Learning Pathways
MS ARLIE HOLLINDALE, CO-ORDINATOR OF LEARNING PATHWAYS 2019 was a positive and fulfilling year for the Specialist Elective program and other learning pathways exploration.
The opening of the Health Hub in August 2019 was a highlight of our year. With the injection of $14,000 worth of P and F funding, the College was able to open a two-bed (threebed capacity) simulated Nursing ward and Allied Health station. This first-of-its-kind, privately-funded, in-school facility allows our students who are interested in pursuing Nursing, Health and Allied Health careers to train for a Certificate II in Health Support Services and then branch into a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance or Allied Health Assistance. Mater Education delivers training on a fortnightly basis to our Health students; a program which continues to be the most high in demand amongst the Specialist Elective choices. The opening of the Health Hub sparked great interest and support from our dynamic, local Health industry, and our health students enjoyed enhanced Health experiences, visitations and simulations through partnering with Southern Queensland Rural Health (SQRH) and LifeFlight. Another new advancement to this program this year, was the four-day practical placement spent in the Mater Hospital, Brisbane. In addition to this, we partnered with St Vincent’s Hospital to provide a second practical three-day placement locally. New partnerships were also secured with local Allied Health networks providing two-weeks’ experience to our Allied Health students. These invaluable placements have provided our girls with a most realistic exposure to the Health industry.
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An additional high point of the program was to see three of our Year 10 students, who were studying their Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) through Darling Downs Aero Club, spend an intensive two-day Gateway to Aviation program at Wellcamp Airport. Fairholme College and Wellcamp Airport partnered to create the immersive experience where the girls spent a significant amount of time airside on the apron (tarmac) welcoming the Cathay Pacific 747 Cargo Freighter, Qantas Dash-8, Airnorth Embraer, Regional Express SAAB340 passenger aircraft and the ACC King Air Charter planes. However, more than this, the experience was aimed to expose the girls to a much larger picture within the Aviation industry. Flight deck inspections on all the aircrafts, including discussions with the pilots formed an interesting part of exploring career pathways and sharing lunch with (past) General Manager, Sara Hales opened the girls’
minds to what a young woman can achieve with determination, grit and guts. The Year 10 students had hands-on experiences in ground operations, baggage handling, check-in procedures, runway inspections, weather and wildlife checks and they even trained with the security and screening team on their simulated security facilities. Discussions with the business development and marketing departments and assisting to make the lunch meal in catering services, formed part of the immersive, unique partnership experience. The highlight, of course, was an up-close inspection, tour and flight deck visit to the Cathay Pacific Cargo Freight carrier. The dynamic Wellcamp team created a first-class experience, where our girls could immerse themselves in all things ‘Aviation’ and explore aviationrelated pathways beyond what they could have imagined.
