The Seven Network has unveiled its unique approach to help prepare high school students to develop transferable skills for the future of work.
The approach is through its partnership with Australian-owned and founded educational tech company, The Careers Department (TCD), and its inaugural national Virtual Work Experience (VWE) competition.
VWE was developed to debunk career misconceptions and expose students from years 9 through 12 to a wider range of professions that are expected to experience growth in the years to come, upskilling them for those industries and preparing them for future career success.
The competition ran from August to December 2022, with finalists from each state and territory being selected to compete for the top honour: a work experience opportunity at the Seven Network.
Larissa Ozard, Seven Network director of marketing, praised The Careers Department’s VWE program. She said: “The program showcased impressive critical thinking and problem-solving skills among young students. Regardless of whether they were from metropolitan, regional or remove communities, the students displayed a sound understanding of their respective fields and a high level of maturity and professionalism.”
Evaluated by a panel of industry experts, more than 29,000 students participated in VWE 2022, via The Careers Department’s careers platform and were judged on a mix of metrics including content, professionalism, research and creativity.
The initiative comes at a critical juncture in the nation’s workforce, with at least 20 industries experiencing a critical skills and labour shortage. The Careers Department believes that addressing this skills shortage starts inside the classroom.
Samantha Devlin, The Careers Department co-founder, said: “Our research shows that today less than one in four students are participating in traditional work experience during high school. We wanted to build a scalable solution to this problem, as we know that industry exposure is a crucial in a young person’s careers decision making.
“We’’re delighted Seven is such a strong supporter of the national Virtual Work Experience competition, which is an opportunity for all Australian students to explore, discover, and try their hand at a new field they may never have considered working in before.
“Many students base their career choices on their surroundings or parental guidance, and this competition provides them with a unique opportunity to broaden their horizons.
“Given that parents remain the strongest influence on their children when it comes to selecting a job, we wanted to offer an alternative solution for school leavers, expanding their view when it comes to career options,” she said.
Tasks in the competition ranged in difficulty and time commitment, from one to two hours, up to 20+ hours. The selected finalists’ entries covered a broad range of industries including:
• Bioinformatics and Genomics: Research Scientist
• Cyber Security: Westpac
• Drinks Manufacturer: Event Management
• Design Studio: Graphics
• Digital Design UTLD: Web Design
• Education: Early Childhood Educator
• Education: Secondary School Teacher
• Fashion design
• Medicine: Ethical Conduct
• Music Composition
• News Presenter: Seven Network
• Nursing: Hospital
• Vet Technology: Vet Clinician
Devlin said: “Seven has been terrific. They have supported us and worked with us not just to make the VWE more appealing to students but to help us with tasks from their own industry, giving us access to roles within the organisation as well as some fabulous prizes to reward the finalists and overall winner. The response from schools has been great, and they are already excited for the next competition to open!”
VWE is just one of the initiatives Seven and The Careers Department are in partnership with together.
Seven also supports The Careers Department ’s 2023 National Schools’ Tour and face-to-face workshops in over 100 schools, with 40,000 students engaged across Australia.