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Foundation pathways certificateDiscussion paper

Authorised and published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Level 7, 2 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne VIC 3000

ISBN: 978-1-925264-02-9

© Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2021

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Contents

Context 1Senior secondary reform: Setting every Victorian student up for the future 1Foundation pathways certificate to replace Foundation VCAL 2Paper purpose and use 2Have your say 3Discussion questions 4

Background 5Victorian Senior Secondary education 5Rationale for change 5

New course overview 6What is proposed for the vocational specialisation stream? 6Couse duration 7Minimum completion requirements 7Curriculum units 8Unit duration 9Unit sequence 9

Assessment and reporting 10Satisfactory completion 10Assessment of levels of achievement 10Enhanced quality assurance 10Enhanced Statement of Results 11

Naming the foundation pathways certificate 12

Next steps 12

Appendix A: Comparative overview 13

Appendix B: Glossary 16

Appendix C: References 19

ContextSenior secondary reform: Setting every Victorian student up for the futureWe want every Victorian student’s senior secondary experience to be a positive, enjoyable and rewarding one.

Senior secondary education is about developing and realising every student’s potential. Our Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is world class and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) has provided a steppingstone to great jobs in growing industries.

Young people are living through a global pandemic, and Victoria’s economy is rapidly changing. We need to ensure students build the skills and capabilities to thrive in further education and training, move into a rewarding career and live a great life.

Within senior secondary education, vocational and applied learning builds critical and creative thinking, communication skills, teamwork and collaboration, curiosity and innovation. It provides students with real-world knowledge, including about the workplace, and practical and transferrable skills.

In 2019, the Victorian Government commissioned John Firth, the former CEO of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), to conduct a review into vocational and applied learning pathways in senior secondary schooling (Firth Review). The Firth Review found that we need to do more to make vocational and applied learning in schools high quality, highly regarded, relevant to the needs of students and employers, and available to all.

The Firth Review recommendations provide a roadmap for reform, building on the Victorian Government’s historic investment of $315.5 million in senior secondary schooling reforms since 2018.

The Victorian Government is working to ensure senior secondary students receive a great education, learn about the world of work and develop strong life skills, so they can make informed choices about further study, jobs and their futures. This will enable young people to contribute to, and, benefit from, the growth in the Victorian economy and prepare them for active and fulfilling lives in the community.

A single senior secondary certificate will be created so students can study senior secondary pathways aligned to their interests and aspirations and all students can access learning that is most relevant to their desired post-school pathway. An integrated senior secondary certificate will build on the successes of the VCAL and recognise the increasing importance of vocational learning to build an education foundation to ensure students thrive in employment, personal and civic life.

In 2023, Victoria will introduce a new vocational specialisation stream within the VCE. This will replace the existing VCAL at the Intermediate and Senior levels.

1©VCAA 2021 Foundation pathways certificate discussion paper

Foundation pathways certificate to replace Foundation VCALIt is critical that every Victorian student is supported to complete education that meets their needs and moves them towards a rewarding career and a great life.

Subject to legislative change, in 2023 a new foundation pathways certificate (working title) will replace Foundation VCAL. It will provide an enriched curriculum, more subjects and excellent support for students to develop the skills, capabilities and qualities for success in personal and civic life.

Subjects such as Work Related Skills, Personal Development Skills and Literacy and Numeracy based in real life work situations will help them to build the confidence and skills necessary to choose the right pathway to the future for them, and to be successful in it. The foundation pathways certificate (FPC) will be particularly important for students with additional needs, and for students re-engaging in education.

Students completing the FPC will be well-equipped to transition into senior secondary, further education and training or employment.

At the same time, a new vocational specialisation stream within the VCE will replace the existing VCAL at the Intermediate and Senior levels.

The FPC will provide excellent learning outcomes for Year 11 and 12 students who are not able to engage with the VCE or the vocational specialisation stream. Offering the FPC at this skill level is a deliberate choice to provide strong accessibility for a range of students with varied abilities.

Paper purpose and useTo support the design, development and implementation of the vocational specialisation stream within the VCE and the foundation pathways certificate (working title), the VCAA is seeking feedback from all stakeholders on the draft certificate designs.

This discussion paper provides the draft certificate design and framework for the foundation pathways certificate. A discussion paper on the vocational specialisation stream within the VCE is also available for stakeholder input, please see the Engage Victoria website for more information: https://engage.vic.gov.au/have-your-say-senior-secondary-pathways-reform.


