12 November 2026
A pathway that fits: Deejay’s school-based traineeship journey
There is no single pathway through Senior School that is right for every student. For Year 12 student Deejay, completing a traineeship in Early Childhood Education alongside her VCE, as part of the School-Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT) program, has provided the opportunity to combine school, TAFE and work-based learning in the Carey Early Learning Centre.
Deejay met with her Careers Practitioner in Year 10 to discuss alternatives to the traditional VCE.
‘I felt that doing an SBAT would work better for me than following the normal school pathway,’ Deejay says. ‘It allowed me to gain practical experience, learn new skills and work towards my Certificate III while still completing Year 12.’
Finding purpose
Through her SBAT, Deejay has been able to gain valuable hands-on experience working with children while giving her the opportunity to confirm her interest in pursuing early childhood education as a career. She says she loved helping children learn and grow. ‘I enjoy building relationships with the children and supporting them through different activities. It is really rewarding to see them become more confident and learn new things.’
Director of the Kew ELC, Wendy Seidler, was impressed with Deejay’s passion, commitment and growth while working with the children in the ELC.
‘Deejay is a natural educator; she has definitely found her purpose,’ Wendy says. ‘She is calm, a good communicator, genuinely interested in the children and keen to learn. She fit in well with the team, was open to constructive criticism and naturally picked up cues from the other educators. Over time, Deejay became more confident to ask or question, try new things and share her insightful observations about the children.’
Learning how to juggle
Combining VCE, TAFE and employment requires commitment, organisation and resilience. For Deejay, the experience has taught her just as much about herself as it has about early childhood education: ‘I have learnt that I am much stronger than I thought I was.’
Deejay has also developed important time-management and communication skills while balancing the demands of Year 11, Year 12 and her traineeship. One of the most important lessons she has learnt along the way is that asking for help is a strength.
‘I learnt that communication is important when I am unsure about something,’ Deejay says. ‘I made sure I asked questions of my teachers so I understood what was happening in my TAFE classes. Having teachers who were easy to work with also helped me feel more comfortable asking for support.’
Wendy says Deejay’s success in balancing schoolwork with the SBAT was her preparedness and ability to work as part of a team. ‘I think there were plenty of challenges, which was great because that’s real,’ she says. ‘When her tutor came to visit, she was nervous, but she had always prepared her bookwork and was able to shine in the process.’
Individualised pathways for every student
Deejay’s experience is a wonderful example of the individualised pathways that can be co-created with the specialised Careers staff at Carey.
Senior secondary pathways do not need to look the same for every student. By starting with each student’s interests, strengths, aspirations and preferred way of learning, the Careers Team can help explore opportunities that may bring together VCE studies, vocational qualifications, workplace learning and employment.
An SBAT can be one part of this pathway, enabling a student to gain practical industry experience and work towards a nationally recognised qualification while continuing their senior secondary education.
Importantly, an individualised pathway does not mean taking an easier route. As Deejay’s experience demonstrates, successfully balancing school, TAFE and employment takes considerable commitment and maturity. What it does offer is a different way of learning, one that can provide students with purpose, confidence, practical skills and a valuable connection between their education and the world beyond school.
Get involved!
More Carey students are expressing interest in undertaking SBATs as part of their senior secondary programs. We are particularly seeing interest from students who would like to begin pathways into the trades, where the opportunity to start their apprenticeship while completing school can be enormously valuable.
To continue developing these opportunities, we would love to partner with more employers across the Carey community who may be interested in taking on a school-based apprentice or trainee.
For an employer, providing an SBAT is an opportunity to invest in a young person at the beginning of their career, share valuable industry knowledge and skills, and help develop the next generation of skilled workers. For a young person, having an employer willing to give them that first opportunity can have a lasting impact on their confidence, skills and future direction.
Wendy couldn’t recommend the experience more highly. ‘The opportunity to take on a traineeship student in the ELC was so exciting for the whole team,’ she says. ‘When I was approached by Amanda my immediate response was a big yes. The profession is crying out for teachers and the traineeship pathway is a great opportunity.’
We would particularly love to hear from tradespeople and trade-based businesses who may be interested in providing a Carey student with a School-Based Apprenticeship, as well as employers from other industries who could offer a School-Based Traineeship. If you are an employer, business owner or industry professional within our community and would like to learn more, please contact Amanda Siva.
After finishing school, Deejay plans to continue working in Early Childhood Education and progressing her studies to achieve a Diploma.
‘We are incredibly proud of Deejay and have no doubt she will go on to have a wonderful career,’ Wendy says. ‘I feel privileged to have been able to provide this opportunity for her and the first traineeship at Carey. I would certainly encourage anyone thinking about a traineeship to explore the options.’
Deejay’s story is an important reminder that success at and after school can take many different forms. By bringing together students, families, educators, training providers and employers, we can continue to create meaningful, individualised pathways that allow Carey students to learn, gain qualifications, build real-world experience and discover where their strengths can take them.
Amanada Siva
Careers Practitioner
Feature image: Deejay celebrates her 18th birthday in the ELC!
