COODANUP Community College (CCC) is set to become a central hub for vocational training with a trades skills centre set to open next year.
The centre will cater for students from CCC, Halls Head Community College (HHCC), John Tonkin College (JTC), Mandurah Catholic College (MCC) and the Career Enterprise Centre (CEC) to undertake industry training courses.
“Students will be able to take a course in plumbing and gas work and painting and decorating through the Master Plumbers and Master Painters Association (MPA),” CCC deputy principal Aaron Gregory.
“MPA are the peak training body for a huge number of trades businesses and will pay for students’ fees and uniforms and if the students are successful they’ll receive full-time employment.
“There will be limited places in the program but I don’t think we’ll have any trouble filling them.”
Canning MP Don Randall said funding had been approved by the Coalition Government to build the Mandurah Regional Trades Skills Centre at CCC and 136 other centres across the state.
“These centres will have a renewed focus on delivering excellent vocational education training in secondary schools through stronger industry engagement and collaboration,” Mr Randall said.
Mr Randall said the Government had honoured its commitment to proceed with the $209million offer for Round Five (phase one) of the trade training centre program.
Year 11 and 12 students also spent Tuesday signing up for school-based traineeships, which would allow students to get a Certificate II in retail, hospitality, business, hairdressing and community services like childcare and aged care.
Aboriginal students in the program will also have the option to do a traineeship in building and construction.
The traineeships are organised through SMYLE Community Services, who monitor the students throughout the program.
SMYLE mentor field officer Melissa Garlett said the group had worked with CCC since 2009 and started with just a few students but there were now 28 in the program.
Vocational Education Training coordinator Pam Micklewright said the traineeships were a “testing ground” for the students to prove themselves.
“The aim of the program is help students choose a career pathway and get them into full time work, an apprenticeship or further education,” she said.
