Career Development in Schools: Do Teachers Have the Skills?(Report‪)‬

The need for a unifying career development framework in Australia was first identified a decade ago by the Prime Minister's Youth Action Plan Taskforce in its report Footprints to the Future (2001). Since then there have been major advances in career development in Australia. The MCEETYA Taskforce on Transitions from School developed the Career and Transition Services Framework and, in July 2003, ministers of education and training agreed to promote the framework as a tool to assist jurisdictions in planning for and providing services to support and prepare young people to make successful transitions. One of the objectives of the framework was that 'career and transition services within the framework should be delivered by professionally trained and committed staff able to access an extensive school-community network' (MCEETYA Taskforce on Transition from School, 2003, p. 2). In 2006, Education Queensland introduced the senior phase of learning to provide options, flexibility and support for young people to engage them in learning or earning so that all students would have the opportunity to finish Year 10 and then go on to gain at least a Queensland Certificate of Education (or Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement) or Certificate III vocational qualification. Year 10 is a foundation year for the senior phase of learning to consolidate the knowledge, skills and capabilities that are necessary for successful learning in Years 11 and 12. To assist in building this foundation, all Year 10 students have the opportunity to develop senior education and training (SET) plans with their school and parents or carers. The SET plans are a student's plan of action for their education and training through the senior phase of learning. School principals are charged with the responsibility of ensuring integration of career education and advice into learning programs so students in Year 10 develop a SET plan, in partnership with their parents. Principals are also responsible for ensuring that career education and advice is undertaken throughout all phases of learning, but with a particular focus in years preceding the transition to and laying the foundation for the senior phase of learning.