By Hugh Pearson
The Cardinia Industry Breakfast returned to the Cardinia Cultural Centre on Friday 25 November.
Hosted by Head Start, the event was run to engage with young people in the school sector who are looking for an alternative way of learning and who are also looking to join the workforce early.
“From where we stand as adults and people in these positions with work history behind us, we forget the challenge of young people starting out,” director of the Southern Head Start Hub, Hari Nikalaou said.
“Our job today is to hopefully give you a platform to consider, but more importantly, to celebrate that there is some amazing opportunities young people can be exposed to.”
Head Start is a school-based apprenticeships and traineeships program that supports secondary students while they study and work towards a career.
For students who don’t think they want to pursue university, they can get started early in careers such as electricians, plumbers, hairdressers, auto mechanics and other careers that are on offer at a vocational level.
“The things that we know that are important is to lift the quality and perception of vocational education, something that’s been a part of the education system for multiple years,” Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership principal in residence Tip Kennedy said.
Attendees heard from the CEO of Boating Industry Association of Victoria, Steve Walker.
Steve presented guests with careers in the industry that they normally wouldn’t consider when deciding on what area of vocational education they would like to pursue.
“We know that a lot of people coming through have some set career options that are in people’s minds and we’re not sure the boating industry is known to the main stream,” Mr Walker said.
“We’d like a young person to thing ‘I can become a marine mechanic’.
“I know my own nephew just became an electrician and when I said what about becoming a marine mechanic or a marine electrician, it hadn’t even occurred to him.”
Following a brief intermission, attendees heard from businesses and industry professionals who are participating in the Head Start program, and who have taken on apprentices.
People wanting to get involved in the program heard how they would be able to balance their apprenticeship in their chosen profession while completing their schooling.
Joshua Mentiplay got his start with Fork One through Head Start and was originally working one day a week, which then moved to two days a week.
Now, Mr Mentiplay works fulltime for Fork One.
“The school-based apprenticeship worked for us and we took Josh on for one day a week, then two and now he’s on fulltime and it’s worked out quite well,” Fork One managing director Geoff Chadwick said.
Joshua said building up to fulltime work made the transition easier for him.
“I went straight at it head first and I’m still here so I just want to keep at it and progress,” he said.
