Nine former student ambassadors share their inspirational stories of learning and how vocational education and training (VET) has changed their lives in the “I wish I’d known” campaign created by The Works, part of Capgemini.
NSW Department of Education tasked The Works with creating an authentic, inspirational and informative video content series with VET ambassadors to show high-school students, parents and carers that VET leads to aspirational careers and life outcomes.
New South Wales VET offers young people a pathway that prioritises hands-on learning and helping them to gain the skills that ready them for work. Though higher education enrolments have risen 43 per cent over the past decade, VET enrolments are trending down.
Featuring nine VET ambassadors, the “I wish I’d known” series uses the wisdom of each person as the starting point to explore their learning journey and ultimate success through VET.
With real insights from the former students such as “I wish I’d known you don’t need an ATAR to get your dream job”, “I wish I’d known that my qualification would take me all around the world” and “I wish I’d known dyslexia wouldn’t stop me from getting my dream job.”
The video series highlights both their successes thanks to VET and how they have navigated their own careers paths through alternative higher education opportunities.
The nine 2”30 videos of each ambassador will be housed on YouTube, with 15- and 6-second cut downs running across social media.
Will Allen, managing partner at The Works, said: “Many young people are often anxious and face uncertainty about what career paths they want to pursue.
“By telling the success stories of these nine ambassadors, we are shining a light on the options open to them when it comes to vocational education and training and the positive outcomes it can lead to.”
Eduardo Carvallo Carrera, manager of strategic communications at NSW Department of Education, said: “There are no better advocates to show the benefits of VET than those who have undertaken one of our courses and gone on to achieve great things.
“The Works team presented the “I’d wish I’d known” idea during the pitch and we’re delighted it has now come to life so comprehensively.”