Have your sayThe Firth Review has provided a clear roadmap for the changes we need to make to improve senior secondary schooling in Victoria. We need your help to implement these reforms.

Through the Senior Secondary Pathways Reform site on Engage Victoria, we want you to have your say on the transformation of senior secondary schooling for Victorian students: https://engage.vic.gov.au/have-your-say-senior-secondary-pathways-reform

We will be seeking input on a wide range of topics, including:

• The design and delivery of vocational specialisation within the VCE and the foundation pathways certificate

• Ensuring all Victorian students have access to high quality VET courses aligned with their strengths and interest and to industry growth areas

• Understanding what support schools need to more easily provide excellent vocational and applied learning experiences to their students

• Understanding the workforce implications of new certificate designs and delivery models

• High quality and well supported school-based apprenticeships and traineeships for more students across Victorian schools and senior secondary education providers.

Discussion papers, draft certificate designs and curriculum study designs will be uploaded in stages to allow stakeholders and community members time to comment and provide feedback on the various design pieces and implementation proposals.

We will be providing further updates on these changes through the Department of Education and Training website: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/vcal-pathways-review.aspx

Detailed updates for educators will be available through the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority website: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/victorianseniorsecondarycertificatereform/Pages/Index.aspx

You can also speak to your local school’s careers advisor or VCAL coordinator to learn more, or contact us directly at [email protected].


Discussion questionsThe following is a complete list of questions presented in the discussion paper:

1. What support is needed for schools and providers to assist with the decision making process regarding the enrolment of students into the FPC?

2. What support is needed in order for schools and providers to offer applied learning electives at year 10?

3. What further supports would be required to run a year 10 program appropriate for students who would have previously enrolled in Foundation VCAL?

4. What are the benefits and risks of a 16-unit certificate structure?

5. Does the FPC provide an appropriate balance between student choice and program breadth? If not, what should change?

6. What additional studies could be designed to best cater for the student cohort?

7. Should Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills be mandated units?

8. What forms of assessment will best support student learning and not be a barrier to participation?

9. Would an opt-in model of scaled assessment encourage student agency in their learning? Why/why not?

10. What type of assessment scale would best suit the FPC?

11. What support is needed for schools and providers to ensure there is consistency in curriculum and assessment across the state?

12. What should be included in an enhanced Statement of Results?

13. What are the benefits and risks of an enhanced Statement of Results?

14. What should the certificate be called?a. Victorian Certificate of Pathways (VCP)b. Victorian Certificate of Attainment (VCA)c. Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC)d. Other (please specify


BackgroundVictorian Senior Secondary educationThe Victorian Government’s vision for education in schools is to provide every student with ‘the knowledge, capabilities and attributes that will see them thrive throughout their lives, to have the skills that industry needs, and that employers expect’ (DET, 2019a). This vision aligns with the commitment expressed by state and territory governments in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration (2019) to deliver senior secondary education that equips young people with the skills, knowledge, values and capabilities to succeed in employment, personal and civic life: https://www.dese.gov.au/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration

Currently in Victoria, students can complete school with the following senior secondaryqualifications (See Appendix C – Glossary, for definitions):

• the VCAL

• the VCE

• the International Baccalaureate.

Vocational and applied learning pathways are delivered through the VCAL and Vocational Education and Training (VET) in schools. Students may include VET in their VCE or VCAL. In addition, students can commence apprenticeships and traineeships while they are still at school.

Rationale for changeIn November 2019 the Victorian Government commissioned a major review into vocational and applied learning pathways for senior secondary students to improve transitions between school, further training, education and work and to provide young people with an education that is engaging and delivers in-demand skills.

The Review, led by former VCAA Chief Executive Officer, John Firth, found that whilst support for VCAL remains strong, broad uptake by students has been inhibited by challenges of inconsistent delivery, quality and access. Over time, these issues have diminished the perception of applied learning pathways in senior secondary and limited student pathway choices.

The Review’s recommendations aim to strengthen the design and delivery of vocational and applied learning pathways, promote the benefits of vocational and applied learning, and better prepare students for life beyond school.

