The Career Education Short Course supports students to make informed decisions about their future learning, work and career pathways in a rapidly changing world of work. The course focuses on building the knowledge, skills, attributes and self-awareness students need to confidently navigate subject selection, post-school options and career planning.
Manufacturing Skills Queensland has developed a suite of resources that are aligned with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Career Education Short Course (v1.3, January 2026). The program helps students connect their school learning with future study and employment opportunities. Through guided reflection, goal setting and exploration of contemporary industries – particularly manufacturing – students develop a stronger understanding of themselves as learners and future workers.
Students will learn the role of manufacturing in the modern economy and various career paths that exist in the manufacturing industry. Career opportunities go beyond traditional roles such as boilermaking and welding, and show students how designers, assemblers, food technologists and aerospace engineers are manufacturers. Resources provide insight into current technologies and trends, and the skills required for success.
The course emphasises employability skills, career adaptability and lifelong learning. Students explore their interests, strengths and attributes, examine the diversity of work opportunities available, and build practical strategies for planning and managing their future careers. Importantly, the course complements, but does not replace, a school’s broader career guidance services, supporting students to become more informed, independent and resilient decision-makers.
DElivery
This short course has been designed to align with 70-minute lessons, while offering a high degree of flexibility to suit different school contexts, timetables and teaching approaches. Schools can choose from three optional delivery pathways:
- Full version: 25 lessons
- Lite version: 12 lessons
- Express version: 6 lessons
Unit plans for each option are provided in the ASSESSMENT folder for schools that want a ready-to-go structure.
Importantly, the course does not need to be delivered in full. All resources have been designed to be used individually or selectively, allowing teachers to:
- use a single lesson, worksheet or slide deck
- integrate activities into existing Career Education, or subject-based lessons
- sequence content in a way that best suits their students
Teachers can draw from slide decks, worksheets, visualisers and assessment items to complement what they are already teaching.
Inclusions
All lesson folders (LESSON 1 to LESSON 25) include a detailed lesson plan, complementary slide deck, and a range of worksheets and supporting resources. Required multimedia is embedded directly within the slide decks.
The ASSESSMENT folder includes unit plans and sample assessment tasks for Topic 1 and Topic 2. Each assessment includes a task sheet, scaffolding, marking guide and exemplar response.
The VISUALISERS folder includes three core tools used throughout the course:
- Career Blueprint
- Career Inventory
- Career Assembly
These visualisers link directly to worksheets, lessons and assessment tasks, with connections clearly identified within lesson plans and slide decks.
Industry Packs, located on the Manufacturing Matters website, provide students with comprehensive insights into Queensland’s diverse manufacturing sectors. They create connections between classroom learning and workplace applications, making manufacturing careers tangible and accessible.
Access Industry Packs
Acknowledgements
Avenue Crew (multimedia)
Indi Dust (illustrations)
Griffith University (Industry Packs and materials for pilot)
In 2025, MSQ piloted materials that were developed by Griffith University. Pilot materials and feedback informed the final product.