Welcome back to Term 2

On behalf of the leadership team and staff, I would like to warmly welcome all members of the NGSC school community back. I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy a break over the Easter period and spend valuable time with family and friends.

Term 2 is a particularly busy time, with exams, assessment tasks, and the transition to a new semester. I have no doubt that the diligence and commitment our students are demonstrating will place them in a strong position as they prepare for these important assessments.

Upcoming Term 2 Key Dates

Parent-Teacher Conferences

At the end of last term, we held our parent-teacher conferences, which were highly successful, with strong attendance and meaningful engagement between families and staff. These conversations provided a valuable opportunity to celebrate student progress, discuss areas for growth, and strengthen the partnership between home and school to support each student’s learning journey. Feedback from staff indicated that this was one of the busiest conference periods we have experienced. This was supported by booking data and reflects the strong engagement of our parents, guardians, and students. This level of involvement is commendable and highlights a shared commitment to understanding progress and identifying strategies to support continued growth in student learning.

Anzac Day

Last Friday, the College commemorated Anzac Day with a moving ceremony led by the students of North Geelong Secondary College. School captains, Tanishka and Louis, along with student Cadets, Ashlyn Craddock and Flynn Bird (Catafalque Party) and Shesh Rajasingham (Guard Commander) (also a school captain), all members of various armed forces, took part, proudly wearing their service uniforms, which added to the solemnity of the occasion. The “Mounting of the Guard” was a particularly moving moment. A highlight was the special guest Chrsitina Bowden from the Geelong Band, playing the bugle, an inspiring performance, captivating everyone present. During the recitation of the “Ode of Remembrance,” the playing of the “Last Post,” the minute of silence, and the “Reveille,” you could hear a pin drop. Staff were enormously proud of the students for their reverence and respect as they honoured our soldiers. We had two special guests from Geelong Legacy, Russ Cameron and John Delia, who often support our remembrance services. Russ commented on how much he enjoys coming to North Geelong Secondary College to see the level of respect that is consistently on display. Thanks to Selma Delpi for organising the assembly bit, and also for displaying the ANZAC remembrance posters on school fences to share with the community. Well done to all involved.

Ramp and Building Upgrades

I would like to commend our students and staff for their flexibility and resilience in managing the ongoing upgrades to 13 ramps during Term 1, which are now nearing completion. These works have also included the addition of a new accessible toilet and several automatic doors, significantly improving accessibility and the flow of movement around the school.

While these upgrades did cause some disruption, our students' willingness to adapt was exceptional, and I thank everyone for their patience and cooperation throughout this process.

Welcome to term 2. We hope everyone enjoyed a restful and refreshing break and we are excited to welcome all students, families, and staff back for Term 2. This term promises to be a busy and engaging one, filled with new learning opportunities, events, and achievements.

Throughout the term, we look forward to a range of activities and excursions, including Year 9 Morrisby Interviews, Inter-school Sports, and Year 10 Careers Immersion Excursions.

We encourage families to stay connected and involved. Regular attendance, communication, and support at home all contribute greatly to student success. Thank you for your continued support—we look forward to a fantastic Term 2 together!

Timetable Changes

There is a new timetable for term 2 as well as staff changes. All students are encouraged to ensure they check their Compass daily and be prepared for classes.

ANZAC Day Service

The college’s Anzac Day Service was held on Friday 24th April. Guests included veterans from Legacy and an exceptional bugle player who played a moving rendition of the last post. Thanks to all students who modelled our college value of Respect.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

It was pleasing to see many families and students attend conferences to discuss student academic progress and growth. These discussions highlighted the importance of open communication in supporting student success. Teachers were able to share insights into each student’s achievements, areas for growth, and learning habits, while parents offered helpful perspectives from home. This collaboration allows us to better understand and support each child as an individual.

The conferences also reinforced the positive progress many students are making. It was encouraging to celebrate achievements together and to set clear, achievable goals for the term ahead.

Progress Reports

The first round of progress reports will be released via Compass at the end of week 3. Students will spend time in Connect looking at their data and engaging in meaningful celebration and goal setting.

Key Absence Code Updates (2026)

The Department of Education has refined its reporting of attendance and hence there is an expectation that we provide accurate reporting of attendance. As such we have been doing more thorough analysis of absence reasons recorded and noticed some inaccuracies. Can I please encourage parents to enter the most appropriate reason for an absence?

