A student focused

NATIONAL
CAREER
EDUCATION
STRATEGY

READY FOR
A WORLD YET
TO BE IMAGINED

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schooltowork.education.gov.au 1
READY
FOR A
WORLD YET TO
BE IMAGINED
The National Career Education The strategy reflects nationally
Strategy has been developed agreed objectives for governments,
by the Australian Government schools and employers to support
to increase awareness and provision of high quality career
improve national consistency education for all school students.
of career education.
“Career education is the development
of knowledge, skills and attitudes
through a planned program of learning
experiences in education and training
settings to assist students to make
informed decisions about their study
and/or work options and enable
effective participation in working life.”

schooltowork.education.gov.au  3
ENSURING
STUDENTS ARE
READY FOR THE
FUTURE
The future workplace will bring To be successful in the future As the expectations of employers School students need our help to
new expectations of people. world, young people need skills evolve, young people will need to make informed decisions about their
Children starting preschool today and capabilities such as technical, know what to study to match their study, training and career options
will engage with a different world enterprising, and career management career ambitions to the demand so they can enjoy the benefits
– a world yet to be imagined. They skills to navigate the work of the future. for skills, and be exposed to that flow from active participation
will be asked to do jobs yet to be how recruitment processes and in society and the economy.
created, use technologies yet Young people will need a portfolio of contemporary workplaces operate.
to be invented, and face social, skills and capabilities, including skills to (Education Endowment Foundation, Employer We need to ensure students
engagement in education: Insights from
economic and environmental make career decisions throughout life. international evidence for effective practice are ready for the future.
challenges yet to be anticipated. and future research, 2018, p 6).

“Strong cognitive skills are not

“Young people will need different enough on their own to achieve good
skill sets to thrive in technology-rich, performance … in technologically
globalised, competitive job markets” advanced industries … social and
(Mitchell Institute, Preparing young people emotional skills as well as cognitive
for the future of work, 2017, p 3).
skills [are also required].”
(OECD, OECD Skills Outlook 2017, p 28).

schooltowork.education.gov.au 5
THE VISION
FOR CAREER
EDUCATION Every school student will
have access to high quality
career education.

High quality career education

builds resilient individuals who
This strategy builds on previous
frameworks and the National Career
Development Strategy, which provides
a guide for those involved in career
development across a broad range
of settings and focuses on lifelong
can adapt to the evolving nature of career development for all Australians.
work and manage multiple careers
in their lifetime, according to their A national group, with the voices
circumstances and needs. of education, business and
industry, parents and carers, career
This strategy highlights existing good practitioners and youth, supported
practice by sharing, expanding and the creation of this strategy. The
encouraging the career education group identified three areas where
initiatives that are already working. leadership could support students
At the same time, there is a need to make informed study choices
for greater consistency, enhanced and navigate their future careers:
awareness and improved engagement.
•• Building students’ skills and capabilities
for the future, through a planned
The strategy complements the program of learning, to prepare
Australian Curriculum; the eight them for life beyond school.
learning areas, general capabilities •• Strengthening collaboration between
and cross-curriculum priorities. schools, employers and local
communities to improve student
engagement with work environments,
and support successful transition to
further education, training and work.

•• Students having the career management

and navigation skills needed to
make informed career decisions
throughout their working lives.

schooltowork.education.gov.au 7
OBJEC-
TIVES
1. Students have
For students to be ready for all possibilities available to
transferable skills
them in the future, school communities will build on the
that equip them for
good work already happening across Australia.
the future of work.

Elevating and sharing best practice helps ensure

high quality career education is available in all schools.
2. Career education
6. There is a strong
The following objectives align with meets the needs
evidence base.
a developing body of national of all students.
and international evidence
and the recommendations
from the national group that
provided advice to the Australian
Government on the strategy.

