What is the VCE Vocational Major (VCE-VM)?
The VCE Vocational Major (VCE-VM) is a pathway within the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) aimed at students in Years 11 and 12 who are interested in taking up a traineeship, apprenticeship, TAFE studies, or employment after completing Year 12.
An Applied Approach to Learning
The VCE-VM is based on principles of applied learning that seek to relate student learning to real life experiences, including workplace, vocational study, and community settings. Students are taught skills and knowledge in the context of real-life situations, and apply what they have learnt by doing, experiencing, reflecting, and relating their acquired skills to the real world.
VCE-VM Structure
VCE-VM students undertake 20 units over a two-year period and will typically undertake 4 units each of the following five subjects:
- Literacy or a VCE English
- Numeracy or a VCE Mathematics
- Work Related Skills (WRS)
- Personal Development Skills (PDS)
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) to a minimum of 180 hours. Students can select from the VET modules and certificates offered at Mount Clear College or outside Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). For more details, please refer to the
VET information. - Structured workplace learning (SWL) one day per week in an industry aligned with the VET study.
A unit usually lasts for one semester (half a year). Units 1 and 2 are typically undertaken in Year 11 and can be completed as single units. Units 3 and 4 are normally attempted in Year 12 and must be undertaken as a two-semester sequence.
PDS units 3 and 4 include the embedded delivery of selected VET modules from the Certificate II in Active Volunteering. Please note that students who complete PDS as a Unit 3-4 sequence will be expected to complete a minimum of 20 hours of volunteering in a community setting as part of their assessment. WRS Units 3 and 4 include the embedded delivery of selected VET modules form the Certificate II in Hospitality.
Assessment
The VCE-VM curriculum is competency based and there are no written tests or exams. However, VCE-VM students are required to sit the Literacy and Numeracy section of the General Achievement Test (GAT) during their Year 12 studies and their score will appear on their Statement of Results.
VCE-VM Prerequisites
Students seeking to enter the VCE-VM are required to have achieved 90%+ VCE approved attendance at Year 10 (as evidenced on Compass) and have completed a minimum of five days work experience. They also need to have passed a minimum of eight Year 10 units, including both semesters of English and Maths.