About Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Print_Me_St_M_160212_0069_e1535604696688.jpg

WHAT CAN VET DO FOR YOU?

VET courses are designed to deliver workplace-specific skills and knowledge for a wide range of careers and industries, from finance, healthcare and retail to agriculture, construction and hospitality.

WHY ARE VET COURSES POPULAR?

VET courses are highly valued by students, parents and employers. They provide authentic, applied learning that is practical and work-based and helps students prepare for their transition to post-school work and further study. Students choose VET courses for a wide range of reasons.
Some may want to maximise their ATAR for university entrance; some may wish to gain a head start with their trade training while at school, and others wish to develop skills that are relevant to their personal interests.

WHAT CAN I GAIN BY DOING A VET COURSE?

  • Nationally recognised qualifications, at the level of Certificate I, Certificate II or Certificate III, within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

  • Credit towards Stage 5, the RoSA or the Higher School Certificate

  • Experience in the workplace. Work placement is a mandatory component of most VET courses, enabling students to apply their classroom learning and to further develop their skills in a workplace context

  • Industry-specific technical skills that lead directly to employment or further study

  • Employability skills in communication, teamwork, problem-solving, initiative and enterprise, planning and organising, self-management, learning and technology skills.

DO VET COURSES COUNT TOWARDS THE HSC?

Yes. All VET courses have to be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), which can be a school, TAFE or private provider. VET courses delivered to secondary students have dual accreditation – they are nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and accredited by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

NESA VET courses are either:

  • Board Developed Courses. These contribute towards the HSC and have an optional HSC exam for those who do a 240-hour course. These courses can be counted towards your ATAR.
  • Board Endorsed Courses. These contribute towards the HSC. These courses can not be counted towards your ATAR.

CAN I DO VET IF I AM PLANNING TO STUDY AT UNIVERSITY?

Yes. Many students aiming for university undertake VET courses for their HSC and can achieve excellent results in their VET course examination.