The Career Compass, Term 1 Week 6

Welcome to the first edition of the Career Compass for Term 2!

This publication helps our students, families, and community stay connected to the ever-changing world of careers, pathways, and opportunities. Each edition will bring you timely updates, useful resources, links and industry insights to help guide informed decision‑making and build career curiosity for your future.

We celebrate Languages Week next week (week 7) and what an action packed, information treat it is for you all.

Did you know -

All Y9-12 French students sit the French Alliance school examinations which gives them a French language certificate which is recognised world wide?

Chinese, this year Y10-11 students will sit the HSK Chinese language examinations which is the only Chinese language proficiency test recognised in China.

These two certificates would be valuable to any student wanting to work in Tourism & Hospitality click here for North Metro TAFE, Customer Care and receptionist work (for those not doing ATAR). These certificates are valuable to any child seeking a student job as their CV will have something extra that most kids their age don’t have: some language skills, open-mindedness and cultural awareness.

• engineering and mining (due to French and Chinese companies being strong),
• international relations & political science
• national security - Who are now actively looking for linguists due to the world political climate, offering graduate programs to train their future employees who are paid while training and guaranteed a position).
• Click here for the NIC - National Intelligence Community
• Click here for the ASIS - Australian Secret Intelligence Service

Bonjour, Salut, Ciao! Learning a language opens doors to global opportunities. Students who study French or Chinese can apply their skills while living abroad with a host family, gaining invaluable cultural and personal experiences. Each year, there is strong demand for Au Pairs worldwide, and those who can communicate in the local language are particularly sought after. Even a basic level of proficiency greatly enhances placement prospects and enriches the overall experience. Click here for more info

Combine your language skills that enable professionals to communicate with diverse communities.

Interpreter - The need for interpreters to help prevent misunderstandings and errors exists in sectors such as community services, social welfare, health, education, law and legal, and immigration services. Click here for North Metro TAFE course on Interpreting

Language Teacher - Do you aspire to be a language teacher? Most WA universities also offer Bachelor of Education (Secondary) programs where students can major in Languages if available. These pathways take four years and qualify graduates directly for teaching. Visit the UWA Language Hub here

Tech companies operate on a truly global scale—and they actively seek graduates who can communicate across languages and cultures. Combining multilingual skills with strengths in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, or Software Development creates a highly competitive profile for future employment.

At UWA, students have the opportunity to complete a double degree in just four years, positioning themselves strongly for entry into prestigious graduate programs offered by major technology firms worldwide. This pathway not only broadens academic expertise but also significantly enhances employability in an international tech industry that values versatility, communication, and innovation.

Master of IT - here

Software Engineering - here

Computer Science - here

This is the time of the year where all Universities open their campus and host the their Annual Open Day. This is the perfect chance to explore the campus, speak to lecturers and students, tour facilities, and learn about courses and entry pathways.

• EVENT POSTPONED Murdoch University- Saturday 28 March- click here
• EVENT POSTPONED Curtin University- Sunday 29 March click here

UWA has the largest language hub in WA. Create your perfect study plan. French and Finance? Chinese and Chemistry? German and Geography? Japanese and Jurisprudence? It is up to you. All of our languages are undergraduate majors within our Bachelor of Arts. Click here for all the information.

Curtin Uni offer lots of languages under their Bachelor of Arts undergrad programs. Learn Japanese, Korean, Chinese to open doors international business, technology, government, education, and creative industries. These languages are strategically important in the Asia‑Pacific region and are highly valued by employers operating across borders. Click here to explore the possibilities.

Fancy studying in Sydney? The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences offer to take an elective language unit even if you are studying other undergraduate degrees click here for more information

Fancy studying languages in Canberra?

The ANU offers a huge variety of programs. Ancient Greek? Classical Chinese? Spanish? plus many more

click here

The world is changing fast. So are we. We're continuing to grow our powerful suite of degrees to prepare your students to lead real impact across today’s economic, social and technological frontiers. Here are some of our new courses for 2026.

Bachelor of Nursing (Honours)

Our Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) is Australia's first four-year integrated Honours degree, giving our graduates a head start in their nursing career. With immersive simulation learning, unique real-world experiences and personalised mentorship, graduates are empowered to step into their careers with confidence, purpose, and the ability to create meaningful impact from day one.

Bachelor of International Relations and Bachelor of Commerce

This combined degree equips students with a strong foundation in global politics, the world economy and the dynamics of international business. It pairs international relations with a choice of business majors, including economics, finance, management or marketing.

If you are a current year 12 student completing your Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) ATAR subjects that are related to your preferred UWA course, you may receive adjustment points that enables entry into your chosen UWA degree.

If you have successfully completed the ATAR subject(s) and obtained the final scaled score required, you will receive the adjustment that may make you eligible for that specific UWA degree. Please note: ATAR adjustments will only be applicable to the specified course and will not apply to your final ATAR.

Click HERE to view the list of courses and the adjustment factors.

If you have any further questions head to the UWA Open Day on 22nd March and speak with the future students team.

At UWA, scholarships do more than support study, they fuel ambition. Here are some of our scholarships open for applications.

UWA Fogarty Foundation Scholarship – closes 15 May 2026

• Up to 10 scholarships for WA Year 12 students*

• Predicted minimum ATAR of 98+ (or 93+ for Broadway UWA schools)

• Valued at $12,500 per year.

The study of humanities equips you to ask and answer the big questions, challenging you to explore where we came from, who we are and where we’re going.

Human experience is made meaningful through culture, language, literature, history and philosophy.

Exploring the humanities provides you with the skills to power lifelong career success in any field, with enduring skills in critical thinking, communicating and influencing.

