Primary school careers program deemed a success

A CAREER-based learning program operating in primary schools across Central Victoria since 2012 has broadened children’s aspirations and challenged gender stereotypes, a report from La Trobe University has found.

The Passions and Pathways program is targeted at students in grades 5 and 6, providing early exposure to real workplaces, role models and a range of career options through hands-on experiences with local businesses.

Having run across 14 schools in the Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander and Central Goldfields regions up until 2024, Passions and Pathways will operate in six schools across Greater Bendigo in 2025 after securing a further three years of funding.

The report’s data was compiled across the 13-year period since the program’s inception, during which 1800 students and 100 teachers have been involved.

More than 80 per cent of student participants provided feedback that the program deepened their understanding of what different careers require, while over 70 per cent also reported increased excitement about careers they had previously not considered.

Dr Kristina Turner, who co-led the evaluation, said the initiative actively expands how students, particularly in regional and socio-economically challenged communities, think about the future and who they could become.

“Research tells us that by the age of five, children already begin to associate certain jobs with specific genders based heavily on what they see at home, in the media and society,” she said.

“This program intervenes before these stereotypes can harden into limitations.”

Visit the Passions & Pathways website for more information.