE VM or the VPC. For policy and guidance related to the core offering, refer to Vocational Education and Training Delivered to School Students.

Exceptions to the certificate provision expectation

Schools that are excepted from the certificate provision expectation are encouraged to provide the VCE VM and VPC where it is suitable for their student cohort.

The following schools are excepted from the provision expectation for the VCE VM and VPC:

• selective entry schools
• specialism schools
• schools registered as specialist schools with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA)
• schools registered as specific purpose schools with the VRQA
• secondary schools that do not provide education for students in Years 11 or 12 (for example, Year 7 to 10 schools).

Delivering the new certificates

Support for schools to deliver the new certificates

The department and the VCAA are supporting schools to deliver the VCE VM and VPC. All schools can access:

• VCAA professional learning, available on the VCE VM and VPC Professional Learning Platform. Additional professional learning opportunities will be communicated by the VCAA through the VCAA’s Notices to schools
• 1.5 days of teacher time release per VCE VM and VPC teacher in 2024, and 1 day in 2025, to participate in professional learning and to support certificate delivery, with reimbursement available through the Schools Targeted Funding Portal (staff login required)
• area-based support to schools from Jobs, Skills and Pathways Managers and Senior Jobs, Skills and Pathways Officers
• support for communicating with students and school communities, available on the Resources tab.

Contact the Provision team in the department’s Senior Secondary Pathways Reform Taskforce for more information on these supports, including information on who your school’s Jobs, Skills and Pathways Manager and Senior Jobs, Skills and Pathways Officer is – refer to the contacts section below.

Schools not currently registered or permitted to deliver the new certificates

Schools that are expected to provide the new certificates, or wish to provide one or both certificates, need to be:

• registered by the VRQA for the VCE (if not already registered) and/or the VPC
• permitted by the VCAA to deliver the VCE VM and/or the VPC.

Schools that need to expand their registration and apply for permission to deliver the new certificates are recommended to contact the department’s School Provision and Establishment Division as early as possible to find out more information about the process – refer to the contacts section below.

Student enrolments in the VCE VM and VPC

Students must be supported through their school’s career education program to:

• make informed certificate and subject choices for their senior years
• undertake the certificate that best aligns with their strengths, interests, and aspirations.

Decisions regarding enrolment in the VCE VM and VPC must be made in partnership between students and their school, with input from parents and carers.

Schools are encouraged to promote the VCE VM to build awareness and demand for this certificate ahead of student certificate and subject selection processes. Timetabling and staffing decisions may be finalised after these processes have been completed.

All secondary schools in scope of the certificate provision expectation need to offer the VCE VM and VPC to their students. If your school expects that it will not have student demand for the VCE VM or student need for the VPC, please contact your area’s Jobs, Skills and Pathways Manager for support and advice.

Limiting enrolments in the VCE VM and VPC

Schools must avoid using enrolment practices for the VCE VM and VPC that:

• restrict or ‘cap’ enrolments if students’ decisions to undertake the VCE VM or VPC are informed and appropriate
• compel students to enrol in a certificate that does not align with their informed and appropriate decision
• result in students transferring or withdrawing from school because the school has limited students’ certificate choices.

Definitions

Selective entry school
For the purposes of this policy, selective entry school means a Victorian government school where prospective students must sit an entrance exam in Year 8 and meet specific selection criteria to be admitted. There are 4 government selective entry schools in Victoria – the Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School, Melbourne High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School.

Specialism school
For the purposes of this policy, specialism school means a Victorian government school that focusses on a specialist subject or activity and has specific enrolment criteria. There are 2 government specialism schools in Victoria – John Monash Science School and the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School.

