Vocational Education and Training (VET) Programs can help your child gain practical skills for the workplace. Choosing a VET subject while they are at high school is a way for your child to get a head start on their career training.

They can do these subjects during their senior years of high school. With many of these courses, your child would probably study them through a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) like TAFE NSW. In some cases, your child might attend TAFE for a few hours a week alongside their regular school classes. Schools may also offer VET courses as a part of their curriculum offerings. More information will be provided leading into subject selections or ask your Career Adviser.

Your child might not complete a full qualification through their RTO or school, but they will be given a Statement of Attainment for the units of competency they have completed. This will be registered against their unique student identifier (USI) number.

Apart from being a valuable piece of evidence for your child to show what they have achieved, it can also count towards future vocational qualifications.

Your child may study:

• Board Developed VET Courses - these have optional exams and might count towards their ATAR, and
• Board Endorsed Courses - delivered by school, TAFE NSW and other RTOs, these can contribute towards your child's HSC but not their ATAR.

Board Developed VET Courses include Industry Curriculum Frameworks. These have mandatory work placements and lead to specific qualifications in 12 industry areas including automotive, construction, information technology, retail services and tourism.

Your child can find out what vocational courses are on offer through the MySkills website.

The Career’s Advisor or learning and support team at your child’s high school can help them apply for a place in a VET course to complete as part of their HSC studies, or for when they finish school. The team can also help your child prepare for this new environment as part of their transition planning.

Support for your child at TAFE

Your child will be able to get support if they choose to study at TAFE NSW during or after high school. TAFE NSW, like high school, must put in support and reasonable adjustments for your child.

TAFE NSW employs teachers and consultants to support students with disability, and it’s their job to make sure that students with disability have equal access to training.

Your child can talk to one of TAFE NSW's teacher consultants to find out more about the support they can get while they study. They can also help your child with things like:

• deciding which course to choose
• enrolling and applying for fee exemptions if they are eligible,
• putting together an Individual Support Plan, including any modifications they might need in the classroom,
• accessing support and assistive technology.

Your child can get in touch with a teacher consultant by calling 131 601 or by booking a visit to their local TAFE campus. Your high school’s Learning and Support team can also put you in contact with them.

Apprenticeships and traineeships

An apprenticeship or traineeship is when your child combines work and study to get a qualification.

Your child can start a School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT) at school. An SBAT is undertaken as part of their HSC in Years 10, 11 and 12.

The Australian government gives some financial assistance to eligible apprentices. There is some extra support available for apprentices with disability, including financial support for the employer. Apprentices may also be able to get financial help through the Employment Assistance Fund.

You can find out more about apprenticeships in NSW at Training Services NSW.