BSSC students have amazing opportunities for future pathways advice and career guidance.

The Head Start program offers on-the-job experience while also allowing students to complete VCE.

Regional Director, Kelli Hewton, is based in BSSC’s Student Services Centre and works alongside Peter Tyack who is the designated Head Start Coordinator for BSSC.

Together they support around 62 BSSC students who are enrolled in the program here, who also work 2 or 3 days per week across a variety of local industries and organisations.

Kelli says participants need to have completed work experience in previous years so both the student and employer are set up for a positive experience.

“We do all we can to equip students with knowledge about what will be expected of them in a particular setting,” Kelli says.

At school, most participants are enrolled in the VCE Vocational Major Certificate.

This course focuses on Literacy, Numeracy and PDWS, providing students with skills setting them up to move straight into an apprenticeship or TAFE training program at the end of Year 12.

Peter and Kelli are frequently liaising with local employers seeking opportunities for students but also encourage students to take the initiative to locate a position themselves.

“We also help students learn how to keep a balance between schoolwork and their work experience,” Kelli says.

Kelli recalls one parent whose son’s usual response when asked about school was an abrupt, ‘good’. After he began a school-based apprenticeship through Head Start, he would come home and have an animated conversation about all he was learning and experiencing.

“In contrast, it’s actually quite an adjustment for some students when they start working solid eight-hour days,” Peter says. “But, we’re here for support—and sometimes to advocate for them.”

Both Kelli and Peter enjoy the long-term connections they build with students—connections that sometimes continue even after students leave the college.

Another fabulous careers and pathways opportunity available to BSSC students!