BEING WORK READY : A GUIDE TO WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT

The Business Council has developed Being Work Ready: A Guide to What Employers Want to assist senior high school students along with people, family, teachers and career counselors, to better understand what ‘work readiness’ means from a business perspective. The guide outlines the minimum expectations a business has of someone’s work readiness when they apply for a job. These expectations are classified as values, behaviours and skills. Download the guide on the Business Council of Australia website as well as a video where they explain the key concepts in the guide and why work readiness is important to business.

BECOMING A DOCTOR

There are four main steps to becoming a specialist doctor (and a GP - General Practitioner is a medical specialisation). The four steps are:

1. Undergraduate Bachelor degree – may require UCAT for entry (3 - 4 Years)
2. Doctor of Medicine qualification (2 - 4 Years)
3. Junior Hospital doctor (2 - 3 Years)
4. Specialist training (3 - 5 Years)

Click here for more details about each of these training steps.

Click here for the latest 'Careers with STEM' information

National Volunteer Week

National Volunteer Week, 19 - 25 May 2025, provides an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in the community and invites people not currently volunteering to give it a go. This year's theme is ‘Connecting Communities’. Volunteering creates lasting relationships that enrich lives and strengthen communities. According to Volunteering Queensland, volunteering is all about making a difference in a community and also benefits individuals as it offers the chance to:

• act on values, passions and interests
• make new friendships and create professional networks
• gain work experience and learn new skills
• enjoy new social and cultural experiences
• develop personally and build confidence
• enjoy better physical and mental health as studies show volunteering makes people healthier and happier
• help the community and have fun.

Subscribe to VA News for the latest updates and click here for more information and ways of getting involved.

MINING AND RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY PATHWAY GUIDE

The Mining and Renewable Energy Industry Pathway Guide is designed for Years 9 - 12 students, interested in exploring careers in this field.

The guide covers:

• Australia’s shift toward clean energy
• Career categories across mining and renewables
• Pathways via TAFE, apprenticeships, and universities
• Links to institutions and programs in NSW & QLD
• Insights into emerging fields like hydrogen and battery storage

Click here to read the guide.

OPEN DAY GUIDE

Tertiary education providers and other organisations are hosting their open days and career related events from now through to July. These events are a great way for students to find out more information about their options and experience what these organisations and providers are all about.

Study Work Grow have released a 2025 Open Days Guide that provides an overview and schedules of these events. Students can access the guide to download on the Assumption College Careers Canvas page.

BiG DAY IN | 3 JUNE 2025

BiG Day In events are for students in Years 9 - 12. They give students the opportunity to explore careers in technology and gain insight into ‘university life’ so they can make better informed decisions about their future.

At the BiG Day In students can learn about courses, degrees, work experience, internships, apprenticeships and engage with hands-on demonstrations.

Students can attend sessions covering career paths, career opportunities, the latest developments, and the future of technology. In the breaks, they can visit exhibitor stands to speak with company and university representatives.

Dates:

• Brisbane, 3 June 2025
• Gold Coast, 14 August 2025

Click here for more information.

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE | ADF GAP YEAR OPPORTUNITIES

Students can apply for the 2026 Australian Defence Force (ADF) Gap Year and experience life in the Navy, Army or Air Force without committing to a longer period by 'signing up'. An ADF Gap Year is a way to gain valuable skills and work experience and get paid for it. There are many roles to choose from for the 2026 Gap year experience including administration, cabin crew, artillery operator, driver, engineer and more. Applicants must be an Australian citizen, aged between 18 and 24 years on admission and have completed Year 12 (required passes vary by job). Click here to find out what jobs are available, how to apply and answers to frequently asked questions.

How to join the ADF

There are several ways to join the Navy, Army or Air Force, with many roles offering more than one entry method. To help students choose the right path, the ADF have broken down the different requirements for ‘General Entry’ and ‘Officer Entry’ below. Click here to find out more about:

• General Entry   
• General non-technical positions
• Technical and trade apprenticeships
• Qualified positions
• Officer Entry   
• Navy Officer training
• Army Officer training
• Air Force Officer training
• Tertiary education options   
• Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA)
• Undergraduate entry
• Tertiary Aviation Reimbursement scheme (TARS)
• Graduate medical program
• Graduate entry.

