A scramble for decisions at the end of high school is often too little and too late to prepare students for fulfilled lives and careers. When Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) was looking for a careers program for its schools, top of mind was that it be evidence-based, teacher led and one that aligned with its values and the welfare of its students and their future success. NCEC spoke to pathways and transition advisor, CESA Louise Murphy and Principal of Rosary School, Prospect Susan Hennessy about the success they have had with the BECOME program.
Why did you choose the BECOME program?
Louise Murphy: It was important for CESA to select a career education program that aligned with our values, a program that offered quality resources and lesson plans to support teachers to feel confident teaching career education and a program that is agentic and inclusive of all learners.
We were looking for an evidenced-based, teacher led program that would encourage students to be exploratory and analytical about careers so that they could start building career management competencies to underpin future career success.
Children and young people in our schools now have so much information about careers available to them however they can feel overwhelmed and may be influenced by the career-limiting stereotypes perpetuated through mainstream media (TV, movies and social media). They will also have many careers and navigate career change throughout their adult lives. Ultimately, we were looking for a program that encourages primary and middle school students to broaden, not narrow, the range of careers they know about and be curious about the work that might be meaningful for them in the future.
The career research question that students create and answer themselves in this program, builds their capabilities and self-efficacy as learners.
Susan Hennessy: When Rosary School initially started career education using the BECOME program, I believed it would connect what children learn at school with their career choices. However, some of the most valuable learning experiences for the children have come from exploring career pathways, engaging in discussions about gender and career stereotypes, and discovering alternative careers that align with their interests.
When most people think of careers education they think of deciding on a job. Why are you starting careers education in primary?
Susan Hennessy: In my experience, children start discussing “what they want to be when they grow up” even before they begin school. They often share what family members do for work and mention visible jobs in their community. In today’s rapidly changing job market, a lack of career education can restrict children’s aspirations based on their limited experiences. The BECOME program encourages children to look beyond familiar roles and consider the “invisible” jobs available. This initiative allows them to explore a wider range of career opportunities while reflecting on their motivations, interests, and strengths without having to make a career choice yet.
What feedback have you had from teachers?
Susan Hennessy: Rosary School implemented the BECOME career education program in 2022. This year, the program was taught by two new Year 5 teachers. They observed how children took the initiative in their own learning and noted high levels of student motivation. The students were eager to explore topics relevant to their future. As Year 5 teacher Lucy Dutton remarked, “This learning felt personal and engaging”.
Both teachers participated in professional development and emphasised that, while they aren’t career experts, they could rely on the program resources to support their students’ learning.
What about the students?
Susan Hennessy: The Year 5 students expressed immense enjoyment with the BECOME program.
Suzanna shared how she used the program to explore various careers in depth. Initially considering becoming a doctor or nurse, she broadened her knowledge of careers in health which led her to think that being a paramedic, noting that “a paramedic’s work is crucial in the critical moments of patient care.”
Jason mentioned that one of his favourite activities involved discovering jobs he had never heard of. He found the title “Duck Driver” and, laughing, remarked, “I still don’t know what a duck driver does!”
Like many of his Year 5 peers, Jason aspires to be an elite athlete. He has played basketball since he was five and views it as his future profession. He discussed his newfound understanding of the draft system and the sport-related career challenges of “getting into the draft.”
Jackson talked about preparing for his Flipped Career Expo presentation on being a chef. He experimented with various dishes at home, adding ingredients to his family’s shopping list. Reflecting on his experiences, he admitted that while some dishes “failed,” he enjoyed many successes, particularly his favourite, “fried chicken.” He even showed off a burn scar as evidence of his time in the kitchen and presented a slideshow of his cooking at the Expo.
The students also enthusiastically recalled the parent career presentations, highlighting memorable moments such as:
- Barnaby’s mum, who is a pig scientist;
- Eli’s dad, who is in the Air Force and builds planes;
- Alexa’s mother, a scientist who collected bacteria from around the school to grow fungi;
- Willow’s mother, a journalist who uses “cool writing symbols that look like gibberish on the page.”
What reactions have you had from parents?
