On August 25, all Year 11 students participated in our Career Development Immersive Industry Tour Program. We are incredibly grateful to the following organisations for being so willing to share their knowledge and expertise.

· BUSINESS / ENTREPRENEURSHIP – NAB Mornington and Smart Business Solutions

· ARTS / DESIGN INDUSTRY – Collingwood Yards and Millie Savage Studio

· ENGINEERING / IT- SAS and EmTek

· HEALTH / HEALTH SCIENCES – Endota, The Alternative Health Clinic & Dietician Edition by Millie Padula

· STEM INDUSTRIES – MiniFab and Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute

· SERVICE / SOCIAL ENTERPRISE – CERES and HoMie

· SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE – Richmond Football Club and Victorian Institute of Sport

Students were privileged to visit your workplaces and listen to various experts who generously gave advice on preparing for the future. The consistent messages shared were: building your skills and capabilities, enjoying the moment you are doing, not feeling pressured to have it all figured out, letting your visions and passions guide you and don’t be afraid to change your direction.

GINA BOLCH
Director of Careers

Through today’s experience, I learned:

Every new person you meet has a story to tell, something valuable to learn from, and a lesson to carry with you so that you don’t have to make those mistakes yourself, whether in business, personal life, or career paths. If you mess up, you can assure yourself it will be ok because someone else has been through your situation.

Secondly, there’s always more than meets the eye, anyone, regardless of your difference or prejudices, is worth listening to, and it’s those who are ‘poles apart in their position to ours in life who we should strive to hear their voices.

By speaking to numerous people in the social enterprise industry, they all had one message, you don’t have to have it all figured out. In fact, it’s a little unusual if you know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life at the age of 17.

Upon reflection, two things I want to know more about include:

• How did the students who started CERES gain approval for their project?
• How do CERES monitor their impact?
• Does HoMie have any programs to employ individuals with disabilities, indigenous heritage, or people from the LGBTQIA+ community?
• What kind of support does HoMie need to expand onto the Mornington Peninsula?

From today’s experience:

• I would like to see visually appealing rubbish catchments around Woodleigh’s Watson’s Creek, similar to what CERES has implemented
• Establish a transparent composting system in the senior homestead as an expansion of our composting. Follow HoMie on Instagram
• Add to the conversation and take action surrounding ethical fashion into the Year 9/10 textiles curriculum.

RUBY REYNOLDS
Year 11

During this term, my peers and I were lucky enough to explore and be educated by the people at CERES and HoMie’s Fitzroy store on Thursday for our industry tour excursion.

We started at CERES, which used to be a landfill but was turned into an “environmental education centre, community garden, urban farm and social enterprise hub” in 1982 by students from a nearby school. We were informed about their sustainable practices and new technology they’re testing, such as sculptures designed to filter rubbish out of the local Merri Creek, pathways made from recycled materials, and the use of plants to de-chemicalise water. CERES has created multiple ways for all people in the community to be involved, whether gardening, looking after chickens, shopping at their own grocery/bakery and café, or building and fixing bikes at the bike shed. The people who work there were extremely welcoming, sharing about their careers and the various jobs they’ve pursued, leading them to CERES, whether travelling with Circus Oz or working in mental health.

We were gifted the advice of the Japanese concept ikigai meaning “reason for being”, which includes four components:

• your passions
• what you enjoy
• what you’re good at and
• what the world needs, as well as volunteering, as it gives you experiences for the next job to inspire and encourage you.

My highlight was having the privilege of meeting two people from HoMie’s team in the afternoon. HoMie is a social enterprise streetwear store that aspires to “break down the stigma attached with homelessness and those experiencing it rough on the streets”. The idea blossomed from having a pop-up store moving through the CBD of Melbourne, selling and trading clothes to give to the homeless, then expanding to owning a shop in Fitzroy and the development of HoMie Pathway Alliance. The program starts in February, where young people from ages 18 to around 25 apply through partnered community support services and participate in an 8-month paid retail internship at the store. The internship includes a certificate III in retail operations, six months of paid practical work experience, eight months of paid personal development training to build confidence and skills, and a permanent place in the HoMie alumni community. When HoMie was established in 2015, 17% of people experiencing homelessness were between 19-24. Now in recent years, 84% of participants go on to succeed. Although already accomplishing much, HoMie has high hopes for the future to become independently financial without relying on donations. One thing they learned when adapting their business model was to question and listen to the customers about their needs instead of deciding what’s best for them.

I am incredibly grateful for both experiences, as they have inspired me to continue to tailor my aspirations.

ASHLYN MARCHANT
Year 11