QUT OPEN DAY | 27 JULY 2025

QUT Open Day is on Sunday 27 July at Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove campuses. This is the best opportunity for students to chat to QUT staff and students from all study areas about courses, careers and university life. Students can register now to attend.

 

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY'S BRIDGING MATHS FOR ENTRY INTO A TEACHING DEGREE | 6 MAY - 13 JUNE 2025

For students wanting to study a teaching degree after school but do not  have the Mathematics prerequisite, successful completion of Griffith University’s free Bridging Maths meets the Maths subject prerequisite for entry into Griffith Education degrees. Courses run from 6 May to 13 June 2025, 3 November to 12 December 2025 and January/February 2026 dates to be confirmed. Courses are offered part-time over six weeks in on-campus and online modes. It is expected that participants will commit to approximately 13–15 hours per week of study. Click here for more information including eligibility, tutorials, topics and how to apply.

 

BOND UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE DAYS | MAY - JUNE 2025

Gold Coast Campus

May 22, 2025 – Psychology Experience Day Find out more and register

May 23, 2025 – Communications Experience Day Find out more and register

June 7, 2025 – Health Experience Day Find out more and register

 

CAREER EXPO AND MARKET 

18/05/2025      Griffith University Creative Arts Open Day

ADF CAREERS VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSION | THURSDAY 19 JUNE 2025

ADF Careers are hosting a Virtual Defence Careers Information Session on Thursday, 19 June commencing from 6:00pm.

This event is a valuable way to learn how the Navy, Army or Air Force can offer much more than just a career. Life in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) offers a unique experience with work-life balance, competitive salaries, free medical and dental, nationally recognised qualifications and fulfilling meaningful work. This information session will be hosted by current serving military personnel who understand the Defence application process and can answer any questions students may have.

Register now by clicking here.

 

The Careers Department assists with the sign-up process and provides support to students completing a school-based apprenticeship/traineeship. If students have any questions regarding a potential school-based apprenticeship please see Mrs Porter in room 611.

APPRENTICESHIP AND TRAINEESHIP PREPARATION CHECKLIST

Australian Apprenticeships has put together a preparation check list to help you organise and prepare to apply for an apprenticeship or traineeship. Use the list to make sure you are prepared to start an Australian Apprenticeship. Click here to find out more about the value of the checklist and how to use it.

APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINEESHIPS

The term ‘Australian Apprenticeships’ covers both apprenticeships and traineeships. They start when an employer creates a job and decides to use this pathway for employing and training staff. 

• They are available to anyone of working age with eligibility to work in Australia. 
• There are no specific school levels, certificates or other qualifications needed to start one. 
• They offer opportunities for you to train, study and earn an income at a variety of Vocational Education and Training qualification levels in many occupations and can be full-time, part-time or school based.

Click here to find out more from Australian Apprenticeships.

WHAT IS A SCHOOL-BASED APPRENTICESHIP? 

A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship allows you to start your training while you are still at school and will contribute credit towards your Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). When you finish school, you and the employer usually agree to continue on, with you taking up a full time apprenticeship contract. You can find out about school-based apprenticeships and traineeships on the Apprenticeships Info website.

LITERACY AND NUMERACY FOR APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES

The Australian Apprenticeships website has literacy and numeracy quizzes for a range of careers. These general industry-based quizzes indicate the literacy and numeracy levels required when undertaking Australian Apprenticeships qualifications. The quizzes give students an idea about the literacy and numeracy skills/abilities that are needed for the jobs in the industries listed. They are a guide only and students can find sample quizzes for the following industry areas here:

• Agriculture, Animals and Conservation
• Automotive, Transport and Maritime
• Business and Financial Services
• Construction and Electrical
• Creative and Beauty
• Digital, Technology and Telecommunications
• Energy and Utilities
• Food and Wine Processing
• Health and Community Services
• Manufacturing and Production
• Resources, Mining and Processing
• Retail, Hospitality and Recreation.

WORK EXPERIENCE

The Careers Department assists students in finding placements with employers, aligned with their career pathways.

If students would like to complete work experience they should see either Mrs Porter or Mrs Meerdink to discuss their options further.

