Overview
Availability
Years 9-10
Qualification
RoSA
Commerce equips students with essential skills to make informed decisions across the consumer, financial, business, legal and employment domains.
It offers practical, hands-on skills that will always be useful to students, including money management, budgeting, negotiating purchases and addressing workrelate matters. These competencies are particularly advantageous for young individuals entering the workforce and beginning to earn an income.
Topics
- Law, Society and Political Involvement
- Law in Action
- Employment and Work Futures
- Travel
Options
- Our Economy
- Consumer and Financial Decisions
- The Economic and Business Environment
- Investing
- Promoting and Selling
- Running a Business
- Travel
- Towards Independence
- School-developed option
In Commerce, students learn about managing money and making informed financial decisions. The course explores interactions between consumers, businesses and governments in the economy, fostering problem-solving skills such as analysing and evaluating information. Students also develop critical thinking, reflect on their learning and engage with their community.
In the Legal Studies component of Commerce, students investigate the impact of laws on our lives and society and our roles in democracy. They explore the functioning of our parliamentary system, mechanisms for legal change and avenues for civic action. By examining reallife scenarios, students gain insights into their rights and understand how legal reform contributes to a more just and equitable society.
Course Highlights
Shark Tank Experiment
A highlight of the Commerce course is the chance for students to become their own boss. This option is developed to spark creativity, innovative thinking and entrepreneurship. It gives every student a chance to build a small business from the ground up and handson experience as they plan, budget, market and run their business idea. Students then present their innovative business proposals to a panel of special guest investors just as they do on ‘Shark Tank’.
The ASX Sharemarket Game
The real world is brought into the classroom. Not only can students learn about the share market, they can put into practice what they are learning. Students receive a virtual $50,000 that they can invest over a ten-week period in 200 companies listed on the ASX. The prices at which students buy and sell are the same prices they would receive in the live market, so this is as close to real-life share trading as it is possible to get.
As a result of playing the game, students will:
- develop their knowledge of the share market
- learn how to research companies
- discover the importance of wise investment decisions
- gain a greater knowledge of economic and world events
- begin to learn more about investing, which will be of future benefit to them
- win great cash prizes of up to $600.
Mock Trials and Excursions
In Commerce, students benefit from participating in a mock trial and visiting the Local Court to observe real criminal cases. They also visit a correctional centre, the High Court of Australia and the Australian Parliament, gaining firsthand insights into the legal system and democratic processes.
Planning a Holiday
Students learn how to plan for travel and how to solve problems encountered when travelling. They explore the considerations that need to be made when planning for travel and gather relevant data when developing a travel itinerary and budget.