Discipline include:

• Classic and Ancient History
• European Languages and Cultures
• Philosophy
• Translation Studies

Click HERE for more information

• Study two languages in depth with WA’s only Bachelor of Modern Languages click here for more information

• European languages and Culture- Click HERE

1-on-1 Casper Test Preparation Tuition

Designed specifically for Curtin University Medical Entry (and other Casper-requiring programs), this individualised training session provides intensive, hands-on learning.

During a 2-hour one-on-one session, students work directly with Rebekah Ramsey to:

• Practise realistic Casper question types and scenarios.

• Master the 14-scenario format and timed open-ended responses.

• Understand best practices for on-camera recorded responses.

• Receive personalised, detailed feedback on answers and delivery.

• Improve confidence, timing, and communication clarity under pressure.

This focused tuition helps students respond effectively and confidently to Casper questions — both written and video-based.

Get details and resources HERE

In 2025, U.S. company Firefly Aerospace became the first commercial outfit in history to successfully land on the moon. The Flight Director of this historic lunar landing was young West Aussie, Jaxon Liebeck.

Jaxon is back in WA to share stories about his journey to NASA and Firefly, as well as explore pathways to a possible career in the space sector.

Jaxon Liebeck is a spacecraft systems engineer at Firefly Aerospace, where he supports the development and operations of next-generation spacecraft. At Firefly, he served as a Flight Director for the Blue Ghost mission, the first successful commercial lunar landing, operated Alpha rocket engines during ground test campaigns, and now works as a spacecraft systems engineer supporting spacecraft design and development for the Elytra program.

This is an event to not miss! Register at the button link below. Space is limited.

📅 Date: Monday, March 23, 2026

⏰ Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

📍Venue: SciTech Planetarium - Ground Floor, City West Centre.

👔 Dress: Casual

💵 Admission Cost: Free

Click Here to RSVP

Education USA Australia will be holding a virtual webinar for any person interested in learning about researching options for pathways to studying in the United States.

Session Details

Tuesday, March 24
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. AEDT

Topic

'Research Your Options'

This interactive session will build from the session hosted on February 26 and support participants through the essential steps of exploring higher education opportunities in the United States. Attendees will learn how to identify programs that match their academic interests, understand admission requirements, and make informed decisions about their educational future.

Whether you are just beginning your search or narrowing down your choices, this webinar will provide practical tools and reliable resources to help you navigate the process with confidence. Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to get your questions answered and take the next step toward studying in the U.S.

Register at this link

Consider a Gap Year in the Ag Industry for 2027.

You get:

• $3000 towards training.

• A full-time job.

• Tons of support to find out about career opportunities.

Check out the opportunities HERE.

This popular hands‑on experience invites high school students onto the beautiful South Street campus to explore what university is really like for yourself.

When: When: 8^th & 9^th of April

Students can step into real classes, meet academics, and current Murdoch students, and get a feel for the courses and careers that inspire them.

With interactive workshops, campus tours, and plenty of time for questions, it’s the perfect way for young people to discover their strengths, interests, and future pathways.

Registrations are open; student only need to register for one day.

Register HERE

• Our entry-level programs give school leavers, tertiary students and graduates opportunities to start their career at ASD.

• Apprentices work 3 to 4 days per week, with the rest of your time dedicated to completing a Certificate IV over an 18-month period. ASD will pay for your studies, and you will be granted paid study time.

You will put your new skills to use as you learn in an innovative and dynamic working environment on a range of tasks that support Australia’s national security.

As part of the program, Apprentices can pursue one of 2 streams:

• Technical stream: Cert IV in ICT (Networking or Programming and Web Applications.
• Project stream: Cert IV in Project Management

• ASD Cyber Security and Robotics Work experience programs for Year 11 and 12 students are also available. The program focuses on students who are considering further studies in a STEM-related field. We provide a practical and dynamic learning experience where you will engage with areas including information and communications technology (ICT), cyber security, intelligence and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

• You must be an Australian citizen to be eligible for our entry-level programs

• Applications close Monday 6 April
• Click LINK for more information

Do you want to enrol in a VET certificate as part of your Senior School pathway? North Metropolitan TAFE have three courses commencing in Term 2 specifically for Secondary Students (VETDSS) Program.

If you are in Year 10 or 11 and interested in apprenticeships, traineeships or stepping into work post school click on the links to read out about pathway. All options are offsite and subject to sufficient enrolment numbers.

If you are interested, speak to your parents and follow up with Mrs Pearce via email epearce@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Hear from 5 STEM apprentices who share their tips for taking alternative pathways into STEM and building a career you’ll love.

The apprentices work in everything from UX design at Google to maintenance at Rio Tinto, so there is great advice here spanning areas and industries.

Click HERE to have a read

Course Seeker is a great tool to help you compare course from across the country. This can assist students and families in researching similar university degrees across Australia to align your decisions with what matters most to you.

Access Course Seeker HERE

Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) manages university applications for the following WA universities:

1- Curtin University

2- Edith Cowan University (ECU)

3- Murdoch University

4- Notre Dame University

5- University of Western Australia (UWA)

Click HERE to access the website and start your research about how to apply and what you need to know. TISC will be visiting St Mark's in Term to guide you through the application process.

If you are applying for university and planning to commence in 2027, it would be important to also view the University Admissions Guide 2027

Find the career right for you. Visit the Career Discovery Hub to explore ADF job matches that personalised to fit your interests and skills.

Click HERE to start exploring

Welcome to the Careers with STEM Parents Portal – a hub for parents or carers wanting to nurture their teen into a rewarding and successful career.

Click HERE to access the resources