Related policies

• Career Education Funding
• Minimum Standards and School Registration
• Selective Entry and Other Specialism Schools and Programs
• Vocational Education and Training Delivered to School Students

Relevant legislation

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)
• Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017 (Vic)

Contact

For further information on this policy or certificate provision supports, contact the Provision team in the department’s Senior Secondary Pathways Reform Taskforce: sspr.provision@education.vic.gov.au

For further information on the curriculum, certificate design and professional learning for the VCE VM and VPC, contact the VCAA’s Senior Secondary Reform team: vcaa.seniorsecondaryreform@education.vic.gov.au

For advice and support with registration and permission to deliver for the VCE Vocational Major and/or the VPC contact the department’s School Provision and Establishment Division: school.registration@education.vic.gov.au

Guidance

Integrating senior secondary pathways into School Strategic Plans and Annual Implementation Plans

As part of the school improvement cycle, school leaders may decide to implement the senior secondary pathways reforms within their School Strategic Plan (SSP) or Annual Implementation Plan (AIP).

To support schools in doing this, the following guidance provides:

• sources of evidence for the pre-review self-evaluation to help assess outcomes (for schools participating in a school review or reviewing their annual performance)
• example goals, targets, key improvement strategies (KIS) and AIP actions (for school leaders developing the SSP or AIP).

Examples are aligned with the FISO 2.0 Illustrations of practice and draw on actions and strategies from the VCAA VCE Vocational Major and VPC Implementation Continua of Practice and those shared by schools.

A printable version of the guidance can be found on the Resources tab. Refer to: Support with School Strategic Plans and Annual Implementation Plans (DOCX) (staff login required).

Sources of evidence for pre-review self-evaluation

Key sources of evidence

Certificate enrolments, completions and achievement

• Enrolments in the VCE, VCE Vocational Major (VM) and Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Completions (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Median VCE Study Scores (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Percentage of Vocational Education and Training (VET) units of competency completed (source: Senior Secondary Completion and Achievement Information)

Post-school destinations

• Exit destinations from Year 12 (source: Panorama Dashboards)

Attendance, absences, exemptions, retention, early exit, risk of leaving school early

• Attendance (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Absences (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Exemptions (source: schools’ own records)
• Retention (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Students at risk of early leaving (source: Panorama Home Page)
• Early exit destinations from Years 9 to 11 (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Early exit destinations from Year 12 (source: Panorama Dashboards)

VET delivered to school students, School-based apprenticeships and traineeships and career education

• VET delivered to school students (VDSS) enrolments (source: school’s own records or your VASS administrator)
• School-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs) commencements (source: school’s Head Start hub or Jobs, Skills and Pathways Manager)
• Career education insights, such as:
  • number of students with completed career action plans
  • content of students’ career action plans
  • participation in the My Career Insights (Morrisby) online diagnostic and career counselling session (source: school Career Practitioner, school Morrisby completion report)

Other data

• Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS) factors (particularly Transition to adult life) (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Opinion Survey factors (for example, positive transitions) (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• School Staff Survey factors (for example, focus learning on real-life problems, parent and community involvement) (source: Panorama Dashboards)

When drawing on evidence from Panorama, most reports provide options to view results by various student characteristics, including gender, Aboriginal status, disadvantage status, EAL status.

For detailed guidance on measures and data sources to assist schools when conducting their pre-review self-evaluation, refer to: Understanding secondary outcomes (DOCX) (staff login required).

Example questions to help make sense of the data

• What are the trends for student outcomes (for example, certificate completions, exemptions, retention and/or exit destinations) for our students enrolled in the VCE, VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) and the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC)?
• Where are our early exit students going? Where could we adjust our offering to better meet students’ needs?
• What are the trends in our Year 12 students’ post-school destinations, and do we need to adjust our learning programs to better prepare them for these destinations?
• How are exits to unemployment or unknown destinations trending over time?
• How are destinations for exempted students trending over time?
• What are the trends in our priority cohort students’ outcomes (for example, certificate completions, exemptions, retention and/or exit destinations)? Does this indicate we might need to provide more targeted support to any of these students?
• What are our career education insights telling us about which learning programs we need to provide for our students?

