Career Education Funding – Accountability and Reporting Requirements

Policy

This policy outlines the accountability and reporting requirements for schools in receipt of career education funding.

Summary

• Career education funding is provided to Victorian government secondary schools including specialist schools and English language schools, to provide career education activities to all students in Years 7 to 12.
• Schools in receipt of this funding must ensure students in Years 7 to 12 participate in planned career education activities and have access to appropriate support services.
• Schools must report on career education as part of the mid-year school supplementary census in August.
• Schools also have a number of steps they must take to support the career pathways of students leaving school before completing Year 12, including convening a formal exit interview with a career practitioner or other relevant staff member.
• For information on how career education funding is calculated, refer to Career Education Funding (Reference 91) of Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives.

Details

Career education funding (CEF) supports Victorian government secondary schools, including specialist schools and English language schools, to provide career education activities to all students in Years 7 to 12.

CEF replaced managed individual pathways (MIPs) funding in 2019.

Accountability requirements

All students in Years 7 to 12 are required to participate in planned career education activities. The department provides a number of career education initiatives that schools can access, including:

• My Career Exploration – a series of workshops in career self-exploration for students in Years 7 and 8
• My Career Insights – for all Year 9 students, which provides free access to a career diagnostic tool, followed by a one-on-one career counselling session by an external qualified and accredited careers practitioner
• My Career Portfolio – an online careers e-portfolio for all students, which allows students to create an online career action plan and keep all of their career planning documents in one place

All students in Years 9 to 12 are required to have:

• an individual annual career action plan which is linked to any personalised learning and support plans (such as individual learning plans)
• a copy of their career action plan given to their parents and carers along with their student reports
• careers counselling prior to choosing their senior secondary subjects and further education and training courses.

All students should have access to targeted career education and support services appropriate to their needs, including:

• student welfare coordinators
• student support services
• community-based agencies or programs including mentoring and workplace learning.

Schools are required to follow up with all students who leave school early (without completing Year 12) within 6 months of them leaving school. If they are not in education, training or employment schools are required to refer them to an appropriate agency.

Reporting requirements

In the mid-year school supplementary census in August, schools must report on the number of students who:

• have a current career action plan
• exited the school in the previous year (January to December) without successfully completing Year 12 (excluding students transferring to another Victorian school, or moving interstate or overseas)
• were counselled about their options when leaving school through a formal exit interview
• were followed up within 6 months by their school to determine their destination
• were found not to be in education, training or full-time employment
• were referred to an appropriate local provider or agency for assistance with re-engaging in education, training or full-time employment.

Requirements for students leaving school before completing Year 12

If a student is leaving school before completing Year 12, schools must ensure that:

• a transition from school form has been completed if the student is of compulsory school age – refer to Exemption from School Attendance and Enrolment
• the student has had a formal exit interview with a career practitioner or other relevant staff member that includes:
  • counselling of options
  • referral to relevant education or training institutions
  • referral to appropriate transition support programs or agencies, and
  • provision of any relevant documentation to support the young person’s transitions
• at the time of exit, the exit destinations of young people in Years 10 to 12 has been recorded in CASES21 for transmission to the department following the February Census.

Access the CASES21 administration user guide chapter 12 (staff login required).

How career education funding is calculated

Find out how Career Education Funding is calculated.

Background

Career education funding supports schools to provide high quality career education that will help students:

• understand their interests, strengths and aspirations
• explore and experience how jobs and careers are changing in the rapidly changing world of work
• learn about the education, training and employment options available to them
• develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours to make confident and informed decisions now and for the rest of their lives

Find out more about how we are transforming career education in Victorian government schools.

Related policies

• Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives: refer to Career Education Funding (Reference 91)