HSC Retail Services (VET)

It is a NESA Stage 6 VET syllabus based on qualifications and units of competency from the SIR Retail Services Training Package. Courses within it count as Board Developed unit credit for the HSC. The current syllabus is based on SIRv7, applying to the 2022 HSC exam and beyond.

The framework offers two pathways: the Certificate II in Community Pharmacy and the Certificate III in Retail. Both are drawn from the SIR Retail Services Training Package. Check with your school or registered training organisation about which pathway and units they deliver, since delivery depends on their scope of registration.

Yes. The framework includes an HSC exam, which gives students the opportunity to have the exam mark contribute to the calculation of their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. The syllabus and assessment page, HSC exam papers and performance band descriptions are the official references for exam structure and standards.

Yes. Work placement is a mandatory HSC requirement within this framework, and minimum hours have been assigned to HSC VET courses. Your school or training provider organises the placement and will tell you the required hours and any documentation, so confirm arrangements early rather than assuming classroom hours are enough.

Start with the official syllabus and assessment information, then work through the HSC exam papers and support materials, including the course planning template and HSC content and mind maps. Use the performance band descriptions to understand what distinguishes each band, and revise the units of competency your class actually covers.

Read the record of changes linked from the Retail Services page, which notes updates to the syllabus and assessment, HSC exam and support materials. It points to Official Notices NESA 29/23 and NESA 16/24. Always study from the current version rather than older printed notes.

Yes. Students with disability may undertake the course under regular course arrangements, or may study selected units of competency within the course identified through the collaborative curriculum planning process. The NESA pages on VET courses and students with disability and on collaborative curriculum planning explain how this works.

VET qualifications combine technical skills for a specific job or industry with employability skills usable across career pathways. NESA lists related industries including Accommodation and Food Services, Arts and Recreation Services, Retail Trade and Wholesale Trade, but the list is not exhaustive, so treat it as a starting point for career research.