31/10/03
Sixteen Rockingham Senior High School students are the first in Australia to undertake a school-based traineeship with the Royal Australian Navy.
Opening the school-based traineeship employer breakfast forum this morning, Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter said the Royal Australian Navy became involved with the traineeship scheme as a way of attracting recruits.
"School-based traineeships are an integral part of vocational education and training," Mr Carpenter said.
"They are a key Gallop Government strategy to retain 15 to 19-year-olds in a learning environment which gives them the best possible chance of achieving a rewarding career.
"The traineeships would give students in Years 11 and 12 the opportunity to combine their schooling with vocational education and training.
"As part of our commitment to providing increased support for young people to continue in a learning environment, we pledged to increase the number of school-based traineeships from about 350 in 2003 to 1,000 in training by 2006.
"We are working towards this as part of the Gallop Government's commitment to increase apprenticeships and traineeships, especially for 15 to 19-year-olds."
Mr Carpenter said students who undertook a school based traineeship generally attended school three days a week to study maths, English, art and sport to complete Year 12 and obtain a Western Australian Certificate of Education.
The other two days are spent training on the job to obtain an accredited vocational education and training qualification.
The Minister said today's forum, which was being run by the Department of Education and Training and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WA), was part of a strategy to involve more employers in school-based traineeships.
"Chief executive officers of medium to large companies were invited to the forum which provided an opportunity for the department, industry, unions and Group Training Australia (WA) to work together to highlight the benefits of school-based traineeships to both industry and students."
Mr Carpenter thanked the Royal Australian Navy for participating in the scheme and for giving young people a great opportunity.
"The Navy initiative is run in conjunction with South Metropolitan Youth Link, Challenger TAFE and Rockingham Senior High School," the Minister said.
"Trainees are exposed to navy life and the traineeship allows them to gain an engineering production qualification."
The students will spend up to 16 weeks over two years learning a variety of skills in HMAS Stirling's machine shop alongside navy tradespersons. They also work on board ships berthed at Garden Island.
Mr Carpenter said this was the first time that the navy has been involved in this type of training and was a tangible example of its involvement with the local community.
Minister's office: 9213 6800