If you are confused by entering a reason for your child’s absence, please contact the relevant sub school and an attendance officer will provide you with appropriate guidance. We will be following up on these inaccurate entries with parents in coming weeks in the hope that we can provide the department with the right information hereafter.

Principal Collegiate Visit

North Geelong is partnering with two other Geelong schools for Principal Collegiate visits. The purpose is to seek professional feedback on a key area of development for schools. NGSC identified the key area of explicit teaching and scaffolding to cater for differing needs of students. It was highlighted that teachers are:

1. Using our Instructional Model to a high standard to engage all students and provide meaningful learning.
2. Providing meaningful homework that enables students to reaffirm their 'appropriate level of challenge' with classwork.
3. Teacher questioning and modelling was great.
4. Using our classroom management strategies to great effect, creating calm and orderly environments for students to prosper.

Be Bold, Be Heard Leadership Summit

The BBBH committee in 2025 embedded a leadership extension component to the program. The objective of this is to build the capacity of students to lead our program at different points throughout the year. This includes organisation of their own forums and the final forum. This proved greatly successful last year and we have strengthened this opportunity in 2026. As well as student leadership we have set up a BBBH staff champion training. All of this is conducted by yLead who run a number of leadership programs around Geelong.

Jessica Barrow, Abigail John and Logan Shrimpton all participated in the program and began to find strength in feeling like they are able to speak up and lead. They are looking to do that based on the importance of their goals. These are important to them and others in their schools, and they felt the strength and felt empowered to deliver what it takes. Some of the comments from students included: “You have a voice, use it!” In response to what is an action you can take to empower the people in this room? Students said, “it is when you give your opinion” another “Looking to each other and telling ourselves to go for it”.

The students were buzzing and embraced the BBBH values of Equity, Connection and Empowerment leaving all obstacles behind in their vision of anything is possible. Leadership camps, state BBBH forum and future leadership alumni opportunities well within their sights.

Schools who participated in the day included Geelong High, Lara Secondary College, Newcomb Secondary, North Geelong Secondary College, Matthew Flinders, Clonard and Bellarine Secondary College.

The Staff Champion PD was structured to enlighten the staff on how the students operate; their leadership understanding and were taken through similar tasks to cause comparison and deep reflection. One of the tasks was to recreate an image in separate groups, with rigid responsibilities and rules, enhancing considered communication to share responsibility. Our staff champions were amazing and, in the end, re-created the image with some great perfections. The overall message being to consider that people often default to focus on their own piece, unless someone is holding and reinforcing the bigger picture. A really valuable message for our BBBH champions. Thanks to our staff champions Mrs Evans, Mrs Baird and Ms Solly.

Welcome back to Term 2. We hope the break provided a chance to rest, reset, and prepare for what is always a busy and important part of the year. Term 2 is a full-length term this year, and with that comes a sustained period of learning, assessment, and growth.

Term 2 – Setting the Standard

Term 2 is where momentum really matters. With a consistent run of classes, this is a great opportunity for students to build strong routines around attendance, organisation, and study habits.

Senior students play an important role in setting the tone for the school, and we encourage them to lead by example in their approach to learning, organisation, and commitment.

We encourage all students to:

• Stay on top of classwork and avoid falling behind
• Use their study periods effectively
• Seek support early when needed
• Maintain a healthy balance between school, work, and wellbeing

Good habits established now will set students up for success not only this semester, but for the remainder of the year.

Attendance Matters

A reminder that students are expected to maintain at least 80 percent attendance in each subject.

Regular attendance is essential for:

• Demonstrating understanding of outcomes
• Completing coursework
• Ensuring work can be authenticated

Students who fall below this threshold place themselves at significant risk of not achieving satisfactory completion of their units.

Practice GAT and GAT – Important Dates

This year’s key dates are:

• Practice GAT – Tuesday 20 May
• GAT – Monday 16 June

All students required to sit the GAT will be notified via Compass. The Practice GAT is run under exam conditions and is an important opportunity for students to experience the structure, timing, and expectations of the real assessment.

The GAT plays a significant role in the VCE. It can be used to support and check examination results and is an important safeguard in ensuring fair and accurate outcomes for students.

