The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)

The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is a program that offers hands-on experience of professional life to the students studying at the senior secondary level of their education. The program has been designed to meet the educational needs of the students completing the 12th year of their education. The accreditation came back in 2002 and since then, thousands of students have benefited themselves through this program.

The VCAL program aims at contributing to the theoretical and practical skills of the students. The program enlightens the students about their choices and helps them discover their interests so they can proceed in the right career path. It provides the students with the knowledge that is required to make a mindful career choice along with the skills that are required to prosper professionally. The program also works on the interpersonal skills of the students, making them more prepared for what the future holds for them.

In a nutshell, the following are the benefits of the VCAL program.

• Enlighten the students about career pathways
• Providing students with a program that meets their interests
• Improve the theoretical and practical skills of the students
• Work on the interpersonal skills of the students

VCAL is a treat for all the students finishing their secondary education. This program is specially designed for students who wish to join a professional life instead of going to a university. The program is detailed to prepare the students for the apprenticeship, Vocational Education and Training (VET) or any other employment. It doesn’t even require the students to show language skills. Following are some of the prime benefits that this program offers.

• Practical Skills: As mentioned before, the program is specially designed to work on the practical skills of the students in order to prepare them for practical life. To complete this program, students have to take part in an apprenticeship or an internship or any other part-time work experience.

• Personalization: The program consists of three levels; foundation, intermediate and senior. Students can choose between the three levels as per their interest and gain accreditation by fulfilling its requirements. Students have the option of getting an apprenticeship or an internship or any other program that offers them hands-on experience of practical work. They can also choose to get Vocational Education and Training (VET) credits.

• Networking: Students completing the VCAL program need to take part in a work-related experience. This helps them build relationships with their future employs. Students completing the VCAL program have a network of people on their side which can be benefiting in the long run.

VCAL is a recognised senior secondary qualification. It concentrates on ‘hands-on learning. Students who do the VCAL are more likely to be involved in continuing their TAFE training, doing an apprenticeship, or getting a job after completing Year 12.

The flexibility of VCAL allows students to design a study program that suits their interests and learning needs. There are four mandatory aspects in VCAL:

• Literacy and Numeracy Skills
• Work-Related Skills
• Industry-Specific Skills
• Personal Development Skills

A certificate and results statement will be issued to students who have successfully completed their VCAL.

Following are the requirements for VCAL

• Must be under 18 years old
• Year 10 or year 11 must be done with the last 12 months
• Must have at least 50% score in year 10 or year 11
• No IELTS required
• A bank Statement of $40,000 is required

Unlike other accredited programs, there isn’t a long tedious list of formal entry requirements for VCAL. The only official requirement is the completion of year 11 with at least a 50% score in the past 12 months. Other than that, there is the basic age requirement of student being 18 years or younger. You don’t need to appear in any language proficiency tests like IELTS/PTE or TOEFL (No ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST) or go through exhausting health tests to meet some specific standards.

There are few simple aspects on the basis of which, the student’s entrance into the program is determined. Also, the right level of VCAL program is also decided on the basis of these factors. Some of the key factors that steer this decision are,

• The candidate’s strengths and weaknesses
• Their learning capability
• Their future goals
• Their interests
• Their leadership qualities

There are some other qualities as well that are studied before the student is granted admission to the right VCAL level.

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