“It’s Not The End Of The World”

It is a regular occurrence that high school graduates will be lamenting on missing out in the final round of university offers at the beginning of March, but research suggests it’s no time to stress.

The skills and job organisation Careers Department research suggests that many school leavers are applying for university because they think it is expected of them.

“Our research shows more than a third of students (38%) graduate high school not knowing what they want to do as a career,” Co-Founder The Careers Department, Samantha Devlin said.

“Many students choose university preferences based on what they feel they should do, or conversations they’ve had with their parents.”

The figures also show that one in five students drop out of their first year of university.

“What this tells us, is that there needs to be a stronger focus on educating teenagers about what job opportunities exist and what career paths, scholarships, and work programs are available,” Ms Devlin said.

More than 600 schools across Australia have partnered with The Careers Department to provide students with insights into industries from education to economics, agriculture to advertising, food to fashion.

Last year, 76,000 students participated in the organisations virtual work experience programs, and more than 40,000 took part in The Careers Department’s face-to-face workshops, and this year a national tour of more than 100 locations across every state and territory would reach another 40,000.

Her advice to those who missed out today and do have their hearts set on a university degree is to find alternative ways to gain entry, including internships, graduate programs, diplomas, bridging courses, and vocational studies.

“Take the opportunity to research your chosen career path, contact different universities for advice, and look at work experience options. With borders now open again, it might even be the perfect opportunity to take a gap year and go travelling.”

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