As thousands of high school graduates hold their breath in anticipation of university acceptance offers, others are paving the way of alternative career choices.
The nervous wait for more than 55,000 NSW HSC students is on, as they prepare to get their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) on Friday.
It follows Thursday’s release of HSC results.
But for students who are yet to decide on their next move, or whether to join the workforce straight away, there are many opportunities available.
The decision to join the nation’s defence force 11 years ago was a no-brainer for ex-Cronulla High School student Kahn Bungate.
Mr Bungate, 27, joined the military and is in the infantry unit for the Australian Army.
The Bundeena “bodyguard”, who is trained in martial arts and combat, was most recently given the job of looking after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their stay in Sydney for the Invictus Games.
When he wasn’t watching out for the royal couple, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, he was also on the security team for soccer sensation, David Beckham, who visited Sydney at the same time.
Defence force senior military Sydney recruiting officer, Commander Casey Scully-O’Shea, says the force offers young school-leavers plenty of options aside from traditional university choices.
“Many young people who approach us either know exactly what they want to do, like become a pilot, or they don’t know which direction they want to take,” she said.
“The first step for school-leavers is to decide which service – army, navy, air, appeals to them the most.
“We have a defence university sponsorship, which means if you are studying a degree in an Australian university, you can have an officer job, such as in the medical field, waiting for you.”
The Australian Defence Force Academy offers school-leavers the chance to obtain a tertiary degree while undertaking military training, as part of a partnership with the University of NSW.
“You get a salary while you learn,” Commander Scully-O’Shea said. “There’s no fee debt. It’s a globally recognised degree in business, where first year candidates can get more than $41,000 and after they graduate, they get more than $80,000.
“We also have an army reserve unit at Kogarah and Sutherland. Some school-leavers don’t want to commit to a full-time degree. It’s a great way to give back to the community and get paid in fields like law, or as a paramedic. There is also a huge focus on STEM.”
For Kyle Bay’s John Acevski, TAFE was the way to go. He decided to fast track his career prospects by enrolling in a course at St George campus.
The TAFE NSW Jobs for the Future study reveals business services and technology was forecast to remain the largest employer of people in the Sydney region between 2018 and 2021.
From a disengaged student to a young adult with direction, the move was soon the best one Mr Acevski ever made. Raised in a family of business owners, he gravitated toward business studies.
“I wasn’t a big fan of study and I didn’t do well at school,” he said. “I didn’t have a plan for my future. [TAFE] is more than learning the skills. Teachers have extensive industry connections and were able to show me where the qualifications I hoped to gain could take me.”
John graduated from a diploma of leadership and management, and based on recognition of his previous studies, he was successful in transferring into a diploma of business. He then secured a role at Insurance Australia Group.
“I expressed my interest in managerial roles and was told I have the skills to progress in that field thanks to my two TAFE Diplomas,” he said.
ATARs are released at 9am on December 14. Students can access their ATAR on the My UAC mobile app or on UAC’s website.
Applications for university study in first semester 2019 are open until February 8.
