Senior secondary education in Victoria has changed. Students in their senior years of secondary school now have a range of alternative pathways towards a career.
VCE Vocational Major
The VCE Vocational Major is a 2-year applied learning program within the VCE that replaced Intermediate and Senior VCAL in 2023. In 2024, more than 26,600 Victorian students undertook the VCE Vocational Major.
The VCE Vocational Major supports students to pursue their goals and aspirations with confidence, and provides them with skills and knowledge for work and life.
Completing the VCE Vocational Major means:
- being ready to take on more learning after school, especially at TAFE or in an apprenticeship or traineeship
- working towards one or more VET qualifications
- having an employability edge after school.
Students complete 4 core subjects (Numeracy, Literacy, Work Related Skills and Personal Development Skills) and VET.
VET for school students
Your child can work towards one or more VET certificates in their VCE (including the VCE VM) or VPC.
With VCE VET subjects, students learn practical skills they can apply to work or in further education and training. VET students also get to try professions before leaving school.
Depending on local training providers, VCE VET options are available in many priority industry areas, including:
- Building and construction
- Community services and early childhood education
- Digital technologies
- Health
- Hospitality, events and tourism
- Renewable energy and engineering.
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships and Head Start
A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SBAT) gives a student paid on-the-job training while they complete secondary school, as part of their VCE or VPC.
Head Start is a program that supports students in years 10 to 12 to participate in a SBAT. These students develop skills, capabilities and confidence that employers in growth industries need, setting them up for success in post-school training and work.
Read more about SBATs and Head Start in the Education Department’s Policy and Advisory Library.
Victorian Pathways Certificate
The Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) is a flexible Year 11 and 12 course designed for a small number of students who, for a range of reasons, are not able or ready to undertake the VCE (including the VCE Vocational Major). Suitability for the VPC is based on agreement between the student, their parents and their school.
To learn more about the VCE, VCE VM, VCE VET and the VPC, refer to: vic.gov.au/vce