The Benefits of Vocational Education and Training

Monday 7th August 2023

Students at St Francis Xavier College are offered a variety of different educational opportunities and encouraged to explore the pathways that suit them and their aspirations the most. Many students want to learn in a way that directly improves their employability and workforce skills. To help accommodate their ambitions, we offer a variety of VET courses delivered by qualified teachers with industry experience and connections.

What is Vocational Education and Training?

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is a practical education program that provides students with the direct skills and knowledge needed in a variety of industries and workplaces. VET courses are designed by industry professionals to ensure students receive the most updated and relevant information that will help them succeed in the corresponding field. VET enables students to prepare themselves for specific industry roles and responsibilities, helping build their confidence and ability to find employment or a pathway into higher education.

Vocational Education and Training can only be delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), which many secondary schools have become. Schools who are not registered themselves may engage private registered training organisations or TAFE institutions to deliver the courses to their students. St Francis Xavier College is an RTO (#21286). ​​All information relating to RTOs that deliver various VET courses across Australia is available on https://training.gov.au/ 

VET courses

Students are able to complete VET courses across 12 key employment areas, as defined by the Government. These have been identified as priority areas that require skilled and capable employees. By beginning to study in these industry areas while at school, students are well-equipped to transition into paid work soon after they graduate or find pathways into related areas of higher education.

The 12 priority pathways are:

• Agriculture and Environment
• Automotive
• Building and Construction
• Business
• Community Services and Early Childhood Education
• Creative Industries
• Digital Media and Technologies
• Engineering
• Hair and Beauty
• Health
• Hospitality
• Sport and Recreation

Students can gain a variety of different certificates across these key areas. However, it is important to check with your school about the different VET courses that are within the scope of registration and able to be included in the curriculum.  St Francis Xavier College is approved to deliver Certificate II in Cookery, as well as Certificate III training in Music and Screen and Media.

What are the benefits of VET?

While there are a host of benefits to any school education, Vocational Education and Training offers a variety of different advantages that other programs might not replicate. Vocational education takes students beyond the classroom and puts them in more real-world situations, helping them to become familiar with the roles and functions that may form their career later in life.

Practical skills and experience

VET subjects take students beyond the classroom and into environments that reflect the industry they’re training in. In these environments, students are able to practice different skills in-person, instead of only learning about them from a theoretical standpoint. This experience ensures students develop confidence in their abilities, and an invaluable understanding of the work involved in different industries and sectors. Most VET courses have a compulsory practical component, meaning that a student will be required to undertake unpaid work for a required number of hours over the period of the course. Students will be assessed in the workplace as part of their practical assessment requirement .

Preparation for the workforce

Extending further, being able to practice directly applicable skills helps students become more prepared to enter the workforce as soon as they are able. This can help provide added motivation to their studies as they see a more firm pathway between their school experience and their future career.

Additionally, students are supported to master the different competencies required in particular programs. Assessments are based not solely on showing theoretical knowledge but in exhibiting different abilities as related to the industry.

Soft skill development

Soft skills are the non-technical attributes that every person has the capacity to develop and use, including organisation, listening, critical thinking and communication. Soft skills ensure students are able to successfully participate in the workplace. Because students get to train and practice in work-like environments, in addition to their practical skills, they also develop a variety of soft skills. Training in work-like environments shows them the necessity of developing these soft skills and deploying them where possible. Individuals who can display their soft skills are also more highly valued as employees, due to their adaptability and diligence. It is these skills that can help distinguish a job seeker from other, equally-qualified candidates.

Entry requirements for VET

VET subjects can be counted towards completion of your VCE or VCE Vocational Major studies. Enrolling in Certificate I, II and III VET programs typically does not have any formal entry requirements, but some may require a student to have successfully completed Years 9 and 10. Some Certificate IV courses will require a student to have successfully completed Year 12 or a lower-level related VET course. Other courses may require you to complete a test to indicate you have necessary basic knowledge, or to complete an interview to gauge your interest and capacity. Specialised VET programs in the creative or performing arts may require you to go through an audition process or submit a portfolio of your work.

Having a VET qualification

Vocational Education and Training falls under the regulation of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), a subdomain of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). VET qualifications begin with Certificates I to IV, but can then extend into a Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Vocational Graduate Certificate. These later courses are typically completed after graduating from school and can be undertaken under a funding arrangement of the Victorian Government: Skills First.

Australia’s VET sector ensures that students undertaking VET qualifications are well-prepared for their careers by designed each course to include nationally recognised training. These national standards ensure that the same processes apply to everyone undertaking VET qualifications, whether in school or at a different institute. Completing VET at school gives you the same specific skills and capabilities as anywhere else, and you are considered equally qualified anywhere in the country.

Getting industry ready at SFXC

We are proud to offer our students the chance to gain a VET qualification through our accredited courses and training programs, helping them build their skills and become career-ready. Visit our VET page to learn more or speak to our careers team and find out whether VET would be the right program for you.