Cairns Trade School is in for 2009
Thursday, 29 January 2009 3:36PM
More than 150 Cairns secondary students today attended orientation for a unique trades and vocational school.
The Year 11 and 12 students will be combining senior studies with vocational training in 2009 through the SchoolTech program, delivered under a partnership between Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE and Education Queensland.
The innovative SchoolTech program was successfully launched last year with 56 places offered to Year 11 students.
Due to demand and strong industry support, an extra 100 student places have been made available for 2009, with four new training streams - cookery, childcare, Indigenous health care and marine - added to the construction, electrical, engineering and metal fabrication programs offered last year.
Delivered at the Cairns TAFE Campus, the SchoolTech program gives students the opportunity to combine vocational trades training and senior studies full-time, in the one location.
Students are taught by Woree State High School and TAFE teachers while undertaking Certificate II level trades or vocational training alongside school subjects including Maths and English, with graduates securing TAFE qualifications and a Queensland Certificate of Education.
The students also participate in work placement within industry, and Cairns Region Group Training works to place the students in apprenticeships and traineeships with local employers.
Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE Director Joann Pyne said SchoolTech was going from strength to strength.
"The program boasted 98 per cent attendance in 2008 and due to demand has been expanded to accommodate 100 extra students, so it's clear that the delivery model really does work," Ms Pyne said.
"We're proud to be working with Woree State High School, Education Queensland, CRGT and local employers to provide this fresh approach to school-based apprenticeships and traineeships."
The program supports a major aim of the Queensland Skills Plan 2008 to assist youth to move into further education, training and employment while providing skills necessary to enter the workforce.
TAFE media contact: Jason Van Ballegooyen 0408 746 747
27 January 2009