By Jason Foster - General Manager, Apprenticeships and New Business
Choosing the right career is a big decision. For those students who are currently going through the final years of schooling, that decision is very much top of mind. For some, the decision is an easy one, while for others, finding something that suits can be a little more difficult.
The pressure to complete a university degree is certainly there, even though the skills shortage we’re facing as a country is heavily geared towards skills that require a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification. COVID-19, for all the terrible impact it has had on our health and economy, has exposed this challenge to an even greater extent.
So where can you go to find the right apprenticeship options that match the skills you possess? How can you find options that interest you and ways to pursue them further so that they become a reality? VERTO’s CareerGate tool can help.
Know your options
CareerGate is a free, online skills assessment tool that is provided by VERTO’s Apprenticeship Services team. The tool is designed to assess your skills and interests and test your suitability against a range of apprenticeship and traineeship options.
That’s the key benefit of CareerGate: It helps you understand your options, where you fit in terms of the career options available, and how an apprenticeship can help you achieve your career goals.
The tool consists of 5 easy steps, which take around 45 minutes to complete.
Guidance to a different path
The pressure to go to university can be all encompassing. We know from our experience at VERTO in working with school leavers that there can be a bias towards a uni degree, driven by a variety of factors. It’s a bias that has been prevalent for many years now, and one that in the end isn’t always positive for school leavers…or the broader Australian economy.
The looming skills shortage is a topic that is often discussed in our industry and in the mainstream media. There is a huge opportunity for both young Australians and mature-aged workers looking for a career change to consider an apprenticeship. The long-term benefits are fantastic and with the skills shortage, you’re always going to have employment opportunities.
CareerGate is the perfect starting point. By testing your suitability across a range of careers, you can see all the options that are available to you. It’s often thought when the word ‘apprenticeship’ is raised that we are discussing traditional trades, and sure, they are part of the discussion. But there’s so much more available than just trades. For example, while hospitality is taking a hit right now, it will bounce back as we come out of the COVID-19 restrictions. There’s a huge demand for hospitality roles, such as chefs, most of which require an apprenticeship.
Know the next steps
Another fantastic benefit of the CareerGate tool is that it connects you to what you need to do next to start out in your career. It could be that you’re ready to go, so VERTO can help connect you to a range of potential employers in your area, giving you the opportunity to discuss real employment opportunities. That network can be incredibly valuable to help you find the right starting point.
By using the CareerGate tool, you'll also have the support of our Apprenticeships team, who can help guide you through your assessment results. The team can discuss your options and provide further information to inform your career decisions. Knowing that next step is vital to starting an apprenticeship.
CareerGate will put you on the path to finding the right career. You can find further information on CareerGate, and sign up to the program on our website.
