Aston Tyro
Halfway through Year 11, Aston started to feel high school wasn’t working well for him. He talked to a school careers adviser who told him about a new pathway for secondary school students – a VCE Vocational Major for Year 12, that he could do at Chisholm Institute of TAFE locally.
This pathway would enable Aston to still achieve his VCE, while taking part in paid work where he could immediately apply his studies, which included literacy, numeracy, personal development, skills and work-related skills.
“I didn’t know anything about the VCE Vocational Major – being able to combine work, high school and vocational training,” Aston said.
“Mum had studied a retail course at Chisholm Institute of TAFE and the Berwick campus was close to home, so it was easy to enrol there.”
Aston participated in work training at one of the largest BP Service Stations in the southern hemisphere. Given his commitment to his work placement, and his Vocational Major, he has become a valued member of the BP team.
At BP, he has found his niche. He is excelling at customer service, and has developed maturity, enthusiasm and emotional intelligence while handling the challenges that arise daily. Despite being the youngest member of the team, Aston has already contributed to changing workplace processes. He’s also been given the responsibility of training and mentoring new employees.
“I’m lucky; while my mates can give me a hard time, I’ll still get my VCE qualifications, I’m earning money and I’m learning new skills and really contributing to my workplace,” he said.
The VCE Vocational Major has given Aston the chance to show his real talents in a dynamic workplace. He has emerged as a natural leader and his boss says he is developing professional qualities far beyond his years and working far above the basic requirements of his role.
His advice to other students considering undertaking a VCE Vocational Major is: “Just start the pathway. If you get on a pathway and keep following it, you begin to see where it’s taking you and you feel you’re starting to learn new things and achieve.”
Aston was selected as a finalist in the Secondary Student of the Year Award category, in the 2024 Chisholm Education Awards, for his outstanding work ethic, leadership qualities, commitment to his studies and contributions to his workplace.