06 Dec 2020 | 3 mins

It often feels like when we reach year 12 our future is already decided for us. Study hard, get a good ATAR, go to uni, get a job, settle down.

Sometimes your teachers or parents may make it seem like university is the only viable pathway for success after high school. Truth is, post-school pathways aren’t always linear, and there’s no one-size-fits-all mould that suits everyone. There are actually a bunch of different options available to you!

Not everyone is well-suited to the uni life of lecture halls and essays, so if you’re not sold on the idea, here’s what you can do instead.

Take a gap year

You could be sipping sangria in Spain, working in a UK pub or as an au pair in France, trekking through the Himalayas, tagging animals in the wild, or helping build schools in remote villages. While this sounds like a huge vibe, gap years don’t have to be about travelling.

 

A gap year is a solid opportunity to really commit to work and gain some financial independence. You can save to go on a holiday later in the year or set yourself up before you decide what you wanna do with your life. Best of all you can afford to do all the things you love like road trips, museums and festivals, and eat as much smashed avo as your heart desires.

 

While you’re living life for yourself for the first time, and not for a school mark, there’ll be a lot of self-discovery. Now is the time to find your passions and figure out what you wanna do with your life! Take an art class, learn a language, read books, play the trumpet…

Private colleges or uni

If you want to study in a place that’s got the best of both worlds, then you might find your groove at a private college. Kind of a cross between university and TAFE, these are small and independent education institutions that aren’t operated by the government. It may not be as cheap as a VET course, but it still costs a lil’ less than uni.

If you know what you want to do and you’re dreamin’ of succeeding in something a little more specialised then a private college or uni might be a go. They usually offer a specialised range of courses for a specific field, such as hospitality, performing arts, or digital media!

 

Not so happy with how your ATAR result panned out? If you haven’t got the mark you wanted, don’t stress. Most private colleges don’t require an ATAR for entry – rather they’ll go off an interview, portfolio, or the marks you got in a particular subject.

Take a VET course

If it’s the stiff academic setting of university that doesn’t appeal to you, I don’t blame ya. But if you still want to learn, then studying a vocational education and training (VET) course might be right for you.

 

Wise up on all the practical training offered through VET courses for industries like healthcare and social services, construction and infrastructure, and education and training.

 

Best part is they don’t require a pesky ATAR, and with apprenticeships or traineeships available, you can actually earn money while you learn. Winning!

Apprenticeship

Get real-life experience from a real-life company and receive a shiny qualification without being thousands of dollars in debt!

Beyond there just being a tonne of different options – unlike school – you actually get to get hands-on and practical in an apprenticeship. And you get to do the things you’re interested in rather than just reading about it in a textbook.

From construction management, hairdressing, carpentry and plumbing, there’ll be something that tickles your fancy. With a qualification recognised all over, an apprenticeship can get you a job anywhere in the world!

Traineeship

A traineeship combines full-time work with a lil' bit of study (generally a year full-time). Instead of trades, traineeships are generally in areas of business, administration, early childcare, information technology, health services, retail, travel or hospitality. Kind of like a 12 month, try-before-you-buy, ‘apprenticeship for the office’!

Whether you’re a renowned ‘plant mum’ who wants to give landscaping or horticulture a crack or if you reckon you could be the next MasterChef, there’s traineeships and apprenticeships offered in more than 500 occupations.

If you're keen to get started and apply for an apprenticeship or traineeship check out VERTO. Or if you’re wanting to upskill, suss out VERTO Training.