Merici College provides the students with the key skills to move forward! The academic pathways to further education are varied and many of our girls have taken up early offers at university.
The vocational courses that the College offers our students in Year 10, 11 and 12 will certainly provide them with excellent opportunities to facilitate their career pathway and equip them with essential skills for the workplace or for further education.
A snapshot of what happens after Year 12…
Approximately 97% of the young women who complete Year 12 at Merici College will continue in some form of recognised education and training in the year after they have left school, or after they have taken a Gap year.
Approximately 74% will go directly into further study at university (combination of university, CIT or a private provider), while about 20% have decide to take a GAP year. For many of them, this could mean work or travelling overseas now that the international borders have opened up. For the first time in a few years, we will have some students undertaking Boarding School duties in the UK.
Some students will take up full-time employment combined with study. This includes Traineeships in industry and with the Department of Finance as well as other Public Service departments. The graduates have really diversified their choice of study and the huge range of degrees and qualifications they are pursuing.
Our students are well equipped to make these informed choices relating to their career pathway and have the independence of thought to understand that the skills acquired at Merici College are preparing them for the changing nature of work in our society.
At Merici College, all academic pathways are supported, and students are actively encouraged to value add to their Senior Secondary Certificate.
2022 has been a successful year with some students undertaking an Australian School Based Apprenticeship program (ASBA). The continued success of both the ASBA program and studying a Vocational qualification has seen some of our students gain recognized certification in Information Technology, Hospitality, Children’s Services, Business, Event Management, Agriculture and Electrotechnology.
I would like to emphasize the huge commitment that all the Vocational teachers make towards ensuring that the delivery of their courses is innovative and meets the compliance standards of our national governing body. In order to achieve this, our teachers must undergo additional training and maintain industry currency within the designated industry. They certainly deserve a huge pat on the back for all their efforts!
It is with much sadness, that we farewell Ms. Trish Young who, for the last 12 years, has been our much-revered Hospitality teacher. The amazing success of the Bridge Restaurant in recent years can solely be attributed to the skills and knowledge that she passed on to her Senior Hospitality students. Her commitment to the success of the students was inspiring, as was her energy and enthusiasm. The extra hours she gave to ensure that the girls were all able to attain competency in each unit was above and beyond what was expected from a teacher. The training our girls received was exceptional and they have always been sought after in the Canberra hospitality industry. It is with great respect and a sense of loss that we thank Trish for her service and though everyone says no-one is irreplaceable, she just might be.
Mrs. Kerry McDonnell
Vocational Education Training and Careers Coordinator
