Vocational Science Careers

Project summary

The Vocational Science Careers project investigates the jobs available, skills required and career pathways for employees, with background in school-level maths and science, at the associate professional level (ie. middle-level, AQF 4-6) in science, engineering and technology (SET) fields.

The project investigates what industry wants in terms of skilled recruits, what VET provides in terms of qualified people, and what young people seek in pursuing a career. Data were collected through peak industry bodies, four industries experiencing skill shortages (mining and metallurgy, petrochemicals, food manufacturing, scientific instrumentation), career networks and focus groups with young people enrolled in relevant VET qualifications.

Exploring the strengths and mismatches in these requirements, the project makes recommendations for an information and communication strategy, targeted at young people, which will inform them about career opportunities in middle-level jobs (eg. as supervisor, technician etc).

The formal aims of the project are to investigate:

1. Industry skill requirements in SET, and the kinds of associate professional jobs and career pathways available to people with science-based vocational qualifications;
2. The VET qualifications that recognise science and maths skills leading to qualifications at Certificate IV and Diploma, and their enrolment trends;
3. The kinds of career information that would enable young people to be better informed about occupations and career pathways in Science Engineering and Technology and the kinds of career pathways they lead to.

Key Products:

Final report: Submitted 10 August

Feedback or contact details

Professor Terri Seddon