Pathways Map

Overview

In lesson 6 of Pathways to Employment Success, students investigate how qualifications, training and experience can connect Year 9 study at Kurnai College with employment opportunities in and around the Latrobe Valley. They use local examples to create and justify a personalised pathway map towards a chosen career.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• understand how qualifications and further study can support access to employment
• investigate local education, training and employment pathways
• identify steps, choices, costs, benefits and possible risks in a pathway
• communicate a reasoned pathway using relevant economic and business terms

Success criteria

• I can create a pathway with at least three logical steps from Year 9 at Kurnai College to a desired career.
• I can include at least one qualification or training option available in the Traralgon or Morwell area.
• I can explain how a qualification, apprenticeship or on-the-job training may improve employment opportunities.
• I can identify one benefit and one possible challenge or risk in my pathway.

Curriculum links

• Develop and evaluate a response to an economic and business issue using cost-benefit analysis or criteria to decide on a course of action.
• Explain processes businesses use to create and maintain competitive advantage, including the role of entrepreneurs.
• Develop and modify questions to investigate a contemporary economic and business issue.
• Interpret information and data, and create explanations and arguments using economic and business knowledge, concepts and research findings.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Welcome and readiness. Teacher opens the welcome and readiness slides, welcomes students, gives an Acknowledgement of Country for Kurnai College, briefly revisits the eight classroom rules, and invites students to indicate their wellbeing from 1–5 privately or by hand signal. Students settle, respond to the check-in and complete a positive primer, such as naming one strength, interest or skill they already have.

2. 10–17 min · Learning focus and inspiration. Teacher displays the learning intention, success criteria and video discussion slides, states the learning intention and success criteria, then plays a short age-appropriate video featuring young people describing their education-to-career journeys. Students note one decision, qualification or training experience that helped a person in the video move towards work, then share observations with a partner.

3. 17–27 min · Model local pathways. Teacher displays the illustrated Latrobe Valley pathway map and modelling slides and explains that pathways are not always straight lines. Model one example from Year 9 at Kurnai College to a local career, showing options such as TAFE Gippsland in Traralgon, an apprenticeship with a Latrobe Valley trades business, Federation University’s Gippsland campus, or on-the-job training with a local employer. Use the icons of the TAFE building, hard hat and hospital to discuss qualifications, skills, experience, competitive advantage, opportunity cost, financial risk and reward. Students help identify the steps, possible alternatives and one benefit or challenge in the model.

4. 27–45 min · Research and map a pathway. Teacher distributes the personalised Latrobe Valley Pathways Map worksheet and provides the displayed pathway examples and approved school research sources. Students choose a realistic career and complete a visual flowchart beginning with Year 9 at Kurnai College and including at least three steps. They select and record a relevant local option, such as TAFE Gippsland in Traralgon, an apprenticeship, Federation University’s Gippsland campus or on-the-job training. Students add brief notes about skills, qualifications, benefits, costs, time, transport, financial considerations or other risks. The teacher conferences with students, checks that steps are sequential and prompts them to ask a focused investigation question.

5. 45–54 min · Peer review and improvement. Teacher displays the peer-review prompts and decision-making slides and asks students to exchange maps with a partner or trusted adult. Students use the success criteria to give one specific strength and one actionable suggestion, checking whether the pathway includes three steps, a local option and a clear connection to employment. Students revise one part of their map and explain why their preferred pathway is suitable.

6. 54–60 min · Plenary and exit check. Teacher displays the reflection and exit-ticket slides and asks selected students to share different pathway choices, including a pathway that involves further study and one involving workplace training. Students complete an exit response: “My pathway could improve my employment opportunities because… One challenge or risk I need to consider is…”. The teacher collects responses and revisits any common misunderstanding.

Resources

• the complete Pathways Map lesson slide deck
• the personalised Latrobe Valley Pathways Map worksheet
• Short inspiring education-to-career journeys video
• Large illustrated pathway flowchart poster
• Projector or interactive display
• Approved, teacher-selected local education and employment information
• Coloured pencils, highlighters and pens
• Wellbeing check-in scale displayed in the classroom
• Optional quiet workspace, headphones and printed pathway examples

Assessment

• During modelling and research, check students’ questions, use of terms such as qualification, training, opportunity cost, benefit and risk, and ability to sequence pathway steps.
• Review pathway maps against the success criteria, providing immediate feedback on the local option and the connection between study and employment.
• Use the exit response to assess whether students can explain one employment benefit and identify a challenge or risk.

Differentiation

• Provide students needing support with the scaffolded pathway map version, pre-filled example steps, matching picture icons and a choice of three local pathway starting points. Allow drawing, oral explanation or speech-to-text instead of extended writing.
• Use a teacher-led small group to rehearse the sequence “current study → training or qualification → skills and experience → employment” and provide sentence starters: “This option may help because…” and “A possible challenge is…”.
• For EAL/D and students with literacy needs, pair icons with plain-English explanations, read instructions aloud, chunk the task into one step at a time, and allow a bilingual dictionary or supported peer discussion.
• Challenge confident students to compare two pathways using criteria such as time, cost, accessibility, employment prospects and financial risk, then justify which option they prefer.