Which Pathway should I choose?

The structure of our curriculum will open exciting academic pathways for your child — which are limited only by imagination and ambition. To give our students the skills they need, we foster a culture of learning that encourages:

• independence
• confidence
• self-motivation
• belief in an ability to succeed at learning
• empathy and compassion
• embracing diversity
• global awareness
• creativity and critical-thinking
• problem-solving
• collaborative skills

From Year 7, students experience and can select a range of elective choices to prepare them for their senior pathway. As such, Years 10, 11 and 12 students can choose from a number of learning pathways to suit their individual needs: VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education), VCE VM (VCE Vocational Major) and VET (Vocational Education & Training).

Years 9-10 Electives

An opportunity for students to explore and discover new subjects, talents, skills and interests.

VCE

For students who seek further study or training at university or TAFE and to employment.

VCE VM

For students seeking an pathway to indirect university entry, Technical and Further Education (TAFE), apprenticeships / traineeships or employment.

VET

For students seeking vocational studies /nationally recognised training within their VCE or VCE VM secondary certificate.

MLMC Years 7-12 Pathway Map

When planning your exploring your subject-choices, it is important that you think not just for next year, but how next year leads into your pathway-direction. See below for information on the different pathway-directions and how many subject-choices students can make at each year level:

Years 9-10 Electives

Years 7-10 curriculum is a mix of core (undertaken in Homeroom groupings) and elective subjects:

• Year 9: Students may choose four semester-length elective units. The choices will be made from The Arts (Visual or Performing), Health and Physical Education, Technology, Japanese or Italian, English, Science, Humanities and Mathematics.
• Year 10: The curriculum in Year 10 is delivered via a combination of core and elective units. The core subjects are Religious Education, English, Humanities, Mathematics, Science and Sport. Student must choose electives from more than one faculty. Students also have the option of undertaking a Unit 1 and 2 (VCE) subject in Year 10. The Mathematics choice at Year 10 is designed to enable students to select a stream for future study in VCE (See Mathematics Overview below) or VCE VM (Numeracy):

Victorian Certificate of Education Options:

‍‍The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the certificate that the majority of students in Victoria receive on satisfactory completion of their secondary education.

The VCE provides diverse pathways to further study or training at university or TAFE and to employment.

The VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) is a 2-year vocational and applied learning program within the VCE. Is an option for Years 11 and 12 students. The program aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge, confidence and agency needed to prepare for the world of work and further education and training. At MLMC, VCE Vocational Major students will develop both academic and applied learning skills, industry specific skills, as well as work experience, in one of 2 VCE VM streams. Students selecting a traditional vocational pathway course, which includes work placement or a course which includes VCE subjects (Non-scored) leading to a more diverse range of assessment strategies integrated with Vocational Major subjects.

See https://www.vic.gov.au/vce for more information on the three options.

Year 11 and Year 12 students are able to select the following senior pathway programs:

Other important VCE / VCE VM information:

VCE Subject Benchmarks:
‍It is recommended that students use the following as a guide when selecting subjects as part of a VCE program. For a full list of prerequisites and recommendations - please read this 2025-2026 Overview of Prerequisites & Recommendations (Students & Parent Guide)

School Assessed Coursework and Tasks are undertaken in VCE subjects
The Study Scores from each subject as determined by VCAA are used by another body, Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC), to compile a score which is used nationally to gain access to University. It includes the scores from the best four subjects, including English / Literature / English Language, and 10% of the fifth and sixth subjects. For Units 3 and 4, external examinations are set and marked by VCAA. Subject exams are held in October/ November, and the General Achievement Test (GAT) is held in June.

Folio Subjects:
It is recommended that students complete a maximum of two folio/performance subjects and have previous subject experience in these disciplines. Folio subjects include:

• Media
• Studio Arts
• Visual Communication & Design
• Computing
• Systems Technology
• Product Design & Technology - Wood OR Textiles

Please note that Drama, Theatre Studies and Music are performance-based subjects and even though they are not folio based subjects they do have a significant workload. As such selections need to be reviewed in light of this.

Australian School-based Apprenticeships (SBAT) for VCE VM students

SBATs are delivered either at TAFE or on the job, one or two days a week, depending on the industry area. Due to timetabling, SBAT is suitable for VCE VM students.

- Help you get an early start in your dream career
- Learn practical skills with valuable, hands-on work experience
- Earn real wages through part-time employment
- Work towards a nationally recognised qualification
- Stay in school while working in industry
- Gain credit towards your VCE Vocational Major 
- The option to continue with further vocational education or university studies once you’ve finished your apprenticeship or traineeship
- Reduce time off their chosen apprenticeship (if continued post-school)

Due to the structure and demands of the VCE program, students enrolled in VCE are not able to undertake a School-Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT). This is because an SBAT requires students to be off-campus 1–2 days per week, which is not compatible with the timetabled requirements of the VCE pathway.
SBATs are better suited to students completing the VCE Vocational Major (VM), where flexible timetabling allows for off-site learning and work-based training. VM students undertaking an SBAT may occasionally miss scheduled classes, and in these cases, their timetables will be adjusted where possible. Students are expected to communicate regularly with their teachers to stay up to date with any missed learning, as school commitments remain the priority.
Before starting an SBAT, students must have a careers/SBAT meeting with the VET Leader and are responsible for securing an employer willing to take them on as an apprentice or trainee and commit to paying them a weekly wage. Our school works with a trusted Apprenticeship Network Provider (Busy at Work) who can assist families in understanding the requirements and benefits of different SBAT pathways.
For VCE students interested in pursuing an apprenticeship after Year 12, we recommend they consider enrolling in a VET course or VCE subject that aligns with their chosen industry. This can provide valuable insight and prepare them for future training or employment opportunities.
Families are responsible for covering transportation costs, and students are expected to arrange their own travel to and from training venues and their place of work. Any costs related to materials, uniforms, or excursions will be invoiced directly by the relevant training provider or college.
‍
Completion of an SBAT application is required to undertake this pathway.

For more SBAT information please read through the SBAT Information Sheet.

Please contact Miss Stephanie Tonietto (VET Faculty Leader) for further information

Vocational Education & Training

VCE VET programs are vocational training programs approved by VCAA. VCE VET programs lead to nationally recognised qualifications, thereby offering students the opportunity to gain both the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and a nationally recognised Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificate.

• are fully recognised within the Units 1 to 4 structure of the VCE and contribute towards satisfactory completion of the VCE. However, not all VET courses are eligible for a VCE-scored result (contributing to the student's ATAR ranking) as they are more competency-based.
• contribute to the satisfactory completion of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCE VM).
• function within the National Skills Framework

DAYS AND TIMES
‍Delivery of VET programs is predominantly on a Wednesday afternoon, and in some cases students will have to leave class early to meet with VET commitments. Students will require an Early-leavers pass which will be issued at the start of 2026. In such cases, students must communicate regularly with their teachers to catch up on work missed, as their first priority is their College commitments. Some MLMC provided VET courses such as Sport, Aquatics and Recreation run during the normal timetable. Some VET subjects run all day or from recess on a Wednesday, so these courses are only available to VCE VM students. There are a select few courses that may also run on a Thursday, which are suitable only for Year 11 VCE VM students. Also note that to moderate the amount of days missed for camps, students can not elect both VET Sport and REC and Outdoor Ed at year 10.

For further information on VET - please download this PDF (2026 VET Programs Summary) which provides:

• further details on specific VET Courses - offered at MLMC, or offered by external providers
• costs and fees for each of these courses