18 Feb 2021

Here’s some almighty goss that your parents, teachers and friends might not even know themselves…

Not everyone is well-suited to the university lifestyle of lecture halls and essays. Maybe they will be in the future, maybe they tried it and despised it, or maybe they know uni can’t provide what they’re after.

News flash: That’s fine!

Here are some pathways and options available if you’re not sold on uni.

 

1. Take a VET course

Where university courses are better known for focusing on theory and professional career paths, Vocational Training focuses on providing occupational skills that prep students to jump straight into the workforce.

VET courses are the more cost-effective and time-efficient option that is hands on and straight to the point. My best mate quickly realised that uni wasn’t her style, enrolling in a fashion design VET course instead. She thrived in the fast-paced environment, learning everything she needed to start her clothing label. Umm, did someone say vibe?

2. Take a gap year

Four years later, I will still never stop gushing about how beneficial my gap year was.

It buys you time to figure out the what, how, why, where and when of your career path whilst also giving you the opportunity to find yourself. A la cringe, but it’s true.

I know that phrase probably makes you want to hurl over, but seriously, escaping the four-walled confines of a classroom allows you to branch out in the world. You figure out what you love, who you are and who you want to be through travelling, working, reading, writing, watching and exploring.

3. Do an apprenticeship or traineeship

An apprenticeship or traineeship essentially teaches you skills you can use straight away. There are more than 500 occupations available in fields like construction, hairdressing, carpentry, cooking, plumbing and aged care just to name a few.

It might be cheeky to say, but this path will put you ahead of uni in more aspects than one. For starters, apprenticeships and traineeships hit two birds with one stone as it involves earning and learning at the same time, as well as formal study at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) such as TAFE or a private college. As an added bonus, you’re also getting real-life experience and afterwards you receive a shiny qualification before some of your mates have even gotten half-way through their uni course!

Thankfully our mates at MEGT are a tip-top Apprenticeship Network Provider (ANP) that should be on your radar.

I mean, they’ve been supporting local employers, apprentices, trainees, job seekers and students for almost 40 years, so they know exactly what they’re talking about. They will help find the perfect apprenticeship or traineeship for you while offering advice, support and extensive information to make the journey as smooth as possible!

4. Do an online course or two

I love online courses. I’ve done a masterclass in screenwriting, a course in philosophy and am currently doing a course learning French. Online courses give you the opportunity to expand your skillset from the comfort of your own home.

They’re particularly beneficial if you want to dip your toes in a few different realms and can be seen as a try before you buy option.

Perhaps you’ll love your acting online course so much that you’ll pursue that at uni. Maybe you’ll realise that a career in baking is not for you but hey, you learnt some red hot recipes along the way so, results!

5. Get some work experience under your belt

If you have a million ideas or none at all when it comes to career paths, work experience could be the perfect way to go. For example, my friend did work experience at a real estate company, a marketing agency and a radio station. He had no clue what he wanted to do so he dipped his toes in everything, gaining invaluable skills, networking and narrowing down her options.

Not to mention, work experience looks bangin’ on your resume, showing employers that you’ve experienced a professional environment and that you took the initiative to start building your skillset.

There are a bunch of options out there, but we hope this narrowed down your options out of high school. And if you’re really keen on the idea of studying, training and getting cash all at once, make sure you suss out MEGT about everything and anything to do with apprenticeships and traineeships.