Career education encourages the vocational development of all students so that they will be able to make informed career decisions based upon a realistic awareness of their aspirations and the full range of options open to them.
Career education is specifically concerned with assisting students to develop a knowledge of themselves and of the world of work so that they are able to make a smooth transition from school to further education or to the workforce.
As Penrith High School is an academically selective high school, students proceed to Year 12 and sit the Higher School Certificate (HSC) examination. Following completion of the HSC, students move to universities in NSW, interstate and overseas. Therefore the emphasis of the career education program is on the preparation for tertiary entrance and the continuation of further education. During Year 10, a work experience week is compulsory for students to gain first-hand knowledge of a career in which they are interested.
The career education program at Penrith High School ensures that all students are prepared for their future, having been taught research and independent learning skills, how to set goals and how to make effective decisions.
The careers program starts with seeing all Year 7 to 9 classes once each term and continues with fortnightly lessons in Year 10. The Year 11 and 12 students are seen during specific seminar sessions. Classroom lessons are complemented by lunch-time presentations (from universities and private providers) and with the distribution of a careers news publication for our senior students and their families.