Pathways for Secondary Students Strategy
Education plays a critical role in equipping the youth of NSW with the skills, knowledge and attributes to succeed not only at school, but also in their post-school transition to further education and employment.
The NSW Government has committed to successful post-school transitions and has already taken action to address many of the challenges and barriers of the past. Some examples of the innovative programs implemented to date include the Educational Pathways Program (EPP); establishing two vocational high schools; Skills at School, which includes virtually delivered vocational education and training (VET) courses; and VET Teacher Training programs, including industry immersions.
The benefits from these programs are clear, but they also highlight the opportunity for wider reform to ensure all students benefit from pathways to further education, training or work that support successful post-school transitions. Despite their best efforts, many students are not able to participate in a pathway that recognises and rewards their strengths. Those who do participate often find it harder than it should be. In particular, recent reviews have highlighted the challenges students face in pursuing vocational pathways including vocational education for secondary students and school-based apprenticeships or traineeships. While some of these challenges are systemic, others are best addressed at the school level to ensure we take a local, place-based approach.
The Pathways for Secondary Students Strategy aims to address these challenges and ensures that every student is supported through diverse pathways to succeed in post-school destinations.
This vision is not something that can be achieved by an individual organisation. It requires collective action, building on the longstanding culture of collaboration between government, the public and non-government school sectors, tertiary education providers, and industry.
While the primary focus of this Strategy is the NSW public school sector, it includes priorities and actions that will have system-wide benefits and lay the foundations for successful post-school transitions for generations to come.
If you have any questions about the Pathways for Secondary Students Strategy, email PathwaysandVETStrategy@det.nsw.edu.au.