“Many of our students are planning a university pathway; however, approximately one-third of our boys are looking at trade pathways, which can be started while they are at TGS.”— Mrs Anthea Ritchers
The Toowoomba Grammar School Careers department is always a hive of activity. We are a team of four and usually work with the boys from Year 9 onwards.
Our focus is to work with each individual student to assist in creating awareness of the world of work, helping students to articulate their interests and identifying what is important to them and their values. We assist the boys in developing the skills to explore the different careers out there. We connect them with employers and industry professionals and help them navigate towards the job or career they are interested in. We work hard to individualise each student’s unique School journey to help prepare them for life after school.
Our academic program caters to all students, whether they are interested in pursuing careers in the creative arts or medicine. We have the capacity for our students to follow a straight academic or vocational pathway or a combination of both. This leaves many doors open for the boys when they leave the security of TGS.
How do boys know what they want to do after School when they are only in Year 10?
Subject selection and career planning are a big part of Year 10. How do our students know what they want to do after School? The answer is — they don’t know yet, and that is okay. At Toowoomba Grammar School, we aim to support the boys in making informed decisions and provide them with the skills to navigate the many and varied career options available to them. There is always a way to get to where you want to go; the pathway may just look a little different for some students. We are all about pathways!
Career plan interviews
In Year 10, our boys undertake career profiling, which looks at career interests, aptitude and abilities, personality profiling and transferable skills. Each student receives a personalised report which is used in our career plan interviews with our students and their parents. In these meetings, we discuss possible pathways and assist the boys with subject selection for Years 11 and 12. We are fortunate to have the time to see each student and his parents for an individual meeting. This allows the Careers department to get to know each boy and assist with his pathway planning for senior studies.
Industry exposure and work experience
Throughout Years 10, 11 and 12, all of our students have the opportunity to complete work experience, attend industry-based tours and hear from employers across our region. Some of these employers are TGS Old Boys - we love it when our Old Boys come back to share their career journeys with us. The connections and opportunities for our students to explore different careers helps them to make more informed decisions about life after school and develop an understanding of different industries.
University visits
Early preparation for university entry is also important. During the career plan interviews, subject selection and university prerequisite subjects are often hot topics of conversation, as it is important to choose subjects that will keep options open. I often have boys who have changed their minds from Years 10 to 12, so planning is important. Each year, the University Showcase event allows the Year 12 students to engage face-to-face with representatives from Queensland and northern NSW universities. The students are also provided with the opportunity to visit several university campuses and residential colleges during Years 11 and 12.
The key message is that it is going to be okay. At TGS, there is excellent academic and vocational support to assist the boys and help them make informed choices about life after school. We enjoy travelling through the final stage of their school journey with them. We hope to equip them with the tools they need to navigate the tertiary system, the trade pathway and the world of work. As our vision states, we aim to ensure the boys exit TGS with the skills to be independent, well-balanced and successful in life, to respond well to challenges, and to achieve lifelong wellbeing.
Latest Blog
Women of Grammar Luncheon
A Tribute to the Heart of the School Originally scheduled for International Women's Day but rescheduled (thanks, Cyclone Alfred!) to the eve of Mother's Day, the timing felt serendipitous. It was a day to honour the women—past and present—whose quiet strength, tireless support and enduring love have shaped the School's legacy and the lives of its boys for 150 years. The marquee was beautifully appointed for a day of merriment
Lachlan Stuart's Marathon Feat
Mr Stuart will return to TGS again for the event held on Wednesday, 28 May to support the Year 12's significant fundraising G150 Gift Run event. The boys are running 1500km in a relay format to honour a 1968 TGS Interact Club fundraising project that will help upgrade the original School gates on Herries Street, along with raising funds for the Nerve Connection Foundation.
Remembering Private Colin Stirling, a TGS Old Boy (1899-1900)
This was the headline that screamed out on the pages of the Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser on Thursday, 15 August 1901. With ANZAC Day just last Friday, this week we continue to honour many of our Old Boys who gave the ultimate sacrifice including Private Colin Stirling, a TGS Old Boy (1899-1900) and our first former student lost in the Boer War. The story began with: “News was received on Tuesday afternoon that in an engagement at Kopjesfontein, on the 6th instant,…
Honouring Tradition: Toowoomba Grammar School and ANZAC Day
This year marks 98 years since TGS and the 13 Army Cadet Unit (Toowoomba Collective Unit) first participated in ANZAC Services in Toowoomba. The School's commitment to these services is a testament to its deep-rooted military traditions and the enduring spirit of remembrance. Mounties out the front of School House in 1908. A Legacy of Service Toowoomba Grammar School's military traditions date back to its early days. The School's Cadet Unit, formed in 1892, has been a cornerstone of its…
Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week - Developing Good Character Beyond the Classroom
We offer a range of enrichment activities for our boys, but the last week of Term 1 is a very special opportunity for all of our Senior School students. It's Outdoor Pursuits and Activities Week, which provides age-appropriate physical challenges in a safe, well-supervised environment. Activities on the various camps may include ropes courses, rock climbing, bodyboarding, surfing, mountain biking and canoeing. The aim is to foster a love of the outdoors and an appreciation of the environment.…
Stories behind key TGS staff helping shape our students
It was my great privilege to join TGS as Head of House - Boyce Boarding in 2024. The opportunity to lead these young men of character on their TGS journey carries great weight but is also enormously exciting. Embarking upon this project alongside my wife Meg as Boyce Boarding House Manager strengthens the team further. I am hopeful that we will demonstrate to the boys how positive relationships can foster a warm and supportive environment. I know that many of our boys are familiar with strong…
More Than Just an Education and That Makes All the Difference
Toowoomba Grammar School excels in its extensive co-curricular programs, particularly in performing arts and sports. Our boys learn that success comes from hard work and dedication. This ethos is inspired by quotes like “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great,” “The harder I work, the luckier I get” and the words emblazoned on our P.B. Hauser Aquatic Centre wall “Success is the celebration of preparation.” These opportunities allow students to excel in programs…
Stewardship: Leading the Way in Safety, Sustainability and Security
However, the challenges facing the Director of Facilities, Mr Bengie Dickeson and the Director of Information Technology, Mr Ron Robinson certainly are. This month's weather has been nothing if not unpredictable and it's in those conditions that both these men's skills come to the fore. With Tropical Cyclone Alfred and its threat to our School campus and community - Mr Bengie Dickeson and Mr Ron Robinson played integral roles in keeping everyone and everything on our 150-year-old campus safe.…
Pursuing New Horizons in Horticulture
Jake Moon is a sixth-generation primary producer. He is dedicated to agriculture and is currently working at his family’s St George farming enterprise, tackling some of the sector’s biggest challenges. The 28-year-old says his family moved to the St George irrigation precinct in 1978, initially growing rockmelons and watermelons, hence the business name Moonrocks. Seasonal and market changes led them to switch crops frequently, growing grapes, broccoli and even wax flowers over the years.…