Other tools available to support your self-evaluation activities

• VCE VM and VPC Continua of Practice
• Career Education Planning and Improvement (CEPI) Tool

Schools can also engage students and families/carers in the evaluation process to hear how they experience the school’s vocational and applied learning programs and preparation for post-school life.

Examples for School Strategic Plans and Annual Implementation Plans

Select or adapt the example goals, targets, key improvement strategies and AIP actions below as appropriate to your context.

Example SSP goal

Improve student retention, completion and post-school destinations.

Example SSP targets

School leaders can select or adapt the targets below as appropriate for their context and the goals articulated in their SSP. The recommendation is to develop 2 to 4 targets for each goal.

• By 2027, increase the retention rate for [X year level] from X% to X% (Year 7 to 12, or as relevant for your school).
• By 2027, increase completion rates for the VCE (including VCE VM) and VPC from X% to X%.
• By 2027, increase the proportion of post Year 12 exits into full-time further education, training and/or employment (ideally, this includes further training/qualifications) from X% to X%.
• By 2027, decrease the proportion of student exemptions and/or early exits into post-school destinations of 'unemployment' and 'unknown' from X% to X%.
• By 2027, increase the percentage of positive responses on Attitudes to School Survey factor ‘Transition to adult life’ for Years 10 to 12 (also called ‘School Stage Transitions (Year 10 to 12)) from X% to X%.

Example SSP key improvement strategies

School leaders can select or adapt the key improvement strategies below as appropriate for their context and the goals articulated in their SSP. The recommendation is to develop 2 to 4 for each goal.

• Develop and embed an inclusive school culture which celebrates diverse pathways and post-school destinations.
• Strengthen student access to a range of pathways and experiences through secondary school (including the VCE, VCE VM, VPC, VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS), School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeships (SBATs) and work experience).
• Strengthen curriculum and applied learning pedagogical practice for all certificate programs in secondary schooling.
• Develop and implement a whole-school plan for student self-knowledge and career education, including work experience.
• Review and strengthen the school’s funding, staffing and supports for vocational and applied learning, Year 7 to 12 career education and pathways support.

Example AIP actions and activities

School leaders can select or adapt the AIP actions below as appropriate for their context, with consideration of how these align with the key improvement strategies articulated in their SSP. The recommendation is to develop 1 to 3 actions for each key improvement strategy selected for focus in that school year.

The example actions and activities below are also available in Example Careers and Pathways Practices for School Improvement (DOCX) (staff login required) for ease of use.

Key improvement strategy: Develop and embed an inclusive school culture that celebrates diverse pathways and post-school destinations.

Action: Strengthen understanding and awareness of current secondary outcomes and possible post-school pathways across the school.

Supporting activities:

• Use broad datasets to understand secondary outcomes, including senior secondary completions, exit destinations and student responses in the Attitudes to School Survey about feeling prepared for post-school life, alongside more standard measures such as VCE scores.
• Communicate a clear vision with staff, students and the school community for vocational and applied learning within the school’s secondary offering, including the VCE VM and VPC, career education, VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS), vocational and tertiary taster programs, and work-based learning such as work experience, structured workplace learning or school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs). For example:
  • vocational and applied learning engages students in learning experiences that bring theoretical information to life in a real-world context. This enhances student learning because they can see how it relates to their day-to-day life and their possible future career
  • we strive to support every student’s learning and wellbeing on whatever pathway is best suited to their needs and interests.

Action: Strengthen the balanced and equal communication about secondary pathways and post-school destinations.

