All up, almost 77,000 students received their Higher School Certificate (HSC) mark for at least one course on Thursday, while 56,000 received an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) rank on Friday.

And while marks and ranks are important, many business leaders across the region say they are not the ‘be all and end all’.

And, it seems CSU and Deputy NSW Premier and skills minister John Barilaro agree.

READ MORE: Top 10 performing Central West schools in this year’s HSC

CSU Communication and Creative Industries course director Travis Holland said there was way too much stress put on students to perform well in their HSC and ATAR.

“There are a lot of different pathways now and the one thing that CSU does is we ensure people have access to different pathways,” he said.

“There’s also single subject studies and, for the most part, they don’t have any entrance requirements.

READ MORE: Twins finish Year 12 with near-identical ATARs

“Completing two subjects successfully can lead to entry into a course.”

Mr Barilaro urged this year’s school leavers to consider undertaking a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course.

As a former carpenter, he said knew “only too well the work and lifestyle benefits of taking up a trade”.

“Apprentices and trainees can earn while they learn and VET graduates are getting into rewarding jobs sooner, with no HECS debt,” Mr Barilaro said.

READ MORE: Business leaders say HSC, ATAR is not the ‘be all and end all’

“This compares to university graduates paying on average $20,000 to $30,000 for their degrees.”

Mr Barilaro said all apprenticeships were now fee-free thanks to the NSW Government’s $285 million investment in trade.

Meanwhile, Mr Holland said some CSU courses did not rely on prospective students achieving a certain ATAR at all.

READ MORE: How Central West students reacted to receiving their HSC, ATAR results

“Some courses are interview and portfolio,” he said.

Mr Holland has urged anyone interested in completing studies through CSU to contact the university.

“If you’re interested in certain areas have a look at the career landing page [on the CSU website], it shows all the degrees,” he said.

“Also, ask people in the field, ask the uni, get on the phone and speak to someone.”