St Joseph’s College offers its Year 11 and 12 students the opportunity of participating in either VCE or VCAL, both recognised qualifications.
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is a two year program overseen and administered by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) taken across Year 11 (Units 1 and 2) and Year 12 (Units 3 and 4). The VCE allows students to specialise in particular areas and cater a program of studies that best reflect their interests, needs and abilities. Other than the compulsory study of English or its equivalent, the program of studies may be crafted according to the individual student.
VCE students have a diverse range of studies to choose from when developing their VCE program, and may draw from areas such as Religious Education, the Arts, Commerce, English and other languages, Health and Physical Education, the Humanities, Mathematics, Science and Technology. Students are also able to undertake any of the few studies not offered at the College via distance education or weekend classes.
VCE students may also include a Vocational Education and Training (VET) subject in their VCE program, which allows them to undertake a TAFE-level, nationally recognised Certificate I or II in a variety of vocational areas. VET studies undertaken as part of the VCE are also credited as VCE studies and in many cases have examinations and study scores attached to them, which makes them contribute to the ATAR.
There are also options for extension and acceleration in the VCE. Year 11 students have the opportunity to undertake Unit 3 and 4 studies which not only give them a taste of what is expected at Year 12, but also contributes directly to the calculation of their ATAR at the conclusion of their VCE studies. Year 12 students also have the opportunity to undertake University Enhancement Studies as part of their VCE. These studies are taken in a variety of areas and are provided by tertiary institutions such as the University of Melbourne and Monash University. Subjects taken as part of the University Enhancement Studies program also contribute to the calculation of ATAR scores at the conclusion of VCE studies.
Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is a certificate with a number of levels. At St Joseph’s College, the VCAL can be taken at Intermediate (Year 11) and Senior (Year 12) levels. A hands-on alternative to the VCE, the VCAL is a recognised senior secondary school qualification that provides students with a balance between academic subjects, skills training and work experience. While the VCAL precludes direct entry to university studies, it does allow students to undertake many TAFE courses. Students undertaking the VCAL at Intermediate level take on a combination of VCAL studies. These include VCE Unit 1 and 2 English and Mathematics or VCAL Numeracy, for the time they are at school; as well as the VCAL-specific studies such as Personal Development and Work-Related skills, two subjects designed to prepare students for life beyond school. In addition, VCAL students will undertake a VET study related to their career of interest. These VET studies are usually of a Certificate II level and are provided either on site at the College, or by other VET providers. Finally, VCAL students will have a work placement in a vocational field. The focus of the Senior VCAL shifts somewhat to place a greater emphasis on the development of employability skills and work placement.