3. Partnerships thrive
between schools,
education and training
5. Everyone is informed providers, employers,
and involved. parents and carers,
and the broader
community.
4. Communities create
local solutions and
flexible pathways to
meet the needs of
students and
employers.

schooltowork.education.gov.au 9
LATERAL TRANS-
THINKING FERABLE
SKILLS

Social, economic and “Our rapidly changing world of The skills called for by “Employers will be looking for a mixture
technological change is work requires young people business and industry of values such as accountability,
reshaping the work that we do. today to rethink the skills they continue to change. honesty and a work ethic, behaviours
need to build a successful career such as adaptability, collaboration
and thrive in the future.” and resilience, and skills such
(FYA, The New Work Smarts, 2017, p 13) as business literacy, critical
analysis and problem-solving.”
(Business Council of Australia, Future Proof: Protecting
Australians through Education and Skills, 2017, p 7).

schooltowork.education.gov.au 11
A SHARED
RESPONSIBILITY
Everyone has a role in ensuring students are ready for the
future of work. Governments, parents and carers, school
leaders and teachers, employers, career practitioners and
the youth sector can all contribute to this important task.

Career education is most effective By working together, we can ensure:

when it is student-centred, and tailored
to individual needs, interests and •• Students have the career management
and navigation skills and knowledge
circumstances of school students. they need to negotiate their post-school
education and work options.

•• School leaders, teachers, career

practitioners, parents and carers,
and other influencers have support
to ensure currency of information
about study and work opportunities.

•• Schools, students, parents and

carers, employers and communities
can create local opportunities.

•• As the world continues to change,

governments adapt their vision and
work together to improve career
education for school students.

schooltowork.education.gov.au 13
WORKING
TOGETHER TO
READY
STUDENTS
FOR A WORLD
YET TO BE
IMAGINED
The six objectives are further explained so those involved in
school career education may reflect on their current activity
and plan future activity that responds to local contexts.

schooltowork.education.gov.au 15
 1. Objective:
Transferable skills
Governments, school
systems, school leaders •• Through the Australian Curriculum, which
includes general capabilities, develop
•• Support students to connect workplace
applications to classroom learning,
and teachers, and the skills and attitudes that prepare
students for life beyond school.
including developing career management
and navigation skills, through work
career practitioners •• Support teacher capability to make
exploration and work-related learning.

connections between classroom learning •• Provide tools and resources to school

and applications to the world of work. leaders and teachers to support
evidence-based conversations with
students about their post-school options.

EDUCATING Objective:

STUDENTS FOR
2.

Meets the needs of all students

•• Ensure career education meets the •• Enable possibilities in career education

A WORLD
individual needs of every student. for rural, regional and remote students,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
•• Identify students’ individual students, students with disability, cultural
passions and strengths to support and linguistically diverse students,

YET TO BE
their future pathway choices. and those from priority cohorts.
•• Recognise student diversity to support
the career aspirations of all students.

IMAGINED 3. Objective:
Partnerships
•• Collaborate with parents and carers, •• Ensure partnerships reflect the diversity
employers and the local community. of employer needs and the many
Career education is the development areas for all students from primary
pathways available to school students.
of knowledge, skills and attitudes through to secondary school. •• Promote partnerships with employers
that build upon good practice •• Work in partnership with higher education
through a planned program of learning
models, and celebrate successful and vocational education and training
experiences in education and training Good practice examples, resources sustainable partnerships. providers to ensure career education
settings to assist students to make and tools for effective career places value on all pathways equally.
informed decisions about their study education already exist. Through
and/or work options and enable the strategy, governments, school
effective participation in working systems and schools will share,
life. Career education includes work expand and encourage programs and
exploration and work-related practices that work in a local context.
opportunities, across the curriculum

schooltowork.education.gov.au 17
 4. Objective:
Communities FLEXIBLE
•• Career education is flexible in design,
content and delivery to ensure it
•• Utilise available local community
connections and resources to
PATH-
WAYS
meets the needs of local communities, improve student outcomes and
and exposes students to a variety of post-school destinations.
employment opportunities and pathways.
•• Actively engage to help provide quality,
•• Ensure learning experiences innovative and timely career information,
are authentic and applicable to education and training options.
students’ post-school life.

