Careers

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.

The WorldSkills Australia National Championships and Skills Show is set to be an exciting event in 2025. Taking place on June 12, 13, and 14 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, the show promises to offer students an unparalleled opportunity to explore career pathways and engage with industry professionals.

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.  

‘Do you want to be a teacher?’ Is this a question you’ve asked your own students? A new Australian study aimed at boosting the number of First Nations teachers has found that Aboriginal students would like someone to speak to them about teaching as a possible career.

The annual Ethics Index by the Governance Institute of Australia measures the population’s overall view of how ethical the behaviour of major sectors is. The education sector continues to be perceived as the most ethical sector. Here, we see 2024 results for all 8 sectors, specific occupations within education, and how public perceptions have changed from 2023.

If you’re a secondary teacher or leader, what is the average year 12 completion rate for students in your school? Do you know the reasoning behind why some students decide to leave early? How could you best support these students? A new report offers answers to these questions.

In this episode from our Global Education podcast series, we’re venturing to New Zealand’s South Island, to find out about the Central Otago Youth Employment Program, which is keeping Year 11 program in high school while setting them up for job success.

In today’s article we share an update on the Pathways, Engagement and Transitions study, which explores the post-school pathways of young people experiencing disadvantage and how this information can be used to create better support systems, including in school settings.

The Australian space economy is set to triple in size and create another 20,000 jobs by 2030. In this article, we speak to Dr Scott Sleap, the latest recipient of the Park Family Churchill Fellowship, about the work he is doing to inspire young people to consider careers in space.

In this episode of The Research Files, we’re focusing on The Smith Family’s Pathways, Engagement and Transition Study. We’ll be unpacking some of the early findings and student feedback on how teachers and careers advisers can best support them in making informed decisions about possible jobs and pathways, connecting with employers, and applying for further study or training.