Guidance
Guidance Officers are employed by the Department of Education and Training. They work directly with students, their teachers, parents and other professionals. Guidance Officers are registered teachers with appropriate post graduate qualifications in career and personal counselling.
Guidance Officers can help students in several different areas:
Personal Life
Guidance officers can help students with relationship concerns they may be experiencing with friends, family and others. they may also be able to help with problems such as self-worth, self-harm, anxiety and depression. If these problems are more complex, the guidance officer can assist in accessing other support services while remaining a support for the student at school.
Academic Life
Guidance Officers help students with their study program, assisting in choosing school subjects and providing strategies for improving study skills, managing time and preparing for exams. In some cases they help assess individual student's educational needs. They also consult with students about alternative pathways for learning outside of school.
Work Life
Guidance Officers provide career counselling for students. This involves helping students to discover their career self and find the opportunities and occupations that match. This could involve either a vocational or tertiary pathway. The Guidance Officer also helps with applications for tertiary study while the pathways officer can help with the job, traineeship and apprenticeship applications.
The Guidance Officers at Bundaberg North State High School are Helen Coulton and Stuart Ross. They are located in B Block and appointments can be made through the office.