All You Need to Know : VCE vs. VET vs. VCAL

When i was in Yr 10 i had a decision to make and had to decide early on whether i wanted to undertake VCE , VET, or VCAL. This was pretty stressful, yet i knew from basically year 7 that i wanted to go to university and do science subjects such as Chemistry and Biology in my later years, which ultimately lead me to choosing VCE. 

In this blog i will discuss the difference between the 3 types of higher education for Yr 11 and 12's, that is the difference between VCE, VET, and VCAL and my take on it all. 

To begin i will first distinguish the differences between the three :

VCE - Victorian Certificate of Education - Is the well known and traditional pathway that most senior  high-school students take if they wish to go to university. After completing a total  of 4 Units and 16 satisfactory subject units with English being compulsory to pass, students if they are eligible - Will receive an ATAR - A number ranking that is used as a selection criteria for entrance into universities. Assessments are school based and result in a S -Satisfactory or N - Not Satisfactory grade. This is done over 2 years. 

VET - Is the type of hands on education that can be taken in conjunction with either VCE or VCAL. And at the end students are awarded a Victorian Certificate of Education and Training and either undertake a trainee-ship or apprenticeship. This is also school based learning usually done through external providers. 

VCAL - Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning - Is the type of learning for a student looking to go into a hands on job such as a trade . This hands on learning in an area of choice is taken as well as Literacy and Numeracy units. After the completion of this 2 year course students may wish to become further educated at a TAFE  or work , upon finishing high-school or starting an apprenticeship.

Now, my thoughts on all three is that at the end of the day only you know which one is right for you. When i was in high-school there was and still is a lot of stigma around people who choose VCAL and even VET, they are portrayed as lazy, unmotivated, and unintelligent people. Which is totally bogus. No one is above anyone else because of the type of education they take that is just crazy. And some people may feel bullied into doing VCE because they don't want people to think of them negatively but the main take-away message is to do you in high-school. Personally as an individual who has done VCE i can say it was one of the most toughest, stressful years of my life, it was tough there was a lot of ups and downs but i wouldn't have it any other way because in the end i reached my goal of getting into University. I would recommend that you choose what feels right for you because you don't want a life others have made for you. 

If anyone has any questions or opinions i would love to hear from you, just leave your questions and opinions below and i will reply promptly. 

Hope this Helps , 

Zoe A.M.