About Themed VCAL
The Themed VCAL program is for students seeking a range of experiences within a particular industry sector to inform choices for future pathways and to develop employability skills. A Themed VCAL will provide a learning program focus that is linked to priority areas in the labour market and/or to job opportunities. The program should assist students in choosing future pathways such as apprenticeships, VET qualifications or employment.
In a Themed VCAL learning program the emphasis is on the development of knowledge and employability skills for a range of employment options in the industry sector that provides the theme for the VCAL program. The choice of industry sector suitable for the development of such learning programs will depend on local and state labour markets and job opportunities. Providers have developed themed VCAL programs in the following industry sectors:
- manufacturing
- land based industries
- sport and recreation
- tourism and environment
- hospitality
- media and communications
- automotive
- furniture making
- bricklaying
- spa and beauty
- children's services
- electrotechnology
- construction.
The Themed VCAL is for students in either Year 11 or 12 and can be developed at Intermediate and Senior VCAL level only. VCAL programs at Foundation level cannot be developed as Themed VCAL.
On successful completion of the Themed VCAL, enrolled students will receive a VCAL Certificate, issued by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) at the appropriate award level. Certificates will record achievement of the VCAL at the appropriate level and include an appellation reference to the theme, e.g. Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, Intermediate, Sport and Recreation.
It is not intended that students will graduate as qualified in an occupational area, but that they will have gained highly relevant experience and employability skills for the particular industry sector. In addition, the Themed VCAL learning program will assist students to make informed choices for a broad range of occupations in the particular industry sector.