Supporting activities:

• Schedule a series of leadership meetings to reflect on how our school communicates and celebrates different secondary pathways and post-school destinations using this checklist and discussion guide and develop a plan for improvement.
• Highlight various pathways equally with students and the school community at assemblies, on display boards and cabinets, in newsletters, student handbooks, social media and websites, messages to families, parent council meetings, and events.
• Use language that highlights student’s choices, agency and growth rather than their challenges (to avoid reinforcing the perception that certain learning programs are only for those with challenges).
• Engage with VET providers and/or our VET Cluster, employers and Head Start to identify student achievements that have happened outside school grounds and recognise achievement on learning that is less visible and/or for which assessment is unscored (for example, VDSS, SWL and SBATs).

Action: Strengthen the role and visibility of career education in supporting transitions to post-school destinations.

Supporting activities:

• Position careers and pathways resources centrally/visibly in the school.
• Include school leaders alongside career practitioners in course and pathways counselling to signal the importance of post-school preparation.

Key improvement strategy: Strengthening curriculum and applied learning pedagogical practice for all certificate programs in secondary schooling

Action: Develop and document a whole-school program that outlines learning opportunities and engagements across each year level for career education, vocational and tertiary taster programs, work-based learning such as work experience, structured workplace learning or school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs), VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS), and senior secondary certificate options.

Supporting activities:

• Schedule a series of meetings to examine current documentation and practices for career education and vocational and applied learning and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Systematically examine student measures in Years 7 to 10, such as attendance and learning support, to inform additional needs going into senior secondary.
• Schedule time for year level coordinators to link students’ career counselling and My Career Insights (Morrisby) results to inform which learning programs will match their strengths and interests, such as VDSS, work experience and an SBAT.
• Document our use of applied learning pedagogy throughout F–10 and secondary curricula and a process for regular review and adjustment.

Action: Strengthen teacher knowledge and understanding of how to deliver all certificate programs.

Supporting activities:

• Audit our professional learning needs and develop a plan for building capability in:
  • applied learning (for school leaders and teachers in person or through the VCAA online platform)
  • career education (for career practitioners and other school staff)
  • VDSS (for school leaders, teachers and other school staff, including through our VET Cluster)
  • industry currency activities and professional development (for VDSS teachers and trainers).
• Plan and implement support (for example, time release) for teachers to join:
  • VCE VM and VPC Communities of Practice (to build shared understanding of applied learning pedagogical practice)
  • Career Education Collaboration Networks and other relevant career practitioner networks
  • VET Clusters and other relevant VDSS networks or Communities of Practice.

Key improvement strategy: Developing and implementing a whole-school plan for student self-knowledge and career education, including work experience

Action: Identify opportunities to strengthen our career education program.

Supporting activities:

• Use the Career Education Planning and Improvement Tool to assess our current performance.
• Adapt our delivery of the key career education activities funded through our Career Education Funding where opportunities for improvement have been identified.
• Strengthen the career education content in our curriculum with reference to the following supporting resources:
  • VCAA guides to incorporate career education content into learning areas or capabilities in the Victorian Curriculum F–10 curriculum
  • department resources, worksheets and lesson plans and/or resources available through myfuture to help deliver specific career education program content across the year levels
  • department resources and the Inclusive Careers Benchmarking Tool and Guide to provide additional support or a modified approach to career education for students who need it.

Key improvement strategy: Strengthen the school’s funding, staffing and supports for vocational and applied learning, Year 7 to 12 career education and pathways support

Action: Assess funding, staffing and support needs for vocational and applied learning, Year 7 to 12 career education and pathways support.

Supporting activities:

• Review the budget and ensure allocations to VCE VM and VPC studies, VDSS, career education and related programs reflect the school context, cohort needs and size.
• Consider the allocation of teaching staff to ensure that staff allocated to the VCE VM and VPC have the capabilities, pedagogical knowledge and motivation to meet students’ needs.

Action: Identify and address any timetabling / scheduling issues for vocational and applied learning.

Supporting activities:

• Review timetabling to ensure flexibility for students accessing VDSS, SBATs and work-based learning.
• Consult with the area’s Job’s Skills and Pathways team, VET Cluster coordinator or schools in our network to understand different approaches to timetabling that accommodate vocational and applied learning options.
• Review the timing of career education activities to make sure they provide students with enough input, time and support to make decisions about enrolment and course applications before they are due.

