Years 7-10 Commerce
Core 2.2
Employment issues and
Option 11
Running a business
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
April 2005
Page 1 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
Please read this statement about HSIE sample programs and their
purpose
Officers from Curriculum K-12 Directorate worked with a number of schools on
a programming project. The purpose of the project was to take the
programming focus off the restrictive, often slavish, following of every dot
point in the old syllabuses to focus on the big picture learning and to
incorporate the elements of the Quality Teaching document into student tasks
to increase the significance of the learning for students.
The programs are not lesson plans and do not contain the excessive detail
and overlays of some programs that have developed in the HSIE subjects.
They have a simple format that provides a small number of large tasks to
cover the learn about and learn to statements for each topic.
In using these programs students take more responsibility for their learning,
work more in groups and have greater choice about what case studies and
examples they engage. Teachers can act more as facilitators, but will still
need to intervene in the learning to teach explicitly concepts, skills and
terminology when students find difficulty within particular tasks. All the tasks
can be used for assessment for or assessment of learning purposes.
Teachers can use the tasks to provide feedback to students and assess the
products and processes of the task for the purpose of recording data that will
be used for school reporting purposes. When using the tasks in these ways
for assessment, there is no need to create additional assessment tasks and
end of topic tests are not needed because teachers will have already the
assessment information needed for school reporting.
Schools can add their own resources and vary the ICT suggestions, within the
syllabus requirements, to match their school resources. Feedback is
welcomed and adjustments will be made to improve the units in response to
feedback.
Note: This particular program has been written as a model to demonstrate a
combined unit of work with an emphasis on work and employment.
HSIE Sample programs for Commerce, Geography and History can be found
on the Curriculum Support website:
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
e.g. 7-12>HSIE>7-10 >Commerce>Programming Ideas
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
April 2005
Page 2 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
Topic
Commerce Stage 5 Combined unit
Focus
Time: 40 hours (16 weeks)
Core Part 2.2: Employment Issues

Work first four weeks
Option 11: Running a Business

Reflects intent of Work, Employment
and Enterprise statement
Business 12 weeks runs
concurrently

Employment last four weeks
Students become actively engaged in planning, organising and running a
business focusing on the commercial and legal aspects of employment and the
work environment.
Outcomes
A student:
5.1
applies consumer, financial, business, legal & employment concepts & terminology on a variety of
contexts
5.2 analyses the rights & responsibilities of individuals in a range of consumer, financial, business,
legal & employment contexts.
5.3
examines the role of law in society
5.4
analyses key factors affecting commercial and legal decisions
5.5
evaluates options for solving commercial and legal problems and issues
5.6
monitors and modifies the implementation of plans designed to solve commercial and legal
problems and issues
5.7
researches and assesses commercial and legal information using a variety of sources
5.8
explains commercial and legal information using a variety of forms
5.9
works independently and collaboratively to meet individual and collective goals within specified
timelines
Suggested ICT
 Database: record results of surveys of local businesses, local employment needs
 Spreadsheets: prepare business budget
Now easier to
achieve with 1:1
Laptop use as
part of the
Digital Education
Revolution
 Multimedia: Powerpoint presentation, animated advertisement, 30-second video commercial to
launch or market product or service
 Graphics/desktop publishing: produce brochure or flyer for product or service
 Electronic communication: access information on starting and running a business, employment
opportunities, business case studies, design a web page to market a product or service
 Word processing: use to prepare information for other applications
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
April 2005
Page 3 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
Resources
 ABS website www.abs.gov.au
 Employment Related Skills Logbook
 Business Enterprise Centres http://www.becsmallbiz.com.au/advice/outline.html
 Business Entry Point www.business.gov.au
 NSW Dept of State & Reg Dev http://www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au
 Telstra Business Starters www.telstra.com.au/business-starters/index.htm
 'Making It Happen' Introduction to Enterprise Education Kit DEETYA
 Computer-based Technologies in HSIE: Project Management pp75-80
 Job guide
 Vocational Learning in HSIE
 'Changing Labour Market' Paul Baker Powerpoint presentation det website
 DEWR Job Outlook www.workplace.gov.au
 ACTU Worksite for Schools: http://www.worksite.actu.asn.au/
 Destination 2020 http://www.tgmag.ca/byws/game.htm
 Jobsearch website career quiz www.jobsearch.com.au
 UAC (Universities Admission Centre Guidebook
 Centrelink
Now easier to achieve with 1:1
Laptop use as part of the Digital
Education Revolution
 Myfuture website
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
April 2005
Page 4 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
Teacher note:
This combined unit begins with the workplace, changing work patterns and types of
employment (Core Part 2.2 Employment issues). Issues of unemployment lead to
considerations of self-employment and the requirements of running a small business
enterprise (Option 11 Running a business). The unit concludes with aspects of employment
issues relating to running a business, such as employment contracts, taxation and
superannuation and employment relations. This third section can be completed concurrently
with tasks in running a business enterprise or as a discreet task at the end of the unit.
