Senior School

Getting ready for the world of work

The best way we can equip our students to be successful in whatever directions they take is to provide an education which helps them discover who they are and what they are capable of, and underpin this with a sound set of shared and implicit values. Lauriston provides students with a range of experiences to put this into practice at every age and every stage of their development. We instil a sense of excitement and curiosity about our world and its people, and a confidence that our students can take their place in that world and make a positive difference.

I began my working life in sales and marketing within a large multinational technology company. Even then, in the 1980s, it was becoming clear that the future was changing and the people who would be successful in that future would be those who recognised the skills and attributes they possessed and were able to take those skills and attributes and apply them effectively to a range of different settings. Back then, the term ‘generic workplace competencies’ was beginning to gain traction. Today we use terms such as ‘21st century skills’, ‘general capabilities’ and ‘work smarts’. This list of attributes has expanded and adapted to innovations in technology, communications, and the shift away from ‘jobs for life’ towards the ‘gig economy’. Our understanding of ‘flexible work’ accelerated through the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and we continue to see

shifts in people’s understanding of work and how they want to engage in work at different stages of their lives.

Lauriston’s approach to preparing our students for the future workplace is multi-faceted and permeates everything we do in the classroom, in our Co-Curricular Program, in our commitment to community service, and in our core values. We focus on ‘human skills’, that is, teaching necessary technical skills while maintaining a focus on developing human character. For example, our students learn to be clear communicators within the English classroom and apply this knowledge through debating, public speaking, leadership roles and the performing arts.

Our students develop hands-on experience in being the ‘value creators of the future’ through adding value now. In 2022, a team of keen Year 11 STEM students were awarded second place in the University of Sydney’s ‘Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize’ competition for their music video Changing Corona. This is a brilliant example of many future work skills already at work: impactful communicators, team players and collaborative influencers and negotiators, purpose driven, value driven and ethical, digitally literate and creative. And all imbued with a great sense of fun.

We begin the exposure to careers as early as Kindergarten and continue the conversation all the way through to Year 12 and beyond with our ongoing connection with Old Lauristonians’ Association. Young children find out what work people do and start to ask questions and form ideas about work. Career education in the Junior School is not to dissuade children from fantastical aspirations or from using their imagination to dream big; rather it is about demonstrating new and exciting possibilities and preventing children from closing off possibilities.

Our Student Futures Program intensifies through years 7–12, with career development tasks and the introduction of subject electives to allow students to pursue specific fields of interest and to explore new possibilities. By providing both the IB and VCE pathways, students can choose subjects and assessment modes that play to their strengths and ensure a solid foundation for tertiary study. Throughout years 10, 11 and 12, and with our year 10 Career Readiness Program, careers information evenings, the Student Futures and Pathways Expo and assistance with tertiary applications for study in Australia or overseas, we ensure our Year 12 students graduate ready for whatever opportunities they wish to create for themselves in the world of work.

Anne Wallington Deputy Principal, Head of Senior School