Action: Establish leadership and team structures that strengthen support for delivering a diverse range of secondary pathways.

Supporting activities:

• Bring student management, wellbeing, career education and pathways teams together to identify and integrate the learning pathways and supports.
• Establish a Senior Secondary School Improvement Team to lead and monitor performance.
• Include VCE VM and VPC leading teachers, VDSS coordinators and Career Practitioners/Pathways staff in school leadership structures to ensure their input into goals and plans.
• Document staff roles and responsibilities for vocational and applied learning, pathways and career education and establish and update reference to these within relevant school policies.

Key improvement strategy: Strengthen student access to a range of pathways and experiences through secondary school

Action: Develop supporting partnerships for delivery of a diverse range of pathways.

Supporting activities:

• Regularly engage with parents, carers, community organisations and employers to identify learning pathways and supports tailored to individual students’ needs.
• Increase participation in our VET Cluster, including by creating roles for school leaders and VET coordinators, to ensure student access to VET certificates.
• Develop a strategy for engaging employers, community organisations, universities, TAFEs and other education/training providers to provide students with a range of experiences such as work experience, Structured Workplace Learning, incursions, excursions, mentoring and mock interviews.
• Engage with the School to Work program to access quality workplace learning opportunities with employers.
• Engage Head Start hubs to maximise SBAT opportunities.
• Assess and plan our approach to accessing local Tech School programs to provide engaging STEM education opportunities.

Example measures of progress and impact

The examples below may be useful measures of progress and impact to consider as part of your regular planning processes. These may be used in addition to the sources of evidence listed above.

VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS)

• Number of certificates our students have access to from each of the government’s priority industry areas aligned to high workforce and skills demand (source: school’s own records)
• Number of certificates our students have access to from other industry areas with local community demand, including student interest (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students able to access preferred VET certificate/s (source: school's own records)
• Student VET certificate enrolment by VCE, VCE VM and VPC (source: school’s own records)

School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs)

• Number of SBAT training contracts commenced by certificate programs VCE, VCE VM and VPC (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of SBAT students retained in training contract 12 months post-commencement (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of SBAT students progressing from Year 10 to 11, Year 11 to 12, and Year 12 to successful certificate completion (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of SBAT students that exit school prior to completing Year 12 by exit destination (source: school’s own records)

Career education, Structured Workplace Learning and work experience

• Proportion of students completing a work experience placement (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students completing Structured Workplace Learning as part of their certificate (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students who feel prepared for and supported during and after their work experience placement (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students who agree a work experience placement helped them understand more about what they want to do when they finish school (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students who agree they will be more focused on schoolwork as a result of completing a work experience placement (source: school’s own records)

Student attitudes to school (Student voice and agency)

• Percentage student positive responses to questions about teacher-student relations (source: Panorama Dashboards)

Teacher/trainer professional learning

• Proportion of staff who have completed a Graduate Certificate of Applied Learning (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of staff delivering career education with a Graduate Certificate in Career Education/Career Development (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of relevant school staff (for example, school leaders, VDSS teachers and trainers, and other relevant staff, such as VET coordinators) who have completed VDSS professional learning, such as understanding Certificate IV Training and Assessment requirements (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of VDSS teachers and trainers who have been supported (time release) to participate and complete professional learning and industry currency activities (source: school’s own records)

Resources

Resources are available to assist schools with implementation of the VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate:

• VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate implementation supports (DOCX) (staff login required)

Certificate explainer videos

Explain the essential details of the VCE Vocational Major and VPC by sharing these 4 explainer videos:

• Your pathway options on Vimeo
• VCE Vocational Major on Vimeo
• Victorian Certificate of Education on Vimeo
• Victorian Pathways Certificate on Vimeo

Your world. Your VCE. communication pack

The Your world. Your VCE. campaign is raising awareness of the new VCE Vocational Major. It motivates students to discover and choose a VCE that suits their world, so they can pursue their talents and passions.

