From the Futures Team
Engineering Empower Lunch
On Friday 10th November, 25 eager Year 9 students attended an empower lunch hosted by ARUP engineering at their office in the city. The budding engineers were hosted by a team of young, engaging, and passionate female engineers, who spoke to the students about their journey through school, to university and into a career in engineering. We learned about some of the innovative projects the ARUP team had been working on, such as St Mary’s metro station and the upgrade to Nepean Hospital. What inspired our students was the range of different engineering disciplines there are as well as the highly rewarding nature of the career. Students were also given an office tour, visiting the ‘sound lab’ and the games room. Throughout the morning, students were able to ask the ARUP team questions, and gain insight first-hand about what a career in engineering entails.
At Pymble, we are committed to inspiring our students to thing differently. We want to develop influential and compassionate graduates, who embrace new ideas and have the courage to consider STEM related, male dominated careers in the future. If you would like to contribute experiences like this in the future, please reach out Kim Maksimovic or Liam Hume.
Here are some student reflections from the day.
“Last Friday I went with a group of other girls all in year nine to an Engineering company in the city called ARUP for an emPower lunch. The goal of the lunch was to inspire young women and girls as women are hugely under-represented in STEM-related careers. Going to the company opened my eyes to many engineering careers I had never heard of such as structural and acoustic engineering. Structural engineering which designs and create the form and shape of buildings and acoustic engineering which focuses on acoustics and which building designs will allow for the best possible sound projection. The office building had a room designed for teaching their employees about acoustics. It was lined with carpet to trap sound and it had speakers all over the room even under the floor, which was really cool.
Learning about all the different career options was a bit overwhelming as there are so many choices but one thing that really helped was in the presentation each of the presenters showed their career path and how they ended up working where they are today. One of the presenters showed how her first choice wasn’t engineering and how she originally went to university for food studies and was thinking of becoming a dietician. She then realised that that was not the right path for her and that she was able to transfer to an engineering course even though she did not do all the prerequisites for the course in her HSC.
Exploring the company was interesting and insightful and I am planning to go have job experience there next year!” – Natalie Barclay (Year 9)
“The Arup Engineering emPower Lunch was an in-depth opportunity to learn about engineering and the different aspects of it. We were able to watch presentations from employees there explaining what they do and why. We were also given an office tour and access to different engineers to ask any questions we had. Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable day where we learnt a lot about engineering as a job.” Alia Curren (Year 9)
How students could benefit from Career Guidance.
At Pymble, our Futures Advisors are at the forefront of support for students, serving as crucial guides in students’ journey towards their future professions. The Futures Department work with Curriculum and Wellbeing teams to provide opportunities for students to be supported via events, workshops and 1:1 meetings.
Within 1:1 meetings, our team incorporate tools like Clifton’s Strengths and Motivational Mapping which can offer more personalised and effective guidance. Clifton’s Strengths helps students identify their unique talents, thereby enabling advisors to tailor career advice that aligns with each student’s inherent strengths. This approach not only boosts the students’ confidence but also steers them towards careers where they are likely to excel and find fulfilment. Motivational Mapping, on the other hand, sheds light on what drives an individual, be it a need for achievement, affiliation, or power.
Understanding these motivational factors allows our advisors to suggest paths that not only suit the students’ abilities but also resonate with their inner motivations. This tailored advice is invaluable as students navigate the complex process of choosing a career path, ensuring they make informed decisions that lead to both professional success and personal satisfaction.
What we offer at Pymble
In Year 9, students are introduced to the Pymble Passport in Term 3, reflecting upon their strengths and talents to share with others. In the coming weeks, they will have an introduction to writing resumes within the Compass program.
In Year 10, during Term 1 students participate in the Strengths and Skills Day where they are introduced to Clifton Strengths and micro-credentials and follow this on with a 1:1 meeting with one of the Futures team to discuss those strengths. Year 10 is the first year students can also apply for work experiences. The year culminates in the Future You Festival in Term 4 where students have further opportunity to revisit Strengths, hear from guest speakers and professionals about various industries, delve into e-work experience and have the opportunity to participate in Mock Interviews.
Year 11 participate in university immersion day during Term 1 where each student will visit a university for a day to experience sample activities in their chosen domain. This is the start of students engaging with the Futures Advisors 1:1 to provide guidance for future goals and aspirations. Further support is provided in the introduction to Motivational Mapping and using this as a tool to engage in conversation with Compass Teachers, mentors and others about growth and goals.
Year 12 students set their goals and intentions through the Future Plans Survey to identify what their Plan A and Plan B are. From this, the Futures Department provide support in the form of presentations, Masterclasses and 1:1 guidance to help to target areas of need and emergent trends or points of interest for the cohort. Students are also supported in their Early Entry applications, scholarship and other pathway requirements.
The Futures Team also offer a Careers Expo for all students, Empower Lunches to Year 9-12 to learn more about diverse roles from our Alumni and Industry guests (expanding to Year 7-8 to attend in 2024). Furthermore, we support Subject Selection evenings, Parent Information Evenings and other related events to support the community.
Below is an extract from ‘Investing in Careers – What is career guidance worth?’ by University of Derby
Career guidance is not just about helping students to find their way into a course or showing them how to get their next job. Rather it is about helping people to make a purposeful next step that will move the trajectory of their life in a positive direction. Two in five university students said they would have made better choices had they had better access to higher quality information and advice in school. Career guidance helps people to find their way into the right course and into the right job for them. This in turn helps to ensure that their talents are well used and reduces dropout, labour market churn and misalignment of skills.
External Opportunities
Women of STEM Scholarship for Year 12 Graduates
Scholarships for women aged 18 – 20, studying a STEM related degree.
Applications Open: Friday 15 December 2023: www.womenofstem.com.au
Applications are open the Women of STEM Scholarship for women aged 18-20 who are entering their first year of a STEM degree at university. The scholarship provides financial grants of $5,000 per year for the life of their degree, up to a maximum of 5 years. Applicants must submit their resume, cover letter, academic transcript and ID. Head to our website to check eligibility.
Applications Close: Friday 16 February 2024
Law Insights Evening
The University of Newcastle’s School of Law and Justice invites class of 2023 Year 11 & Year 12 students, teachers and parents to attend our Law Insights evening. The evening is an invaluable experience, allowing students to hear firsthand about the Law degree on offer at the University of Newcastle.
Students will be able to hear from, and speak with, academic staff and current students from the School of Law and Justice. Students will also learn about our Legal Centre. This is an excellent opportunity for students to ask any questions they might have about the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) program.
Location: Nuspace (Cnr King and Auckland Street Newcastle NSW 2300)
Time: 5.00pm to 7.00pm
Date: Wednesday 15 November 2023
Canapés and drinks will be provided.
Learn to fly
Are you ready to put wings on your dreams? Don’t just imagine soaring through the skies, seize the opportunity to kickstart your future career and let’s go flying!
Become a student pilot, learn new skills, and make lasting friendships at the 2024 Flying Training Camp.
To learn more and sign up visit camp.royalaero.com.au
