General News
12 November, 2020
Mortlake College pilots new program
MORTLAKE College students have received a boost to their future prospects with the school piloting a new annual work placement program to provide a careers head start.
MORTLAKE College students have received a boost to their future prospects with the school piloting a new annual work placement program to provide a careers head start.
The Work Ready Skills Program, from South West Local Learning and Employment Network (South West LLEN), works with VCAL students in theoretical and practical workforce learning to help students hone their skills in their field of interest.
Mortlake College VCAL co-ordinator Mel Askew said the program was both engaging and valuable for students.
“While we are teaching work related skills as part of our structured VCAL program, the South West LLEN coming in and doing this program has taken it to that next level in terms of industry expectation and what is really happening out there in the real world and job market,” she said.
“We really want to foster relationships with local industry, to open the door to local employers for our students to do their structured workplace learning and work experience.”
Miss Askew said the program has provided students with the opportunity to pursue a greater understanding of fields of interest while gaining vital skills applicable to diverse industry.
“This year we’ve had a cohort interested in the automotive and diesel industry,” she said.
“I think that stems largely from the area we live in, with everything from small machinery and agriculture.
“In terms of what they are learning here in this program, it covers everything from our local job industry through to emerging industries and jobs that haven’t even been created yet and how these guys are going to face that in the future.
“We’re making students aware of what expectations local industries have but also to make them better candidates for the future.”
The opportunity to pilot the program has been an exciting opportunity for current students, according to Miss Askew.
“To be given the opportunity by the LLEN, which works with schools right across the region, Mortlake is thrilled to be part of this pilot program,” she said.
“We’re going to be working with LLEN every year as part of our head start program, or potentially at the start of each year, so that every student gets the opportunity.”
Miss Askew said the program had been beneficial to students after disruptions to their schooling due to COVID-19 because the program offers “real world” experience.
“The nature of our VCAL program is very hands on and industry oriented, and that has been totally thrown out the window this year,” she said.
“To have an industry specific program like this has bolstered what we do because a lot of the student learning has gone to theory-based learning, which is not what we wanted, so something like this has lifted it right at the end.”