YEAR 12 AND UNIVERSITY

Time is moving quickly and Year 12 students should be starting to seriously research university course preferences for their 2026 QTAC application. For assistance with this, students can book an appointment with the College Career Development Practitioner. Some other information that may assist Year 12 students includes:

• From May to September most of the Institutions have open days where students can get information about courses and check out the campuses.
• Students will receive the QTAC Guide through the school or be able to access it online through the QTAC website. It contains information about courses they can apply for through QTAC as well as the application processes.
• 19 - 20 July 2025 - Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO) at the RICC Brisbane Showgrounds. Interstate universities will be represented at this Expo.
• From August 2025, students can access a range of up-to-date information about the 2025/26 QTAC application and offer processes and the courses offered from the QTAC website.
• 12, 13 & 14 May 2025 - Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Also, careers' expos will be held in regional centres throughout Queensland.
• 6 August - Assumption College Warwick Year 12 University Application Information Session.

Year 12 students should take advantage of all these opportunities to plan their immediate future. 30 September 2025 is the final date to apply for some courses through QTAC and is the end of the Early Bird application fee window. Students must check their QTAC book, when received, for critical application dates. Visit Home - QTAC for all things related to university in Queensland.

2026 UNIVERSITY EARLY ENTRY PROGRAMS OPEN NOW

It is that time of year when our Year 12 students considering applying to university should be starting to do their research and preparing for making applications to their universities and courses of choice.

One way to apply to a university is through an early entry program. Early entry programs at universities are designed to offer students a chance to secure a place in a university course before they complete their final high school examinations or receive their ATAR. These programs often assess students based on criteria other than their final exam results or ATAR, such as their Year 11 or mid-Year 12 grades, extracurricular activities, and personal statements.

To help our Year 12 students navigate the early entry programs at university, they can access the Early Entry Guide, published by ‘Study Work Grow’. Many of these early entry programs are open for application or are opening soon and Year 12 students should apply before these programs close. Students can access the Early Entry Guide via the Careers page on Canvas, where they will find many other Careers resources.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND (UNE) | EARLY ENTRY APPLICATIONS FOR 2026

UNE Early Entry is open to all Year 12 applicants, with or without an ATAR. Early Entry relies on a school’s assessment of applicants attributes and abilities: that is a student's ability to work and learn independently, and overall potential for academic success.

Apply with UNE directly and an offer can be made before the release of the Year 12 results. 

The UNE direct Early Entry program recognises that an ATAR score is not the only measure of future success at university.

For more information, please click here Early Entry - University of New England (UNE).

MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN AUSTRALIA

Queensland students interested in gaining entry to a medical course can apply to medical schools throughout Australia. The Australian Medical Council website has a list of Australian medical schools with links to each school. There are three major entry points for medical courses in Queensland. These are:

• Direct entry from Year 12 (Bond University and James Cook have this type of entry)
• Graduate entry after completing an undergraduate degree (Griffith University and the University of Queensland have this type of entry)
• Provisional entry for high achieving Year 12 students (Griffith University, University of the Sunshine Coast and The University of Queensland have this type of entry).

Doctor of Medicine Admissions

To apply for the Doctor of Medicine, students need to know which entry pathway they are eligible for. At UQ, the Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a 4-year postgraduate program. Explore the entry pathways into the MD program for high school students and university graduates. Click the link and find out more about:

Provisional entry programs

• Greater Brisbane provisional entry - Applying to UQ into the Greater Brisbane provisional entry pathway.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander provisional entry - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person students can apply through their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit
• Central Queensland and Wide Bay regional medical pathway - Based in Rockhampton and Bundaberg, study an undergraduate pathway to medicine program at CQ University and complete an MD at the UQ Rural Clinical School in Central Queensland or Wide Bay
• Darling Downs and South West Queensland medical pathway - Based in Toowoomba, study an undergraduate pathway to medicine program at the University of Southern Queensland and complete an MD at the Rural Clinical School in the Darling Downs – South West region.   

Pathways to Medicine at Griffith

An undergraduate degree at Griffith, can provide training to support an application for the Doctor of Medicine. The Bachelor of Medical Science is designed for high-achieving secondary school leavers and provides an opportunity to progress directly into the Doctor of Medicine:

• Bachelor of Medical Science

Other pathway programs include:

• Bachelor of Biomedical Science
• Bachelor of Health Science
• Other key degrees - a 'key degree' can be an undergraduate degree, Honours, Masters or PhD in any study area - it does not need to be a Health-related discipline.

