Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses are offered as part of the Higher School Certificate. They enable students to study courses that are relevant to industry needs and have clear links to post-school destinations. These courses allow students to gain both Higher School Certificate qualifications and accreditation with industry and the workplace as part of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). This national framework is recognised across Australia and helps students to move easily between the various education and training sectors and employment. These courses each have a specific workplace component and a minimum number of hour’s students spend in the workplace or a simulated workplace at school. Students receive special documentation showing the competencies gained. Schools will deliver some of these courses, while TAFE or other providers will deliver others.
There are currently seven VET Curriculum Framework course which are accredited for the HSC and provide students with the opportunity to obtain nationally recognised vocational qualification. VET courses are 2 unit courses. The Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) is based on units of competence that have been developed by the various industries to describe the competencies, skills and knowledge needed by workers in that industry. The Framework courses are nationally recognised.
Information applicable to all VET Curriculum Framework Course.
Work placement: all VET courses require a minimum of 70 hours workplacement over a 2 year period. Although the work placement organisation may vary, students are usually placed in industry for one week during each of the Preliminary and HSC course.
The successful completion of the VET courses enables the sudent to gain a range of AQF Certifcate 1 and 2 courses.. Some courses also provide Statement of Attainments and allow Credit Transfers.
Course assessment: VET courses are competency based. Students will be progressively assesses as either 'competent' or 'not yet competent'. There is no mark awarded in competency based assessment.
To be assessed as 'competent' the student must demonstrate to a qualified assessor that they can effectively carry out the various tasks. When a student achieves an element of competency it is signed off in a Student Log Book.
Students who are assessed as competent in all units of competency will be eligible fot the AQF Certificate. Those students who are assesses as competent in some units of competency may be eligible for a Statement of Attainment showing partial completion of AQF Certificates.
External Assessment: Students may elect to sit for an external HSC examination in the VET course. This is optional and has no impact on the eligibility of the student to receive the AQF qualification. To include the VET course in the calculation of the ATAR, students are required to sit it for the formal HSC examiination.
VET courses are Category A courses. First course only, if selecting more than one VET course to study.
Not all of the 7 VET Curriculum Frameworks operate at Colo High School. Some are offered at neighbouring schools in the Hawkesbury cluster or at Western Sydney Institute TAFE locations.
Colo High School offers:
Construction
Entertainment Industry - Live Production and Technical Services
Hospitality Kitchen Operations
Hospitality
Information & Digital Technologies
Sports Coaching
Manufacturing and Engineering
The following courses may be accessed via the Hawkesbury Cluster of schools:
Primary Industries
Business Services
Note: Transport arrangements are the responsibility of students and parents.
