National Careers Week (12-18 May) is your one-stop shop for exploring career education, information and guidance. It connects you with fantastic resources and events to help you achieve your dream job.

National Careers Week has something for you, whether you’re just starting out, looking for a change, or upskilling for the ever-evolving job market.

QGCA free webinar for National Careers Week - Envisioning futures: Assisting children and adolescents through career education

Wednesday 14th May 12pm

In this webinar Dr Mary McMahon, Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Education at The University of Queensland, and Dr Michael Healy, National Career Education Manager of myfuture.edu.au will discuss the broad and deep benefits of career education for students of all ages, the crucial importance of starting career education early, and the role that all educators play in supporting the career development of their students.

Click here for more information and to register.

National Careers Week
Register your event!

Whether you’re planning a workshop, panel event, industry tour, classroom activity, or community showcase — now is the perfect time to register your event on the National Careers Week website. 

By registering, you’ll be part of a national celebration and help shine a light on the importance of career development at every stage of life

Free Resources to Make Your Event Shine
To help you deliver a great experience, a range of free downloadable resources are available— perfect for schools, workplaces, libraries, and community centres. These include:

• Posters to promote your event
• Information Sheets for students, parents, educators, and employers
• Social Media Assets to help spread the word online using #ncwau25
• Exciting News - Win a ‘Jobs of the Future’ Card Game!

During National Careers Week, hard copy sets of the popular Jobs of the Future card game will be given away to the best social media posts shared throughout the week! It’s a way of saying thank you for celebrating and helping spread the #ncwau25 message far and wide.

Stay tuned to find out how to participate — full details will be shared soon!

Let’s come together to inspire career curiosity, encourage lifelong learning, and build stronger futures.

Remember to tag us in your posts using #ncwau25 so we can see and share your amazing events!

CICA recorded webinars

Empowering Futures: The Role of Career Development in Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The following four videos are available on the CICA YouTube Channel

• Socioeconomic disadvantage, poverty, and career development"
• Promoting Dignity of Work for people with disabilities
• Enhancing DEI Strategies What Career Practitioners Can Do
• Affirming the Work Life Interface for LGBTQ+ Individuals Advancing Inclusive Career Counselling

AI and Career Development

The following four videos are available on the CICA YouTube Channel

• GenAI for Purposeful Career Exploration
• An Introduction to AI and ChatGPT for Career Development Professionals
• How to use Gen AI tools as a Career Development Professional - Live Demo's & Case Studies
• Exploring AI and the future of Career Support

Headspace Resources

Providing free work and study support for young people aged 12-25 years old

If you have a vulnerable young person who requires additional vocational support or is transitioning out of your service/educational institution - consider referring them to a headspace Work and Study Service.

headspace Work & Study provides individual support for young people to reach their work and/or study goals. Support is tailored to their specific needs, driven by the young person and is strengths based. Our three programs can help with finding a job, building confidence, receiving tailored study support, connecting young people with working professionals, and help with placement for a course.

Find more information on headspace Work & Study and how to refer to our services via our website: https://bit.ly/4lIbiXI 

Join Headspace’s free Work & Study webinar - Maintaining a healthy headspace during challenging times in work and study

headspace Work & Study is excited to invite you to attend our upcoming webinar on the 14th of May from 5pm to 6pm (AEST). 

The webinar will explore the crucial intersection of mental health and career journeys for 15- 25-year-olds. 

Whether you are supporting a young person, or a seasoned career professional, this webinar offers valuable resources to support mentally healthy career journeys.

Topics that will be covered include: 

• The relationship between mental health, work and study  
• Clinically integrated work and study referral options at headspace  
• Maintaining a healthy headspace during challenging times in work and study 

Sign up

Why your students need a USI: 

Essential information for career advisers

You may have heard of the Unique Student Identifier – or USI. It’s made up of ten letters and numbers and is a person’s education number for life. 

All students undertaking nationally recognised training, be it vocational education training (VET) in Schools course, higher education at university or First Aid training, must have a USI. Without a USI, they won’t receive their statement or attainment, qualification, or award upon completion of their studies. 

