VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING COURSES (VET)
 
What Are VET Courses?  

Vocational Education & Training (VET) Courses are dual accredited, competency-based courses. Dual accreditation comes from the NSW Board of Studies for the HSC and from the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB)

Competency-based means that the course modules are made up of several different work-related tasks that students have to prove they can do before they can be assessed as being competent. Some of the tasks are completed at school and some are completed in a compulsory on-the-job training experience (workplacement).

VET courses are taught in alignment with national competency frameworks. This means that the competencies achieved by students studying VET courses are recognised Australia-wide.

Course Information Sheets
Click the appropriate course to download Information (Requires Acorbat Reader)
 

•  Business Services (Administration)  •
•  Construction  •
•  Hospitality  •
•  Tourism  •
•  Information Technology   •
•  Metals & Engineering   •
•  Primary Industries   •
• Retail Operations   •
•  Electrotechnology   •


VET courses give students recognition of prior learning advantages and direct credit transfer to institutions such as TAFE. For example, a student wishing to work in Hospitality can study the VET Hospitality industry course in year 11 & 12 for the HSC and then get a head start at TAFE or another Hospitality Training Institution after completing the HSC.
 
Did you Know?
  • More than one third of NSW students are now undertaking VET courses as part of their HSC.
  • HSC VET Students are more likely to continue on to further education and training whether that be university, TAFE or an apprenticeship or traineeship.
  • Nine out of ten students who received on-the-job training said it was useful and ninety percent said it increased their confidence.
 
What Is Workplacement
  • Work Placement is different from Work Experience. Every student who studies a Vocation Education and Training (VET) course must complete a workplacement. The Workplacement is designed to give  students the chance to put into practice the skills that they learn in the classroom and learn new skills.
  • The workplacement is undertaken with real employers in actual workplaces and can be completed locally or anywhere that students are prepared to travel to (as long as suitable accommodation is available). Students can choose their employers or an employer can be found on their behalf.
  • Students must complete a minimum of 35 hours in the workplace. They are treated as employees and have to work industry hours.
  • Workplacements enable students to make informed career decisions. Students get to try out a career before they decide if it is really what they want to do!
  • Many students undertaking workplacements are offered part-time work, traineeships or apprenticeships following their workplace experience.
  • Workplacements for Shoalhaven & Southern Highlands students are organised through the Student Workplace Learning Program (SWLP). The program’s co-ordinators liaise with students, teachers, schools and employers to ensure that every student undertaking a VET course experiences a  quality and beneficial workplacement.