Launch of 'E' team program for high school students

31/5/94

High school students will help solve problems in the workplace for Western Australian businesses, in an innovative work experience program.

Groups of five Year 11 or 12 students - called 'E' (for Enterprise) teams - have been placed in offices and factories from this week, to analyse and recommend ways to improve work practices.

Education, Employment and Training Minister Norman Moore today launched the 'E' team program, which was a joint project between the Education Department and the Australian Quality Council.   The project was devised by the council, which was a non-profit organisation working to encourage quality, productivity and international competitiveness.

Mr Moore said that 200 students from 40 high schools, based in the Perth metropolitan area, would participate in the pilot program over the next six months.  The plan was to expand it to regional centres in 1995, with the number of students involved expected to double.

The participating students would apply principles of quality management to help solve identified problems in actual workplaces.  They would first attend one-day training seminars with school and industry representatives and then be placed in participating companies, to be set analytical tasks and dilemmas to resolve.

Mr Moore said the students would be required to meet a deadline and to present a report to the management of their host company at the end of their week-long work experience.

Similar programs had worked successfully in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and many of the students' recommendations had been implemented, reducing business costs and improving workflow.

"The project centres on the qualities and skills that industry values highly - team-work, co-operation, communication skills, problem-solving, and the capacity to learn new skills and procedures," the Minister said.

"The education system needs to be flexible and responsive to what industry needs and wants."

The first group of 'E' teams comes from the Rockingham, Kent Street, Belridge and Cecil Andrews Senior High Schools and they are working at Cockburn Cement Limited, CSBP and Farmers Limited, Wholahan Grill and Partners, and Australian Pacific Air Conditioning.

The program is the first work experience project in Western Australia to be initiated by industry and is a collaborative effort between industry and the education sector.

Media contacts: Ross Storey 321 1444 or 222 9595

Penny Valentine - Education Dept - 264 5348