Passions and Pathways engages Year Six students to build an understanding of the ‘world of work’ through a range of authentic experiences in local work settings and to lift student aspirations to see the value of staying in school and completing Year 12 or the equivalent.
Passions and Pathways provides students whose families have limited experience with the ‘world of work’ and career pathways.
Participation in a broad range of experiences around employment and exploration of a range of pathways to a variety of careers prior to secondary schooling can significantly raise the aspirations, knowledge and skills of students and support them to have a positive approach to developing a career pathway.
Passions and Pathways is designed to operate over a full term and provide students with a range of experiences to enhance their knowledge of the variety of career pathways the local community has to offer.
Participation in a broad range of experiences around employment and exploration of a range of pathways to a variety of careers prior to secondary schooling can significantly raise the aspirations, knowledge and skills of students from generational poverty and support them to have a positive approach to developing a career pathway.
Through Passions and Pathways the broader community (Local Learning & Employment Networks, local councils, industry and employment groups, tertiary education providers) can play a critical role in supporting schools to raise the aspirations, knowledge, and skills of students.
Components:
These are across a range of workplaces in the local community. Ideally they cover a broad range of occupations both across the tours and within each tour location itself. Each tour is for the duration of approximately one hour and is designed to be interactive with students asking a variety of questions and recording a range of information for analysis later at school.
The aim of the projects is to provide a more hands on experience for a small group of students (approximately 8). The project may explore an aspect of the work at a tour location in a meaningful way for grade 6 students. Additional projects may be hosted by additional workplace providers and local educators. Projects operate over a 3 week period with a set group of students attending the project during this time.
Students participate in workshops at a local tertiary provider (TAFE or university). The aim is for students to work in one of the faculty areas exploring a range of hands on activities appropriate for Year Six students but making use of some of the facilities available which are not on offer at local primary schools. These experiences provide an opportunity for students to visit the local tertiary providers – something many students from generational poverty have not done with their families.
Passions and Pathways is designed to operate over a period of a full term. During this period a weekly allocation of time needs to be made to the program along the following suggested lines:
Extensive work prior to the program needs to be put into building a team of local stakeholders who will be instrumental in developing the program. This group could include local industry, manufacturing and employment groups, local tertiary education providers, local council representatives, Local Employment and Learning Network leaders as well as participating school staff.
A timetable for setting up the program can be found on the Resources page.
The program would benefit from a management committee with representatives of the above group and the schools involved. Extensive communication between the schools and the workplace providers needs to take place.
It is recommended that schools nominate a person to be responsible to responding to communications. The person nominated needs to be able to respond to communications in a timely manner.
Once a range of tours has been decided teaching staff need to visit each of the tour locations to familiarise themselves with the type of business operated at each location and the range of occupations the students will see. These visits provide important opportunities for:
During the trial of the program all workplaces provided tours and projects free of charge to the schools involved. This was an enormous in-kind support of the program.
There were however a range of costs to schools in order to operate the program. These included:
Trial schools participating in Passions and Pathways, all of whom had composite grades at the 5/6 level, expressed the need to consider internal organisation strategies to allow the Year Six students to work as a group during their Passions and Pathways sessions both at school and off site. This, for the term involved, required considerable structural and timetable flexibility.
As new schools have entered Passions and Pathways they have suggested the successful implementation can benefit from the provision of some initial professional development for teaching staff and key stakeholders around the key understandings of Passions and Pathways and the best ways to build effective communication with all stakeholders.
In addition, schools have suggested at least a half day for planning should be provided for teaching staff prior to beginning Passions and Pathways. This planning time allows the teaching staff to determine which parts of the curriculum advice they wish to make use of.
The advice provides Teacher Reference Guides, Student Reference Guides, Trial School Units of Work and Student Activity Planners for each of the components. These are suggestions only for how Passions and Pathways can be organised and it is not envisaged schools use everything provided. Rather it is recommended they choose the relevant parts for their students.
Passions and Pathways links to the Victorian Curriculum in the following Curriculum areas and capabilities. It should be noted that English, Economics and business, Technologies including Design and technology and Digital technologies link to multiple components of the program. Extensive Maths and Science links can be found to individual projects. Depending on the range of projects selected further links to other curriculum areas may be appropriate.
