Gladstone Gaol is having a facelift, and it is all thanks to a group of students learning the art of construction.
Fresh into the school year and Gladstone High students have already started their Doorways to Construction program.
It’s a program that involves a partnership between the Construction Industry Training Board and the Department of Education and Children’s Services.
Students have the opportunity to get hands-on experience when it comes to building work.
Program coordinator Ian McLaren said they were hoping to get their students ready for employment.
“At the gaol, the students do a lot of removing of the cement mortar and replace it with lime mortar,” he said.
He described Doorways to Construction as a well-designed program and it was proving to be a success.
“The biggest thing is that we see 93 percent of students make a decision to go into a trade related area,” he said.
Year 12 student Mitchell Bentley is currently in the second year of the program and is already doing a school-based apprenticeship, hoping to become a plumber.
“I like the program because I’m more of a hands-on work kind of person,” he said.
“You get to learn a variety of skills and get more experience in different areas.”
Gladstone High School senior leader in charge of flexible pathways and well being Kerrilyn Elmer said programs were tailor-made to suit the students’ individual needs.
With more students looking to learn a trade, in recent years, the school has greatly improved the programs they have available.
Besides Doorways to Construction, students are working on Certificate II in Engineering and Certificate II in Automotive in Port Pirie. The school is tapping into the Skills for All funding, enabling their students to secure spots in the programs.
A new group, called the Engineering Academy, handpicked students to take part in a special program at the Port Pirie TAFE institute. Gladstone student Tim Woolford was one of the few selected to take part in the program, which involves local businesses Kelly Engineering, from Booleroo Centre, and Taylor’s Wines, from Clare. Ms Elmer said trade training had changed across the last few years.
“To get a school-based apprenticeship is much more competitive now,” she said.
“Some of our students have been lucky enough to get apprenticeships in places like Nyrstar and SA Water.”
School principal Joann Weckert said trade training almost has an equal status to university study. “We have got more businesses who want to start with school-based apprentices,” she said. The school has 20 school-based apprentices working in agriculture, plumbing, retail, motor trades, butchery and general construction.
Email a friend