Learn abouts and
Teaching and learning activities
learn tos
Assessment: The activities require
students to demonstrate their learning
and are all assessment for learning
activities. Some activities might be
selected and included in a school
assessment schedule for assessment
of learning.
1. Work
Employment agency
The workplace
Task 1
Changing work patterns:
You work in an employment agency.
You have been asked to investigate
the employment situation in your
suburb/town and write a report for your
manager.
Positions can be searched
online using employment
websites such as
 Search the Positions Vacant in the
local newspaper, community
noticeboards and the internet for 1
week.
www.careerone.com.au
 propose strategies to
address workplace
issues and concerns
 Draw up a table to list the jobs
available based on occupation,
gender, age, full time, part time or
casual work.
Benefits of education and
training for employment:
 List the employer requirements for
each of the jobs.
Table can be constructed
using Excel. Data recorded
can then be easily sorted
according to occupation,
skills, fulltime employment
etc
 identify the range of skills
& benefits of employment
programs
 Go on to the ABS website. Compare
job opportunities from your survey to
ABS statistics.
 investigate changing
work patterns & discuss
impacts on individual &
society
 research & evaluate
stereotypes of
employment patterns
Types of employment:
 casual, part time, full
time, self-employed
 voluntary and unpaid
 identify the range of
employment options for
young people
 examine the advantages
and disadvantages
associated with particular
types of jobs for men and
women
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
Digital Education
Revolution NSW
www.seek.com.au
www.mycareer.com.au
Visit www.abs.gov.au
 Write a report to your manager which
outlines the job opportunities for men,
women and young people in your
town/suburb. Include in your report
whether jobs are full time, part time
or casual hours. Make a special note
of groups they you think may have
difficulty in finding a job.
Task 2
Form groups of 4-5 to be a team in the
employment agency. Each team has to
develop a training manual to help
clients seek employment. Refer to the
Employment Related Skills Logbook.
April 2005
Page 5 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
Unemployment:
 discuss implications of
unemployment for
individuals and society
Students can work on one document
at the same time by creating a live
sharing session in OneNote.
Demonstration of interview
techniques can be recorded in
OneNote, or recorded and edited in
Adobe Premiere Elements
Interactive posters can be created
using websites such as
www.glogster.com This is just one of
a range of websites that allow for
the development of posters online.
Graphics, videos and weblinks can
be inserted.
 Outline the general skills required in
the workplace
 Develop a proforma for writing a
resume
 Outline the do’s and don’ts of going
for interview, including dress and
presentation
 Develop a program Coping with
Unemployment to support clients as
they look for a job
 Prepare a talk/presentation on the
services the employment agency
offers, including a role play to
demonstrate interview techniques.
Use Microsoft Word or
OneNote to set out your
information logically.
If using OneNote, use the
points listed as separate
sections. You can then add
pages to each section.
If using Word, you can use
formatted headings then
insert a contents page
automatically.
Task 3
Each student in the class is an
employee in the employment agency
and needs to contribute to the
preparation of charts for a display at
the school Careers Expo. The following
information should be included on a
number of posters:
 Possible school to work pathways
that students can follow.