Students are expected to approach both the Practice GAT and the GAT with a high level of seriousness and effort.

SACs and Assessment

As the term progresses, students will begin to see an increase in SACs across their subjects. Planning ahead is critical.

Students should:

• Be aware of SAC dates and prepare in advance
• Avoid last-minute study habits
• Communicate with teachers if they are unsure or need support

Consistency is key. Small, regular effort is far more effective than last-minute cramming.

Senior School Catch-Up Sessions

Catch-up sessions continue to run each Tuesday afternoon. These sessions are designed for students who:

• Have missed a SAC
• Need to complete a redemption
• Are behind in coursework

Students will be notified if attendance is required. These sessions are an important support and should be taken seriously.

Pathways and Future Planning

As the year progresses, students may begin to think more seriously about their future pathways.

We encourage students to:

• Speak with their Year Level Coordinator
• Engage with the Careers team
• Explore options early and make informed decisions

There are many pathways to success, and making proactive, informed choices is key.

Uniform and Presentation Expectations

As we move into the cooler months, a reminder that full school uniform is expected at all times:

• No hoodies or non-uniform items
• Black school shoes are required
• Students must be clean shaven
• Uniform is to be worn correctly and with pride

Senior students are role models within our school community. The way they present themselves sets the standard for younger students and reflects the pride we have in our school.

We appreciate students taking this responsibility seriously.

Final Thoughts

Term 2 is a long and important stretch of the year. It requires consistency, effort, and a strong mindset. We are proud of the way our senior students have approached their learning so far and look forward to seeing this continue.

As always, we appreciate the ongoing support of our families.

It has been a busy start to the term for our Year 9 and 10 students, with Morrisby testing and excursions to GMHBA as part of the Resilience Program.

As the weather begins to cool, we would like to remind families of the importance of wearing the correct school winter uniform. Students should not be wearing hoodies or personal tracksuit pants. If any student requires assistance with uniform, new items are available through the Wellbeing team, who are always happy to support students in this area.

Looking ahead, our Year 10 students will be attending University Experience Days at Deakin University on Tuesday 5th and Thursday 7th May. This is a great opportunity for students to explore university courses, pathways, and gain an insight into university life.

We would also like to extend a big thank you to families for notifying our Attendance Officer of student absences—your communication is greatly appreciated and helps us support our students effectively.

Wishing everyone a great Term 2.

Welcome back to all our students and families! We hope everyone enjoyed a restful and refreshing break and is ready for an exciting Term 2. It has been wonderful to see students return with such positive energy and enthusiasm for the term ahead.

Over the holidays, there have been a few changes within the Junior Sub School team. We are pleased to introduce our updated team and look forward to working closely with students and families to support a successful and engaging term. We are confident that our team will continue to foster a positive, supportive environment for all students.

We have hit the ground running in Week 1. All Junior Sub School students attended an engaging workshop at GMHBA Stadium, delivered by The Resilience Project. This organisation focuses on building resilience and wellbeing through strategies centred around gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. The workshop provided students with practical tools to support their mental health and wellbeing, and it was fantastic to see such strong participation and reflection from our students. We also came together as a school community for our ANZAC Day Assembly, a significant occasion to reflect and show respect. We were especially proud of Flynn Bird and Ashlynn Craddock, who represented their Army and Navy cadet units during the assembly.

As we settle into the term, we would like to remind students of a few important expectations to support a positive learning environment:

Uniform

Students are to ensure they are checking their timetables so that they are wearing the correct uniform each day. In terms 2 and 3, students are only required to wear their PE uniform during their double PE sessions as the single has now become a health class.

Academic Uniform:

• Blazers must be worn to and from school, on excursions and when representing the college (unless reports of extreme heat)
• White collared shirt (short or long sleeve) or plain white polo shirt (short or long sleeve)
• College dress (no shorter than 8cm above the knee)
• College skirt (no shorter than 8cm above the knee) – optional black tights/stockings underneath
• Grey trousers/tailored slacks (not denim, cargo, corduroy or flares – must be unbranded)
• Grey shorts (not denim, cargo, corduroy or flares – must be unbranded)
• College jumper – black with red trim
• NOTE: PE jacket cannot be worn as part of the academic uniform

PE Uniform:

• Track pants or shorts – black with red trim
• NOTE: College PE pants/shorts with the logo can still be worn
• NGSC College polo
• College soft-shell sport jacket

Sanctuary Use: 

Students must use their own lockers, ensure they are locked, and keep the space tidy by placing rubbish in bins. Laptops are not to be used during break times unless students are working in the library.

