I was FiF, from a small country town and low socio-economic. When I got to Uni in Brisbane I was completely lost. I had to teach myself about referencing and essay writing because I had done Maths/Science to get the better score and then went to Uni to study humanities. It was the loneliest time of my life. I was miserable. Even when I made friends, I felt I didn't belong.

Yes I wonder about the knowledge base of 'career teachers'. I have worked across several industries and I would be loathe to start advising someone about a career path....What do these career advisers know? Certainly the one I had in High School was pretty much useless. Or maybe her misrecognition of me and my capabilities guided her poor advice.

Like you, I work with VET students but my job includes recruitment of Indigenous students to enrol in our course. We are steering them towards teaching as an occupation. They can opt out of study after a Cert 3 and still have some quals for teacher aiding. I think the idea of a pathway, which you can leave and return to, is the future of higher education.