Hello Grade 9s, this year can feel overwhelming as you are faced with Career Choices, Subject Choices and Life Choices... but you are not alone
We have packaged a series of conversations (we like to call them "chats") where we talk to you about subject choices and the implications for your career and future opportunities.
On this page you will meet Claudia, Funeka, Michaela, Winita and their mentor, educational psychologist Amanda van der Vyver
Last year, we recruited these young people from the communities where we work; they are in on-the-job training and under our mentorship as our first group of Life Guidance Facilitators working with Grade 9s as peer counsellors. Due to school closure and social distancing, this group had to try a new skill and present on camera instead of in-front of a class. It is 2020 - everyone is being brave and trying new things...
Welcome, and lets get started !
Subject Choices
Part 1 - The importance of subject choices and what to take into account
Let's do an exercise to EXPLORE WHO YOU ARE (make sure you have some plain paper and pens nearby)
Part 2 - Career Fields
After you've learned more about who you are, take some steps to DISCOVER DIFFERENT CAREER FIELDS, learn more about them and then take time to think about which career fields would fit in with who you are.
Visit these websites for more info:
Part 3 - Considering further education
In South Africa there are many types of qualifications and institutions to choose from. Each qualification has a specific focus and requirement and can be entered into at specific institutions. The next videos and slides explain these differences.
National Accredited Technical Education Diploma (NATED)
A National Certificate Vocational (NCV) is an option to consider, instead of Grade 10, 11, 12 at school. You may decide that doing an NCV at a TVET (technical and vocational education and training) college is a good option for you, you could also qualify for a NSFAS bursary. In the next video Amanda takes you through a few websites that you will find helpful.
Part 4 - Admission requirements and subject choices
As mentioned before, the subjects you take in Grade 10-12, will determine the options that would be available. Take a look at the following videos and slides to learn about admission requirements and, most importantly, which subjects would be required for the career and study fields you are interested in.
One of the biggest subject decisions Grade 9's face is whether to take Mathematics (or "pure Maths" as some call it) or Mathematical Literacy. See what our team has to say about this decision.
For a quick review of the possible Grade 10-12 subjects learners can choose from, visit Tip 5 at www.careerprep.co.za/subjects (click on each subject to expand the information). Remember that your school may not offer all of these subjects. Make sure to speak to your LO teacher or Grade 9 head for more information.