Device Use: 

Laptops are not to be used during break times unless students are working in the library.

Organisation:

Students should come to each class prepared with the required equipment.

IT Support: 

Students can access IT support during break times only, not during class time.

We appreciate your ongoing support in reinforcing these expectations and helping our students make the most of their learning opportunities and we look forward to a productive and rewarding Term 2.

Discovering the Resilience Project Excursion

NGSC has introduced the Resilience Project to strengthen our Connect program in 2026.

On Tuesday the 21^st of April, students had the opportunity to attend GMHBA Stadium to have a presentation from The Resilience Project leader Martin Heppell and Geelong Cats AFL & AFLW players. It was great to see nearly 700 of our students attend the excursions, which was split into Year 7-9 and Year 10-12 sessions.

This was a high energy storytelling presentation, which engaged students with storytelling and humour. Martin shared simple, practical tips we can use every day to improve our wellbeing, strengthening our whole school approach to wellbeing.

Attached are some images from the day, including some excited Cats fans meeting their idols and two of our Year 12 Captains, Lila and Louis, meeting with Cats players to discuss the partnership with The Resilience Project.

The Resilient Youth Survey

On the 4^th of May, NGSC students will be completing the Resilient Youth Survey. The Student Resilience Survey is an anonymous online survey which collects, analyses and reports the resilience of young people at a cohort level in terms of their strengths, life satisfaction, hopefulness, anxiety and depression, coping style, and risk and protective behaviours.

Specifically, the survey measures the resilience and wellbeing of your young people across 9 key domains: Understanding Self, Social Skills, Positive Relationships, Safety, Healthy Body and Healthy Mind, Learning, Positive Attitude, Positive Values, Positive Identity.

This data is shared directly with the school to assist the implementation of well-being programs.

If families would like their children to not take part in the survey, please opt out by emailing Mr Grayson: thomas.grayson@education.vic.gov.au

An overview of the survey and more information can be found at: https://www.resilientyouth.org/blog/resilient-youth-state-of-the-nation 

NGSC Sport Stars in the Victorian Sporting Community

In a recent chat with Tina Pham in Year 11, I discovered she is achieving some great results in the premier state competitions for badminton. Tina details these below.

The tournament I played was on the 18^th of April; it is called the Junior Classic Tournament sponsored by Beyond Bank. It is a series of tournaments for players wanting to be chosen for the Victorian Country Team in their age group. Playing for the country team means representing our state nationally. I played two events on the day, Women’s Singles U18 and Mixed Doubles U18. In both events, my outcome was runner up, with the mixed doubles game being a really close (19-21) and a great fight with the whole stadium watching. Here are some photos taken at the tournament.

The NGSC Community wishes Tina all the best in her goal to make the Victorian Team.

NGSC Students Take Part in the Herne Hill Primary School ANZAC Day Service

On Friday 24^th April, North Geelong Secondary College participated in Herne Hill Primary School’s ANZAC Day service, joining the school community in commemoration.

Three NGSC students—Shesh Rajasingham (Year 12), Gabriel Brown (Year 10), and Flynn Bird (Year 7)—represented the college. Shesh performed on the bagpipes, and Shesh and Gabriel spoke to the students about their roles as Army and Air Force cadets, offering valuable insight into their service and commitment.

Herne Hill parent Anthony Bulger also shared his experiences in the Australian Defence Forces. His reflections provided students with a deeper understanding of the significance of ANZAC Day.

The Herne Hill Primary School captains and student leaders did so well in their delivery of the service. Thank you to Herne Hill Primary School for the opportunity to be part of this ANZAC Day commemoration.

Multicultural Committee News

A warm welcome back to you all. I trust you had a relaxing Easter break and are feeling rejuvenated and ready for the second school term.

Our third Multicultural Committee (MC) meeting will take place on Monday 4th May, from 12:45 pm to 1:30 pm in the Conference Room at NGSC.

