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Career pathways and course exploration with your child

Opportunities to help your child shape their future through self-discovery and goal-setting.

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There are key moments in years 7-12 when you can support your child to make important decisions about their future.

These decisions will include:

Your child’s school will provide a career education program that helps them make these decisions. It will include opportunities for self-discovery, to explore opportunities relating to industries and careers of interest, and to pursue pathways that align with their goals.

Some of these opportunities are only available for government school students. For general advice, see tips on how to talk to your child about their career.

Years 7 – 8

In Years 7 and 8, your child will explore their interests, skills, values, beliefs and attributes. They will reflect on how these connect to potential careers, pathways and aspirations. This will broaden their understanding of future options and how these can inform early subject choices. Your child will also become increasingly comfortable exploring concepts relating to careers and pathways.

Career exploration activities

To support this investigation, students in government schools often complete career exploration activities in years 7-8. These activities may include:

Career action planning

Students in government schools do career action planning activities in secondary school. This can start in Year 7. This will help them:

Your school might use the My Career Portfolio online career planning tools for these activities.

You can ask your child or their school for their plan, so you can talk about it together.

Tech School programs

Tech School programs engage and inspire secondary students to consider STEM careers in emerging and growth industries across Victoria. These programs allow students to use cutting edge technologies and experience hands-on STEM activities that promote further study and career pathways.

Ask your school if they participate in any Tech School programs.

Year 9 – 10

In Years 9 and 10, your child can gain first-hand experience of potential careers. They can then use these experiences to inform and refine their career and pathway goals and plans. This will help them choose a pathway to try in Year 10, when they begin to apply their interests through practical experiences.

Morrisby profile

The My Career Insights program provides all government school students in Year 9 with access to the Morrisby profile and a free expert career consultation session, supported by the Australian Centre for Career Education.

Morrisby is a world-leading online careers tool that will help your child:

You’ll receive a consent form from your school, which you’ll need to complete for your child to access this program.

Look out for information from your school about the My Career Insights program and how to join your child for their career consultation session.

Work experience

Your child can do a short-term work experience placement with an employer from Year 9 (minimum age 14). Through this placement they will gain first-hand experience of potential careers and use this to inform and refine their career and pathway goals and plans. This real-world experience is an opportunity to learn more about their occupation and work-life preferences, and they will also develop the kind of skills every employer will value, and increase their independence and self-confidence.

This can be arranged by you or your school. Your child could do more work experience in later years to keep exploring their options.

Speak to your school about their work experience process, and whether they are using the Work Based Learning Application with easy digital processes to make sure you follow the right procedure.

Vocational Taster Experiences

The Department of Education is trialling Vocational Taster Experiences at four TAFEs in Victoria. The program helps students explore different jobs and courses before they choose subjects for Years 11 and 12. Year 9 and 10 students may be able to take part.

Year 9 – Vocational Explorer

Year 10 – VET Taster

Tasters focus on three priority industry areas: building and construction, the clean economy, and the care economy.

Visit Vocational Taster Experiences pilot program to find out more.

Secondary certificate and VET choices for senior secondary

In Year 10, it’s time for your child to choose a pathway to explore more deeply in the senior secondary years (11-12). At this stage, your child will:

Your child’s subject and secondary certificate choices help them to actively work towards a post-school pathway that they would like to pursue.

You can help your child make informed choices aligned to their interests, including by:

Secondary certificate choices

Diagram showing secondary certificate choices.

The VCE is a senior secondary certificate that can lead to an Australian Tertiary Aggregate Result (ATAR) score. It can lead to university, TAFE, apprenticeships, traineeships or employment. Students can also do VET and start progressing towards a VET qualification as part of their VCE.

The VCE Vocational Major is a program within the VCE that focuses on practical learning with a VET component. It can lead to apprenticeships, traineeships, TAFE, university (via non-ATAR entry, for example through portfolio-based entry) or employment.

The Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) is a flexible foundation secondary course for a limited number of students not able or ready to undertake the VCE or VCE Vocational Major.

Please speak to your school about which of these options is right for your child. All mainstream government secondary schools need to offer the VCE Vocational Major and the Victorian Pathways Certificate where there is student demand.

For more information about these options, read about study options in Year 11 and 12.

VET choices

Your child can work towards one or more VET certificates in their VCE (including the Vocational Major) or VPC program. VET is practical learning that gives students skills in a specific industry, and often includes structured learning in a workplace.

Starting VET during school can provide a pathway into a wide range of industries including health, building and construction, engineering, hospitality, community services, and early childhood education.

School-based apprenticeships and traineeships

Your child could do VET as a paid part-time apprenticeship or traineeship while completing school. These are referred to as school-based apprenticeships or traineeships (SBATs).

SBATs are apprenticeships or traineeships that students start at school, helping them get a head start on their career and earn a wage while completing their secondary school certificate. They combine paid part-time employment, vocational training, and regular school attendance.

In government schools, SBATs are supported through the Head Start program. The program provides wrap-around support to student to find a pathway and employer that’s right for them, be safe and supported in the workplace, and to transition into full-time employment or continue an apprenticeship or traineeship after finishing school.

Years 10, 11 and 12

In Years 10, 11 and 12, your child will:

In Year 12, students actively work towards their pathway goals and prepare for their transition beyond secondary school.

Career expos and open days

Metro and regional career expos allow students to explore what’s possible after school. Some are after school or on weekends, and some can be attended as excursions during school.

TAFE and university open days are an opportunity to discover the broad range of pathways available after school, or to learn more about a specific course. You can attend these events with your child to explore the options together. Refer to this Myfuture Open Days website

Applications for further study

In Victoria, Year 12 students apply for TAFE or university place through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). Your school may run an information night for parents and students about the VTAC course application process.

Your child can also use the Victorian Skills Gateway to find and apply directly to TAFEs or other training organisations.

You and your child can also learn about applying for a post-school apprenticeship or traineeship from the Australian Apprenticeships website.

Keep an eye on school communications for study and post-school information sessions.

Find out more

Senior secondary education is changing. To learn more about your child’s options in secondary school, visit Your world. Your VCE.

Education & training

Updated 26 March 2026

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