VCE Vocational Major

The VCE Vocational Major (VM) is a vocational and applied learning program within the VCE designed to be completed over a minimum of two years. The VCE VM will give students greater choice and flexibility to pursue their strengths and interests and develop the skills and capabilities needed to succeed in further education, work and life.

It prepares students to move into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training, university (via non-ATAR pathways) or directly into the workforce.

The purpose of the VCE VM is to provide students with the best opportunity to achieve their personal goals and aspirations in a rapidly changing world by:

• equipping them with the skills, knowledge, values and capabilities to be active and informed citizens, lifelong learners and confident and creative individuals
• empowering them to make informed decisions about the next stages of their lives through real-life workplace experiences.

Students who choose the VM pathway are typically students who are hands on learners.

Vocational and applied learning in the VCE VM:

New curriculum in VCE VM Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills has been developed by panels of current applied learning practitioners. The new curriculum is engaging, based in real life and gives students in-demand skills needed for the future world of work.

Applied learning teaches skills and knowledge in the context of ‘real life’ experiences. Students apply what they have learnt by doing, experiencing and relating acquired skills to the real-world. It enables flexible, personalised learning where teachers work with students to recognise their personal strengths, interest, goals, and experiences.

This is a shift from the traditional focus on discrete curriculum to a more integrated and contextualised approach to learning. Students learn and apply the skills and knowledge required to solve problems, implement projects or participate in structured workplace learning.

Find out more about the approach to applied learning in the VCE VM curriculum.

Students have the opportunity to achieve a range of qualifications through their VM course including:

• The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) subjects
• Certificate I, II or II in a range of Vocational areas
• Responsible Serving of Alcohol and Safe Food Handling Certificates
• Construction Induction Safety Training (White Card)
• First Aid

Should you have any further queries in relation to a VM / VCE Program please do not hesitate to contact your relevant Senior School Leader or Assistant Principal.

Assessment of VCE Vocational Major studies

Each VCE VM unit of study has specified learning outcomes. The VCE VM studies are standards-based. All assessments for the achievement of learning outcomes, and therefore the units, are school-based and assessed through a range of learning activities and tasks.

Unlike other VCE studies there are no external assessments of VCE VM Unit 3–4 sequences, and VCE VM studies do not receive a study score. If a student wishes to receive study scores, they can choose from the wide range of VCE studies and scored VCE VET programs that contain both internal and external assessment components.

The VCE VM studies do not contribute to the ATAR. To receive an ATAR a student must complete a scored Unit 3–4 sequence from the English group and three other Unit 3–4 scored sequences. Students must achieve two or more graded assessments in these scored sequences.

Certification

Completing the VCE VM requirements means that students have also completed the requirements of the VCE. Upon satisfactory completion of the VCE VM, students receive recognition through the appellation of ‘Vocational Major’ on their Victorian Certificate of Education and a Statement of Results.

Successful completion of VET units of competency are recognised by additional statements of attainment or certificates provided by the Registered Training Organisation.

Students who meet the requirements for satisfactory completion of the VCE, but not the requirements for the award of the Vocational Major appellation, will be awarded the VCE.

Should you have any further queries in relation to a VCE Vocational Major Program please do not hesitate to contact the Senior School Leading Teacher or Assistant Principal.

Senior School - Year 11 VCE / VM

Senior School - Year 12 VCE / VM