The duties of the Guidance Officer in our school include personal counselling, career counselling and educational guidance. The Guidance Officer is available to parents, students and teachers for consultation on students’ educational progress in the school and for future educational planning.
Appointments can be made through the office in A-Block, or by phoning (07) 4154 5316.
Guidance Officers can help students in several different areas:
Personal life
Guidance Officers can help students with relationship concerns they may be experiencing with friends, family and others. They may also be able to help with problems such as self-worth, self-harm, anxiety and depression. If these problems are more complex, the guidance officer can assist in accessing other support services while remaining a support for the student at school.
Academic life
Guidance Officers help students with their study program, assisting in choosing school subjects and providing strategies for improving study skills, managing time and preparing for exams. In some cases they help assess individual student's educational needs. They also consult with students about alternative pathways for learning outside of school.
Work life
Guidance Officers provide career counselling for students. This involves helping students to discover their career self and find the opportunities and occupations that match. This could involve either a vocational or tertiary pathway. The Guidance Officer also helps with applications for tertiary study while the pathways officer can help with job, traineeship and apprenticeship applications.
Careers
Career development is the process of managing learning, work and leisure throughout your life. It starts with you getting to know yourself and then matching your interests, aspirations and skills with options for study and work. You can develop your skills and discover career opportunities through:
- paid work
- unpaid work experience
- volunteering
- education
- hobbies
- cultural activities.
Some simple steps can be undertaken by you such as listing your goals, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, interests and passions, and careers that interest you. The following links will help you explore and find out more about these specifically for you:
Tertiary pathway
Applying to university
The Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) processes applications for the majority of undergraduate courses at Queensland universities, for medicine at Bond University, applications to the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania and to some courses at universities in Northern NSW, TAFE Qld and the Southbank Institute of Technology.
Applications for interstate Universities are made through the appropriate state admission centres. Each application is unique and it is therefore advisable to see a Guidance Officer before applying for tertiary courses.
Please note that some private providers have a different application process and students need to contact the individual colleges for further advice.