Subject description

Industry Connections is a 10 or 20-credit subject at Stage 2.

Industry Connections provides students who have an interest in a particular industry area to develop and apply their skills, knowledge and understandings about that industry, while developing their capabilities and employability skills through an industry-related project. 

Industry Connections allows students to authentically connect and develop understandings and relationships through industry immersion, and provides opportunities for them to focus and reflect on their learning in applied and practical ways using evidence of actions taken. 

Industry Connections fosters many elements of a thriving learner. It enables students to explore and feel connected to learning that is relevant and of interest to them (agency), while also exploring and applying their learning to future pathways (ability to transfer learning). Industry Connections affords students opportunities to learn and develop skills related to industry contexts (deep understanding and skilful action), and builds in them a sense of relevance to future work, and being able to know and contribute to economy, community, and society (belonging and human connectedness).

Students undertaking Industry Connections select an industry and/or skills development context upon which to focus their learning. Together, students and teachers co-design authentic learning and skills developmental activities based on the students’ selected industry and/or skills training context. These activities allow students opportunities to develop and/or refine their skills to explore and connect to industry and a career pathway.

Industry Connections can be designed for an individual student, or for cohorts of students. It can be designed using a project-based learning model around an individual student or group of students, or for students already significantly engaged in industry, or for a cohort of students with a common industry interest. Industry Connections can be designed as a framework for developing skills, or as an opportunity to extend and refine skills that showcase growth to an expert level.  

Industry Connections does not replicate VET programs and students do not achieve VET units of competency; however, Industry Connections can be flexibly designed to enable opportunities for students to collate a work skills portfolio that may support future career and transitions opportunities, such as a job application and/or future recognition of prior learning (RPL) process for a VET qualification. 

Where students claim SACE credits for their VET qualification or VET units of competency, students cannot use the same evidence towards Industry Connections (no double dipping).