May lead stories

VCAL Achievement Awards – inspiring by example

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students got hands-on with awards and celebrations at the VCAL Achievement Awards at Deakin Edge, Federation Square, on Friday 27 April 2018. Celebrating the outstanding achievements of young people who undertake and complete a VCAL qualification, the awards also recognised the contribution and achievement of VCAL teachers and partner organisations in the development and delivery of innovative VCAL programs.

Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Judith Graley MP, who presented the awards, acknowledged the instrumental role of the former Minister for Education, Lynne Kosky, in the establishment of the VCAL program. Ms Graley also made special mention of the strong partnerships that schools create with training providers, industry and community as a result of the VCAL program.

VCAA Chair, Chris Wardlaw, acknowledged the teachers and principals who inspire and mentor their school communities, and the dedication and enthusiasm displayed by VCAL students throughout their studies.

The VCAA Chair's Award was presented to Sacred Heart College Geelong in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the VCAL program.

The VCAL Achievement Award winners included:

• Dylan Sgambelloni of Bright P–12 College for his project on accessibility with the Alpine Shire Council. Dylan saw obstacles to access for people in wheelchairs or with mobility devices as challenges to be worked through and gained the personal skills and confidence to undertake a major project to improve accessibility across local council and tourist spots
• Brooke McCluskey of Shepparton High School, whose commitment, motivation and independence propelled a number of projects, including sending gifts and messages of support to soldiers serving in Afghanistan, East Timor and Iraq
• Emily Bresnehan, Harry Goakes, Aiden Renshaw and Angus Spargo of Mentone Grammar School, who worked together with members of the homeless, disabled and Koorie communities to develop increased awareness of and empathy towards marginalised groups
• Kate Napper, Molly O'Neill and Gabrielle Sims of Sacred Heart College Geelong, who were drawn together through their mutual interest in youth mental health and a shared passion to make a significant difference to the lives of young people in their local community. Their creation, 'Little Boxes of Hope', has brought comfort and support to youth experiencing mental illness in the Geelong region.

VCAL Achievement Award winner Hicham Wahid spoke to the assembled crowd on behalf of VCAL students, congratulating all the award winners. Describing his own journey with VCAL, Hicham said he started out by having multimedia as a hobby, which led to him enrolling in VCAL and completing a certificate in multimedia. He is now working as a videographer at NOVA Entertainment, and freelances as a media professional. Hicham's speech highlighted the range of opportunities that emerged because of the hands-on learning offered by the VCAL program.

VCAL teachers were also honoured for their ongoing contribution to the VCAL program. Cherie Osta from Lorne P–12 College was recognised as VCAL Teacher of the Year for her dedication in mentoring other schools to develop meaningful and practical projects in collaboration with the community. Cherie's students completed a number of community-based projects, including restoring an iconic local sculpture and running a non-profit repair and maintenance business for the school community.

The VCAL program is an increasingly popular choice for senior secondary students and in 2017, there were more than 24,000 VCAL enrolments. The VCAA congratulates all the VCAL Achievement Award winners.

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Help us build a better VCAA website

We are currently redesigning the VCAA website to enable users to find what they need faster. An important part of the project is to identify how people seek information on our website. We would like you to be involved in this by participating in a short activity that shouldn’t take longer than 10–15 minutes to complete. It doesn’t require any preparation or special knowledge.

Your assistance is very valuable to us, and will help us to make it easier to use our new website.

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VCAA at the VCE and Careers Expo – bigger and better

For 26 years, young people approaching senior secondary study have flocked to the VCE and Careers Expo to explore options and study pathways for further education and employment.

The Expo attracts over 30,000 attendees over four days and this year was no different as students, parents and teachers poured into the exhibition halls at Caulfield Racecourse.

The VCAA is an ongoing sponsor of the VCE and Careers Expo and over recent years has seen an increase in attendance and demand for information, past examination papers and general advice. This year, to meet these increasing demands, the VCAA expanded its presence to twice the size of previous years.

VCAA staff, including curriculum specialists, volunteered time to engage directly with students and parents. The event was a valuable opportunity to offer advice to the community and receive feedback on the VCAA's services.

VCAA staff spoke with teachers, students and their families about the VCE, VCAL and VET studies, special provision, assessment, study designs and much more, as well as distributing thousands of past exam papers that students currently completing Unit 3 and 4 studies will use as practice exams.

Students were also encouraged to consider participating in a range of extracurricular opportunities offered by the VCAA, including the Plain English Speaking Award, the VCE Season of Excellence, and various leadership and recognition awards.

Featuring over 170 exhibitors and 168 seminars, the VCE and Careers Expo is an important source of information and advice for any Victorian about to embark on senior secondary studies.

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Should VCE and VCAL students have to meet minimum literacy and numeracy standards?

The VCAA is seeking input from the education sector and others in the broader community on whether there should be an explicit requirement for students to meet minimum standards of literacy and numeracy in order to be awarded the VCE or VCAL.

The key issues surrounding this question are presented in a consultation paper published on the VCAA website.

A range of people, including teachers, students, educators and parents, have already expressed their opinions by writing to the VCAA or attending a community consultation event. Twelve consultation events have occurred. The remaining three events are scheduled for Warrnambool, Horsham and Mildura. Please register to attend.

Consultation feedback can be submitted to vcaa.consultation@edumail.vic.gov.au or you can complete an online survey at Engage Victoria. The consultation closes on Friday 18 May 2018.

The VCAA values all contributions, and the views expressed will help inform a paper that will be sent to the Minister for Education at the end of August.

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