The communication pack is a collection of material for schools to share with their communities, including:

• website and newsletter sample text and images
• social media images, videos and messages
• downloadable A2-size posters for display in schools.

Download the Your World, Your VCE school communication pack (PPTX)

A dedicated First Nations stakeholder pack is available to help schools communicate about the VCE Vocational Major with their Aboriginal students and communities using culturally appropriate material, including:

• social media images
• downloadable brochure
• downloadable A2-size posters for display in schools.

Download the First Nations stakeholder pack (PDF).

Your world. Your VCE. is the next iteration of the Many Talents One VCE campaign, putting students at the centre of Victoria’s senior secondary education reforms.

Please replace all Many talents. One VCE. campaign material with Your world. Your VCE. material, including posters around school and images on your website.

Celebrating pathways equally

The reforms to senior secondary education mean that students’ learning and achievement is becoming more diverse.

Students should see that all forms of success are worthy of celebration. Use these discussion guide presentation slides (PPTX) to lead a conversation in your school about celebrating pathways and achievements.

Use this reflective checklist (DOCX) to consider how your school can celebrate pathways equally.

Celebrate students’ diverse achievements in your school’s newsletter, social media or other communication channels by adding photos to these templates:

• Your World, Your VCE student social media celebration template (PPTX)
• Your World, Your VCE student newsletter celebration template (PPTX)

VAL pathways – the student experience

Promote and celebrate vocational and applied learning pathways with your students and community using these 2 student case study videos.

These videos feature students who are undertaking a VAL qualification while they are at school.

• Watch VAL pathways – Early Childhood Education and Care on Vimeo
• Watch VAL pathways – Building and Construction on Vimeo

VAL pathways – the teacher experience

Promote and inspire your staff to consider teaching VAL.

This video features one teacher’s rewarding experiences working in a VAL classroom.

Watch VAL pathways – Teacher experience on Vimeo

VAL explainer and benefits presentation

This presentation deck provides an explanation of what vocational and applied learning is, how it can be incorporated into a secondary students' education, and why it's a great option for students to consider.

It contains a case study bank of students who have pursued VAL in their senior secondary education and who have gone on to a range of successful post-secondary transitions.

Vocational and applied learning explainer and benefits presentation (PPTX) (staff login required)

Firth Review

The Review into vocational and applied learning pathways in senior secondary schooling (PDF) (the Firth Review) made 38 recommendations to lift the quality and perception of vocational education, help more students access high-quality applied learning programs, and provide students with a vocational pathway that gives them the skills they need to make successful post-school transitions. This included recommendations relating to the provision of vocational and applied learning pathways.

The Victorian Government’s response (PDF) to the Firth Review accepted in principle all of the review’s recommendations.

Senior secondary schooling pathway reforms

Further information on the senior secondary schooling pathways reforms is available:

• on the department’s senior secondary schooling pathways reforms page
• on the VCAA’s Victorian senior secondary certificate reform page.

School Strategic Plans and Annual Implementation Plans

The following resources will assist schools who chose to implement the senior secondary pathways reforms as part of their School Strategic Plan or Annual Implementation Plan:

• Support with school strategic plans and annual implement plans (DOCX) (staff login required) – a printable version of the guidance chapter
• Career Education Planning and Improvement Tool – a tool for schools to self-evaluate their career education practices and identify areas for improvement
• Example career and pathways practices for school improvement (DOCX) (staff login required) – example practices schools can adopt or adapt for their School Strategic Plan or Annual Implementation Plan
• Understanding secondary outcomes (DOCX) (staff login required) – detailed guidance on measures and data sources to assist schools when conducting their pre-review self-evaluation