‘Senior secondary education needs to offer a range of high-quality pathways so that as many students as possible have appropriate options and can successfully transition to further education after school. Students have different interests, strengths, qualities and aspirations; the range of pathways in senior secondary should reflect this diversity. For many students, a vocational and applied learning pathway will be the ticket to a successful post-school transition.’ (Firth, 2020, p.8)


New course overviewFrom 2023, senior secondary students can choose to enrol in:

• the current VCE, including the new vocational specialisation stream; or

• the new FPC.

A new FPC is being developed to replace the existing Foundation VCAL. The FPC will be designed for students in Year 11 and 12 who would benefit from a more individualised program at a lower level than the VCE including the vocational specialisation stream that has pathways into further education, employment and training.

The FPC will be at a more accessible level than a senior secondary certificate under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and will provide excellent learning and outcomes for students working at level 1 or 2 of the AQF in their final two years of school. This might include students with a diagnosed or undiagnosed learning disability, newly arrived students who require language acquisition support or students who have had long absences from learning, are currently suffering from an illness or mental illness. For some students, the FPC will be a re-entry point to learning, where they can rebuild their learning confidence and skills over a short period, before moving onto the VCE, including the vocational specialisation stream. Other students will complete the full two years of the certificate and see it as a leaving certificate and a celebration of all they have achieved over their time at school. The FPC will be a certificate of which they can be proud.

The first enrolments into the foundation pathways certificate will commence in 2023.

The vocational specialisation stream within the VCE is also being developed to replace the existing Intermediate and Senior VCAL. The first cohort of students will commence the vocational specialisation stream in 2023. The vocational specialisation stream will offer a pathway into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education or training, and employment.

What is proposed for the vocational specialisation stream?The FPC is being designed for students who require significant pedagogical and instructional support in structured contexts and who cannot engage with the VCE, including the vocational specialisation stream.

The FPC will not be a senior secondary certificate. It is proposed to be delivered at level 1 of the AQF, while senior secondary certificates sit at around levels 2–3 of the AQF. The curriculum is proposed to be aligned to level 2 of the ACSF, while the standard of senior secondary certificates, are level 3 and above of the ACSF. Directing the FPC at this pre-senior secondary level is a deliberate choice to provide strong accessibility for a range of students with varied ability. It is important for engagement levels that students working above those levels can be extended by individually tailored learning activities and assessment tasks.


The FPC will provide excellent learning and outcomes for students working at the designated level in their final two years of school. Students who will benefit are those who have had long absences from learning, are currently suffering from an illness or mental illness or have a learning disability. Newly arrived students who require language acquisition support before transitioning into the VCE may also benefit from this certificate. For some students the certificate will be a re-entry point to learning, where they can rebuild their learning confidence and skills over a short period, before moving onto the vocational specialisation stream or mainstream VCE subjects. Other students will complete the full two years of the certificate and see it as a leaving certificate and a celebration of all they have achieved over their time at school.

Schools and education providers looking to deliver a vocationally oriented course for Year 10 students should consider a range of vocationally-orientated electives within the Victorian F-10 Curriculum. These can be highly engaging for students and keep open their option of entry into a senior secondary certificate.

Discussion questions:

1. What support is needed for schools and providers to assist with the decision-making process regarding the enrolment of students into the FPC?

2. What support is needed in order for schools and providers to offer applied learning electives at year 10?

Couse durationThe proposed FPC is designed to be completed over two years, but with the flexible entry and exit points of Foundation VCAL. Recognising the need to cater for students re-engaging with education, students will be able to commence the FPC throughout the school year. There will be no time limit for completion; this will accommodate the varied needs and circumstances of the certificate’s target cohort.

The proposed two-year duration will prevent students from completing the FPC in Year 10. Many Year 10 students currently enrol in Foundation VCAL, prior to undertaking Intermediate VCAL or the VCE in Year 11. The FPC will not be intended for full delivery at Year 10; in that year students have exposure to the full range of curriculum in the Victorian F–10, this includes applied-learning opportunities appropriate for Year 10 students.

Discussion question:

3. What further supports would be required to run a year 10 program appropriate for students who would have previously enrolled in Foundation VCAL?

Minimum completion requirementsTo receive the FPC, it is proposed that a student satisfactorily completes a minimum of 16 units, which must include:

• two Literacy units or two units from the vocational specialisation Literacy or the VCE English group

• two Numeracy units or two units from the vocational specialisation Numeracy or the VCE Mathematics group


• two Personal Development Skills units

• two Work Related Skills units.

