Children in primary school should be learning how their subject choices might affect their future careers, an expert believes.
Victoria University's Mitchell Institute wants to see more partnerships between schools and employers to expose young children to the world of work from an earlier age.
Institute director Megan O'Connell says introducing children to a range of industries can help them learn about the different career paths available.
"So they can know what the real world looks like and it can inspire them, particularly in subjects they may not be that keen on otherwise, particularly maths and science," she told AAP.
"It's not about at the age of 10 deciding 'I'm going to be a doctor' or 'I'm going to be a lawyer', it's about having more exposure to the whole world of possibilities that are out there."
While work experience or vocational training is available for older students the institute wants to see a reduction in red tape that would allow younger children to do things like visit hospitals and hear about the range of jobs that are available outside becoming a doctor or nurse.
School visits from industry experts are also part of the plan, and is something already happening in some schools.
Engineers from Google have partnered with some schools to work with students in classrooms and train teachers on new technology.
But Ms O'Connell said at the moment that's restricted to schools with highly motivated teachers and principals who aren't struggling against a lack of resources.
If the government could see industry participation as an important outcome of schooling that could change.
"We see NAPLAN as an important outcome, we see ATARs as an important outcome - we don't often see the need for schools to help young people actually prepare so they're on a good pathway at the age of 24," Ms O'Connell said.
Meanwhile Vicki Thomson, who chairs the Group of Eight universities, has reiterated her call for vocational training to be regarded on the same level as academic learning.
"In fact, as time goes on we may well see more and more people (graduating from) both," she said in a keynote address on graduate employment outcomes and industry partnerships in Sydney on Monday.
"We are a poorer nation if we do not see the wisdom in this."
