Eleven students have graduated from their first tertiary course while still in Year 12 at Matthew Flinders Anglican College by successfully completing a Diploma of Business.
The students received their completion certificates at a mini graduation ceremony held in their honour on campus. They are the largest cohort to complete the Diploma of Business at Flinders.
The Diploma is offered as part of the College’s growing Vocational Education Training (VET) pathways to give students in Senior School valuable real-world workplace skills and build their confidence in preparing for their career path.
Successfully completing a VET course can provide students with credits towards a Queensland Certificate of Education, contribute to the calculation of a tertiary selection rank and support transition to the workplace and further studies.
The Diploma of Business at Flinders is delivered by registered training authority Look Now Training who in 2020 were crowned Regional Winner of the Queensland Training Awards.
Also on offer at the College through VET is a Certificate 2 in Engineering Pathways and the follow-on Certificate 3 in Aviation.
What the Diploma of Business Students at Flinders Say
Year 12 Flinders student Tyler Ransome said he enjoyed studying the Diploma course alongside his school peers and was happy its completion enabled him to achieve an ATAR ranking for a safe entry into university.
“Our class enjoyed the Diploma of Business experience and we gained a great amount of knowledge of business in the real world,” Tyler said.
“It also possibly fast-tracks our university courses and gives us a stable degree on our resume,” he said.
“I am planning to study a dual degree of Law and Business on the Gold Coast and, thanks to this Diploma of Business ranking in the 80s, I have a safe entry into the course.”
Fellow Year 12 student Jasmine Williams also completed her Diploma of Business and aims to gain entry into a double degree in Business and Property Economics at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.
“I really enjoyed getting to learn about the business environment in more detail,” Jasmine said.
“And as a student group we appreciated that some of the workshops were conducted during the holidays because it allowed us the space and time to complete important group work,” she said.
“I would highly recommend this Diploma of Business to future students.”
Supporting Real-World and Personalised Learning at Flinders
Flinders’ Secondary Teacher and Careers Advisor Ms Kathryn Rooke-Jones said the College was committed to supporting Senior School students to pursue their career aspirations.
“It has been rewarding to support this student group as they have worked hard to earn a nationally recognised qualification in the Diploma of Business,” Ms Rooke-Jones said.
“The course has given our students at Flinders a chance to develop skills in real-world contexts, as well as offering them a pathway to university study,” she said.
As one of Queensland’s leading independent schools, Matthew Flinders Anglican College provides its 1,380 students from Prep to Year 12 with personalised, real-world learning opportunities that are meaningful, experiential and consequential to the world beyond.
To learn more about the learning philosophy at Flinders, visit here.
How VET courses can be used for tertiary rankings
Completed Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications may be used for tertiary selection in two ways:
- as one of the five inputs into a student’s ATAR; and/or
- as a stand-alone basis for tertiary admission.
For example, the Diploma of Business is a verified pathway with the University of the Sunshine Coast. Students who successfully complete the course may receive credits against electives within the Bachelor of Business, depending on the student’s major.
Other tertiary institutions may also grant ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ credits for students who complete the Diploma of Business whilst at school.
Topics in the Diploma of Business
The following themes are covered through the Diploma of Business course at Flinders:
- Leading communication in the workplace
- Managing budgets and financial plans
- Developing workplace policies and procedures for sustainability
- Developing critical thinking in others
- Managing business resources
- Ensuring a safe workplace for a work area
- Coordinating recruitment and onboarding
- Managing business risk, project scope, team effectiveness and meetings
- Identifying and evaluating marketing opportunities
To learn more, visit our Flinders Secondary Senior School Curriculum Handbook here.
