MY PURPOSE, MY CAREER

Ms Samantha McFetridge Chief of Strategy and Staff Director of Student Opportunity and Careers Education

Published in the June 2022 edition of Monday Quarterly World of Work magazine, this article by Ms Samantha McFetridge explores the benefits of a comprehensive and forward-thinking Careers education program.

I have always been fascinated by the world of work and the complexities associated with it. After completing a Master of Education, Career Education and Development, from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, (RMIT), I take great pride in using my insight and expertise to encourage, guide, and support the students as they strive to find the right path.

One of the most exciting aspects of the role is the scope it offers for professional growth and development. The careers education landscape is always evolving. My job exposes me to new ways of thinking, trends, pathways, and ideas, all of which enable me to better prepare our students to confidently make longer-term decisions that suit their talents, interests, strengths, and aspirations.

Over the past seven years, I’ve worked hard to ensure that Wenona’s Careers Education program is dynamic, future-focused, and prepares our young people to thrive in a changing world.

Wenona is extremely fortunate to have strong support from our highly engaged community of Alumnae, who work and lead at every level of society. They are an invaluable source of inspiration, information, insight, and guidance to our students. More importantly, they increase the visibility of female role models across a variety of disciplines and fields, providing inspiration for our young women as they contemplate their own futures.

Wenona offers a comprehensive program of career talks and networking workshops. Our speed-networking workshops with Alumnae have featured zoo keepers, nurses, investment bankers, architects, physiotherapists, midwives, professional sportswomen, engineers, digital marketing specialists and interior designers. And we’ve heard from Alumnae who have switched jobs, gone back to university to retrain, or transitioned into different careers. For our students, it has proven to be a great way of breaking down barriers, broadening horizons and raising aspirations.

Emerging from the turbulence of Covid, career pathways have become more complex than ever, with even fewer entry-level opportunities for young people to learn skills and gain industry insights. One way Wenona is addressing this is through our Thinking Beyond and Skill Development Days, which include a broad range of transferable skills, such as resume writing, car maintenance, podcasting, flower arranging, coffee making and cooking. It’s a great way of emphasising the need to develop a portfolio of applicable skills and capabilities and highlights the importance of versatility in a world in constant flux.

We know early exposure to the world of work helps young people find the right path. Our Year 10 Work Exploration program is invaluable, injecting students into organisations like Channel 7, Qantas, Lendlease, Rio Tinto, Westpac, Woolworths and more, providing insightful experiences and industry contacts.

Our face-to-face talks between students and Alumnae are an integral part of our Senior College career education program but when the pandemic hit, we had to shift them into the virtual space. This prompted a variety of benefits including more structured, streamlined sessions. Without the travel and planning involved in face-to-face meetings, it is also easier for Alumnae to volunteer their time and we can connect with people, who live in different time zones.

In Year 11, Wenona students participate in our Australiawide Academic Tour, to help them make more informed decisions about campuses and courses. We visit universities and technical colleges in places such as Melbourne, Queensland, the ACT and regional NSW. This has also proven to be a wonderful way for current students to meet our recent graduates whose ability to encourage and motivate is truly inspirational. We also hold regular on-site university information days, with representatives from universities and colleges around the world.

We also pride ourselves on giving students access to leadership opportunities in the careers space. The Careers Captain leadership portfolio for Year 12 students is a way to promote student voice and agency, helping ensure we embed student ideas and insights into our program.

Wenona has given me countless opportunities to gain industry experience over the last seven years, working with some of the best careers professionals in the world. In 2017, I was awarded a Wenona Seeding Grant to attend the inaugural College Counsellors Teacher Seminar at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. It covered British, American, European, and Asian university admission requirements, enabling me to learn how to prepare our students to be successful in their applications to universities overseas as well as better understand the interview process for universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, the role of the British Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

We connect via network groups, informal catchups, and social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter. As a result, I have forged strong relationships with industry professionals, universities, and course providers to stay ahead of the curve.

Whatever pathway our young women choose, whether fashion design in Paris, marine biology in Sydney, or Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxbridge, Wenona has the knowledge, resources, and expertise to provide high-quality support.

I am incredibly fortunate to work alongside a dedicated Careers team that supports the advancement of Wenona students and their post-school plans.

*This is an abridged version of an article published in World of Work in 2022.