If there’s one myth I’d love to gently retire, it’s the idea that students wake up one morning, preferably sometime in Year 10, with sudden clarity about their future.

They don’t. Clarity isn’t a lightning bolt. Clarity is built. It’s earned.

It happens through experiences, conversations, trial-and-error, and being exposed to enough different things that patterns start to appear.

Research backs this too… Students involved in three or more extracurricular or supercurricular experiences (industry events, volunteering, work experience, online uni workshops, short courses…) report significantly higher confidence in their post-school decisions. Why?

Because you can’t choose a future you’ve never seen … clarity comes from exposure.”
To people, places, industries, ideas, stories, and possibilities. This year is intentionally structured to provide opportunities for students to enter the rooms, spaces, and conversations where clarity becomes the natural outcome.

So let’s talk about ….. The Spaghetti Strategy (Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.)

The more spaghetti you throw at the wall - industry insight nights, alumni stories, work experience, short courses, online uni events, conversations with professionals… the quicker you’ll figure out what sticks.

It’s not pressure. It’s exploration. And it is one of the fastest ways to reduce fear and increase confidence.

This is the real decision-making sequence: Trying → Seeing → Experiencing → Deciding.

Not “deciding first, and hoping it magically works out.”

Over the next few months, you will be guided through opportunities that do the heavy lifting for decision-making:

• Industry Insight Nights

• Pathway Spotlights (uni, TAFE, apprenticeships, cadetships, gap years)

• Alumni interviews

• 1:1 careers meetings

• Online events and workshops

• Recommended supercurricular experiences

• Exposure to multiple study pathways

• The LEAVERS Passport - your personal clarity dashboard

This month, we’re introducing the why behind all of this: Right now, you don’t need certainty, you need exposure.

That exposure builds clarity. Clarity reduces fear. And once clarity arrives… decision-making becomes significantly easier.

So December’s Guide to Decide is simple:
Be curious. Say yes to opportunities. Throw spaghetti. See what sticks.

The rest will follow.

COMING in 2026

COMING in 2026

COMING in 2026

Caringbah Careers Events

• Year 12 Parents Information Session: Careers Spotlight - 20th December 2025 (5pm - 6pm)

• Industry Insight Night - Medicine - 27th November 2025 (5pm - 6:30pm)

• UCAT Online Workshop - TBC
  

University Events & Webinars:

• Coming in 2026

University Events & Webinars - On Demand from 2025

• USYD - Studying Medicine at Sydney (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• USYD - Admission to Medicine & Dentistry at Sydney (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• USYD - Studying Dentistry at Sydney (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• WSU - Discover Western Webinar: Scholarships (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• WSU - Discover Western Webinar: Early Offers, Pathways and Alternate Entry (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• WSU - Discover Western Webinar: For Parents & Supports (On Demand) - Watch HERE

Student Opportunities

• USYD Schools Innovation Challenge Hackathon 2026, delivered on-campus at the University of Sydney in partnership with HEX, , an award-winning EdTech innovator known for empowering future leaders through entrepreneurial thinking and real-world problem solving. See Mrs Poppett if you’re interested in participating.

Your LEAVERS Passport was built after years of working with students applying for early entry, scholarships, cadetships, medicine, competitive pathways and interstate opportunities.

And the results? Students who use this scaffold properly don’t just apply better, they decide better.

LEAVERS stands for:

• L – Leadership

• E – Extra-curricular

• A – Academic Enrichment & Achievement

• V – Volunteering & Community Contribution

• E – Employment & Work Experience

• R – Relevant Industry Experience

• S – Student-Led Projects

It’s not a form.
It’s not homework.
It’s not a list for the sake of a list.

It is your clarity tool, your strategy tool, and your storytelling database.

The Passport helps you:

• Identify your skills

  • Communication, teamwork, leadership, initiative, problem-solving, empathy, digital literacy. The skills universities and employers look for.

• Map your experiences

  • Sport, volunteering, part-time work, school roles, creative projects, competitions, tutoring, church involvement, family responsibilities. Everything counts.

• Spot your gaps

  • Where could you get more exposure?

  • What experiences would strengthen your resume?

  • What stories would help you in interviews?

  • Where could you grow next year?

• Explore new opportunities

  • Once you see the gaps, you can set goals:
    “Try a workshop.”
    “Do work experience.”
    “Join a program.”
    “Attend an industry night.”
    “Start a mini passion project.”

  • This is how you build a powerful, authentic story.

Strong applications

Early entry, scholarships, cadetships, medicine … all ask the same questions:

• Who are you?

• What have you done?

• What have you learned?

• How have you contributed?

• What do you care about?

• Where do your experiences point you?

Your LEAVERS Passport helps you answer every single one with confidence.

BUT ALSO…

It helps you make meaningful decisions about your future.

When you track what you’ve tried, what you’ve enjoyed, what you didn’t enjoy, and where you’ve grown, your next steps become obvious.

• You learn about yourself.

• You notice patterns.

• You discover what energises you and what drains you.

• You figure out what kind of lifestyle certain careers involve.

This is how students make informed, mature, strategic decisions… not last minute, guess-work ones.

Over the summer break, your only job is to complete the Skills & Experiences Stocktake:

1. List everything you’ve done so far - big and small.

2. Highlight moments you enjoyed - and those you really didn’t.

3. Circle the gaps you’d like to explore in 2026.

4. Start thinking about the stories behind your experiences.

Because that’s what universities, employers, scholarships and interviewers want: your story, backed by real experiences.

The Bottom Line

• Your LEAVERS Passport makes your resume glow.

• It strengthens your interview game.

• It gives you clarity.

• It reduces fear.

• It opens doors.

• And most importantly - It helps you make decisions that actually reflect you… your interests, your strengths, and the experiences that shaped you.

This is your foundation for the year ahead. Let’s start building it.

These programs look for students who can show:

• genuine passion

• direction and purpose

• resilience and commitment

• leadership or initiative (formal OR informal)

• service and contribution

• industry-relevant experience

• balance (yes, wellbeing matters in applications!)

This is exactly why your LEAVERS Passport exists.
It helps you build, and showcase the experiences, skills, stories, and reflections that make your application powerful, compelling, and memorable.

For Medicine especially, preparation matters. Your story matters. Your service matters. And yes… the UCAT matters.
… But don’t panic, we’ll break the entire process down for you over 2025/2026.

Think of this section as a starting point. A spotlight on some of our most popular competitive pathways, why they are exciting, and why starting early gives you a HUGE advantage.

One of Australia’s most prestigious (and competitive) scholarships. Full financial support, leadership development, a cohort of incredible young people, and opportunities that extend far beyond university. They want students with initiative, service, academic strength, curiosity, and a genuine desire to contribute to their community.
Starting early = essential.

Industry-linked, highly competitive programs that blend study, paid internships, mentoring, and real-world experience.
Think: commerce, engineering, IT, actuarial studies, business… and a graduate CV that gives you so much more than just a foot in the door. They look for leadership, community involvement, commitment, and direction… all built through your LEAVERS Passport.

Paid corporate experience while you study, sometimes with your uni fees subsidised.
Finance, tech, business, engineering… you work part-time in a professional role AND complete your degree.
Strong applications require initiative, work experience, strong direction and curiosity about the industry, and excellent communication skills.

Academic strength + UCAT + interviews + personal qualities + service = a big, exciting challenge.
These pathways require:

• early UCAT preparation

• meaningful experiences (volunteering, leadership, service)

• clear purpose and reflection

• industry exposure (hospital volunteering, aged care, first aid, etc.)

Your LEAVERS Passport becomes gold here as it helps you track experiences, notice gaps, and build the kind of story selectors are looking for.

One of the most competitive degrees in the country and heavily dependent on real animal-care experience.
Students need to show hands-on time with animals, volunteering in clinics, farms, shelters, and a clear understanding of the profession’s demands.

Study a Bachelor’s degree at a university - typically 3+ years full-time. Great if you’re keen on careers like teaching, psychology, business, science, medicine or law. Uni is more theory heavy and research based, but it also offers heaps of extras like international exchange, internships, societies and leadership programs.

Hands-on, skill based training that gets your job-ready fast. Whether it’s trades, nursing, beauty, hospitality, fashion, design or community services, TAFE focuses on practical learning and nationally recognised qualifications - from Certificates and Diplomas through to Associate Degrees and Bachelors Degrees. TAFE offers smaller class sizes and real-world tools - and is often a stepping stone to university later on, with credit transfer options.

