At GBS, all students engage in career development and career-related learning. Our students are encouraged to access whole-of-school career development opportunities and students in Years 10, 11 and 12 also take part in a tailored, forward-looking Careers Program. To compliment these initiatives, individual career development sessions are available with our Careers Counsellor.
Students at all year levels are encouraged to participate in career-related learning that suits them via a range of school-wide events and opportunities.
National Careers Week is a national initiative to promote career development for all people. At GBS, we celebrate a week of career-related learning activities during NCW each year. In 2019, these included mock interviews, an industry speaker, and job application workshops.
Each year, the GBS Careers Expo brings together universities, private providers, and other relevant organisations in one place. Students and parents have the opportunity to talk to representatives (and often current tertiary students) about different study and career options in a familiar setting. In 2019, all Brisbane-based universities will be present, plus the Australian Defence Force, Queensland Police, TAFE Queensland, Duschene College, Study & Play USA and LetzLive.
Each year, we welcome a panel of past students back to GBS School to share their career insights with our current students. This is an open forum for asking questions and getting advice. Our students love the opportunity to hear inside stories from alumni at different stages in their careers.
Each fortnight, our careers counsellor shares curated news and events with students, parents and carers via the GBS School Newsletter, as well as sending tailored emails to connect senior students with relevant opportunities. This year, students have taken up many of these career development opportunities, including the UQ Young Scholars Program and the Griffith Business Ambassador Program.
Year 10, 11 and 12 students develop their career skills and knowledge via the GBS Careers Program.
For Year 10 students, we focus on exploring each student’s interests, skills, values and goals; building knowledge about QCE, ATAR, and senior subjects (including VET); and improving understanding about pathways to enter tertiary study, as this is essential for informed senior subject selection. Year 10 students also undertake careers testing. Each student’s results are individual and used in conjunction with their school engagement and achievements to begin the Senior Education and Training (SET) planning process.
Year 11 students focus on developing enterprise and employability skills. Students learn more about the future of work and the kinds of career paths they might take in and between job clusters. Students also join the Senior Student Mentoring Program in Year 11 (read more about this program below).
For Year 12 students, we focus on developing skills for life after school. Students plan their future pathways into work and study. This includes learning how to navigate QTAC to make applications for Queensland post-secondary courses. In addition, all students meet with our Careers Counsellor to receive one-on-one support with making the transition out of school.
Students are encouraged to meet with our Careers Counsellor throughout their senior years — not just in Year 12. Our Careers Counsellor can provide information, advice and counselling for:
To make sure each student has the support to be the best they can be, each Year 11 GBS student is matched with a Senior Teacher Mentor and the pair work together over Year 11 and 12. Each student meets with her Mentor several times to discuss her progress, set and review goals, and get support to reach her fullest potential. This Mentor can also provide warm referrals to other programs and support services that might assist the student to do her best.
GBS actively fosters partnerships with local universities, VET providers, businesses and community organisations. Lecturers from local universities visit our school throughout the year to provide guest lectures in specific content areas, as well as general information about pathways and university study. In addition, senior students have the opportunity to complete a university subject in their final years of their schooling, such as University of Queensland (UQ) ‘Enhanced Studies Program’ (ESP); the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) ‘Start QUT Program’; the Griffith University GUESTS Program; and the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) ‘Head Start Program’.