TORRENS UNIVERSITY OPEN DAY

Watch online and on demand as academics talk about the courses on offer and how students can get the most out of studying with Torrens. Learn about scholarships, internships and what sets them apart from other universities. Click here to choose from the following virtual open days:

• Business and Hospitality
• Design and Creative Technology
• Health and Education
• Technology.

UniSQ STUDY OPTION AND ADMISSION PATHWAYS

There are many ways students can start their higher education journey at UniSQ from studying while still in high school to pathways and undergraduate degrees. Some of these pathways include:

Head Start - UniSQ offers Head Start, a program that provides high school students with the opportunity to study a university subject while at school.

TAFE/VET pathways - As a TAFE or VET graduate, students can use their Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) awards of Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma to submit an application to study with UniSQ.

UniPrep - a pathway to most UniSQ undergraduate degrees for high school students focusing on developing academic skills to prepare them for transition to university and success in their chosen undergraduate degree.

Pathways to University - Regardless of ATAR results there are a number of pathways to help you achieve your tertiary study goal/s.

Early Entry  - Year 12 students who place UniSQ #1 on their QTAC application, can receive an early offer to UniSQ.

INTERSTATE TERTIARY APPLICATIONS

In addition to applying through QTAC for Queensland tertiary courses, applications can be made for courses in other states through their Tertiary Admissions Centres (TAC). All TAC applications are online and students should familiarise themselves with the application processes and key dates for applications.

• New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory - Universities Admissions Centre (UAC)
• South Australia and the Northern Territory -  South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC)
• Tasmania - Apply directly to the University of Tasmania
• Victoria - Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC)
• Western Australia - Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC).

'ENTRY TO MEDICINE' GUIDE

Students and their families are encouraged to check out the 'Entry to Medicine’ Guide available from Careers on Canvas. Click here for more information  Assumption College Careers: Careers.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

When the Careers Department is advised of any current employment opportunities available to students it will be shared and communicated via email to students, and uploaded to Canvas.

Flyers outlining any employment opportunities will also be displayed in the Careers noticeboards in the breezeway, so students are encouraged to keep an eye out for any updates!

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

Aurora Training Institute is teaming up with local businesses to create opportunities for students.  If any students in Year 10, 11 or 12 are interested in one of the following School-Based Traineeship or Apprenticeship,  they should express their interest by scanning the QR Code and submitting a resume.

MAX and BETTY

Max and Betty are a local newsagency with a range of giftwares, occasion wares, accessories, cards, gift hampers and more. They are seeking someone with a great work ethic and a willingness to learn to come join their close-knit team. If this is something students are interested in, apply today by scanning the QR code above.

Year 10, 11 & 12 students may apply.

SUBWAY

The team at Subway are looking for motivated people to join their team. Students need to enjoy working as part of a team, be well-presented and demonstrate good customer service. There will be weekend work as required.

Year 10 & 11 students may apply.

RED ROOSTER

Red Rooster is a close-knit team and are seeking well-presented students with good people skills to join their team. Students must be willing to work rostered shifts and be a team player. Apply today by scanning the QR code above.

Year 10, 11 & 12 students may apply.

2025 PREMIER'S CODING CHALLENGE

The Premier's Coding Challenge is an annual, statewide initiative for all Queensland students in Year 3 to Year 10. The Challenge aims to encourage an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Queensland students. In 2025, students are tasked with creating an app, game or website that drives positive change in the world by addressing 1 or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals External link (SDGs).This is a great opportunity for students to tackle real-world issues that matter to them.
 

Students can work individually or in pairs to create an app, game or website and submit a short video explaining their entry. Find out more about the categories on the get started page. Winners will share in $15,000 worth of robotics prizes, attend an awards ceremony and connect with tech experts to explore future pathways. Click here for more information and entry details. Submission portal closes on 12 September.

WHAT MATTERS? WRITING COMPETITION

The What Matters? writing competition is currently open to school students in Years 5 to 12. Responding to the simple question 'what matters?' What Matters? allows writers to raise issues that are important to them and know that all perspectives are valuable, no matter age, background or viewpoint. Entries can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose of up to 600 words and submitted online at What Matters? Writing Competition. Entries close on 16 May 2025. Find out more information and how to enter here.