Suggested time allocations
Unit 1: Workplace participation
Suggested time allocation:
| Area of Study | Suggested time allocation (hours) |
|---|
| 1. Contributing to the workforce | 12 |
| 2. Developing work-related skills | 9 |
| 3. Workplace effectiveness | 9 |
The concepts of career planning, career pathways and career development are introduced in this unit. Students are encouraged to appreciate that learning is a lifelong process and the importance of lifelong learning to career development. A digital portfolio of work-related skills may be developed through active exploration of personal career goals and pathways. Students should develop techniques to assist with recognition and exploration of work opportunities.
Work-related skills and capabilities including enterprise capabilities and employability skills are explored. Students should develop an understanding of terminology relevant to all four units of VCE Industry and Enterprise. Please refer to the ‘Characteristics of the study’ for a detailed explanation of these concepts.
Students will explore work-related issues and the importance of strategies related to the development of interpersonal and communication skills required to deal effectively with a selected workplace issue.
During work placement, students should investigate job tasks and processes, as well as the entry-level requirements associated with obtaining work in the industry. In order to reflect on their development of work-related skills during the placement, students should maintain a workplace learning record or an enterprise project evaluation.
Work placements are arranged using a Structured Workplace Learning Arrangement form. The range of appropriate settings are outlined under Workplace Learning in the study design. Structured workplace learning must include a framework clearly establishing its contribution to the demonstration of the outcomes and the related assessment procedures for the unit. This framework must be established prior to the commencement of work placement.
Students should be encouraged to develop work-related skills through a range of class-based activities and structured workplace learning activities. Work placement provides the ideal environment for students to develop work-related skills in a workplace setting.
Unit 2: Being enterprising
Suggested time allocation:
| Area of Study | Suggested time allocation (hours) |
|---|
| 1. Enterprising individuals and leadership | 12 |
| 2. Enterprise and innovation in industry | 10 |
| 3. Industry issues | 8 |
Unit 2 Area of Study 1 provides an opportunity to undertake an enterprise project or series of activities. Students investigate the characteristics and qualities of enterprising individuals and analyse strategies for developing enterprising behaviour within social, work and community settings.
Students involved in enterprise projects or activities can link these to a complementary industry. For example, if the enterprise activity involves producing and selling food, students could investigate the hospitality industry.
Students evaluate the extent to which enterprising behaviour is applied in a selected work setting. An enterprise project may be used as the work setting because it will provide opportunities for evaluation of enterprising behaviour.
In Unit 2 Area of Study 3, the selected industry investigated should be linked to the student’s structured workplace learning. Students should be able to describe how the industry has responded to the selected issue in an enterprising way. An explanation of the importance of developing work-related skills in responding effectively to the issue should also become apparent.
Unit 3: Enterprise culture
Suggested time allocation:
| Area of Study | Suggested time allocation (hours) |
|---|
| 1. Enterprise culture | 15 |
| 2. Creating an enterprise culture | 15 |
In Unit 3 Area of Study 1, students must complete at least 35 hours of work placement or enterprise projects and activities. They must also develop a suitable work placement journal. Students should be encouraged to develop work-related skills through a range of class-based and structured workplace learning activities. Work placement or enterprise projects provide the ideal environment for students to develop work-related skills in a practical, real-life setting.
In Unit 3 Area of Study 2, students investigate four aspects that create a significant impetus for change within industry: the management of quality, workplace flexibility, technology, and training and workplace learning. Enterprising responses by industry to pressures and opportunities for change are considered.
Unit 4: Industry change and innovation
Suggested time allocation:
| Area of Study | Suggested time allocation (hours) |
|---|
| 1. Pressures and opportunities for change | 30 |
| 2. Innovation | 20 |
In Unit 4 Area of Study 1, students could examine and refer to the industry in which structured workplace learning has been undertaken in Unit 3, or alternatively, look at a different industry. Relevant statistics should be located and analysed in order to evaluate responses to pressures and opportunities for change within an industry. This data should then be used in conjunction with information collected through structured workplace learning to identify how specific industry responses to change have affected stakeholder groups. The significance of work-related skills in affecting change is also considered in this context.
Students examine and develop an understanding of the relationship between effective industry responses to change and the importance of work-related skills in doing this. The ‘Characteristics of the study’ section provides detail concerning work-related skills and the subsets of enterprise capabilities and employability skills.
In Unit 4 Area of Study 2, students focus on how innovation influences a specific Australian industry. The relationship between technology, training and innovation is considered as is how each factor is fundamental to the development of an enterprise culture. The importance of work-related skills to successful innovation is considered.