The federal government is taking a strong stance to ensure young Australians are able to make informed decisions about their learning, training and work pathways through its Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow package, and releasing important research.
Key to this research is the need to improve career information and advice through innovative programs that demonstrate collaborative partnerships between industry sectors, employers, schools and training organisations.
The Foundation of Young Australians – The New work Reality (2018) also indicates that participation in programs that provide real-work experience and build enterprise skills such as problem solving, communication and teamwork, can be an accelerator to fulltime work and speed-up the process by 17 months.
With a new purpose-built facility, St Nicholas Pathways has invited Maitland Five Star Family Day Care educators and the children it cares for, to participate in our industry immersion program.
A fundamental component of this program is the play-session environment, where Year 10 students attending Catholic, public and private schools across the region are supported by our fully qualified play-session co-ordinator and provided with opportunities to explore the experience of working with children and being a part of the early education sector.
Family Day Care educators represent another professional part of the early education sector and will share with the participating students their skills and understanding of the children in their care. The opportunity to collaborate in this program has benefits for all parties.
“Coming together at Pathways will allow additional networking for educators, broader social experiences for their children and an opportunity for aspiring early childhood educators to gain valuable and real work experiences that can be transferred to future recruitment opportunities,” says Jenelle Ycas, manager of Maitland Five Star Family Day Care.
Pathways play-session co-ordinator, Emma Pratten, anticipates more than 90 students from a range of Hunter schools, will participate in the Pathways Industry Immersion program during the next school term. “We are more than excited to see the positive outcomes unfold,” Ms Pratten says.
St Nicholas Pathways’ range of authentic programs acknowledge the changing landscape of secondary education and the need for co-ordinated and consistent career advice. We offer clear and purposeful pathways to possible employment.
For more information, visit us online at www.stnicholaspathways.org.au