Vocational education showcased at RMIT Career Discovery day

RMIT Career Discovery 2015 helped participants gain a better understanding of the opportunities RMIT offers in apprenticeships, traineeships and vocational education.

On arrival at the city campus’ Alumni Courtyard, students received an RMIT bag and “passport”, before trying out various hands-on activities.

These included investigating a mock crime scene, drawing, taking blood pressure levels, receiving a seated massage, soldering, wire bending, and one-on-one discussions with current RMIT students.

For each activity they completed, students received stamps in their passport, which they could then redeem for supplies at a nearby food truck.

“I was kind of expecting something a bit boring to be honest - like a lecture - but it was actually really enjoyable,” one student said. “There was music, food, and even dance-offs.

Teachers and careers advisors were eager to book for next year’s RMIT Career Discovery.

Dandenong High School Career Development Officer Amanda Christobal said: “It’s really important to us that we actually educate students about all the options that they have.

“It’s great that RMIT has the university and vocational education courses available to students, because that way they get the experience of both sectors of the university at RMIT.

“So we’re really pleased that we have opportunities to expand horizons - and expose them to lots of different areas as well.”

Dandenong High School’s Physical Education Teacher Geoff Greaves said: “There’s often a lot of focus on getting kids into university at these kinds of events.

“Particularly in high school, though, we have a lot of students for whom university really isn’t the place that they should be going.

“It’s really good to get the kids out here - where the focus is on practical subjects like plumbing, electrical, all that sort of stuff - so that they can see the real opportunities for them.”

Keith Cowlishaw, Executive Director of Vocational Education, said: “We’re tremendously proud of all the hard work that the VE schools put into the day.

“A big thanks also to our own students, including those who volunteered their time to photograph the event or provided much-valued advice to our future students.”

For further information about the 2016 Career Discovery day, please contact vocational.education@rmit.edu.au or phone +61 3 9925 2260.