| Ntec is the manufacturing facility and program of Northland Secondary College. Daniel Knott is the Project Development Manager and it is his job to manage the ongoing development and growth of Ntec programs and facilities, and also the development of effective industry/community partnerships. “Our manufacturing and technology education model is based on partnership with the local community, schools and industry,” Daniel told PEA, “We aim to be relevant to regional community and industry needs”.
The well-equipped facilities at Ntec, which cost close to $4 million to complete, are used by about thirty other schools across Melbourne’s northern suburbs. When PEA visited the facilities they were being used by a Year 10 class from nearby Reservoir District Secondary College. The objective of the “Vocational Pathways Project” is to introduce students to potential future avenues of employment while still at school. The course includes Outdoor Power Equipment modules.
“This pilot program is a ‘taster’ course introducing students to several broadly related sectors,” developer of the course Northland teacher Mark Natoli said. One module is called “Dismantle and Assemble Engine – Two-stroke Single-cylinder Petrol”. The classes are conducted by another teacher Mark Devine. Mark is a qualified mechanic and also teaches woodwork and plastic classes. The program involves both theory and practical sessions. The modules included in the Northland course are from a number of Certificate II courses, including Auto and Manufacturing Technology. The course is an elective and appears from interviews with students to appeal to ones who may not be greatly disposed towards traditional academic subjects.
“Many of these kids would be considering leaving school early, if we didn’t give them something practical to get their teeth into at school,” Mark Natoli observed. Indeed a large part of the students’ apparent enthusiasm for the program revolved around providing them with a ‘hands-on’ experience rather than that behind a desk in a classroom. For that he needed engines – and quite a few of them – for the students to work on. Rod Jolly of Plenty Mowers answered the school’s cry for help by donating a dozen second-hand units.
“It’s the least I could do. We spend a lot of time complaining about a lack of OPE apprentices but don’t seem to be doing a great deal to address the problem in a practical way,” he said.
With the opportunity for practical engine work the course provides the kids with a challenge – but one that is within their abilities to do successfully. The reality is that if a problem is (or appears) too difficult, many children (especially non-academic ones) are inclined to give-up easily. Small engines are both complicated enough to retain these children’s interest and relevant enough to their lives for them to enjoy the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Tailor-made Courses
Mark Natoli explained some of the benefits: “Tailor made’ courses are very important and helpful to the course selection and eventual career decisions that students make. They are also important to the various related industry sectors because they provide the means for students understanding of the careers available in those sectors and the skills required to access apprenticeships or other further studies. Through this process young people will be able to make informed choices about what they want to do when they leave school. We believe that this will have a positive impact on apprenticeship retention rates.”
Hub Concept
Northland acts as a “hub” facility for about 30 other schools across Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Not all are state schools. All types of independent educational establishments (Private, Religious Christian & Non-Christian) in the region also use the College’s course and facilities. The pilot is being funded by the Government and access is organised by Northland and the schools in question. Northland provides staff and facilities. Students come for full half-days.
Certificate II
While some other courses at Northland lead to a Certificate II in the relevant discipline, OPE is only a part of a general course that does not produce any qualification.
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“Discrimination!” you cry?
Sadly, it is worse than that. Northland management would be very interested in forming an OPE Industry-School partnership and developing a course that would dovetail into the national curriculum. The result would be similar to the scheme in operation at Airds High School in NSW. There the course modules are all part of the Certificate III in Outdoor Power Equipment. Completing the OPE program successfully results in the student acquiring a Certificate II in OPE. This effectively cuts a full year off a Cert III apprenticeship and delivers “operationally useful” employees to employers from the outset.
However, Northland staff currently remains unaware of the National Curriculum’s Certificate III in OPE syllabus, let alone that of a Cert II that could be taught at the school. So as it is, the students in this pilot will study OPE along with Automotive, Building & Construction, Manufacturing Technology and Engineering.
When asked if they had heard of “Outdoor Power Equipment” none of the Reservoir District students raised their hands.
And people wonder why the OPE Industry can’t get apprentices?
Opportunities
The ideal situation would be for facilities to be set up in two Sydney schools (ideally in the Blacktown and Hornsby areas) to act as hub providers for the metropolitan area not covered by Airds High School (in the south-west). Three hub schools Northland could cover Melbourne with Northland (St Albans & Dandenong would likely be the best locations), two Brisbane (North and South sides) with one each in the other state capitals and major regional centres.
Even allowing for “wastage”, such a set-up should provide a constant stream of potential Trainee Technicians for the OPE Industry.
Meanwhile the OPE Industry should look at providing “Open Days” or “Field Visits” for students attending these courses. Visits should be to both Dealership and Supplier facilities. While there students need to be informed how OPE can provide a meaningful career path for them. A Cert III in OPE can lead to a number of interesting careers alongside that of a Dealership Mechanic such as Hire, Construction, Local Government Parks & Gardens, Sportsground construction & maintenance and Golf. Further, OPE still offers candidates with initiative the realistic opportunity of owning their own business or advancing to senior management positions with Suppliers. Current OPEA President and Stihl Marketing Manager Rob Ross began his career with a Northern NSW Dealership. There are not many industries around where that is still possible.
Dovetailed National Curriculum
These types of pre-apprenticeship training programs have widespread benefits. Introducing young people to the OPE Industry, while at school, will result in more prospective OPE Industry trainees when they enter the workforce. When dovetailed into the new National Curriculum, OPE students successfully completing the school Cert II course can complete an OPE Technician Certificate III in only two years instead of three.
This has many attractions for both prospective trainees and employers. The trainees can gain their qualifications quicker (and with it pay for themselves quicker and attain full Technician pay rates) while the employers enjoy the services of a trainee that is productive from Day One. It also adds about 10 productive working weeks in the Dealership to a Trainee’s first year. Meanwhile the employer still enjoys all the Federal Government incentives for employing Trainees. That has got to make training new Technicians more attractive to Dealers.
Caption: Year 10 Reservoir District Secondary College students stripping down two-stroke mowers donated by Rod Jolly & Plenty Mowers at the Northland Technical facility
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