We are pleased to welcome our guest speaker, Mr Webster Chimanga, a lawyer from Barwon Community Legal Service. His work focuses on supporting young people with legal matters, and NGSC students can access his services free of charge when needed. This promises to be an informative session, and we welcome you to attend.

The meeting will also include updates on recent events such as Harmony Day, the NGSC 60th Anniversary, and Athletics Day. In addition, we will continue discussions and planning for this year’s Multicultural Festival, which will be held on Friday 23rd October. The festival theme will include: 60 Years of “Many Cultures, One Community” to reflect this important milestone of NGSC and will guide our planning of activities for the event. We invite you to join our committee to stay informed and be part of this exciting planning process. For more information or updates, please contact Vera Dudas via the school’s administration office.

We look forward to your presence at the upcoming meeting.

Cambodia Reflections  

Cambodia Reflection - Araadhana Amudhabalan

In Cambodia, we completed two main projects in order to help the communities surrounding Camps Beng Pae and Beng Mea Lea.

The first project was at Camp Beng Pae, and involved building a toilet for a family. During this project, our tribe got our first taste of hard labour in the sweltering heat, with making cement on the first day under the sun a difficult job. However, towards the end of the 5 days spent in Beng Pae, and the end of our first project, our tribe became tighter knit, and more comfortable with each other.

We also learnt some life lessons during our nightly journaling session, and we talked about everything we’d seen so far in the rural community in Cambodia, compared to everything else we’d seen in our lives. This nightly reflection really seemed to open the tribe’s eyes towards how different life is for everyone, and how a few days of hard labour for our group could monumentally change another person’s life for the better.

We also spent time teaching children between both camps, where we learnt that school is optional for children in Beng Mea Lea, and still many students showed up for their English lesson directed by us, demonstrating their desire to learn English in hope for a better future. The children were eager and ready to learn, which forced me to remember that education is a privilege, and should not be taken for granted when there are others who would fight for the chance to gain knowledge in our places.

During our second Camp, Beng Mea Lea, the project was building cement water pots for the local families so that they would have water throughout the week, allowing their children to go to school and the families to work without worry of collecting water. This project was especially fun because it involved clay to make the shape of the pot, and everyone got involved in stomping around in the clay to mix it together, however the clean-up in the aftermath was not as fun. This project only took two days, and we got to meet the people who came to pick up two of the pots for a family. We could really see how grateful they were to us, and it opened my eyes to see how life changing a few days of our hard work can become for the local community.

During our stays in camps, the bond between the group became stronger, and we all became more comfortable with each other. Becoming friends with the girls was a lot easier as we shared a long house and got to know each other better during the time after dinners and before we went to sleep. I warmed up more to the younger boys in the second week, where we conversed more and I got to know more about some of their interests and their personalities.

We also grew a bond with Nick, the expedition leader from Camps International from England. At first, Nick seemed very different from us, and it was hard to take him seriously with all of his cringy jokes. However, from the start I could see that Nick was trying really hard to make a relationship with all of us and help make our tribe more connected. It was easy to see that he truly cared about all of us and our health, especially when I got sick and was unable to do project work for two days. It is really sad to me that we would never go on an expedition with Nick as our leader again, and his teachings about everything will always stay with me.

On the other hand, we also did hit some tourist attractions in between camps. During our stay in Phnom Penh, we visited the S21 prison, where we learnt about the dark history of Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge and the horrifying experiences in the prison.

We also visited the Killing Fields, where we could see the places where so many died during the Rouge, and saw the preserved remains of those who were killed.

These places really helped us understand the history of Cambodia, considering the Khmer Rouge happened less than 50 years ago. It also helped us grasp an understanding of the lives of people in Cambodia and was inspiring to see their perseverance in the face of a dark mark in their history. Many Cambodian people would have been children during the Rouge, and it was amazing to see how far the people have worked to overcome the pain and suffering of that dark time.

In Siem Riep, we visited more tourist crowded places, such as Angkor Wat, where we watched the sunrise and learnt more about the history of the temple, including the cultures it was influenced by, such as Hinduism.

We also got to visit the Cambodian Circus, Phare, and watching their show was breathtaking. It was further amazing when we learnt about the history of the circus, and how there is a school near Siem Riep that takes in underprivileged kids and trains them in the art of circus so that they may earn money to help their families. It was so special to see how the performers showcased their abilities, and even better to know that they had the ability to support their families through this circus opportunity.

