Vocational Major Personal Development Skills

Vocational Major Personal Development Skills

Course Summary

Vocational Major Personal Development Skills (PDS) takes an active approach to personal development, self-realisation and citizenship by exploring interrelationships between individuals and communities. PDS focuses on health, wellbeing, community engagement and social sciences, and provides a framework through which students seek to understand and optimise their potential as individuals and as members of their community.

This study provides opportunities for students to explore influences on identity, set and achieve personal goals, interact positively with diverse communities, and identify and respond to challenges. Students will develop skills in self-knowledge and care, accessing reliable information, teamwork, and identifying their goals and future pathways.

PDS explores concepts of effective leadership, self-management, project planning and teamwork to support students to engage in their work, community and personal environments.

Through self-reflection, independent research, critical and creative thinking and collaborative action, students will extend their capacity to understand and connect with the world they live in, and build their potential to be resilient, capable citizens.

Students must complete Units 1 and 2 to be eligible to attain the Vocational Major certificate 

VCE: Unit 1, 2, 3 & 4 sequence available

Learning Activities & Assessment

  • Use a game like City Guesser to guess different locations in the world. After the game, debrief how students applied their understanding of community and the characteristics of community to make their guesses. Multiplayer options are available 
  • Conduct an excursion in the local community. This may include a visit to the local council, local community centre or another community-based organisation. Explore the characteristics that influence how community is formed and the different groups of people that exist with the community 
  • Visit the Australian of the Year website and develop a profile of an inspiring Australian of the Year. Detail how the person has engaged with the community and explore the impact the person has had on others, including any strategies they have used to promote community engagement and participation for others 

Classroom Virtual Tour

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Quick Links

Approximate Costs

Unit 1 & 2

Unit 3 & 4

Learning Area Contact

Learning Area Leader

Jess Kellahan