In addition, without a USI, school leavers wishing to go to university will not be able to enrol in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) or access Commonwealth financial assistance such as HELP loans. Read more in attached document. Find out more on the USI website

Scholarships for Construction Management studentsIf you have Year 12 students interested in studying Construction Management at an Australian University, the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS) have scholarships on offer. The scholarships provide successful applicants with cash payments throughout their studies, as well as complimentary AIQS membership. For further details, please visit https://www.aiqs.com.au/scholarships

Myfuture upcoming webinars

Pathways to possibility: Enabling equitable career futures with The Smith Family - Monday 12 May, 1:00pm (AEST)

Discover what The Smith Family has learnt about the barriers young people experiencing disadvantage face when pursuing meaningful education and employment pathways, and how they can be better supported to thrive. In this webinar, you will hear from Anne Hampshire, Head of Research and Advocacy at The Smith Family, as she shares valuable insights from Australia's leading education-focused children's charity. 

Register now - This link will open in a new window (This link works best in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.)

Introduction to myfuture: Key features and resources - 13 May 2025, 1:00pm (AEST)

myfuture provides resources for young people to explore career pathways, develop self-knowledge, and make strong career decisions. For educators, myfuture provides a range of teaching resources and practical guides to key concepts in career development.

This webinar is suitable for anyone who is new to career education or would like a quick refresher on the myfuture platform. 

Register now (This link works best in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.)

Quality career education in schools: An introduction to key principles and practice - 15 May 2025, 3:30pm (AEST)

Quality career education has been proven to offer a range of career, academic, and personal benefits to students, particularly when certain evidence-based 'critical ingredients' are designed into it.

In this pre-recorded session, Dr Michael Healy, myfuture’s National Career Education Manager, will summarise what quality career education looks like, and how it can be achieved. Michael will highlight related resources from myfuture that are designed to support teachers at all levels, and in all study areas, to promote career exploration among their students. 

Register now (This link works best in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.)

Using technology in career development practice: Affordances, opportunities, and uncertainties - Wednesday 28 May, 6:00pm (AEST)

In this webinar, Dr Tom Staunton, lecturer in career development at the International Centre for Guidance Studies at the University of Derby, will present his myfuture Insights report Technology in career development practice: Affordances, opportunities, and uncertainties. Dr Staunton will summarise some of the ways in which technology can enable career exploration and goal-setting, before describing the tensions in how career development educators make use of technology in their work, ranging between enthusiasm and caution. 

Register now (This link works best in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.)

Meaningful and effective goal-setting in career education: Beyond SMART goals - Tuesday, 3 June 2025 12:00 pm (AEST)

Goal-setting is one of the most fundamental skills in career education. But effective goal-setting is a complex and challenging skill which young people need to be taught. Common goal-setting frameworks, such as the ubiquitous SMART goals, may not always be the best way to encourage meaningful goal setting and achievement. 

In this webinar, we will be joined by Flight Lieutenant Simon Pietsch, High Performance Program Director in the Royal Australian Air Force and doctoral candidate with the University of Adelaide, to discuss his research into goal setting. In particular, we will discuss how his recent research found that the SMART goals framework is no more beneficial than other models of goal-setting. Simon will describe different kinds of goal-setting strategies and offer advice about how to select the most appropriate strategy for your students’ needs.

Register now (This link works best in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.)

Navigating your post-school plans with confidence - Wednesday, 11 June 2025 5:00 pm (AEST)

School is such a big part of your life, you might have mixed feelings as you approach the end of it. You might be excited about your next steps. But it’s okay if you’re not sure about your post-school plans or feeling a bit anxious or overwhelmed about it all.

In this webinar, you’ll hear about six simple ideas that will help you think about your future with confidence. Some of them might surprise you!

This webinar is designed for students in senior secondary school, but it's suitable for parents and teachers too. If you can’t make it to the live webinar, register anyway, and we’ll send you the recording to watch later. 

Register now (This link works best in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.)