Students need opportunities to learn from employers about work, paid employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.
This applies to all students, whether they are seeking direct entry into university, intending to undertake further training when they leave school, or planning to move straight into the workforce.
Engaging with the world of work helps young people understand the relevance of what they are learning at school, broadens their horizons, raises their aspirations, and highlights the range of jobs and career pathways open to them.
Young people need opportunities to:
- prove they are reliable
- show they know how to work
- improve confidence
- develop skills.
Opportunities for young people to experience the world of work include:
- part-time and casual jobs
- workplace learning and work experience through a school program
- work shadowing
- volunteering
- workplace visits
- work trials and internships
- sports clubs
- entrepreneurships and ‘start-ups’.
This experience will help build the knowledge and skills needed to secure and sustain employment, and to progress in the workplace.
Building work capabilities
Work capabilities represent the most valued, recognised and appreciated behaviours or attitudes in the workplace. Employers are increasingly emphasising the need for employees to have and be able to demonstrate work capabilities.
Essential employability skills identified by the National Skills Commission include:
- Interpersonal and people skills
- Organisation and planning skills Reliability and motivation
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Communication and teamwork skills
- Adaptability and resilience
- Digital literacy
