Last month we brought you news of a major OECD report on the state of global teenage career preparation. So, in this follow-up podcast we’re going to be sharing an example of how one school here in Australia – Fairhills High School in Victoria – is doing some great work in the area of careers and pathways education.

The largest ever study on the job ambitions of 15-year-olds has revealed a stark mismatch between teenagers’ career expectations, education choices and labour market demands. In particular, the newly released OECD data show more needs to be done to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We know the global teacher shortage is impacting many different school contexts, and that encouraging young people to consider a career in teaching is an important part of the long-term picture. Dr Tracy Woodroffe joins us to discuss her 12-month research project that gathered perspectives from Aboriginal students and teachers. These perspectives informed recommendations to encourage more Aboriginal young people in the Northern Territory to consider teaching.  

‘By focusing on future-orientated education, we can find innovative solutions to the megatrends our planet faces.’ In his first Teacher column for 2025, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher shares finding from the latest Trends Shaping Education report, and the implications for teachers, school leaders, students and policymakers.

Last term, the 2024 recipients of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching were announced. In this episode, Alice Leung and Daniel Edwards join us to share some of their favourite learning activities to run in the classroom, discuss why STEM is for everyone, and share how they use social media to connect with experts.

Brand-new resources to help staff and students prepare for this year’s Australian STEM Video Game Challenge are now available. Designed to support novice and experienced learners alike, the resources include curriculum-aligned lesson plans, links to free tutorials, tips for teachers, and more.

Thinking about your own school context, is there a gender imbalance in STEM-related subjects? How do you encourage girls to consider taking STEM subjects? In this infographic, we look at gender inequality in students entering tertiary education in a STEM field. 

Jacaranda’s resource development team has been working to deliver an effective way for schools to branch into GenAI, all while keeping inside the established bounds of the curriculum. This exciting project has produced JacTutor – a new tool set to provide students and teachers with a safe, interactive, and responsive tutor integrated directly into their classroom resource.

Recent research provides insights into careers education and activities that Australian students have access to at school to support their preparation for the future. The data was collected from 259 schools and in this infographic, we compare the findings for schools with a career counsellor and schools with no specific career counsellor.

The longstanding Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching recognise one primary and one secondary STEM teacher for their outstanding contribution to the field. The 2023 winners were announced late last year and in this episode, we speak with them both about the work they’ve been recognised for.