Preparing for a Career on the Coast

Preparing for a Career on the Coast

Lesson Overview The Central Coast Education Networks Preparing For a Career on the Coast lesson package is designed to help students understand the role of local government in economic development, the importance of businesses to local economies, and potential career opportunities in their region. It includes classroom discussions, video presentations, guided discussions, interactive group activities, and reflection exercises. Sustainable Development Goal Alignment
  • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth– This goal focuses on promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. Understanding the role of local government in economic development and the importance of businesses to local economies directly aligns with this goal.
  • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure– This goal emphasises building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and fostering innovation. The lesson guide’s focus on economic development and career opportunities can contribute to achieving this goal.
  • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities– This goal aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. By understanding the role of local government and businesses in local economies, students can contribute to creating sustainable communities.
Key Features of Lesson Sequence
  • Interdisciplinary Approach: The lesson package combines Commerce, Geography, and Career Education to give students a comprehensive understanding of their region’s industries, economy, social structure, and potential career opportunities.
  • Real-World Impact: Students participate in activities that provide them with insights into their local economy and encourage reflection on potential career decisions and opportunities to explore while still in school.
  • Industry & Local Government Engagement: The lesson package incorporates information from Central Coast Council and Rarekind, a recruitment and HR company located on the Central Coast. Students acquire knowledge about their local economy and the career opportunities, both current and emerging, from organisations at the forefront of developing the economic landscape and placing individuals in industries and jobs.
  • Central Coast Education Network’s Credential: Students who successfully complete the lesson and demonstrate their understanding of the local economy and careers in it will be awarded the Central Coast Education Network’s Credential – Career Aware or Career Ready. This credential recognises their achievement and skills, providing them with a valuable addition to their academic and professional portfolio.
Generalised Alignment Opportunities: Stage 4 & Stage 5 Commerce and Geography
  • Stage 4 & Stage 5 Commerce: exploring/analysing individual rights and responsibilities, economic concepts, and the role of government and law,
  • Stage 4 & Stage 5 Geography: understanding diverse places and environments, how people interact with them, and different management and protection approaches.
Delivery The lesson package is designed for classroom delivery, with foundation and an extension exercise. Teachers choose the activities to deliver.

Resources

Lesson Overview 

Lesson Plan  

Video Link/Download

Student Workbook (version 1.0)

Net Z(ed) – Student Permission Form: Digital Credential

Lesson Videos

Video 1: Empowering Local Economies: Insights from Andrew Powrie

Download/Access Video from Vimeo here:  https://vimeo.com/1090811432 

Video 2: Preparing for a Career on Our Coast: Mitch McCormack, Rarekind

Download/Access Video from Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/1090795219

Marking Rubric: Career Ready

Lesson Sequence: Preparing For A Career on the Coast

Assessment Task: Foundational Knoweldge & Research Project

Learning Objectives Assessed: 

Assessment

The following rubric provides a guide for how the teacher assesses students completing both foundation and extension lesson during the lesson sequence

Section 1: Foundational Knowledge & Engagement (Lesson 1)

CriteriaBeginning (1 Point)Developing (2 Points)Proficient (3 Points)Exceeding (4 Points)
Classroom Discussion (Combined)Offers minimal or no responses to questions about the videos’ content (Andrew Powrie and Mitch McCormack). Struggles to articulate key strengths, challenges, emerging industries, in-demand careers, soft skills, community benefits, or networking.Provides basic responses to questions, but may lack depth or detail when discussing the Central Coast economy, emerging industries, career opportunities, or the importance of soft skills and networking.Clearly articulates key strengths, challenges, and emerging industries from the Andrew Powrie video, and discusses in-demand careers, the importance of soft skills, community benefits, and networking from the Mitch McCormack video.Provides insightful and well-reasoned responses, connecting concepts from both videos to broader economic understanding and career readiness, fostering collaborative learning.
Exit Ticket ReflectionReflection is less than 3 sentences or lacks clear connections to local government economic development or potential career pathways.Reflection is 3-5 sentences but may lack depth or specific examples of learning.Reflection is 3-5 sentences, clearly articulating learning about local government economic development and potential career pathways.Reflection is insightful and well-articulated, offering specific examples and demonstrating a strong grasp of the lesson’s key objectives.

