The Road not taken.

When I went through year 11 and 12 I was constantly bombarded with people saying the HSC was everything, and that if I didn’t do great that I would not be able to pursue tertiary education. However, that is not the case as there are many alternate pathways to your goal.

If you do not do as well as you hoped in the HSC or you are a Non-school leaver/Mature age student, Institutions don’t just asses you on your ATAR, they usually take into account one or more of the following when assessing your application (This varies by institution):

• Secondary studies
• Tertiary studies
• Other relevant factors such as employment experience.

A Diploma and/or work experience in a relevant field is a good supplement to your Resume or Tertiary Application.

At Catch Training we provide two diploma courses.

1. CHC50113 – DIPLOMA OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
2. BSB50207 – DIPLOMA OF BUSINESS

Why should you undertake a diploma?
They’re shorter! Some University degrees are 3-4+ years in length, our diplomas take roughly 12-18 months to complete and are fully accredited and nationally recognised. And if you do feel like continuing your education after completing your diploma, usually University’s will credit you with recognition of prior learning and past experience, allowing you to save time and money when completing a relevant University degree.

Do you have a busy schedule?
The combination of face-to-face and self-paced learning provides flexible studying patterns around work and other commitments.

Worried about the cost? Study now, pay later!
With VET FEE-HELP there is no upfront payment to start your diploma. VET FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay tuition fees for diploma courses. Repayments of the loan are managed through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) once your income reaches a certain threshold.

Has it been a while since you’ve last studied or undertaken education?
We provide on-line and phone support to help you successfully complete your diploma.
For more information on our diplomas click here

Not sure where you’re heading?
Unsure if a diploma or tertiary education is right for you? Don’t worry, it’s quite common. If you were like me when I finished high School, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I ended up having a 2 year long ‘gap year’ and while it was fun, what I regret most about those 2 years is that I did not use it to build up my life skills, I had secured a place in a Degree and was just sitting on it, sure that it was what I was going to do for a career.  It’s taken several years and a few degree swaps but I now know what I want to do.

If you are currently in the position of not knowing what to do, I suggest having a look at our Work Experience Pack. It’s a combination of highly sought after skills that cover a wide range of jobs, it includes RSA, RCG, Barista Training and Customer Service Skills. And these course aren’t a 12 month+ commitment, you just need 1 day to complete each one. These skills can give you the edge to secure work while you decide what you want to do or could lead you in a direction that you hadn’t even considered.

For more information, click here.

— Guest blog writer Jordan