We celebrate individual student achievement and recognise that no two pathways from school to a career will look the same. At Mercedes, we take learning personally…
We celebrate that no two student pathways look the same. Each student receives personalised guidance, access to high-quality opportunities, and the care needed to succeed.
Whether their goal is to become a tradesperson, engineer, entrepreneur, educator, doctor, pilot, or professional athlete, we provide the structure, expertise and support to help them.
Our Student Pathways Programme is grounded in the belief that every young person has the potential to make a contribution in this ever changing world.
Through a combination of career education, VET, SACE, IB, industry connections, University partnerships, and our strong network of Mercedes Old Scholars (MOSA), students develop the confidence, direction, and skills to take their next step after their time at Mercedes.
We acknowledge that the learning options for our students continue to evolve and change. Life after school is no longer linear – there are many pathways available for students to choose from to help them follow their passions or discover where their learning can take them.
Our Student Pathways Team invest in experiences, activities and opportunities throughout the year, to ensure that students are supported and encouraged to seek out options to help them follow their interests and build on their strengths.
Each year, our students in Year 9 to Year 12 are invited to a dedicated Career Expo, featuring external exhibitors from a wide range of sectors, including allied health, defence, education, the arts, medical and emergency services.
The Expo also features subject specialists from the College, and Old Scholars who are happy to share insights about their career paths and learning options within the College.
This forum provides an opportunity for students and their families to talk directly to industry leaders and experts about the pathways available to them.
With complementary information sessions held concurrently to the Expo, students leave inspired to take the next step towards their futures with confidence.
VET pathways are an important part of our commitment to practical, personalised learning.
Students are able to gain nationally recognised qualifications while completing their SACE studies, blending classroom learning with real-world, industry-based experience.
Students choosing to undertake a VET course are provided with a dedicated study line and ongoing academic support to ensure balance and success.
Through partnerships with leading Registered Training Organisations, students can complete Certificate II or III qualifications in a wide variety of industries, including Business, Trades, Early Childhood Education, Cyber Security, Animal Studies and more, whilst earning credits towards their SACE.
Learn more about VET on our Senior School page.
More InformationEarly in Year 10, students undertake a comprehensive Career Guidance Assessment Programme.
The programme, facilitated by BDO Industrial and Organisational Psychology School Services, provides an overarching written assessment, followed by individualised consultant-facilitated feedback sessions with students and their families.
Each individualised report helps guide students with their Year 11 and 12 course and subject selections, as well as career planning for life beyond school.
Year 10 students are offered with a two-day series of workshops to support their ongoing career exploration and subject pathway planning.
Facilitated by staff from the University of Adelaide, students rotate through eight hands-on workshops, each focused on a different field of interest including health, construction, engineering, marketing, and psychology.
To help our students prepare to enter the workforce, we run a series of ‘mock’ interviews for our Year 10 students.
During this exercise, they are given practical guidance on how to review a job advertisement, write a resume and application letter.
Applications are provided to a series of volunteers from our College community who assess them, and conduct a short interview with that student, providing written feedback to help them refine their interview preparation and performance.
As well as being an excellent life skill to undergo, students benefit from the experience of dealing with interview questions from a range of industry professionals.
As part of their Year 11 studies, students engage in three days of community service (as part of the IB Diploma) or volunteer work experience (as part of SACE).
These experiences provide students with a greater understanding of how teams cooperate in the workplace, and how the day of a professional differs from that of a full-time student.
It is invaluable knowledge as students move closer to finalising their plans for their time after school – whether that be tertiary education, work, travel, or additional training.
In addition to classroom learning under the SACE pathway, students with niche interests and learning goals are supported through partnerships with external providers to access specialised areas of study, such as Aviation or Elite Sports.
High-achieving students are similarly able to extend their learning through university partnership programmes at Flinders and Adelaide University, allowing students to complete university topics during Year 12, simultaneously earning SACE credits and tertiary recognition.
These opportunities extend our students’ horizons while maintaining the College’s full academic and pastoral care support.