5. Objective:
Informed and involved
•• Develop and share understanding •• Support tailored and high quality career
of career and education trends. education through engagement with
professional career practitioners.
•• Promote practices that maintain high
standards of career education in schools. •• Improve accessibility to, and promote
information about, education
pathways and job opportunities.

6. Objective:
Strong evidence base
•• Understand student progression •• Be responsive to current research and
and growth to support successful trends to ensure continuous
post-school student transition. improvement of career education.

•• Commit to improving the evidence base

through quality longitudinal tracking
of student destination outcomes.
Career pathways are becoming “It will also be critical that young
more complex and flexible. people not only have the skills to
enter work, but also to remain in work,
and to adapt to the changing work
and workplaces they will encounter
across careers subject to multiple
disruptions and continuous change.”
(Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Submission to the Senate Select Committee on
the Future of Work and Workers, 2018, p 15).

schooltowork.education.gov.au 19
 1. Objective: 4. Objective:
Transferable skills Communities

Employers and •• Engage with school systems and

school leaders to support connections
•• Engage locally to ensure career
education is flexible in design, content

community between classroom learning and

applications to the world of work.
and delivery to meet the needs of local
communities—exposing students
to a variety of education, training
•• Support opportunities to link and employment opportunities.
school with career management
and navigation skills. •• Career education experiences
are genuine and applicable to
students’ post-school life.

•• Actively engage to help provide

2. Objective: quality, innovative career information,
Meets the needs and education and training options.

of all students

CREATING A •• Create greater possibilities for

career education for rural, regional
and remote students, Aboriginal

WORLD
and Torres Strait Islander students,
students with disability, cultural 5. Objective:
and linguistically diverse students, Informed and

YET TO BE
and those from priority cohorts.
involved
•• Support tailored and high

IMAGINED
quality career education.
3. Objective:
•• Provide information and advice
Partnerships about labour market data,
workforce requirements, trends
•• Partnerships between schools and support schools to engage
and employers build upon better with employers.
good practice models.
•• Improve accessibility to, and promote
Employer engagement – small, medium School students connect workplace •• Celebrate successful and information about, education
and large business – is integral to applications to classroom sustainable partnerships. pathways and job opportunities.
the success of career education for learning by engaging in a range •• Partnerships reflect the diversity
students. Employers are well placed of opportunities, including career of needs and the many pathways
available to school students.
to advise on local, national and education, work exploration and
global skills needs and labour market other work-related learning. •• Partnerships with schools, 6. Objective:
demand. By engaging with schools to
training providers and universities; Strong evidence
provide authentic work based learning
parents and carers; career base
practitioners; and youth sectors;
opportunities and career education, respond to community needs.
•• Support ongoing efforts to expand
employers play their part in developing and improve the evidence base.
future workforce capabilities.

schooltowork.education.gov.au 21
 1. Objective: 3. Objective:
Transferable skills Partnerships

Parents and carers, •• Talk to children about how the skills

they develop through activities
•• Collaborate with your local career
education stakeholders (school,

and youth sector at school and out of school

can be used in different ways,
universities, and training providers,
local government, employers and
including in the workplace. industry) to support the needs
of your local community and
•• Ask your child’s school about suitable ensure they continue to support
tools and resources that may assist pathways for school students.
you in the conversations with your
children about their passions, subject
choices and potential career paths.

PREPARING
•• Access tools and resources to support
evidence-based conversations with
4. Objective:
your child about the skills needed Communities

YOUR CHILD FOR

in the range of post-school options
and pathways available to them. •• Engage with your local community,
school, universities, training
providers, government, employers

A WORLD
and industry to share information
about quality career information,
2. Objective: education and training options.
Meets the needs

YET TO BE
of all students
•• Start conversations with your children Objective:

IMAGINED
5.

about careers from a young age.