Section 2: Interactive Group Activity (Lesson 2 – Extension)

CriteriaBeginning (1 Point)Developing (2 Points)Proficient (3 Points)Exceeding (4 Points)
Group ResearchLimited or unfocused research; struggles to find relevant information about the assigned topic.Conducts some research but may miss key aspects or struggle to synthesise information effectively.Effectively researches the assigned topic, gathering relevant and accurate information from the internet.Conducts thorough and insightful research, identifying diverse and highly relevant information sources.
Presentation ContentPresentation lacks clear focus or fails to address the assigned topic adequately, including potential careers.Presentation addresses the topic but may lack depth or clear articulation of potential careers.Presentation is clear, concise, and effectively outlines findings on the assigned topic, including potential careers.The presentation is highly informative and engaging, offering novel insights and comprehensive details on potential careers within the assigned topic.
Presentation DeliveryDelivery is disorganised, difficult to understand, or does not meet time requirements (2-4 minutes).Delivery is somewhat organised but may lack clarity or fall outside the specified time frame.Delivery is clear, organised, and within the 2-4 minute time limit.Delivery is dynamic, well-paced, and highly engaging, effectively conveying information and capturing audience attention.
Peer Questioning & DiscussionDoes not ask questions or participate in discussions during other group presentations.Asks superficial questions or participates minimally in discussions.Asks relevant questions and contributes constructively to discussions during peer presentations.Asks insightful and thought-provoking questions, significantly contributing to the depth of discussion and critical thinking.

Grading (with Extension)

  • A (Excellent): 23-26 points – Demonstrates exceptional understanding, critical thinking, and engagement.
  • B (Good): 19-24 points – Demonstrates solid understanding and active engagement.
  • C (Satisfactory): 13-18 points – Demonstrates basic understanding and satisfactory engagement.
  • D (Developing): 7-12 points – Shows limited understanding and engagement; needs further support.
  • F (Needs Support): Below 7 points – Demonstrates minimal understanding and engagement.

Recognising Effort & Measuring Impact

We recognise the learning and contributions of all participants—teachers, students, and partners—through the issuance of digital badges and credentials across all our programs.

To receive a digital credential, which is endorsed by industry, government, and research partners, students and partners must complete an electronic exit questionnaire. This process allows us to capture valuable insights for continuous improvement across the network.

The value for students lies in the recognition of their achievements, while teachers can use these credentials as validation for professional learning hours, which we support teachers to receive. 

For secondary school students, permission from parents and carers will be required. Permission forms, outlining all necessary information, will be available for download in the resources area or provided electronically for teachers to distribute

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What are the expectations

We recognise that participation in the piloting or testing of any resources being developed is at the discretion of schools and teachers and realise challenges to collaboration can pop up at any time. Our approach is to be flexible, supportive, and mindful of educators’ workloads, while realising all feedback we receive from teachers during this process will lead to the development of classroom resources and student experiences that will benefit everyone.

What We Ask from our education collaborators:

  • Commitment to Providing Feedback:  Educators and industry partners are encouraged to review, refine, and provide insights on lesson materials to ensure they are relevant, engaging, and practical for classroom use.
  • Opportunities for Classroom Testing – Schools are encouraged to find space within their existing programs to trial and integrate the lessons and activities, helping us assess their effectiveness in a real learning environment.
  • Where there is Interest and Capacity – Participate in the codesign and development of the classroom lessons.

Our hope is that this approach ensures that the learning experiences remain practical, adaptable, and informed by those who will use them most—teachers and students.

Generally, we curate lesson sequences to align with an Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) approach. However, we are not prescriptive about how a teacher uses these resources; use them as you see fit for your class and students.

Industry Partner Note: Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) is an educational approach that emphasises investigation, exploration, and problem-solving. This method allows students to actively engage with real-world challenges, making it easier for industry partners to contribute meaningfully.

The IBL learning sequence follows this structured framework:

  • Context – Introduces the topic, establishing why it matters in a real-world setting.
  • Challenge – Presents a problem or scenario that requires exploration and solution development.
  • Investigation – Students use industry and curriculum-aligned resources to analyse, research, and gather insights.
  • Generalisation – Findings are synthesised and shared through multiple formats (e.g., reports, presentations, or creative outputs).
  • Reflection – Students connect their learning to broader concepts, personal insights, and career pathways.

Why We Chose Inquiry-Based Learning:

  • Easier for industry to understand and engage with – The structured investigation-driven model allows industry partners to contribute authentic challenges, feedback, and insights without needing curriculum expertise.
  • Accelerates the development of classroom resources – IBL provides a clear framework for lesson design, making it easier to create scalable and adaptable activities.
  • Simplifies classroom delivery for teachers – The structured sequence makes lesson planning and facilitation more intuitive, allowing teachers to focus on guiding student exploration rather than direct content delivery.
  • Enhances student engagement with locally aligned experiences – Students actively apply their learning to real-world business, economic, and environmental challenges within their local community.
  • Strengthens credentialing & digital badging alignment 

The IBL approach supports structured assessment and recognition, ensuring clear pathways for students, teachers, and industry partners to engage within the project credentialing framework.