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Leaving school soon?
The earlier you leave school the more likely you are to be unemployed, but school and further study are not for everyone.
You can find helpful information on the following websites:
So you must consider your options carefully.
Work options
Paid employment can be full-time, part-time, casual, contract
or portfolio (combining all the other options). Contact your Jobs
Pathway provider or Job Placement Officer in your school if you
are planning to leave school. They will help you find a job that
interests you and matches your skills.
You can also contact Centrelink
services on Tel: 13 28 50 or at www.centrelink.gov.au for
Job Network Access, Australian Job Search and other facilities
to help you find a job. Your school will often advertise jobs with
local employers and you also need to check the newspapers.
Where are the jobs and where is the money?
All universities publish yearly reports on Graduate Destinations.
These give some idea of where the graduates are finding employment
and the range of their starting incomes.
Some universities publish
these studies on their websites, sell them in their bookshops or
place them in their libraries. Overall there is no certainty that
graduates will earn more than those people who do not attend university
or that employment is guaranteed, but it may be that they have
more options and may find more enjoyable work. Recent Graduate
Careers research indicated that the average starting salary for
graduates was about $42,000.
The workforce is also becoming increasingly educated with
ABS figures indicating that one in four full-time workers hold
a Bachelor's degree, diploma or advanced diploma. Tertiary qualifications
are needed to enter some professions. For students starting out
in tertiary study, it is important to remember that destination
studies are already nearly a year old when they are published and
much can change in the world of work during the three or four years
that they are studying. Regular research is needed if people are
to keep in touch with the trends.
All universities provide Student Support Services to assist students
in their decision-making and in searching for jobs. Hobson’s
Press publishes a book called What Jobs Pay each year and it details
average pay rates. The website www.wagenet.gov.au gives
guidelines to award rates in different jobs and professions.
It is possible to research national employment opportunities in
the employment areas of your interest using the Job Outlook – www.jobsearch.gov.au/joboutlook From
this you will be able to research what jobs have skill shortages
and what occupational groups have the strongest national growth.
Earn while you learn
You can elect to undertake paid employment and training through
apprenticeships, traineeships, by joining the Defence Forces or
doing other on-the-job accredited training.
This is a great way
to learn while you earn and usually involves some study periods
through TAFE or a registered training organisation. There is usually
a Group Training Organisation that visits your school and can help
plan this career move.
Other sources of information are:
Volunteer work can lead to permanent positions
As well as increasing your chances of finding paid work, volunteering
can give you personal satisfaction and valuable experience.
Check out the opportunities to volunteer your services at the following
web sites:
www.volunteersearch.gov.au
www.volunteer.com.au
www.volunteeringaustralia.org
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