We’re excited to begin the 2026 school year supporting schools across our region to connect students with meaningful work experience and Structured Workplace Learning opportunities.
Over recent months, we’ve been busy meeting with local employers and industry partners to explore the different ways they can support students and schools. It’s been encouraging to see strong interest from both existing partners and new industries keen to engage with school communities and help young people understand local career opportunities. These conversations have focused on meaningful work experience and Structured Workplace Learning, how these opportunities can be strengthened, as well as other ways employers can engage with schools, including industry immersion tours, careers expos, and visits to schools to share real-world insights and experiences with students.
Planning is also underway for Youth Take Over (YTO) initiatives in 2026, with several opportunities currently being explored. We look forward to supporting schools interested in learning more about how YTO can provide students with authentic, real-world experiences.
Vic Vice is a cutting-edge virtual reality platform that offers students in Victorian classrooms the opportunity to experience a wide range of workplaces in a fully immersive, interactive and multi-sensory way. To support students to explore careers in engaging and accessible ways, we’ve been working closely with teachers to build confidence using Vic Vice virtual reality headsets. This technology allows students from Years 7–12 to experience real job sites and industries without leaving the classroom, providing an interactive introduction to career pathways that may not otherwise be accessible. Vic Vice also supports teachers to bring industry into the classroom in a flexible and engaging way, helping students build awareness of the world of work and the opportunities available within their local region.
This year, we’re placing a strong focus on industry immersion in three key sectors: Agriculture, Automotive and Allied Health. These areas have been identified as some of the priority industries across our region and offer a broad range of current and emerging VET and training pathways for young people. Through targeted immersion opportunities, we aim to give students greater exposure to local industries, help them understand the variety of roles available, and support informed pathway decisions, while also responding to identified skills shortages and workforce needs within our region.
We continue to support strong connections between schools and industry with Real Industry Job Interviews (RIJI) delivered across our schools. RIJI provides students with an authentic interview experience, helping them build confidence, communication skills and a clearer understanding of employer expectations, while giving industry partners the opportunity to engage directly with young people, share insights into their workforce needs, and contribute to the development of future talent within the region.
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