The VCE is changing in 2023...

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is changing in 2023.

Starting next year, the new VCE Vocational Major will replace Intermediate and Senior VCAL (as it exists today). This change means that all senior secondary students across Victoria will complete a VCE, with the revised certificate recognising different students equally.

The new structure will see three pathways for a Salesian College Sunbury student completing their VCE: Scored VCE, Unscored VCE (approval required), and VCE Vocational Major. There will also be a fourth pathway, Vocational Pathway Certificate, as part of the new structure, however it won’t be available at Salesian College Sunbury in 2023.

These changes are a direct outcome of the Firth Review from November 2019. Commissioned by the Victorian Government, the Firth Review examined vocational and applied leaning pathways in senior secondary schooling with two specific intentions: 1) to ensure all Victorian secondary students have access to high-quality vocational and applied learning options, and 2) to improve transitions between school, post-secondary education, and work.

Vocational and applied learning offers a unique learning approach and experience to support students in learning skills in the context of real-life workplaces and industries. The personalised and student-led structure provides a more relaxed learning environment, with focus directed toward practical application of skills and personal development around communication, self-management, adaptability, initiative, and collaboration.

The new VCE structure means all students – whether their next steps involve higher education, TAFE, apprenticeships/traineeships, or employment – can finish school with a VCE. The Victorian Government’s campaign, ‘Many Talents, One VCE’, centres around the message to students that, under this new reform, ‘whatever your talent, you can now pursue it under one VCE’.

The three pathways that we will offer from 2023 are summarised below (visit the links at the end of this piece for more details).

At Salesian College Sunbury, we are proud to be offering the new VCE Vocational Major pathway, in addition to the Scored and Unscored VCE pathways, to our students from 2023. Students currently in VCAL will transition to the appropriate level of the VCE Vocational Major pathway.

Salesian College Sunbury will also be offering the Vocational Pathways Program to our 2023 Year 10 students. The Vocational Pathways Program enables students to participate in an industry-themed program designed to provide an early introduction to the VCE Vocational Major. It is a vocationally-oriented program for Year 10 students who wish to begin their vocational pathway early.

More detailed information will be shared with students and families next term via our website, newsletter, and Schoolbox platform.