Overall, this Cambodia trip taught me many lessons, with the people we met along the way, and the bonds between our tribe, and the local communities we got to live in, this trip will forever stay with me. I will never forget the memories I made in Cambodia, and I hope to continue travelling ethically in the future.

Cambodia Reflection - Hamish Dodemaide

Throughout the 2 weeks we spent in Cambodia we stayed in a hotel in Phnom Penh, Camp Beng Pae, a hotel in Siem Reap and Camp Beng Mealea. The first project we worked on was building a toilet. We made concrete rings, dug holes, then installed the rings. It's pretty crazy to me to think that before we came, this family didn't have a toilet, something so basic back at home. I enjoyed watching the family watch suspiciously of us on the first couple days, then grow comfortable with us over time. The second project was making water pots. We made clay moulds and then put concrete around it to form the shape. The significance of these pots is because either a child or a parent every day would have to collect water but only enough for the day, this means that either a parent or kid misses work or school. But with the water pots on Sunday when they don't have work or school they can fill it up for the whole week. My favourite part of this project was that I got to watch a family picking up the pots and they couldn't stop smiling. When we went to the killing fields, I remember walking in and thinking that this building was like any other, but then we walked to the side, and we could see that it was full of skulls. My favourite part of the whole thing was when we were at Beng Pae and all of us were sitting in the hammocks. I'm sure to the teachers and other people it looked like we were just talking, but it was those times that we all really got connected. Most of us only knew a few of each other, but when we sat in the hammocks we just spoke for ages and shared stuff about our lives, which really helped us be more comfortable with each other. Something I've been thinking about is how the staff, families and even random local people were all there before I came and they are still there even though I left, all the people who are in a rough spot are still. I just find that interesting, because before this trip I knew that there were people there, but now I've seen them personally.

Cambodia Reflection - Kira Tegalado

My time in Cambodia is something I'll hold very close to my heart; the experience was unlike anything I've ever experienced in the best way possible. Throughout the trip I learned new skills and exposed myself to their wonderful culture and lifestyle. The first week of the trip, we spent our days in Camp Beng Pae, where we built a squat toilet for a family that didn’t have one. The process took about four days of hard work and constant water breaks, but it was so incredibly rewarding to accomplish something like that.

The highlights of my trip were definitely connecting with the local community whether that’s at the English schools or playing games with the kids. Their enthusiasm and love for learning is what makes teaching the classes so special. The lowlights of the trip were the bugs; I got bitten everyday! Not very fun but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the trip. Now that I’m back at school and my everyday life, I miss Cambodia more and more. Safe to say that as someone who has never travelled outside of Australia, this was one for the books. I highly recommend taking this opportunity to see that beautiful country and experiences you will never forget.

Alumni Inspire VCE Vocational Major Students

At the end of last term, VCE Vocational Major students had the opportunity to engage with three inspiring alumni, who led discussions on a range of leadership styles in real-world contexts.

The alumni guests were selected to showcase different approaches to leadership—from transactional through relational to authoritative—highlighting how leadership can vary depending on role, responsibility, and environment.

Ben Riddle (Class of 1994), Director at Buxton Real Estate, shared his perspective on fostering growth within teams through learning rather than constant direction. He emphasised the importance of shared values and spoke about practical strategies for resolving conflict and building strong, cohesive teams.

Jordan Grossman (Class of 2010) spoke about his leadership experience as a volunteer with the CFA. He highlighted the critical importance of following procedures and clear direction, particularly in high-risk situations where safety is paramount.

Recent graduate Paris Mina-Junoel (Class of 2024) offered insight into his relational/transactional leadership style. Drawing on his experience as College Captain and his current role in an electoral office, Paris spoke about the value of communication, building rapport, and actively engaging others in the process of change.

Students gained valuable insights from the session, with feedback including:

• “It was fun to talk to them”
• “Got lots of advice”
• “Build networks by talking to people”
• “Make people feel comfortable, listen to their opinions and take all the opportunities you get”
• “It’s not all about controlling people—it’s about helping people improve themselves”

We thank these alumni for generously giving their time to support our Vocational Major students.

If you are interested in contributing to our alumni program, please get in touch via alumni@ngsc.com.au or complete the alumni survey.

