STUDENTS from Mount Clear College took park in Doxa\u2019s University Pathways Program in Melbourne\u2019s CBD last week.<\/p>\n
The program provided the Year 12 students with first-hand experience of university life and gave them a taste of the world of work.<\/p>\n
Students developed their professional and employment skills, visiting unis and corporate workplaces across the city including BT Financial Management and Australian Catholic University.<\/p>\n
Professionals from across the not-for-profit sector also took time to chat with students.<\/p>\n
Doxa\u2019s aim within the pathways program is to support young people so they can reach their goal of attending university and gain skills for an employable and rewarding future.<\/p>\n
Mount Clear\u2019s Brody Armstrong said the program had helped him better understand what to expect in the near future.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve realised that life is like a highway and there\u2019s lots of twists and bends along the way but they\u2019re all part of the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program is open to young people who have experienced challenging life circumstances but are keen to continue onto tertiary education.<\/p>\n
Challenges often faced by participants include financial difficulty, family trauma, being culturally or linguistically diverse, being from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background or a refugee or migrant background.<\/p>\n
The University Pathways Program is part of a portfolio developed by Doxa. The Victorian not-for-profit organisation has provided programs since 1972 to disadvantaged young people so that they can access positive life experiences, education opportunities and employment pathways.<\/p>\n
The portfolio includes a series of programs starting at Grade 5 through to university that are linked, offering practical skills and experience to assist in a young person\u2019s journey towards meaningful employment.<\/p>\n
Since its inception in 2015, more than 800 young people have participated in the Doxa University Pathways Program.<\/p>\n