Something for Everyone at Careers Week Showcase
Something for Everyone at Careers Week Showcase
Mercy Light: Learning
As a young child, do you recall using the phrase, “when I grow up, I want to be…”
The ellipses – those three dots – symbolise the possibilities for a future yet to be written. “I want to be an astronaut, a doctor, a police officer, a teacher, a tradesperson…”
One of the great hallmarks of youth is that anything feels possible. During National Careers Week, held between May 12-18, students of all ages engaged in activities that captured their imagination and exposed them to practical opportunities for forging a pathway to the future they dream of.
Curated by SAC’s Career Education & VET Coordinator, Ms Julie Stephenson, National Careers Week saw students interact with peers across different year levels, industry professionals and higher education institutions.
In 2024, for the first time, children from Chancery Lane Montessori participated in Careers Week by working alongside Year 5 buddies to create a colourful booklet about a job of interest. We were happy to see they were dressed for the part as we welcomed racing car drivers, vets, scientists, ballerinas, bus drivers and many more professions. Students in 5JS showed wonderful leadership skills as they assisted Montessori children with exploration, teaching the younger children some valuable computer skills along the way.
Reception to Year 2 students were captivated by the story of the Magician’s Hat and participated in an activity all about hats! Meanwhile, Year 3 and 4 students were able to view the journey of Tracker, a soft toy dog and her friends who, over the last term, have been adventuring beyond the school grounds and visiting a variety of workplaces with students’ families. Tracker’s adventures went far and wide, and much was learned about different occupations. A photographic display in the Catherine McAuley Library’s Greenery space captured Tracker’s journey, and we thank all families and friends of Year 3 and 4 students who participated, giving Tracker the opportunity to explore and provide our students with a window to view different industries.
Year 5 and 6 students received a visit from Jacqui Heynen, the Education Manager from RSPCA South Australia. Jacqui shared the 5 freedoms essential to animal wellbeing, and discussed roles available working at the RSPCA.
Year 7 and 8 students were privileged to hear from Tania Leiman, Professor and Dean of Law at Flinders University, who spoke about the law and asked students to consider why law is important in our society today. She also talked about her passion for technology, emphasising the way in which there are many new laws to be established as we live with emerging technologies such as driverless cars.
The SAC Careers Expo filled the McAuley Auditorium for students from Years 9-12 with 25 providers sharing information and advice about vocational and tertiary study, as well as occupational pathway options and employment insights. The providers represented a diverse range of opportunities to assist students with career pathway exploration.Year 12 student, Scarlett, on the cusp of stepping into life beyond SAC, says, “the Careers Expo broadened my mind and helped me to think about which direction I really want to take.”
“I’m lucky in that I’ve always known I wanted to study marine biology. However, after studying Biology at school, I realised I’m also interested in genetic engineering. I booked a Career Guidance session with Mrs Stephenson, who taught me about the biotechnology pathway. Mrs Stephenson helped me to connect with universities, and then at the Career Expo, I was able to speak to representatives from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University about options for pursuing concurrent degrees in biotechnology and marine biology,” Scarlett shares.
“I found my Career Guidance session with Mrs Stephenson really helpful, because she’s so approachable. When she said asked about my interests and career goals and then mentioned ‘biotechnology’ it just fell into place in my mind.”
SAC is committed to empowering all students, like Scarlett, to confidently embrace a future of their own design. With guidance, persistence and resilience, anything is possible.
We are grateful for the time and commitment of all providers who attended the Career Expo and imparted knowledge to our students, and would like to thank:
UniSA, Flinders University, Adelaide University, TAFE SA, SAPOL, Defence Force, Queensford College, Adelaide Institute of Business and Technology, Tabor College, Clipjoint Education, SAIBT, Academy of Interactive Entertainment, Media Makeup, Motor Trades Association, HerTechPath Inc, Born to Build, MAS National, GHD, Engineers Australia, Australian Chiropractic College, Centre for Creative Photography, ANMEC, ANU, Adelaide Institute of Hospitality.
We also thank Jacqui Heynen from the RSPCA and Tania Leiman from Flinders University for the engaging sessions and for answering so many questions from our enthusiastic students!
Co-written by
Ms Maddie Kelly & Ms Julie Stephenson
Marketing team & Career Education & Vet Coordinator