Susan Hennessy: Parent feedback was also overwhelmingly positive, about both their child’s engagement in the BECOME career education program and Flipped Career Expo. A few parents sought reassurance about the purpose of career education in Year 5. This learning is not about students choosing a career now, instead it encourages them to think about who they are, what matters to them and what type of work might be a good fit for them in the future.
To complement the career learning in the classroom, parents were invited to share their own career journey with the Year 5 students. Parents also participated in conversations about careers through home learning tasks and celebrated their children’s achievements by attending the BECOME Expo at school.
You had a ‘Flipped Career Expo’ – what is that, and how did the students respond to the challenge?
Susan Hennessy: Following lessons to challenge children’s thinking about jobs, the children construct a career research question, which they answer themselves. They prepare an interactive display to explain the job factors, pathways and opportunities – they become knowledgeable about their career question and share that with others through their expo display. The BECOME Career Expo was open for our whole school and parent community to explore.
Jackson spoke about setting up his stall as “a bit hard” explaining that “there is lots of pressure to get ready for the expo”. He then spoke about the Expo being a highlight, saying he had prepared a poster, a slide show, provided some favourite recipes to those who visited his “stall”.
Jason liked that the Expo had elements that were interactive. “I bought in a mini hoop, and I had lots of people take shots and lots of people enjoyed my display”.
Suzanna spoke about the positive feedback she received from other parents.
Where do you fit BECOME into your curriculum, and how does it align with the Catholic Education priorities in your context?
Susan Hennessy: At Rosary School, efforts to enhance student learning and agency are ongoing. Teachers continue to combine teaching the Australian curriculum, using explicit direct instruction pedagogy whilst creating opportunities for students to take ownership of their learning. We make time during Term 3 to teach career education lessons each week across one school term. The BECOME program provided students with the support and structure to self-direct their learning. Teachers noted that students’ interest, enthusiasm and motivation across the curriculum increased as a result.
Tell us a bit about your school’s learning culture and how the BECOME program has impacted students’ learning?
Susan Hennessy: At Rosary School, teachers believe that all students can achieve high standards given the right time and right support. The Year 5 and 6 students are confident that their teachers genuinely want them to excel, support their success, and believe in their potential.
We have many wonderful learning opportunities for students and build literacy through explicit instruction. The BECOME program enhances Rosary’s learning culture by helping children envision their futures and consider their dreams and aspirations. Career education in the primary years contributes to a learning environment that fosters belief in every child’s potential, whilst broadening children’s aspirations and encouraging them to explore career pathways beyond the career stereotypes that limit their thinking.
How does the program align with the Mission of Catholic schools?
Susan Hennessy: Career education is highly relevant to the Mission of Catholic schools. Career education using the BECOME program helps children understand their dignity and capacity to make positive contributions to the world. It encourages them to feel hopeful about their futures, discern what is important to them in a vocation and recognise the impact they can have on society. Feeling positive and excited about the future is so important in helping our children become thriving people, capable learners and leaders for the world God desires.
Louise Murphy: The Catholic Church has long recognised the importance of work to the wellbeing of individuals. Rerum Novarum (1891) highlighted the Catholic understanding that work, human dignity and human rights are intertwined. More recently, Pope Francis’ conveyed through Christus Vivit (2019) that work is an expression of human dignity, and a pathway to personal development and social inclusion. Catholic Social Teaching aligns closely with the emerging area of career development known as “decent work”.
Assisting all students to build the knowledge and skills they need to confidently make post-school career decisions, find decent work for themselves and perpetuate decent work for others, is central to the mission of the Catholic Church.
Investing in career education has a positive impact on student engagement in learning. Career education enables students of all ages to see greater relevance in what they learn at school and helps them make connections between their learning at school and their future aspirations, which is motivating and empowering for young learners.
The CESA promise to young people is that their Catholic education will help them be thriving people, capable learners, leaders for the world God desires. Career education is a key component in making this promise a reality.
For those wanting to know more about BECOME, a FREE 45-minute seminar “Careers Ed Leadership Briefing” is being offered to Catholic school and system leadership as well as leaders of careers and pathways, Wednesday 20 November at 4pm (AEDT).
Register here – Careers Ed Leaders