Nominator spotlight.

A champion for enterprising young students. An educator and careers practitioner, Brendan Taig enjoys facilitating opportunities for bright young students to achieve their potential in their studies.

Developing students’ potential is a core objective for Careers Practitioner Brendan Taig. He loves nothing more than to see young people thrive.

“I joined Suzanne Cory High School in 2017, and am excited to be working with the brightest young minds in the West.”

Brendan brings plenty of experience from his own career journey to help young people find their path. He has explored research, teaching and university administration roles. A love of science took him from school to university study and then into work as a science research assistant. Working as a tutor of young people while studying his Science degree sparked Brendan’s interest in teaching. He qualified as a teacher at Victoria University, then taught science, mathematics and music at Pascoe Vale Girls College. A practising musician, Brendan enjoys playing saxophone with the Westgate Concert Band, a local community band.

Working for the University of Melbourne in administration was a chance for Brendan to develop communication and planning skills. With a sound background in education and providing student guidance, he progressed through to becoming a Careers Practitioner.

As a third generation Footscray resident, being a Western Chances scholarship nominator is another way for Brendan to help young people in Melbourne’s west to succeed.

“When I joined Suzanne Cory, some students were already recipients of Western Chances Scholarships, based on the work of the previous Careers Practitioner and teachers in the school. I was happy to learn that students in the West who show outstanding talents are being supported through their studies.”

Brendan is passionate about giving students the best start to their careers, and helps steer young people toward gaining work-ready skills.

“I would like for all students across Australia to learn enterprising skills. I have seen students develop fantastic business proposals to solve real world problems. I believe these skills will be very valuable to all students.”

When it comes to identifying the young people who qualify for a Western Chances scholarship, Brendan says the students themselves need to engage actively in the process.

“We promote Western Chances throughout the school via newsletters, assembly presentations and bulletin posts. Students make multiple appointments to discuss the scholarship and application process. This is a great opportunity to learn more about what these students are achieving in the school and wider community. It also helps me to be aware of any difficult circumstances they are facing, which helps me to support them through their VTAC applications.”

Nominators can assist young people by providing a clear and easy to follow process for applying for a Western Chances Scholarship.

“Provide students with a printout of the sample scholarship application form, document checklist, signature page and media consent form as a package. These documents are available on the Western Chances website. Having a hard copy of this information helps to remind students of what information is required for the application.”

For young people experiencing challenges in achieving their dreams, Brendan has some meaningful advice from his experience in this field:

“The world of work is constantly changing, but is very flexible. There will be many opportunities that present themselves across your life, which will allow you to achieve your goal. If you don’t succeed initially, do not let this hold you back. Grow from each experience so you are stronger for the next opportunity. Don’t be afraid to change your goal if a new unexpected opportunity arises.”