Appendix A provides a comparative overview of the FPC compared to the current VCAL at Foundation level.

It is proposed that Vocational Education and Training (VET) is not part of the minimum completion requirements, given that some FPC students may not have the ability to complete 90 nominal hours of VET. However, students will be encouraged to complete at least 90 nominal hours of VET as part of the FPC if they can.

The introduction of an enhanced Statement of Results will mean that students will still be recognised for the units of competency they have completed as part of their VET. This will support students to communicate all of their achievements as they move on from school.

A minimum requirement of 16 units has been recommended for the FPC. This is an increase of six units from the existing Foundation VCAL, reflecting the change to a two-year certificate. Initial feedback received from stakeholders indicated that students need a wider range of curriculum options to meet their aspirations. If the requirement of 10 units was completed over a two-year certificate, there would not be enough breadth of learning for the degree of skill development needed to transition to employment or further study. If the FPC is delivered in one year, schools and providers may rush through the content. Students wishing to complete school earlier may be better suited and gain more by completing the VCE, including the vocational specialisation stream.

A minimum requirement of 16 units allows for a variety of curriculum options, and a more differentiated course based on student needs and aspirations, while also building a solid foundation in the critical areas of literacy and numeracy. In the FPC, students will complete units more frequently, and each unit will have a volume of learning that meets the need of the targeted cohort, allowing students to experience success more often. These successes will be reflected in their enhanced Statement of Results.

There is a risk that a minimum completion of 16 units may lead to shallower curriculum that does not facilitate deep learning or engagement in curriculum areas. An alternative structure would be a minimum requirement of 12 units with each unit having a higher volume of learning than what would be in each unit if there were 16 units.

Discussion question:

4. What are the benefits and risks of a 16-unit certificate structure?

Curriculum unitsIn 2023, students who undertake the FPC will be able to choose from:

• four Literacy units

• four Numeracy units

• two Personal Development Skills units


• our Work Related Skills units

• VCE or vocational specialisation stream units

• VET units at Certificate I level or above

• New elective units.

The FPC design proposes that nine of the total 16 units are mandated to ensure adequate breadth in student programs. Seven units are electives, providing scope for student programs to be tailored to individual interests and pathway aspirations. Students will have more flexibility in the FPC than in the current Foundation VCAL. During initial consultation, stakeholders indicated that the curriculum in Foundation VCAL is too narrow and that the new certificate needs a broader range of curriculum units from areas such as art, science, history, music and health.

The VCAA will develop additional units for implementation in 2024 to ensure that the FPC offers a breadth of curriculum that provides ‘a balanced focus between building core foundation literacy and numeracy skills and the skills that students will need to succeed in their chosen pathway’ (Firth, 2020, p.95).

Students will also be able to undertake VCE and vocational specialisation stream units as part of the FPC and will receive credit for work experience and community service.


5. Does the FPC provide an appropriate balance between student choice and program breadth? If not, what should change?

6. What additional studies could be designed to best cater for the student cohort?

7. Should Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills be mandated units?

Unit durationEach unit will comprise 100 hours of learning in both formal and informal settings. This volume of learning will reflect the learning needs of the cohort.

Unit sequenceTo ensure flexibility in the design of student programs, all units will be able to be undertaken individually or as a sequence.


Assessment and reportingSatisfactory completionEach unit within the FPC will have specific key knowledge and key skills that will be required for each area of study. There will also be a series of learning outcomes that students will need to demonstrate achievement of to satisfactorily complete the unit.

Like the VCE and VCAL, the demonstration of achievement and satisfactory completion of learning outcomes will be determined by evidence gained through the assessment of a range of learning activities and tasks. Teachers will use a range of evidence to demonstrate that a student has achieved the learning outcomes, including direct observation, written work, oral presentations, object production and project implementation.

Assisted by the VCAA, teachers will develop courses that provide appropriate opportunities for students to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of outcomes. The decision about satisfactory completion of a unit will be distinct from the assessment of levels of achievement, where this may be an option.

Assessment of levels of achievementThe assessment of students’ level of achievement in all units will be school-based. Schools and teachers will be supported by VCAA-developed assessment rubrics, professional learning programs and an enhanced quality assurance program.

