As a college providing real pathways for young people in our areas of specialisations, NCAT has continued to excel in its belief and dedication to work placements and employment opportunities though its Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) and Work Experience Program.
Overt 200 NCAT Year 10, 11 & 12 students achieved outstanding outcomes in their work placements in 2024. Students actively sought placement that provided opportunities to deepen their understanding of their chosen field or opted for an experience where they learn if their chosen field “was for them”. In many cases, as you’ll seen in the following case studies, their experiences consolidated students’ future employment directions, allowing them to rest and think about their next steps. In all cases too, it confirmed their pathway and the direction correlation between their studies and their future employment.
It also demonstrated many students’ initiative, willingness to their, genuine excitement about their opportunity with many examples of students showcasing their creativity and ingenuity in difference workplaces.
In exceptional circumstances, many students were offered apprenticeships, future employment after completing Year 12 or holiday employment which they finish their studies.
Thank you so much to all the parents and employers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to offer such rewarding placements, Thank you to all the NCAT staff who took such an active interest in supporting their students.
Heartfelt congratulations to everyone involved!
Viv Sercombe, NCAT Careers Advisor
ANTHONY – 11 VCE VM
As a year 11 student I completed my two-week placement at Social Enterprise Cafe, powered by Youth Projects. At the start of my placement, I was stationed at Moon Rabbit café, where I learned how to wait tables properly. With practice, I took on responsibilities such as bringing out orders, clearing tables, and ensuring smooth service. I also developed important skills, like memorizing menu items and handling food flawlessly, which I demonstrated through a certification exam.
Following my time at Moon Rabbit, I was stationed at Laneway Lunch, where I prepared food and helped serve the public. This experience provided valuable learning opportunities and was enjoyable overall. Additionally, I was offered the chance to complete a Barista course, where I gained knowledge about brewing coffee, understanding the different types of coffee, and learning more about the hospitality industry.
After completing this placement, I plan to make use of the skills I’ve acquired and hope to return as a volunteer, as I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Following Anthonys Structured Workplace Learning, he has continued to volunteer at Moon Rabbit Social Enterprise and has been offered to do a scholarship as part of Moon Rabbit’s support of our students.
EMPLOYER’S REFLECTION
We loved seeing Anthony grow in confidence with us. He took on any task asked of him when had finished a task. He was happy to teach other young people and thrived on being trusted to do this. Anthony will be volunteering with us during the school holidays which we are so happy about!
CALLAN – 10 TECH
My work placement was at CEI Services in Kilsyth at their factory.
I was mainly in the factory helping assemble the switchboards like putting components together and assemble the body of the switchboards. I also worked in the office scanning documents and organised them. I was also introduced to the new CAD software. They gave me a tour of the factory and told me exactly what I was doing and I got to meet everyone that worked there.
One of the main highlights was seeing them fire up and test the switchboards and showing me how it all works – it was a valuable!
Getting up early in the morning was a pretty big challenge for me as it was something I was not used to but eventually I got into a rhythm.
It was a very valuable experience to me, and it has helped me figure what I want to do in the electrical industry. I now want to work in the Electrical Fitter industry and become an electrical engineer.
In 2025 I would like to go and work in the same company but try and learn about the engineering side of things; I enjoyed the glimpse that I had of it, but am keen to learn more!
EMPLOYER’S REFLECTION
Callan was a delight to have as a work experience candidate. His positive attitude and strong work ethic would make him a valuable asset to any organisation.
VIA – 10 ARTS
For my Year 10 work experience placement, I volunteered at a kindergarten for two weeks. Throughout my time there, I gained a lot of valuable insight into what working with children and young people could look like, and particularly the way these experiences relate to my aspirations of being a paediatrician.
Having the opportunity to observe and interact with 3 & 4-year-olds helped me recognise different developmental stages in children, both physical and behavioural. I learned about each child and their unique needs (including allergies, asthma and heart problems) which exposed me to some of the diagnoses that are made by doctors, and how they are treated.
At the kindergarten, I also spent a lot of time with children who had developmental delays, and ASD. I initially found some of these interactions more challenging and struggled with making a connection. After a bit of trial and error, I found different ways of communicating that were effective for different children’s needs. I felt like this was such an important experience, as it taught me that a variety of communication skills are needed to bond with different young people – for some of them, they really wanted to have a long conversation, while others wanted to listen to a book or do a puzzle. I was also able to chat to one of the parents of a child with a developmental delay, and she told me a bit about what that experience has been like for their family, and what the process of getting a diagnosis and medical assistance has been like. Having these conversations with her helped me understand what the health system looks like for families with children, but also gave me the opportunity to practise having an empathetic and insightful discussion, which is a vital skill for a doctor.
Overall, I found my placement incredibly fun and valuable. I met so many lovely young people and their families and had amazing learning opportunities. Helping at a kindergarten gave me insight into what working with children on a daily basis looks like, and also exposed me to a variety of health concerns and how they are dealt with. I feel like my placement gave me a lot of new skills, and awareness of what paediatric healthcare could involve!
