VET

Vocational Education and Training

Vocational Education and Training in School

VET is designed to teach students knowledge and specific practical skills related to a vocational career. It can provide the opportunity to develop ‘applied’ (or practical) workplace skills, technical knowledge and to achieve qualifications that lead to rewarding jobs and careers.

A VET qualification can provide a direct pathway to work or further studies, including higher education degrees at a university.

VET operates through a national training system, particularly for trades and other industries. It is delivered, assessed, and certified by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). A VET qualification can be a Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III or Certificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma. Most school students studying a VET course do so at a Certificate II or Certificate III level.

VET can be a valuable part of a student’s secondary education, but it is important for both students and parents to consider carefully the reasons for undertaking a VET course whilst at school. They should research the requirements so that informed decisions can be made, as not everyone is suited to studying a VET course. A minimum level of literacy and numeracy is required for students to be able to access the VET course material.

VET courses allow students to achieve a nationally accredited qualification, whilst also studying within SACE. For every 70 nominal hours studied through a VET program, 10 SACE credits are achieved. For example, if successfully completing a Certificate II in Construction requires 490 nominal hours of study, a student will achieve 70 SACE credits. The level of qualification will dictate the STAGE at which the SACE credits are allocated. Generally speaking, a Certificate I or Certificate II course is accredited to SACE STAGE I (Year 11), whereas a Certificate III or higher course achieves SACE STAGE 2 credits. There are exceptions to these generalisations. The VET Recognition Register on the SACE Board website has specific information about this. For further general information about VET in SACE, click here.

Involvement in a VET course in Year 10 or Year 11 will not affect university entrance selection. If students choose to continue a VET pathway into Year 12, this may affect university entry directly from Year 12.

If a student successfully completes a Certificate III or higher level course, the VET qualification can be used as a Year 12 subject and contribute to an ATAR as a Recognised Studies subject (the Certificate III in Retail is an EXCEPTION to this and does NOT contribute to an ATAR). In this situation, as VET courses are competency based and are not graded, a Year 12 Recognised Studies subject ‘score’ is calculated for the ATAR by taking an average of a student’s best three and a half (3.5) subjects. This average score is then used to calculate the ATAR. Further information about recognised studies is available here.

At Pulteney, VET courses are available to one ninety students (generally from  Semester 2, Year 10 onwards). Some courses are only available to Year 11 and 12 students and/or students who are at least 16 years of age. Some ‘taster’ VET courses are available to be studied earlier than Semester 2 Year 10, via negotiation.

VET courses are studied off campus at a variety of places, including Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). VET training can occur during school hours and/or after school hours, depending on the course and the provider. A VET course that is delivered during school hours may not be allowed, if it is deemed that the type and number of classes missed will impact negatively on a student’s ability to achieve their SACE. Discussions will be held between the student, their family and school representatives if this is the case.

VET courses vary in length and time commitment, depending on the level of qualification and the training package requirements. Generally speaking, a full qualification, studied while at school, will take anywhere from 9 to 18 months. Some ‘taster’ courses can be as short as 2 days or as long as a term.

Students wishing to study a VET course will be required to submit an online school application, after discussion with their parents, the Coordinator of Futures, their Head of House and/or the Head of one ninety. Submitting an application does not automatically mean a student has been approved or accepted. Once a student has been approved through the school, they are required to apply to the specific RTO that is offering the course. Confirmation from the RTO must be received BEFORE they can modify their school subject selections. Once students have been accepted into their VET program, they are required to notify the school and withdraw from a school subject (if they want the school to contribute financially to the VET program).

Competent literacy and numeracy skills are essential components of the work environment, and students will need to be able to demonstrate an appropriate skill level in both of these areas to undertake a VET program. This will require students to undertake online Literacy and Numeracy testing in the form of an Upfront Assessment of Needs (UAN) and, depending on the course, might also require the student to undertake a full VETRO (see information about VETRO below).

To ensure students’ readiness to commence a ‘traditional’ VET pathway, the VET Readiness Orientation (VETRO) has been developed by the South Australian Government (Department for Education) as the entry point to ‘traditional’ VET for school students. VETRO is an upfront assessment, induction and orientation to VET to ensure that students enrol in a course that is right for them and that meets their personal and learning support needs. VETRO will determine a student’s readiness to commence a VET pathway and identify any support that they may need to commence vocational training. VETRO will usually be carried out in Year 10, once a student has decided to commence a vocational pathway, although it can be done in Year 11 also. Registered Training Organisations will be supporting students through the VETRO process by conducting a number of assessments.

Application does not guarantee a place in a course, so the earlier you apply, the better chance you have of being accepted. VET courses are filled on a first come basis.

A USI is your government generated individual education number for life. Students need a USI to study a VET course or to apply to go to university. To create a USI, go to www.usi.gov.au. You will need a Driver’s License, Passport, Birth Certificate or Medicare card to create a USI.

Application to some VET courses (usually trade base courses) require ‘evidence’ of prior interest and learning in the industry, often in the form of ‘try-a-trade’ taster course or work experience. The VETRO application can take several months, so students need to think and plan carefully, and in advance, if they wish to undertake a VET program through the VETRO process. Students interested in exploring traditional trade pathways are encouraged to meet with the Coordinator of Futures early in Year 10 to ensure they will meet the criteria required for application.

There are a range of courses available to students wishing to pursue VET options, including (but not limited to):

• Automotive (VETRO)
• Business/Business Administration/Business and Entrepreneurship
• Construction (VETRO)
• Electrical (VETRO)
• Fitness
• Game Design/Animation/Screen & Media
• Hospitality (VETRO)
• Information Technology
• Make Up/ Beauty Services (VETRO)
• Photography
• Plumbing (VETRO)

Students undertaking a VET course will withdraw from an elective/choice subject at Pulteney. This will enable them to balance the requirements of their VET and school programs. This will mean that students will have a study line throughout the week that will enable them to catch up on work/study time missed as a result of their involvement in the VET program. Year 10 and 11 students are required to remain at school and attend a supervised study lesson in this time. Year 12 students are permitted to manage their own study time.

Parents need to be aware that there is no direct supervision of students, or their VET work, by Pulteney staff while they undertake their VET program.

Pulteney does not generally support the study of online VET programs or courses run entirely in school holidays, although each individual circumstance is considered when finalising VET programs and enrolments.

Pulteney Grammar School, at the discretion of the finance department, bears the cost of the tuition of one VET course (or External Subject), up to a maximum cost of $2000, if it forms part of the student’s SACE requirements (i.e. a student withdraws from a PGS elective subject) and the Head of Senior School/Head of House/Coordinator of Futures considers the subject selection to be appropriate and consistent with the study pathway for the student. If the student is considering a course that is offered at two different venues, the school will cover the cost of the cheaper option, unless it is deemed appropriate, from a SACE perspective, that the student requires the more expensive course. Parents are responsible for the payment of any gap costs and extra materials that the chosen course may require. Students who fail, withdraw or are withdrawn from VET courses may be liable for the total cost of the course.

Many VET courses have a compulsory Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) component, that involves a set number of placement hours with an employer. SWL needs to be completed in school holidays.

Yes, you can do an Australian School-Based Apprenticeship (ASBA) in Year 12, while completing your SACE. The details are worked out for each individual situation, negotiated between the student, the school and the employer. Generally speaking, students would be at Pulteney three days a week studying three Stage 2 subjects, and spend two days a week with their employer. The study component of the apprenticeship is often taught in blocks of time, sometimes in school holidays.