Local Community Partnerships encourage businesses to "Adopt a School(s)" so they can give young people hands-on experiences in specific industry sector - preferably an emerging sector or one where there is a skills need.
Hunter Valley Youth Express have supported the following 'adopt-a-school' programs from 2006-2008
Thornton Industrial Estate top
Thornton Industrial Estate came into the ASP program late in 2006. As a result, 6 School Based Traineeships were commenced by young people from local high schools in Auto - Heavy Vehicle, Auto – Light Vehicle, Panel and Paint, 2 x Warehousing, Business Services.
Businesses from within the area may also be willing to support local high schools through site visits, class talks, teacher professional development.
Businesses who have supported ASP and SBT’s for the Thornton area have included:
Thornton Home Hardware
Hunter Ready Mixed Concrete
Commercial Window Company
Thornton Joinery
GWH Group
GWH Workshop
Glenwood Rural Buildings
Hunter Pet Supplies
4 Mile Pty Ltd
Reece Plumbing
Cousins Auto Centre
Hunter Councils
Retail Expo – Stockland Greenhills top
This innovative event, hosted annually in 2006 – 2007 by Stockland Greenhills, is a local initiative. Its success is based on the strong support from local Retail Teachers, Stockland Greenhills, HVYE, The Department of Education and Training, Big W and other businesses within the complex. It is now being duplicated elsewhere throughout the Hunter, including Raymond Terrace and Muswellbrook.
The ‘Retail Rookie’ concept enables teams of Year 12 Retail students from across Hunter High Schools to showcase their skills and compete against other school teams for a perpetual shield + skill specific medals. Stockland Greenhills along with Big W and other businesses within the centre support this full day event that is open for viewing by the public.
It is planned that this event will be hosted by Stockland Greenhills again in 2008.
Crowne Plaza – Hospitality top
Crowne Plaza have offered to host class and teacher visits, to visit Hospitality and Career Classes and support Work Experience in 3 local high schools. The plan for 2007 is to identify talented students to cater for an event later in the year.
Cessnock High School
Mount View High School
Kurri High School
Kurri Kurri Adopt a School top
One of the most exciting Adopt a School Programs that aims to bring industry and education together to enhance outcomes and opportunities for young people locally. Local businesses are supporting a range of events in the community that include ‘Career Quest’, school visits, site visits and enhanced interaction between school staff and the industry sector.
See Teacher Resources link for Industry contact information.
Food & Wine Festival – Port Stephens top
Students from local high schools are given the opportunity to undertake their hospitality work placement during the Tastes of the Bay Food & Wine Festival. There has been a partnership arrangement in place for a number of years between education and industry allowing local students to gain excellent on the job experience. The students are given the opportunity to participate in the lead up to the event, by being involved in the preparation prior to as well as participating in the weekend festivities. This year the event will be held on 10/11 November 2007. Students are also given the opportunity over the weekend to participate in the Celebrity Chef competition.
Cows Create Careers top
Cows Create Careers’ has come to the Hunter! Initially it came from a Strzelecki Lions Club project, established in 2004, to promote education opportunities in the rural industry to secondary school students (years 7 – 11) by:
Introducing the dairy industry to secondary schools
Involving dairy farmers and mentors with vision and dairy industry knowledge to encourage and assist students
Creating awareness for students in making their career decisions by providing linkages to education and career pathways.
Rewarding successful students and schools
Students have the opportunity to feed, weigh, measure and monitor the development of a calf, provided by a local dairy farmer. The dairy farmer mentors the school and its project. The project is designed in such a way that it contributes to curriculum outcomes for students across a range of years and subjects. The project culminates in a presentation and celebration to be held at Tocal College on 24 June 2008.
The Hunter project involves the following schools in 2008
Cessnock High School, Dungog High School, Hunter River High School, Singleton High School, ASC St Catherine’s, Rutherford Technology High School, Muswellbrook High School, St Joseph’s Aberdeen, Newcastle High School
The Hunter Project is generously supported by Dairy Australia, Tocal Agricultural College, ANZ Bank.
CISCO top
During the years leading to 2008, difficulty in obtaining compulsory work placement opportunities for Information Technology students in years 11 and 12 started to become an issue.
Schools who were isolated from their city counterparts found great difficulty in accessing quality experiences for their students.
Charles Impey, Regional Industry Career Adviser made initial contact with CISCO, a Sydney based, international technology company. Through CISCO’s Jonathon Ladmore and Charles Impey, a ‘Virtual’ Placement project was born. Local Community Partnerships are acting as the local contact to ensure the project has the best opportunity for success. During 2008, students from targeted schools will be part of a pilot that trials ‘virtual’ placement. Local industry sites are required to provide on-line access and monitoring and mentoring of students during placement. Schools involved in the pilot during 2008 come from Tomaree, Taree and Tamworth. Watch this space for updates!