 Range of occupations showing
description of jobs, personal
requirements, changes over time,
pay, working conditions, education
and training requirements, skills
required, career path
Create engaging
presentations, using Adobe
Presenter and Flash
animations
Always check copyright
regulations if unsure go to:
www.smartcopying.edu.au
 Posters to counter stereotypes of
employment patterns
 Community volunteer work organizations seeking volunteers eg
Meals in Wheels, what they do, what
they need, employment related skills
that are developed
Brochures can be created
using Publisher.
Students are to complete a
competency sheet for the School to
Work Employment-Related Skills
Logbook
2. Running a business
enterprise
Being an entrepreneur
Reasons for being selfemployed:
 identify the advantages
and disadvantages of
being self employed
 required skills and
personal characteristics
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
Small business enterprise
Form groups of 6-10 students to plan
and operate a hypothetical business.
Students are to elect a CEO,
secretary, marketing manager, finance
manager, operations manager and
assistants. All members should
contribute to the planning and
operation of the business and
cooperate to make decisions.
April 2005
Page 6 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
 assess the required skills
and personal
characteristics for
success as a business
owner needed
Operating a business:
Task 4
Each member of the group is an
investor in the business. To increase
the chances of success, the group
needs to allocate tasks to develop and
print a simple business proposal which
includes the following:
 set up and run a
simulated or schoolbased business
 an introduction which identifies the
advantages and disadvantages of
being in business, and outlines the
skills and personal characteristics of
the owners
Planning for success
 a description of the good or service to
be produced
Selecting business
opportunities - market
research, location,
demographics,
competition, target markets
 identify the opportunities
for small business
operations
 examine the range of
opportunities for setting
up a small business
 evaluate the likely
success of small
business opportunities
Selecting the appropriate
structure - sole trader,
partnership, private
company, incorporated
association
 describe the key features
of each organisational
structure
 select an appropriate
structure for particular
situations
Arranging finance
 investigate & evaluate
the range of finance
options
 prepare a loan
application or a simple
prospectus
Establishing a new or
purchasing an existing
business
Publish work
when - location,
staffing,
new, established,
finished into
a
franchising, equipping
variety of formats
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
 the brand name and logo to be used
 a description of the market research
strategy which determines the
location, demographics, target
market and competitors
Use Microsoft Word to
complete the business
proposal.
Explore different functions
such as title pages,
headers, footers,
representing pictures,
inserting captions and
formatting tables.
 an outline of the possible legal
structures and the reasons for using
the one selected
 an outline of the local, state and
federal laws and regulations with
which the business must comply
 a budget which estimates the costs of
production, selling price, source of
funds
 the steps taken to establish the
business including location, staffing,
and setting up operations
In planning the business students
should:
 engage in team building exercises
 access local Business Enterprise
Centres
 investigate websites such as Telstra
Business Starters, Business Entry
Point, It's Your Business, Smallbiz
Wireless access to real
texts and real time
information
 investigate student case studies from
‘Making It Happen’ CD-ROM
 visit appropriate or related small
businesses
Task 5
In operating the business, students are
to:
 prepare printed advertising such as
posters, pamphlets,
newspaper/magazine advertisements
and business cards
Work can be published to
blog or PDF files
April 2005
Page 7 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
 describe the main steps
in establishing a new or
purchasing an existing
business
Business Operation
Meeting regulations, local,
state, federal:
 identify the regulations
impacting on a business
operation
Selling products
 select appropriate
marketing strategies for
promoting a business
Maintaining records revenue statement,
balance sheet, cash flow,
taxation records
 construct and analyse
key business documents
Risk management,
planning for the future:
 identify and develop
 make a 30-second video commercial
 contribute a stand at a class trade
show
 provide a group oral presentation to
launch the product and introduce
their business
Create a multimedia
presentation using Adobe
Premiere Elements
 prepare a written report of the
business operations including the
financial records which need to be
kept and plans for the future of the
business
Students are to complete a
competency sheet for the School to
Work Employment-Related Skills
Logbook
You can also create your own
opening title page, credits and
acknowledgements at the end
of the interview. Some parts of
the TV interview can be
backed by music as well. Use
the Adobe tutorials to
familiarise yourself with the
program
strategies to minimise
risk to avoid insolvency
and bankruptcy
3. Employment
Aspects of employment
issues relating to running a
business:
 identify, evaluate & report
on employment issues &
processes related to a
business
Types of employment
contracts:
 awards, enterprise
agreements, individual
workplace agreements,
common law contracts
 use the internet to
investigate the types of
employment contracts
 discuss the advantages &
disadvantages of each
type of employment
contract
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
This part of the unit can be completed
as a discrete task or concurrently in
developing the small business. The
Human Resources Manager is
employing staff.
