VET _____________________________________Page

from Virtus SJC Yearbook 2013

Roll Call _____________________________Pages

“I have found that the boys who are currently participating in school based apprenticeships and traineeships are highly sought after by local employers when they fi nish their schooling. They have a great reputation for being well presented and hardworking and this is a real credit to them.” - Jarrod Gore

With VET (Vocational Education and Training) studies continuing to grow at St Joseph’s and the construction of the Joseph Innovation & Trade Training Centre, 2013 was turning out to be a busy year. Now having completed nearly a full school year as the VET Coordinator I was starting to become more comfortable in the role, I was starting to build relationships with the boys and get to know their future dreams and aspirations.

Here at St Joseph’s we acknowledge that not every student learns in the same way and this is why we offer VET certificates as part of our curriculum. Over 200 students undertook VET studies at St Joseph’s this year on either a Monday or Wednesday afternoon in a wide range of courses delivered across Geelong. These courses range from general trades such as Building and Construction to more specialist areas such as Information Technology. Some VET certificates allow students the opportunity to have a “work placement”. The placement is held for one day a week or in the holidays. I have found these placements very beneficial for the boys as it allows them to apply the skills learnt in VET to the “Real World” and also helps the boys to become more “Job Ready” for their future pathways after St Joseph’s. With the Joseph Innovation & Trade Training Centre being built and scheduled to be open for operation in 2014 I had a busy time advertising the courses that we would be offering on site and organising our auspicing partners. The Joseph Innovation & Trade Training Centre is a great asset for our College as it will allow our students to study on site in an environment that is more familiar and supportive to them. School based apprenticeship/traineeship numbers continued to rise during the year with more and more students enquiring about obtaining positions. Boys who undertake school based apprenticeships/ traineeships are enrolled in a nationally recognised Certificate II or III level qualification whilst attending school. The boys are able to use this qualification to gain credit towards their VCE or VCAL studies and I have found that the boys who are currently participating in school based apprenticeships/ traineeships are highly sought after by local employers when they finish their schooling. They have a great reputation for being well presented and hardworking and this is a real credit to them.

Overall 2013 has been a great year for VET, our numbers are continuing to grow, our facilities have been improved and the boys are extremely enthusiastic about their studies. St Joseph’s College operates a great VET program and I am very excited to see what future years will bring.