From career taster to career pathways, with WA's Year 9 Career Taster Program

Opportunity

The school was looking for a scalable way to deliver meaningful career exploration to large cohorts, while ensuring programs were easy for teachers to implement and aligned with existing curriculum and VET pathways.

[“I needed something to help with the Year 9 Career Taster program… and it really ticked a lot of boxes for what I was trying to do.”]

Careers Program Structure

Careers education here is embedded across the school, rather than delivered as a standalone subject.

Students are introduced to career skills early, with resume writing and cover letters incorporated into English, while lower school programs run through HASS in dedicated two-week blocks.

In senior years, students access Career and Enterprise courses alongside a wide range of VET offerings, including Tourism and Hospitality.

The Year 9 Careers Taster Program plays a key role in this structure, providing students with early, practical exposure to industries and pathways

How TCD is Used

The Careers Department was implemented as part of a structured two-week Careers Taster program delivered across all Year 9 HASS classes.

“I put together a two-week program with lesson plans and a guide for teachers… and they could just pick it up and run with it.”

Students primarily engaged with Virtual Work Experience tasks, aligning directly with the program’s focus on industry exposure.

Following the program, usage expanded organically across the school. “Staff saw an opportunity to integrate it into other classes… they started exploring other functions themselves.”

Key Features Used

Virtual Work Experience: Core to the Careers Taster program
ePortfolio: “Outstanding… students could store everything and share it with employers”
Resume Builder: “I’ve got students constantly asking for help… now I just show them this”Local Jobs
Feed: Drives relevance and real-world connection
Industry Videos (Graduate Tours): Used to engage students at the start of lessons

Impact 

The Careers Department deliver a consistent, scalable careers program across large student groups while reducing the burden on staff.

“For me, it just made my life a bit easier… when you’re pushing a program across 250 students, having something teachers can easily run with is huge.”

Student engagement was immediate and sustained. “I was pleasantly surprised… they were sitting there with headphones in, completely engaged.”

The platform also drove real behaviour change. “They saw local jobs on the platform and wanted to go away and update their resumes… I loved to see it.”

There is also strong alignment with long-term career development. “If we stored pathway plans in the ePortfolio, it would be an excellent place for students and teachers to go back and reflect.”

Feedback

Student response has been highly positive, particularly around interactive and structured activities.

“They loved the ‘Amazing Race’… it’s a step-by-step way to learn the platform and they were instantly hooked.”

Students were also motivated by tangible outcomes. “They were coming up to show me their certificates… they were really excited by that.”

Teachers have embraced the platform’s flexibility and relevance. “They started using the videos at the start of lessons… it helps students see the relevance of what they’re about to learn.”

Overall, the platform has been valued for its ease of use, adaptability, and ability to engage students independently while supporting whole-school implementation.