VET (Vocational Education and Training)

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is designed to expand opportunities and pathways for senior secondary students and improve educational outcomes in line with the Victorian Government’s objective to increase the number of young people completing Year 12 or equivalent. VET also addresses the skills and employment needs of industry in Victoria.

VET comprises nationally recognised VET certificates undertaken by secondary school students as part of their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). VET provides a vocationally oriented program of studies leading to a senior secondary certificate. VET programs are typically delivered through a partnership between schools, industry and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), and often include opportunities for students to participate in structured workplace learning.

Students enrolled in VET may also combine study and employment through School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships which allow students to do an apprenticeship or traineeship while they undertake their VCE or VCAL.

The Wimmera Southern Mallee VET Cluster is comprised of 17 schools including Ararat, Birchip, Dimboola, Edenhope, Goroke, Holy Trinity Lutheran School, Hopetoun, Horsham, Horsham Special School, Kaniva, Marion, Murtoa, Nhill, Rainbow, Stawell, St Brigid’s and Warracknabeal. These schools send students to Horsham on Wednesdays to complete VET course training.

Training is delivered by Federation University (Horsham Campus), Longerenong College, Skillinvest, and Horsham College.

Some of the secondary colleges in the cluster area also offer VET courses locally on their school campus.

Students in years 10, 11 or 12 can enrol in a VET course, but must have their school’s approval to do so.

VCE:VM – VET programs contribute by providing credit towards the Work Related Skills and Industry Specific strands within the VCE:VM. Two credits  are awarded on successful completion of 180 nominal hours of accredited VET curriculum.  VET is a compulsory part of the VCE:VM certificate.

VPC – VET is not a requirement for students studying the VPC, however if a VET subject is undertaken, it will contribute one credit for every 90 hours of study.

VCE – some VET programs are approved by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and can provide credit towards the student’s ATAR via either scored assessment or a 10% increment (see below).

Scored Assessment – courses that offer scored assessment will contribute directly to the student’s ATAR either as one of the primary four studies or as a fifth or sixth study. Students undertaking scored assessment as part of their VET course will be assessed via school-assessed coursework and an end-of-year examination set by the VCAA. Students must be registered for scored assessment with their RTO.

10% Increment – where a VCAA approved course does not offer scored assessment but does include a Units 3 and 4 sequence, the student is eligible to receive an increment of 10% of their average primary four ATAR subject scores if they successfully complete the Units 3 and 4 sequence.

Block Credit Recognition – For VET courses not approved by the VCAA, students will be eligible for credit towards their VCE for successful completion of units of competency/modules within their VET subject.  For every  90 nominal hours of study completed, students will be eligible for a unit of credit at:

VCE Units 1 and 2 level for modules completed at Certificate II level

VCE Units 3 and 4 level for modules completed at Certificate III level.

Details of the credit provided by each course towards a students senior secondary pathway is included in the course information on the course pages.

This website outlines a selection of VET programs available to students at member schools.

Read the requirements of your selected program carefully.

Please note the times, venues and course outlines are subject to change and will be confirmed before the commencement of the course.