School Support Services

Career Quests

Career Quests offer students the opportunity to investigate and learn about different industries, careers and the pathway options available through training and further education.  Local industry leaders offer their time to present a short showcase of their personal employment pathway, industry expectation’s, barriers faced and the career opportunities that are available in their current industry.

Skills 4 Life

is a series of 5 x 1-hour workshops delivered to small groups of targeted youth in need of additional help transitioning to adulthood. Schools customize their own program to suit their school’s needs, selecting from a suite of topics coordinated by Youth Express and led by industry volunteers including:

Career Connect Industry Tours

Career Connect Industry Tours are a 1-day event that connects employers and schools through industry tours. It enables students and educators to learn from the wisdom and traditions within business and industry. – Career Connect Industry Tours provide career development, work-based learning and employability skill development for young people.  It engages students through direct exposure to and interaction with a range of employment role and career pathways.  It can be tailored to specific or broad industry areas including:

VR Career Connect Workshop

Our VR Career Connect workshop showcases our partnership with Work Window and Oculus Quest 2 in presenting the latest technology and an Australian made careers platform, to the Hunter.

Students can have an immersive experience into their choice of 24 career options, including: Firefighter, Mechatronic Engineer, Dentist, Park Ranger, Pharmacist, Paramedic, Industrial Design and much more.

The workshop is best delivered in line with school periods, with 10-20 students each session with different groups rotating each period.

This workshop can be delivered as per your school’s needs.

Career Preparation

Our Career Preparation package gives students who are preparing for an employment pathway the best possible opportunity to succeed in a competitive market.

The topics include:

“If outside validation is your only source of nourishment, you will hunger for the rest of your life”

– Unknown

Validate Me

The Validate Me Program is an immersive and interactive program designed for high school students Years 7-10. This program is best delivered to a group of 12-15 participants over 4 x 2hr sessions.

The aim of this program is to instill the ability to self-validate rather than relying on external approval, primarily from peers. It empowers young people to remain true to their own values and beliefs and not submit to the often forcefully imposed ideas of their peers through bullying or emotional manipulation.

This program provides a solid foundation in self-belief during the high school years for a smoother transition to a work environment or further education.
It establishes awareness around a young person’s strengths and initiates self-development.

The well-being topics explored:

With advances in technology and social media participation, a large percentage of our Young People have adapted to seeking external validation via social media platforms and online activity.

This adaption causing many of our young people to seek approval and external validation from those they are engaging with, this resulting in heightened levels of anxiety, unhealthy sensitivities, negative impacts to self -esteem and often an unbalanced sense of entitlement, just to name a few impacts.

Uni or TAFE Tour

The Uni or TAFE Tour is a Youth Express facilitated immersive experience, primarily for students who have an interest in attending further education and/or further exploring career pathways. The excursion is aimed at a target group of young people who wish to find out first-hand what the Uni or TAFE environment is like and the expectations.

During this excursion, students will participate in inspiration workshops and a campus tour. The excursion is a fully coordinated 1 day site visit to Newcastle University or a TAFE Campus.

From a well-being perspective, the Uni and Tafe Tours assist students to fill in some of the unknowns, and remove barriers linked to anxiety, fear, and change. Overall, the tours better preparing and supporting a young person during a time of transition toward a positive future.
Targeted groups may include, but not limited to a year group cluster, careers/further study interests, pathway development support or intervention/re-engagement support.

(TAFE campus location is dependent on school & student needs and industries of interest).

Money Matters

Money Matters is an interactive half day workshop designed to assist students in Years 10-12 to develop an understanding of financial and money issues and concepts. It is an educationally based event designed to inform youth about the financial responsibilities they will need to face as they move into the adult world.
Similar to a Career Quest, Youth Express engage local industry leaders to attend and discuss:

Teacher Professional Learning

1 day Industry interaction/networking days.

These days include interactive sessions with local businesses (typically onsite) where teachers have the opportunity to update their industry knowledge and skills. The Interaction/networking days also offer teachers the opportunity to network with other teachers in the region and regional Vocational Education Coordinators.

Work Preparation

Work Preparation is a 1 day classroom workshop covering a series of employability skills students need to know.  3 staff break students in the class up into small groups to cover key topics. These are interactive sessions aimed to provide students valuable skills that work towards a successful Work Placement opportunity. These sessions are particularly appropriate for students studying VET courses. Sessions are focused on presentation and communication for the workplace and cover areas such as: