Guidance officer
The Guidance Officer’s role is one focussed on providing support for students so they can achieve the best educational outcomes on an individual level. In order to maximise each student’s opportunity to reach their potential the Guidance Officer can assist in the areas of educational, vocational and personal counselling.
Educational counselling
The Guidance officer assists individual students, their families and groups of students via programs in the following areas:
Subject selections
Subject changes
Exploration of pathways, pre-requisite subjects and skill development
Study skill sessions
Educational assessments and development of individual programs to personalise students’ specific learning needs.
Career counselling
The Guidance Officer plays a key role in the school to assist each student to plan for a future career path. Exploration of possible career paths happens extensively in the Year Ten Career and SET Plan Program and in the Year Twelve Future Pathways Program. Included in these programs is the opportunity for students to investigate possibilities beyond school via University, TAFE, ADF and other providers presenting on our campus and excursions to their campuses.
The Guidance Officer can assist students to pursue scholarships, enrichment courses at University (e.g. GUESTS at Griffith, Head Start at Southern Cross and Student for a Semester at Bond), the School’s program at TAFE and early/direct entry into university and TAFE.
Furthermore, students and their families can book individual sessions with the Guidance Officer in order to discuss and explore career pathways; simply call the office to organise an appointment time.
To assist the exploration process the following links are very valuable:
THE GOOD UNIVERSITIES GUIDE — CAREERS - A career information resource that provides an in-depth look at more that 400 occupations and their education and training pathways.
MYFUTURE - a national career exploration website which assists individuals to plan their careers. The website includes comprehensive tools to help identify interests, skills, needs, occupational requirements and education and training providers.
QTAC - queensland tertiary adissions centre access point to apply for Uni/TAFE places and comprehensive information regarding tertiary pathways
HUMANSERVICES - formerly centrelink. Important website regarding student income support
GRADUATECAREERS - information about career destinations.
Personal counselling
From time to time we all experience difficult events in our lives. Adolescence can be a period when there are ups and downs in moods and attitudes, coupled with the process of transitioning into the adult world and the challenges that comes with that. The Guidance Officer can help young people deal with these confronting periods in their lives. The Guidance Officer can provide some counselling support and help direct the young person and their family to professional external support agencies.
Some of the types of issues that we can assist with include:
Some very useful links to support students and their families experiencing personal difficulties include:
BULLYING NO WAY - a valuable resource to assist students, parents and teachers around the issue of bullying.
KIDS HELPLINE - a 24 hour confidential counselling service.
eHEADSPACE - an online counselling service provided by headspace.
Useful telephone numbers
Headspace: (07) 5509 5900
CYMHS Access Team: (07) 5537 0622
Centacare: (07) 5527 7211
Uniting Care: (07) 557 96015
Reconnect: (07) 5500 0374