Expressing and developing ideas
Interpreting, analysing, evaluating
Expressing and developing ideas
Creating texts
Language ad interaction
Interacting with others
Reading and Viewing
By the end of Level 6, students understand how to use knowledge of phonics when decoding familiar words and the technical or derived words in increasingly complex texts. They understand how the use of text structures can achieve particular effects and can analyse and explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used by different authors to represent ideas, characters and events. They compare and analyse information in different texts, explaining literal and implied meaning. They select and use evidence from a text to explain their response to it.
Writing
Students understand how language features and language patterns can be used for emphasis. They show how specific details can be used to support a point of view. They explain how their choices of language features and images are used. They use banks of known words and the less familiar words they encounter to create detailed texts elaborating upon key ideas for a range of purposes and audiences. They demonstrate understanding of grammar and make considered choices from an expanding vocabulary to enhance cohesion and structure in their writing. They also use accurate spelling and punctuation for clarity, provide feedback on the work of their peers and can make and explain editorial choices based on agreed criteria.
Speaking and Listening
Students listen to discussions, clarifying content and challenging others’ ideas. They understand how language features and language patterns can be used for emphasis. They show how specific details can be used to support a point of view. They explain how their choices of language features and images are used. They create detailed texts, elaborating on key ideas for a range of purposes and audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, using a variety of strategies for effect.
Passions and Pathways links to the Victorian Curriculum in the following Curriculum areas and capabilities. It should be noted that English, Economics and business, Technologies including Design and technology and Digital technologies link to multiple components of the program. Extensive Maths and Science links can be found to individual projects. Depending on the range of projects selected further links to other curriculum areas may be appropriate.
Number & Place Value
Fractions and Decimals
Using units of measurement
Geometric reasoning
Data representation and interpretation
Number and Algebra
Students recognise the properties of prime, composite, square and triangular numbers and determine sets of these numbers. They solve problems that involve all four operations with whole numbers and describe the use of integers in everyday contexts. Students locate fractions and integers on a number line and connect fractions, decimals and percentages as different representations of the same number. They solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of related fractions. Students calculate a simple fraction of a quantity and calculate common percentage discounts on sale items, with and without the use of digital technology. They make connections between the powers of 10 and the multiplication and division of decimals. Students add, subtract and multiply decimals and divide decimals where the result is rational. Students write number sentences using brackets and order of operations, and specify rules used to generate sequences involving whole numbers, fractions and decimals. They use ordered pairs of integers to represent coordinates of points and locate a point in any one of the four quadrants on the Cartesian plane.
Measurement and Geometry
Students relate decimals to the metric system and choose appropriate units of measurement to perform a calculation. They solve problems involving time, length and area, and make connections between capacity and volume. Students interpret a variety of everyday timetables. They solve problems using the properties of angles and investigate simple combinations of transformations in the plane, with and without the use of digital technology. Students construct simple prisms and pyramids.
Statistics and Probability
Students interpret and compare a variety of data displays, including displays for two categorical variables. They analyse and evaluate data from secondary sources. Students compare observed and expected frequencies of events, including those where outcomes of trials are generated with the use of digital technology. They specify, list and communicate probabilities of events using simple ratios, fractions, decimals and percentages.
Passions and Pathways links to the Victorian Curriculum in the following Curriculum areas and capabilities. It should be noted that English, Economics and business, Technologies including Design and technology and Digital technologies link to multiple components of the program. Extensive Maths and Science links can be found to individual projects. Depending on the range of projects selected further links to other curriculum areas may be appropriate.
Questioning and predicting
Planning and conducting
Recording and Processing
Analysing and Evaluating
Communicating
Students follow procedures to develop questions that they can investigate and design investigations into simple cause-and- effect relationships. When planning experimental methods, they identify and justify the variables they choose to change and measure in fair tests. They make predictions based on previous experiences or general rules. They identify and manage potential safety risks. They make and record accurate observations as tables, diagrams or descriptions. They organise data into tables and graphs to identify and analyse patterns and relationships. They compare patterns in data with their predictions when explaining their findings. They suggest where improvements to their experimental methods or research could improve the quality of their data. They refer to data when they report findings and use appropriate representations and simple reports to communicate their ideas, methods, findings and explanations.
Passions and Pathways links to the Victorian Curriculum in the following Curriculum areas and capabilities. It should be noted that English, Economics and business, Technologies including Design and technology and Digital technologies link to multiple components of the program. Extensive Maths and Science links can be found to individual projects. Depending on the range of projects selected further links to other curriculum areas may be appropriate.
