The Career Book - current version | Page 18

the career book PATHWAYS The pathway through school is typically a direct line from Prep to Year 10. The pathway beyond Year 10 is not always a direct line at all. The diagram below is indicative of some of the directions you could take from Year 10. Moving into and out of employment, gaining qualifications along the way, whether they be trade qualifications through apprenticeships, vocational education qualifications at TAFE and private colleges, or university qualifications, they are directions that we need to navigate on our career journey. Why are qualifications important? Qualifications can: We live in a modern society that highly values and expects qualifications. By completing qualifications you have a much better chance of entering the workforce and having a choice of occupations and jobs to select from. In Australia we have a system designed to recognise learning by levels and qualifications. This is called the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). • provide you with a better choice of jobs – qualifications can help you select from a wider range of jobs and industries • help you upskill and improve your current job chances • build your earning power – people with qualifications earn more than unqualified individuals and have better long term prospects • demonstrate to future employers, universities and colleges your willingness to learn and complete challenging tasks • demonstrate to others your capacity to improve yourself and achieve your goals • boost your self-confidence and provide you with the incentive to go further with your learning and training. The framework helps us to understand how different levels of learning can achieve different qualifications. The AQF outlines for governments, education providers and industry the requirements for achieving certificates. Every occupation has a qualification available to help you do the job required. THE AQF offers a consistent message in terms of levels of qualifications and related expectations. Many of these qualifications are then linked to pay levels. USQ 2.11 16 RWP Career pathways 2.12 Bullseye posters - myfuture