Introduction
Understanding your personal strengths and the many opportunities available to you in high school is helpful in planning out your future pathway.
By the end of this session you should:
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identify your personal strengths
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develop an understanding of the NSW education system and different pathways available to you
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identify short and long term goals
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consider the skills and qualities required for different jobs.
Preparation and resources
To complete this session, you will need access to the following resources:
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a computer
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documents (found in the Activities section below)
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5.1 – The NSW education system
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5.2 – My personal strengths
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5.3 – Short and long term goals
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5.4 – Jobs and skills.
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Activities
Suggested activities for this session:
Imagine that a line has been drawn through the middle of the space – one side of the line is ‘agree’ the other is ‘disagree’. Your teacher will read out a set of statements and you will move to either the ‘agree’ or 'disagree’ side of the space. Your opinion may change for each statement, so be prepared to move around and cross the line.
Everyone thinks and feels differently about various issues. It is important to try to understand and respect the opinions of other people.
Open a copy of 5.1 – The NSW education system and consider where you are now, on your educational pathway.
In Australia there are many different pathways in education to help you reach your career goals. Consider the pathway you might take to achieve your goal.
Everybody is different, with their own personal strengths. Open a copy of 5.2 – My personal strengths and pick 8 personal strengths that describe you. Click and drag the words into the ‘I am…’ diagram.
If you are working with a partner or in a group, remember to be positive and supportive of other people’s answers.
Working with a group or a partner, open a copy of 5.3 – Short and long term goals and work through the list at the top of the page. Decide if each goal is short term or long term. Remember to discuss your thinking.
Choose 2 personal goals (1 short term and 1 long term) and record them in the second table on the worksheet.
Working with a partner or small group, open a copy of 5.4 – Jobs and skills. Think about 3 jobs that you might be interested in trying when you finish school and list them in the table. Your personal short and long term goals might help you make this list.
In your group think about the skills that would be needed to do these jobs well and record them in the table also. Your list of personal strengths may help you make this list.
If you get stuck, talk to your teacher or Careers/Transition Adviser.
In this activity you will work with the school’s Careers/Transition Adviser and learn about the information and help that they can give you in planning your future.
For more information on planning your education and career pathway, online resources are available at the Education Services Australia – My future website.
Conclusion
Remember to make a note of the different people that you can talk to if you need help planning an education or career pathway.
Make a note in your diary about the meeting time for Session 6.
Remember to thank your teachers and other students that you worked with during the session.
Teaching notes
The Welcome Program sessions are designed to be teacher facilitated. Students should not be left to complete the activities without guidance.
This session asks students to focus on their personal strengths and to consider future goals and pathways.
Aims
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Students will identify their personal strengths.
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Students will develop an understanding of the NSW education system and different pathways available.
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Students will identify short and long term goals.
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Students will consider the skills and qualities required for different jobs.
Before conducting this session, read all of the information in this resource and plan accordingly. You may choose to conduct some activities without using student computers and will therefore need to print out copies of worksheets for the students.
Invite the Careers Adviser, Transition Coordinator and Head Teacher Welfare to this session.
Students will need access to the following resources:
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computers
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their NSW DoE student account to access Google Drive (test to see if students are able to log on to school computers and access the internet)
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if students are unable to access Google Drive, you may need to print copies of all the worksheets
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highlighter pens.
Explain to students that it is alright for people to have different opinions and make different choices in their life. This session will look at choices and pathways during and after school.
This activity can take place inside a classroom or outdoors. Explain to students that there is an imaginary line (perhaps a chalk line if you are working outside), one side is ‘agree’ the other is ‘disagree’. Read the following statements aloud and then ask students to stand on the side of the space according to their opinion. Below are some sample statements:
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Smoking is bad for your health.
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Australia is a lucky country.
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It is okay to throw your rubbish on the playground.
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The World Wide Web has changed the world.
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Education should be free for everybody.
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Mathematics is the best subject.
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Music should always be played very loudly.
As a class, discuss the importance of accepting and respecting the opinions of other people.
Ask students to open a copy of 5.1 – The NSW education system and ask them to highlight where they are now.
Explain that in Australia, there are various pathways in education to help a person reach their career goals. Ask the students to consider the pathway that they may take to achieve their goal.
Have the students open a copy of 5.2 – My personal strengths. Ask the students to choose 8 adjectives (strengths) that they feel describes themselves and drag the adjectives onto the ‘I am’ diagram. Students could work in pairs or individually and then share with a partner.
Follow pair work with group feedback and emphasise that each person has different strengths that will assist them to reach their personal goals.
Students will benefit from discussing the difference between short term goals and long term goals. Using the table provided in 5.3 – Short and long term goals, ask students which of the items are short term goals and which are long term goals. Then ask the students to write down 1 short term goal and 1 long term goal for themselves. They may use one of the examples provided or come up with their own.
Begin this activity by opening a copy of 5.4 – Jobs and skills. Use an example occupation such as teaching and type it into the first column. Lead a class discussion to come up with a list of skills that would make a person suited to teaching and record them in the second column.
The students then make their own list of 3 possible careers and, in groups, list skills that would suit each career. The school Careers/Transition Adviser may be able to assist students with this activity.
Introduce the Careers/Transition Adviser and let the students know that they can give the students information to help them plan their future. Ask the adviser to explain their role.
If more time is needed on planning educational and vocational pathways, resources are available on the Education Services Australia – My future website. Students may need assistance to create a free account and work through the activities on the website.
Remind students of the time and place for the next session.
Ensure that students know where to go if they need help and who to go to for more help planning future educational or career pathways.
For more information, visit the NSW Department of Education’s The Welcome Program website.