VCE VM Lit/PDS Alumni visit

Some Great Information Regarding Applying for an Apprenticeship or Traineeship

What are employers looking for in an apprentice or trainee?

There are the baseline traits that all employees look for:

• Punctuality
• Honesty
• Initiative
• Work ethic.
• Self-awareness and the desire for self-improvement – Curiosity is big thing all employers say they are looking for. They don’t expect you to know it all, but they want to see a drive to learn.

So how do you capture the attention of an employer?

Why are you unique? What can you offer that no one else can? We all have Unique Selling Points or USPs (in digital marketing terms). Name your top three strengths then ask a parent, friend or former employer to do the same. For example, you may be efficient, outgoing and driven. Think of examples in your personal life where you have illustrated these strengths and spell them out using examples.

YOU MUST have a Resume. Employers offering apprenticeships and traineeships accept that you may have very little paid work experience, but you do have skills. Perhaps you are the captain of your sporting club, or you are coach of a team, completed a pre-apprenticeship, studied tech or hospitality at school, worked at your dad’s company in the holidays or learned how to construct things. Include achievements such as awards or projects you managed at school. It could simply be that you worked part-time for a year to go on a school trip, which shows you have determination.

Be creative with your skill set.

Present well. Dress well and look clean and tidy even if you are in your school uniform. Presentation also includes ensuring there are no spelling or grammar mistakes in your resume. This is especially important to show you have a keen eye for attention to detail.

Be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is so important in apprentices!

Someone who is enthusiastic, energetic and passionate creating products will get employed. Remember, while you may not have a lengthy resume, you might be surprised by how much you can truly offer.

Employers also value a young person’s initiative to pick up the phone (yes actually talking) and have a conversation with prospective employers.

Stay off your mobile during business hours!

Might be obvious, but Snapchat, Instagram, Tik Tok.... CAN ALL WAIT!

The one thing the Head Start Coordinators hear from frustrated employers; “They are always on their phone.”

Check it at appropriate times during breaks, but other times show some initiative during slow periods and clean, restack, clean a work vehicle – this is the thing that will impress.

What makes doing an apprenticeship so worthwhile?

Learning in a practical setting is invaluable. Not only do you get to develop skills in a practical environment, but you’re surrounded by experienced professionals that you can learn and draw inspiration from. An apprenticeship goes beyond the theory and provides you with skills and experience that will set you up for a career that you may have never been able to access otherwise.

Finding yourself the right apprenticeship isn’t always as difficult as you may think. Talk to your Careers Teacher about how Head Start can help you present well to employers.

If you’re a student looking for a pathway into employment, a parent looking for a secure future for your child, or an employer looking for your next apprentice, contact the Careers and Pathways Team about the Head Start Program!

North Geelong Centre

Located at

North Geelong Secondary College

Just a quick update on the situation with VSL / LOTE learning. Many of our students attend school on a Saturday morning to learn a language. The VSL is running all classes through on-line learning, as are day-schools; the lessons are running at the usual time on a Saturday. The VSL teachers contacted each class member prior to the commencement of this term in regard to the electronic platform being used and instructions to access those. If any of our students or their parents/guardians have questions about this, please contact the class teacher first (if possible) and then make all enquiries through the VSL head-office.

The Victorian School of Languages is a specialist Government school offering complementary language instruction outside of regular school hours. It enrols students in Years 1 to 12, who are unable to study their language of choice in their mainstream school. Students from all educational sectors (Government, Independent and Catholic) are eligible to enrol.

The Victorian School of Languages offers quality courses aligned with Government curriculum standards, based on communication skills, that include speaking, reading, writing and listening. Its VCE Program is fully accredited and can advantage students in the calculation of their university entrance score.

The school`s Language Program is delivered through online teaching in over 40 Language Centres situated in government Secondary Schools across the state, and through Distance Education mode.

In North Geelong, classes are held on Saturday mornings between 9:00 am and 12:15 pm online.

Languages offered:

Croatian, Karen, Vietnamese, Dari, Persian, Polish, Macedonian, Bosnian, Turkish and Russian

*New languages may be offered subject to demand*

For enquiries Telephone: 5277 9833

Further details and enrolment are available online at our website: www.vsl.vic.edu.au

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