Task 6
As the Human Resources Manager of
the business you are responsible for
recruiting staff. Prepare a report for the
CEO on how you would recruit staff.
 determine the positions required for
the business
Prepare an advertisement
using Publisher
 prepare a job advertisement including
a job description, qualifications,
remuneration
 outline the criteria for selection
including questions to be asked at
interview
 explain the advantages and
disadvantages of different types of
employment contracts and suggest
the best type of employment contract
for the position
April 2005
Page 8 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
 rights and entitlements of
casual, part-time and fulltime employment
 research the employment
conditions of casual, parttime, full-time employees
and contractors
Taxation
 reasons for taxes, types
of taxes
 describe the services
funded by taxation
 explain the relationship
between taxation, income
and government-funded
services
 processes of paying
taxes
 complete a basic tax
return & tax declaration
Superannuation
 identify the obligation of
employers towards
employees in relation to
superannuation
 discuss the advantages
and disadvantages of
superannuation as a
saving/investment option
Employment relations
Legal issues relating to the
workplace: occupational
health and safety, antidiscrimination and unfair
dismissal, redundancy and
retraining, privacy,
outsourcing, piecework
 research a current
employment relations
issue that affects different
groups in society
 identify ethical and
unethical workplace
practices and investigate
the impact of these
practices
 discuss the extent to
which anti-discrimination
laws protect individuals in
the workplace
Task 7
As a team of four students, devise an
induction program and compile a
handbook for new employees
Diagrams can be
constructed using a shared
live OneNote document
 draw a diagram to show the
management structure
 outline the legal rights and
responsibilities of full time, part time
and casual employees including
working conditions and types of
leave
Visit the Australian Tax
Office, www.ato.gov.au to
find your closest office
 obtain an income tax declaration and
complete it as an example for
employees
 Identify the obligation of employers
towards employees in relation to
superannuation
 determine the superannuation to be
paid by the employer and employee
 explain the protection provided by
anti-discrimination laws
 identify the relevant trade union and
outline their role in a possible
dispute.
Visit the Australian Human
Rights Commission
(previously known as
HREOC)
www.hreoc.gov.au
 develop grievance procedures
including a flow chart showing the
steps in making a complaint
Task 8
You have been voted to the position of
grievance officer for the workplace.
The following complaint has been
lodged with you.
Flowcharts can be
constructed by using Dia (v
0.96.1)
 A young Lebanese female employee
has been consistently praised for the
past 3 years by her supervisor for her
excellent work. Recently a young
Anglo Australian male who joined the
firm in the past 12 months was
promoted to the position of team
leader over her. She now has to
report to him on a daily basis. She
has lodged a complaint to you the
grievance officer.
Your job is to investigate the case and
write a report to the Human Resource
Manager. Your investigations should
include:
 Protection of employees with antidiscrimination laws
 Evidence of ethical and une work
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
April 2005
Page 9 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
Role of unions and
employer groups
 identify the role of unions
and employer groups
 assess the changing role
of unions and employers
groups
Resolving disputes:
grievance procedures,
negotiation, mediation,
conciliation, arbitration
practices
 The role of the relevant union in
resolving the dispute
 The dispute resolution method used
 The outcome of negotiations
Students are to complete a
competency sheet for the School to
Work Employment-Related Skills
Logbook
Use Internet Explorer and
wireless internet access
Face the facts publication
about racial discrimination
at
http://www.humanrights.gov
.au/
 identify a range of
dispute resolution
methods
 explain a possible
dispute resolution
process
 propose strategies to
address workplace
issues & concerns
HSIE STAGE 4 & 5
Curriculum Directorate
April 2005
Page 10 of 10
NSW Department of Education and Training
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/