There will not be external examinations for FPC subjects.

Growth in relation to targets or learning goals, and informed by curriculum achievement standards can drive student learning when the goals set are achievable but challenging and students are supported to reflect on and evaluate their own progress. Using methods of formative and summative assessment will provide a balance between ensuring students are meeting an achievement standard as well as developing a deep understanding of the growth to mastery they are making.

Procedures for the assessment of levels of achievement will be a matter for school decision based on examples provided in supporting material from the VCAA.

A three- or four-point assessment scale is being considered for the FPC. More information about scaled assessment will be included in the FPC curriculum and assessment consultation, which will be in Term 3, 2021.


8. What forms of assessment will best support student learning and not be a barrier to participation?

9. Would an opt-in model of scaled assessment encourage student agency in their learning? Why/why not?

10. What type of assessment scale would best suit the FPC?

Enhanced quality assuranceAn enhanced quality assurance program will be implemented in 2023. Similar to the


VCE School-based Assessment Audit, this program will ensure that schools and providers are following the standards and requirements set out in the new curriculum units and are assessing students according to the VCAA’s requirements. More information about the quality assurance program will be available at a later date.


11. What support is needed for schools and providers to ensure there is consistency in curriculum and assessment across the state?

Enhanced Statement of ResultsAll students who complete, or partially complete, the vocational specialisation stream or the FPC will receive an enhanced Statement of Results that will acknowledge their full range of achievements including information on individual studies undertaken, outcomes achieved and completed micro-credentials. More information will be available at a later date.


12. What should be included in an enhanced Statement of Results?

13. What are the benefits and risks of an enhanced Statement of Results?


Naming the foundation pathways certificateThe foundation pathways certificate is a working title derived from its description in the Firth Review. During initial targeted consultation, multiple stakeholders expressed the view that the word “Foundation” implies that it is a lesser certificate with potential to stigmatise students. Stakeholders also felt that people associate the word “Foundation” with the first year of primary school.

Therefore, three possible names for the certificate have been proposed for consideration in this consultation process:

a. Victorian Certificate of Pathways (VCP)

b. Victorian Certificate of Attainment (VCA)

c. Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC)


14. What should the certificate be called?

• Victorian Certificate of Pathways (VCP)

• Victorian Certificate of Attainment (VCA)

• Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC)

• Other (please specify):

Next stepsIn preparation for the 2023 rollout, the VCAA is consulting with students, schools, training providers, employers and peak bodies on the design and development of the new FPC and the vocational specialisation stream within the VCE.

Consultation on the draft curriculum and assessment to be offered within the FPC and vocational specialisation stream will occur during Term 3, 2021.

All information about the foundation pathways certificate and the vocational specialisation stream, including details about consultation, will be published on the VCAA’s Senior Secondary Certificate Reform webpage: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/victorianseniorsecondarycertificatereform/Pages/Index.aspx.


Appendix A: Comparative overviewThe following table provides a comparison of the proposed foundation pathways certificate with the current Foundation VCAL.

Design elements

Foundation pathways certificate (proposed)

Foundation VCAL (current)

Certificatetimeframe

The FPC will be designed to be completed over two years with flexible entry and exit points.Students will be able to enter the FPC at a time that best suits their learning needs, abilities and interests.Rolling enrolments will be supported.Individual units will be developed with a nominal duration of 100 hours, which is typically a mix of class time and independent learning. However, the nominal hours (including both scheduled and unscheduled contact hours) may vary when considering the specific needs of each student. There will be no time limit for completion of units.

The VCAL accommodates flexible entry and exit points.Students can enter Foundation VCAL at a time that best suits their learning needs, abilities and interests.Foundation VCAL has a nominal duration of 1000 hours, which typically is a mix of class time and independent learning. However, the nominal hours (including both scheduled and unscheduled contact hours) may vary when considering the specific needs of each student.

Minimum requirements

Satisfactory completion of 16 units, which must include:

• two Literacy units, or two units from the VCE English group

• two Numeracy units, or two units from the VCE Mathematics group

• two PDS units• two WRS units.

Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 10 credits, six at Foundation level or above including:

• one Literacy skills strand credit

• one Numeracy skills stand credit

• one WRS strand credit• one PDS strand credit• one Industry Specific Skills

credit (VET or selected VCE unit)

Curriculum offerings

In 2023 the FPC will have:• four units of Literacy• two units of Numeracy• two PDS units• two WRS units

There are seven Foundation VCAL units available in the following areas:

• two literacy units• one numeracy unit


• VCE, including vocational specialisation units

• VET units at Certificate I level or above

• New elective units.Additional units will be developed in the future.

Also being developed are career education units, under the WRS umbrella, and access to appropriate VET, work experience and Structured Workplace Learning (SWL). These would be optional but encouraged, and dependent on the specific needs of each student.Units from VCE studies where schools/ providers have authorisation to deliver may be used towards meeting the 16-unit requirement.

• two WRS units• two PDS units

Students must include VCE, Intermediate VCAL or VET units to receive the minimum 10 units required to be awarded the Foundation VCAL certificate.

Unit sequence Units may be undertaken individually or as a sequence.

Units may be undertaken separately or as a sequence.

Satisfactory completion of units

The award of satisfactory completion for a unit will be based on the teacher’s judgement that the student has demonstrated achievement of the set of outcomes specified for the unit.Demonstration of achievement and satisfactory completion of learning outcomes will be determined by evidence gained through the assessment of a range of learning activities and tasks.

Teachers will have to develop courses that provide appropriate opportunities for students to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of outcomes.

The award of satisfactory completion for a unit is based on the teacher’s observations that the student has demonstrated achievement of the set of outcomes specified for the unit.Demonstration of achievement and satisfactory completion of learning outcomes are determined by evidence gained through the assessment of a range of learning activities and tasks.

Teachers must develop courses that provide appropriate opportunities for students to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of outcomes.

Assessment Assessment will be based on learning growth as well as ensuring students satisfactorily demonstrate achievement of the

Competency-based assessment is used to determine a student’s achievement of a learning outcome. Students must be


learning outcomes comprising a unit.Procedures for the assessment of levels of achievement will be a matter for school decision based on the examples provided in supporting material from the VCAA.An opt-in model of scaled assessment and reporting is being considered.

Assessment support, in the form of rubrics, a professional learning program and a revised quality assurance program are all being explored.

observed to demonstrate achievement of a learning outcome on more than one occasion and in different contexts for a S outcome at unit level.

Procedures for the assessment of levels of achievement are a matter for school decision based on the examples provided in supporting material from the VCAA.


Appendix B: GlossaryTERM DEFINITION

Applied Learning A pedagogical approach where students learn through doing in circumstances that emulate the real world. This may include both vocational and academic knowledge and skills.

Apprenticeship A structured training and employment arrangement that combines paid on-the-job training and formal study with a registered training organisation.

Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)

A tool that helps both specialist and non-specialist English language, literacy and numeracy practitioners describe an individual's performance in the five core skills of learning, reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

The national framework comprising all regulated qualifications in the Australian education and training system. The AQF’s specification for the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education is:The purpose of the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education qualification type is to qualify individuals with knowledge, skills and values for diverse pathways to further learning, work and effective participation in civic life.Senior Secondary Certificate of Education qualifications are not located at a particular level in the Australian Qualifications Framework.Senior Secondary Certificate of Education qualifications must be designed and accredited to enable graduates to demonstrate the learning outcomes expressed as knowledge, skills and the application of knowledge and skills specified in the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education descriptor.

Capabilities Encompasses the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that, together with curriculum content in learning areas and the cross-curriculum priorities, assiststudents to live and work successfully in the 21st century. The four capabilities in the Victorian Curriculum are: critical and creative thinking, personal and social, ethical and intercultural.

Digital literacy The ability to access, manage and evaluate digital information, including information and communications technology, social media, hardware and software, and an awareness of issues such as cybersecurity.

First cohort The first group of students enrolled in the certificate.

Further education Study after senior secondary education that is not part of higher education (that is, an undergraduate or graduate degree).

Learner Growth Assessment

Academic, personal and social growth in relation to targets and/or learning goals, the continuum of learning in the Victorian Curriculum as well as age or year-level predicted growth.


Pathways The different options available to young people as they progress through their schooling and transition to further education or work.

Scaled assessment

A rating scales that describe the quality, frequency of a students work or undertaking of key skills and knowledge based on a set criteria.

Senior secondary education

Year 11 and Year 12 of school, which can be studied at secondary school, college or through a further education institution.