Resource Allocation and Making Choices
Consumer and Financial Literacy
The Business Environment
Work and Work Futures
By the end of Level 6, students distinguish between needs and wants and recognise that choices need to be made when allocating resources. They recognise that consumer choices and financial decisions are influenced by a range of factors and describe the effects of these choices and decisions on themselves, their family, others, the economy and the natural, economic and business environments. Students identify strategies that will assist in making informed consumer and financial decisions. They explain the purpose of business and recognise the different ways that businesses choose to provide goods and services. Students outline the many reasons why people work and describe the changing nature of work. They describe the nature of enterprising behaviours and capabilities and explain why these behaviours are important for individuals and businesses. Students outline the advantages and disadvantages of proposed actions in response to an economics and/or business issue or event and identify the possible effects of their decisions on themselves and others.
Passions and Pathways links to the Victorian Curriculum in the following Curriculum areas and capabilities. It should be noted that English, Economics and business, Technologies including Design and technology and Digital technologies link to multiple components of the program. Extensive Maths and Science links can be found to individual projects. Depending on the range of projects selected further links to other curriculum areas may be appropriate.
Questions and Possibilities
Reasoning
Metacognition
By the end of Level 6, students apply questioning as a tool to focus or expand thinking. They use appropriate techniques to copy, borrow and compare aspects of existing solutions in order to identify relationships and apply these to new situations.
Students distinguish between valid and sound arguments and between deductive and inductive reasoning. They explain how reasons and evidence can be evaluated. They explain and apply basic techniques to construct valid arguments and test the strength of arguments.
Students represent thinking processes using visual models and language. They practice and apply learning strategies, including constructing analogies, visualising ideas, summarising and paraphrasing information. Students disaggregate ideas and problems into smaller elements or ideas, develop criteria to assess and test thinking, and identify and seek out new relevant information as required.
Passions and Pathways links to the Victorian Curriculum in the following Curriculum areas and capabilities. It should be noted that English, Economics and business, Technologies including Design and technology and Digital technologies link to multiple components of the program. Extensive Maths and Science links can be found to individual projects. Depending on the range of projects selected further links to other curriculum areas may be appropriate.
Development of Resilience
Relationships and Diversity
Collaboration
By the end of Level 6, students describe different ways to express emotions and the relationship between emotions and behaviour. They describe the influence that personal qualities and strengths have on achieving success. They undertake some extended tasks independently and describe task progress. They identify and describe personal attributes important in developing resilience.
Students recognise and appreciate the uniqueness of all people. They are able to explain how individual, social and cultural differences may increase vulnerability to stereotypes. They identify characteristics of respectful relationships. They contribute to groups and teams suggesting improvements for methods used in group projects and investigations. They identify causes and effects of conflict and explain different strategies to diffuse or resolve conflict situations.
Passions and Pathways links to the Victorian Curriculum in the following Curriculum areas and capabilities. It should be noted that English, Economics and business, Technologies including Design and technology and Digital technologies link to multiple components of the program. Extensive Maths and Science links can be found to individual projects. Depending on the range of projects selected further links to other curriculum areas may be appropriate.
Technologies and Society
Materials and technologies specialisations
Investigating
Generating
Producing
Evaluating
Planning and Managing
By the end of Level 6 students describe some competing considerations in the design of solutions taking into account sustainability. They describe how design and technologies contribute to meeting present and future needs. Students explain how the features of technologies impact on designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts.
Students create designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts, suitable for identified needs or opportunities. They suggest criteria for success, including sustainability considerations and use these to evaluate their ideas and designed solutions. They combine design ideas and communicate these to audiences using graphical representation techniques and technical terms. Students record project plans including production processes. They select and use appropriate technologies and techniques correctly and safely to produce designed solutions.
Data and Information
Creating Digital Solutions
By the end of Level 6, students explain the functions of digital system components and how digital systems are connected to form networks that transmit data.
Students explain how digital systems use whole numbers as a basis for representing a variety of data types. They manage the creation and communication of ideas, information and digital projects collaboratively using validated data and agreed protocols.
Students define problems in terms of data and functional requirements and design solutions by developing algorithms to address the problems. They incorporate decision-making, repetition and user interface design into their designs and develop their digital solutions, including a visual program. Students explain how information systems and their developed solutions meet current and future needs taking sustainability into account.