Work, Careers & Work Experience
Students can be involved in casual or part-time work from age 14 if they wish. Part-time work can sometimes be easier to find for home-educated students as they often have the ability to take on shifts during the day and can learn and study at flexible times.
Having a job also provides points toward TAFE entrance and may be useful in university entrance for some courses, as well as providing valuable life experience and the chance to practice initiative, independence, responsibility, and build skills.
Skills that students learn or practice at their workplace can also be used as part of a students’ educational program and to show progress through certain outcomes in the WA Curriculum.
Work Experience
WorkSafe SmartMove
This is a Work Health and Safety (WHS) online educational program for senior high school students and students on work experience placements. SmartMove is also designed for young people who are entering casual or part-time work on their free time and those who work on seasonal jobs. Students can do an online course to gain a SmartMove Certificate in Workplace Safety that may be a valuable contribution to a resume, portfolio or finding work experience placements. https://smartmove.safetyline.wa.gov.au/
Work Experience Insurance
Home Education WA cannot provide work experience insurance at this time. Organisations used by HEWA members in the past are listed below. Listing the organisations below does not imply endorsement or recommendation by HEWA, and members should evaluate the suitability of any product or service for their own situation.
EBM Insurance Student Cover ExperienceWorx AON Insurance
Finding Work Experience Placements
Options for finding work experience placements include:
- Asking friends, family or other people you know in your network
- Asking other home-educating families for ideas
- A google search for “work experience wa” or “work experience secondary students” will often provide useful ideas.
- Local council websites often list opportunities for volunteering and work experience.
- Approaching businesses or workplaces that your child has an interest in and asking if they would be interested in taking a work experience student. Having a resume with some references or a portfolio showing learning in the area of interest can sometimes be useful.
Career Advice
There is a range of organisations that offer job and career advice to students. These organisations can be very helpful and are well-equipped to advise students on career options and information.
Some organisations providing career advice include:
IDEA Academy has a range of different services that support students with tertiary entry and career advice. They are very supportive of home-educated students:
The Department of Education has lots of relevant links to a variety of organisations.
Australian Apprenticeship Pathways
Job Outlook
Article: 10 Ideas to Help Parents Talk Careers with their Teens
TAFE
If your child is already studying at TAFE or planning to, they can talk to a TAFE career advisor who can inform them about career options and pathways.
Career Expos
Career Expos are also a good way for students to check out a wide range of different careers and ask questions of knowledgeable people in fields of interest, as well as find out about pathways to those careers. There are 3 main career expos held in Perth:
Careers Expo: https://www.careers-expo.com.au/
SkillsWest: http://skillswestexpo.com.au/
The Big Meet: https://www.thebigmeet.com.au/perth
University & TAFE Open Days
Most universities have an open day once or twice per year for students to visit the campus, see the courses on offer and talk to people about entry pathways as well as careers. Open days are usually well-advertised and you can also check out a university’s website to find dates for open days.