Skill An ability to perform a mental or physical activity, which may be developed by training or practice.

Statement of results

A cumulative record of all results for a senior secondary student who has graduated either the VCE or VCAL.

Traineeship A structured training arrangement that combines paid on-the-job training and formal study with a registered training organisation. Traineeships are usually shorter than apprenticeships and cover a broader range of industries.

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)

The VCAL is accredited and issued at three award levels, Foundation, Intermediate and Senior, each of which is designed to be completed over a minimum of one year. The VCAL provides flexible entry and exit points for a range of student abilities. The three qualification levels cater for a range of students with different abilities and interests. The VCAL at the Intermediate and Senior level is recognised as a senior secondary certificate of education within the AQF and primarily prepares students for further studies at the next VCAL level, in the VCE, in Vocational Education and Training (VET), in Further Vocational Education and Training (FE) and/or employment.To be awarded a VCAL qualification, students must successfully complete a program that contains a minimum of 10 credits. A credit is gained for successful completion of a unit of study. A unit of study can be one VCAL unit, one VCE unit, 90 hours of completed VET modules or units of competence and/or FE modules. A student’s VCAL program must include:

• a minimum of two VCAL units• at least one Literacy unit• at least one Numeracy unit• at least one unit from the Industry Specific Skills strand• at least one unit from the Work Related Skills strand• at least one unit from the Personal Development Skills strand• six credits at the VCAL level attempted (Foundation,

Intermediate or Senior) or above. One of these credits must be for Literacy and one must be for Personal Development Skills.

Victorian Certificateof Education (VCE)

The VCE is a senior secondary certificate of education recognised within the AQF.The VCE is designed to be completed over a minimum of two years, and includes a range of studies that are benchmarked against curriculum in leading national and international jurisdictions.


Most students undertake between 18 and 24 units in their VCE program. Students can choose programs from VET qualifications to make up their VCE program. The VCE provides certification of a level of achievement, provides diverse pathways from school to further study or training at university or TAFE and to employment and contributes to building a multicultural, democratic and civil society.To be awarded the VCE, the minimum requirement is satisfactory completion of 16 units which must include:

• three units from the English group (English/English as an Additional Language,

• English Language, Literature), two of which must be a Units 3–4 sequence

• three Units 3–4 sequences, which can include further sequences from the English group.

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Study leading towards a nationally recognised qualification, issued by a registered training organisation within a regulatory framework.

Vocational learning

Vocational learning delivered in secondary schooling sits within the broader school curriculum and helps secondary students explore the world of work, identify career options and pathways, build career development skills and in certain settings, develop entry-level technical skills for use within a job. It can include VET, SWL, SBATs, career education, work experience, volunteering and other school-based learning designed to build preparedness for the workforce.


Appendix C: ReferencesAustralian Qualifications Framework Council 2013, Australian Qualifications Framework Second Edition, Canberra, www.aqf.edu.au/sites/aqf/files/aqf-2nd-edition-january-2013.pdf.

Department of Education and Training 2020, Vocational and Applied Learning Pathways Review: Victorian Government response, Victorian Government, East Melbourne, www.education.vic.gov.au/ Documents/about/department/victorian-government-response-vcal-review.pdf.

Education Council 2019, Alice Springs (Mparntwe) education declaration, Education Services Australia, Melbourne, https://www.dese.gov.au/indigenous-education/resources/alice-springs- mparntwe-education-declaration.

Firth, J 2020, Review into vocational and applied learning pathways in senior secondary schooling: final report, Victorian Government, East Melbourne, www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/ department/vocational-applied-learning-pathways-report.pdf

Fraillon, J 2020, ‘Working from home and digital literacy – what can we assume?’, Teacher Magazine, 2 April 2021, Camberwell, www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/working-from-home-and-digital- literacy-what-can-we-assume.

Noonan, P et al 2019, Review of the Australian Qualifications Framework Final Report 2019, Department of Education, Skills and Employment, Canberra, http://www.dese.gov.au/download/4707/ review-australian-qualifications-framework-final-report-2019/18863/document/pdf.

Shergold, P, Calma, C, Russo, S, Walton, P, Westacott, J, Zoellner, D & O’Reilly, P 2020, Looking to the future: Report of the review of senior secondary pathways into work, further education and training, Education Council of Australia, Carlton South, www.pathwaysreview.edu.au/.
