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Jane Smith

from working on a paddler steamer to VET Coordinator
I help students explore career pathways and support their VET journeys
School
Eaton Community College
Job Level
Senior

Ask me about

  • Changing careers and finding your passion later in life
  • VET pathways, traineeships, and workplace learning opportunities
  • Building career skills that can transfer across jobs and industries
  • Overcoming challenges and adapting to change throughout your career

About me

  • Regional Background

After coming to senior school teaching later on in my working life, I found myself in a series of roles in the education space outside of the traditional classroom. These roles were supporting disengaged young people back to learning, training and employment and they have now evolved into my current role as a VET Coordinator. I am also a mother of 4 children, and I am lucky enough to live in the Southwest of WA. I have been a classroom teacher, worked in Local and State Government and in Training. I still love learning.

About my role

  • Curious
  • Flexible
  • Observant
  • Persuasive
  • Resourceful

My role is to equip students with the knowledge, practical skills and industry competencies required for employment, further training and lifelong learning. The role involves planning and delivering engaging, competency-based training, assessing student performance against national training package requirements, and providing timely feedback and support to help learners achieve successful outcomes. Part of the role involves maintaining compliance with regulatory and quality standards and liaising with industry partners to ensure training remains relevant to workforce needs. I also contribute to curriculum development, student mentoring and career guidance, workplace learning opportunities and continuous improvement processes, fostering both technical capability and, most importantly, employability skills.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts, Melbourne University
  • Graduate Diploma of Media Studies, Victoria University
  • Graduate Diploma of Secondary Teaching, Murdoch

Subjects

  • Biology
  • English
  • General Mathematics (Maths A)
  • Health and Human Development
  • History

Hobbies

  • Dancing
  • Gardening
  • Reading
  • Swimming
  • Writing

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Entered education later in life
  2. Worked across multiple sectors
  3. Progressed from teacher to VET Coordinator
  4. Adapted to changing workplaces and technologies
  5. Followed a consistent passion for education helping disengaged students

My typical day

My school

Eaton Community College is a public secondary school in Eaton, Western Australia, supporting students from Years 7-12. The College is committed to creating an inclusive learning environment where students are supported to achieve their goals through a range of academic, vocational and wellbeing programs.