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Advice for teachers -
Applied Computing

Employability skills​

The VCE Applied Computing study provides students with the opportunity to engage in a range of learning activities. In addition to demonstrating their understanding and mastery of the content and skills specific to the study, students may also develop employability skills through their learning activities.

The nationally agreed employability skills* are: Communication; Planning and organising; Teamwork; Problem solving; Self-management; Initiative and enterprise; Technology; and Learning.

The table links those facets that may be understood and applied in a school or non-employment related setting, to the types of assessment commonly undertaken within the VCE study.

Assessment task

Employability skills selected facets

A folio of exercises or software solutions

Communication (sharing information; understanding the needs of internal and external customers)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; using IT to organise data; being willing to learn new IT skills)
Problem solving (developing creative, innovative solutions; developing practical solutions)
Learning (managing own learning; using a range of mediums to learn; applying learning to 'technical issues'; having enthusiasm for ongoing learning; being open to new ideas and techniques)

Written report

Communication (sharing information; writing to the needs of the audience)
Planning and organising (managing time and priorities; adapting resource allocations to cope with contingencies; planning the use of resources including time management; establishing clear project goals and deliverables; collecting, analysing and organising information)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; using IT to organise data)
Problem solving (developing practical solutions; applying a range of strategies to problem solving)
Learning (managing own learning; using a range of mediums to learn; applying learning to ‘technical’ issues)
Self-management (evaluating and monitoring own performance; articulating own ideas and visions)
Initiative and enterprise (being creative; initiating innovative solutions)

Presentation

Communication (speaking clearly and directly; writing to the needs of the audience; persuading effectively; sharing information; understanding the needs of internal and external customers)
Planning and organising (managing time and priorities; collecting, analysing and organising information)
Team work (working as an individual and as part of a team; knowing how to define a role as part of a team)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; using IT to organise data; being willing to learn new IT skills)
Problem solving (developing creative, innovative solutions; developing practical solutions)
Learning (managing own learning; using a range of mediums to learn)
Self-management (taking responsibility; articulating own ideas and visions)
Initiative and enterprise (being creative)

Case study

Communication (sharing information)
Planning and organising (managing time and priorities; collecting, analysing and organising information; understanding basic business systems and their relationships)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; using IT to organise data)
Problem solving (applying a range of strategies to problem solving)

Structured questions

Communication (sharing information; writing to the needs of the audience)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; using IT to organise data)
Learning (managing own learning; having enthusiasm for ongoing learning)         

Network solution

Communication (sharing information; understanding the needs of internal and external customers)
Planning and organising (managing time and priorities; adapting resource allocations to cope with contingencies; understanding basic business systems and their relationships)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; applying IT as a management skill; using IT to organise data; being willing to learn new IT skills; having the OHS knowledge to apply technology; having the physical capacity to apply technology)
Problem solving (developing practical solutions; showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them; applying a range of strategies to problem solving)
Learning (managing own learning; using a range of mediums to learn; applying learning to ‘technical issues’; being open to new ideas and techniques)
Initiative and enterprise (being creative; initiating innovative solutions; translating ideas into action)

​ProjectCommunication (sharing information; speaking clearly and directly; writing to the needs of the audience; understanding the needs of internal and external customers; listening and understanding)
Planning and organising (managing time and priorities; adapting resource allocations to cope with contingencies; collecting, analysing and organising information; taking initiative and making decisions: establishing clear project goals and deliverables; predicting)
Team work (working as an individual and as part of a team; identifying the strengths of the team members)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; applying IT as a management tool; using IT to organise data)
Problem solving (developing creative, innovative solutions; developing practical solutions; showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them; solving problems in teams; applying a range of strategies to problem-solving; applying problem-solving strategies across a range of settings; resolving customer concerns in relation to complex project issues)
Learning (managing own learning; applying learning to technical issues; having enthusiasm for ongoing learning; being open to new ideas and techniques; being prepared to invest time and effort in learning new skills)
Self-management (evaluating and monitoring own performance; having knowledge and confidence in own ideas and visions; articulating own ideas and visions; taking responsibility)
Initiative and enterprise (adapting to new solutions; being creative; identifying opportunities not obvious to others; translating ideas into action; generating a range of options; initiating innovative solutions)

*The employability skills are derived from the Employability Skills Framework (Employability Skills for the Future, 2002), developed by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Council of Australia, and published by the (former) Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training.