Get paid, get experience, and get a degree - all at once. A cadetship lets you work in your chosen industry (like accounting, media or tech) while studying at uni part-time. Think of it as a head-start on your dream job with professional mentoring and a paycheck along the way.

Want to serve your country and get paid to train or study? The ADF offers pathways through the Army, Navy or Air Force - whether that’s learning a trade, taking on an officer role, or going to uni through ADFA. Travel, leadership, fitness and purpose all rolled into one. You can join straight after school through general enlistment (with a trade or tech role), or apply to the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) to complete a degree while in service. You can even study medicine or engineering at a civilian uni under a sponsored program - your tuition is coveredm but you commit to working with the ADF after graduation.

Appenticeship:

Learn a skilled trade on the job (like plumbing, carpentry, electrical or hairdressing), while also studying at TAFE. You can earn a wage while you learn and graduate as a qualified tradie. Solid pay, high demand and no HECS debt.

Traineeship:

Like an apprenticeship, but usually in non-trade fields - think business, IT, hospitality, or healthcare. You work and train at the same time, usually for 12-24 months , and finish with a qualification that gives you practical skills and experience.

A new kind of pathway where you skip uni, start working straight out of school, and train on the job in high-skill areas like tech, business, or cyber-security. Companies like PwC invest in your learning while you get paid and build experience in a major firm. No degree, no debt, plenty of career cred.

Smaller, more specialised institutions offering courses in design, hospitality, fashion business, creative arts, health and more. They often have strong industry ties, quicker course completion times and niche programs, Fees can be higher and not all courses are subsidised, so it’s important to do your research on outcomes and accreditation

Take a year off before study or full-time work to travel, work, volunteer, or just breathe. A gap year helps you gain life experience, clarity, independance, and maturity. You might:

• Work full-time to save money or build your resume.

• Volunteer locally or overseas.

• Travel (solo or in programs like Lattitude Global Volunteering or Camp America).

• Explore gap year jobs through programs like ADF Gap Year or Letz Live.

• Become an Au Pair and live with a host family overseas while looking after children (think France, Italy, England, the U.S).

• Work a ski season at Thredbo, Perisher, Queenstown or Whistler - follow the snow year round.

• Shadow or mentor or do internships to test out different industries.

Gap years aren’t “wasted” time - they’re a chance to reflect, grow and return to study or work with fresh eyes and real life insight. Just keep uni deferral or application timelines in mind. Yes, you can apply to uni and defer your position for 12 months (sometimes up to 24 months) and step straight into your deferred course with new perspective and a brimming life resume.

Instead of a TED Talk, here’s something better:
We know you want clarity, confidence, direction and exposure. We know that you don’t want pressure.

From they survey, you told us:

• Top fears: ATAR, decision overwhelm, making the wrong choice, not knowing what to do.

• Top dreams: meaningful careers, financial stability, global opportunities, passion-driven paths.

• Top advice you valued: “Try everything”, “Work experience helped the most”, “There’s more than one pathway”, “Do what you enjoy.”

So here’s your December reframe:

You do not need the whole map. You just need the next step.
The rest reveals itself through exploration.
Start with the LEAVERS Passport… move forward from there.

Parents, thank you for everything you shared in the survey.

Your children told us they fear:

• Making the wrong career choice

• ATAR pressure

• Not knowing what to apply for

• Missing out on opportunities

• The transition to university

• Feeling lost or overwhelmed

You told us you want:

• Clear guidance

• Early timelines

• Pathway explanations

• Understanding of scaling, HSC structure, uni options

• Support for non-uni pathways

• Exposure to industries beyond the “typical” careers

We hear you.

Here’s how we’ll support you this year:

• Monthly newsletters

• Industry Insight Nights

• Alumni panels

• Clear timelines & application calendars

• Early Entry breakdowns

• LEAVERS Passport support

• A growing library of online videos + pathway explainers

• Opportunities for students to explore before deciding

The best thing you can do?
Keep the conversations open. Encourage exposure. Help them try things. Ask questions with curiosity, not pressure.

We look forward to working alongside you over the next 12 months.