Informed and
•• Identify a child’s individual passions involved
and strengths to assist in supporting
their future pathway choices.
•• Parents and carers know their
•• Use opportunities in your child best. Discuss your child’s
local area to explore career interests with your child’s school
Parents and carers, and families play build essential skills and attitudes possibilities with your child. and explore the possibilities
a significant role in the decisions to prepare them for the future. available in your community.
•• Encourage them to lead the
students make about their career conversations about the things •• Understand and value your child’s
choices beginning with subject The purpose of career education that interest them and how they progression and growth to support
might follow those interests. them to achieve their career goals.
choices and educational pathways. is to build resilient individuals
with the capacity to adapt to
It is important for parents and carers the changing nature of work and
to be aware of the value of career manage multiple careers in their
education. When parents and carers lifetime, according to circumstances
work with their child’s interests, and needs. Early engagement by
the school, community and local parents ensures children are better
business network they can help prepared for life beyond school.

schooltowork.education.gov.au 23
GLOSSARY

The Australian Curriculum sets the Communities are the local context in which Parents and carers nurture and guide student Vocational education and training (VET)
expectations for what all young Australians all students live, grow and learn. They provide development and are key influencers of student enables students to acquire workplace skills
should be taught, regardless of where they live meaning and opportunity, and a rich repository career aspirations and choices. Supporting through nationally recognised training described
in Australia or their background. It consists of of resources and experiences that can parents and carers can ensure that students within an industry-developed training package
eight learning areas, seven general capabilities, contribute to their learning. Tailoring career begin the conversation about their future or an accredited course. A VET qualification is
and three cross-curriculum priorities.1 education to local communities ensures that career pathways at the earliest opportunity. issued by a registered training organisation.
student experiences are authentic and relevant. The achievement of a VET qualification
Career education is the development of School leaders are school principals and signifies that a student has demonstrated
knowledge, skills and attitudes through a The future of work describes the complex leading teachers who plan the direction and competency against the skills and knowledge
planned program of learning experiences in changes occurring in countries around the drive the culture within schools. Working in required to perform effectively in the relevant
education and training settings which will world, driven by advances in technology, conjunction with teachers, parents and carers workplace for which they have studied.8
assist students to make informed decisions the economy and social organisation. These and the wider community, school leaders
about their study and/or work options and changes affect the way that we work, the promote effective teaching, improved student
enable effective participation in working life. number and type of jobs available, and the outcomes, and school performance.5
skills and knowledge required by individuals.3
Career development is the lifelong process School to work transitions describe the
of managing learning, work, leisure and The general capabilities play a significant different pathways that young people
transitions in order to move towards a role in the Australian Curriculum in equipping can take to further education (university),
personally determined and evolving future. young people to live and work successfully training (vocational education and training),
Career development may be defined as in the 21st century. The general capabilities employment, or a combination of these. The
the complex process of managing life, include: Literacy, Numeracy, Information and strategy recognises the need to value all
learning, and work over a lifespan. Communication Technology (ICT) Capability, options equally, so that young people find
Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and a path that suits their individual needs.6
Career information consists of print, Social Capability, Ethical Understanding
electronic, personal contacts and other and Intercultural Understanding. Teachers Student-centred learning is the practice
resources that assist the process of career are expected to teach and assess general of teachers and school leaders putting
development. Career information includes capabilities to the extent that they are students at the centre of educational
occupational and industry information, incorporated within learning area content.4 decision making, recognising and responding
education and training information and social to the individual needs of students.7
information related to the world of work. 2

1 The Australian Curriculum, www.australiancurriculum.edu.au 5 AITSL, www.aitsl.edu.au/lead-develop

2 Career Education Terminology, pssfw.myskills.gov.au 6 www.education.gov.au/school-work-transitions
3 FYA, The New Work Order (2015) 7 www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources/resource/insights---literature-review-student-centred-schools-make-the-difference
4 The Australian Curriculum, www.australiancurriculum.edu.au 8 Preparing Secondary Students for Work framework, pssfw.myskills.gov.au

schooltowork.education.gov.au 25
schooltowork.education.gov.au