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VCAA Bulletin
No.95 – February 2024

Senior Secondary Certificate Reform

Expanded access to VCE VM Personal Development Skills and Work-Related Skills in 2025

The VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) has been successfully embedded within the VCE. It is now time to begin the next step towards an ‘integrated VCE’.

Within this integrated structure, providers will continue offering the VCE VM as a distinct program. However, they will also be able to offer stand-alone VCE VM studies as part of a general VCE program.

In 2025 providers can offer VCE VM Work Related Skills (WRS) and Personal Development Skills (PDS) to all VCE students, providing greater access to the benefits of applied learning regardless of a student’s specific pathway. These studies will not be scored in the same way as other VCE studies and will not produce a study score. Schools that do not already have VCAA permission to deliver VM studies will need to obtain this before commencing delivery (see below).

VCE VM Literacy and Numeracy will continue to be available only to VCE VM students in 2025. The VCAA is conducting further work to understand the implications of expanding access to these studies. The findings of this work will be shared during 2024.
For further information, please contact vcaa.seniorsecondaryreform@education.vic.gov.au

Permission to deliver VCE (including VM) and VPC studies

Information regarding the 2024 Permission to deliver VCE (including VM) studies and VPC studies from 2025 is now available on the VCAA website.

All providers intending to deliver VCE VM and VPC studies for the first time in 2025 must obtain permission to do so in 2024. This applies regardless of the length of time providers have been delivering the VCE.

For further information, please contact vcaa.permissions@education.vic.gov.au

VCE VM and VPC teachers – 2024 induction workshop and webinars

In Term 1, teachers who are both new to the VCE VM and VPC and who would like a refresher are invited to attend face-to-face and online professional learning.

These professional learning sessions may suitable if you are:

  • new to teaching applied learning
  • teaching one or more of the VCE VM or VPC studies for the first time
  • wanting to refresh your applied learning practice
  • wanting to refresh your knowledge of the VCE VM or VPC studies.

Introduction to Teaching the VCE VM and VPC (face-to-face workshop)

This workshop introduces teachers to the Pillars of Applied Learning and other essentials for teaching the VCE VM and VPC. There will be the opportunity to choose two subject areas for further investigation, as well as planning and assessment advice provided.  Teachers will also hear insights from currently practicing VCE VM and VPC teachers.

The induction workshop scheduled for Friday 23 February at The Academy in North Melbourne (603 Queensberry Street) has changed dates.

The new date is now Wednesday 20 March, but the location remains the same.

Registered participants should have received an email notification regarding the postponement and new date. Please check.

Participants can register for Wednesday 20 March at Face-to-face Professional Learning.

Webinars

There will be a series of professional learning webinars for VCE VM and VPC teachers held from 3:45pm-4:45pm on the dates below.

  • Tuesday 27 February – Webinar (Introduction/Refresher to VCE VM and VPC)
  • Wednesday 28 February – Webinar (Work Related Skills: Essentials for New Teachers)
  • Monday 4 March – Webinar (Numeracy: Essentials for New Teachers)
  • Tuesday 5 March – Webinar (Literacy: Essentials for New Teachers
  • Thursday 7 March – Webinar (Personal Development Skills: Essentials for New Teachers)

Past webinar recordings are now available for a variety of topics, including subject-specific webinars that were conducted during Term 2 of 2023.

Communities of Practice (CoP)

Applied-learning communities of practice have been established across the state to support teachers to implement the VCE VM and VPC. The groups form a robust network that focuses on the collaborative development of high-quality curriculum and pedagogical practice and are led by expert applied-learning practitioners in each area.

Find out more and join the VCE VM and VPC Communities of Practice

Online learning platform

Our professional learning platform provides on-demand learning modules on a variety of topics to support schools to implement the VCE Vocational Major and the Victorian Pathways Certificate.

Current courses include:

  • Applied learning in practice
  • Pillars of applied learning: Practice in action and theory in practice
  • Inspiring projects

Support materials

Teachers can also find a range of support materials on the VCE VM and VPC study and curriculum design pages, including:

  • advice on planning and developing a program
  • sample teaching and learning activities
  • sample assessment tasks and rubrics
  • sample unit plans and activities.

These materials will be added throughout the year.

Go to VCE VM resources
Go to VPC resources