Eleven Central Coast high schools are among 120 in the state that will encourage students to explore exciting career opportunities through the expansion of the Educational Pathways Program.
Following a successful trial at 24 schools in South West Sydney and the North Coast, Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the NSW Government will invest $16.5M to expand the program.
Coast schools to offer the program will be: Brisbane Water Secondary College, Woy Woy and Umina; Erina High School; Kariong Mountains High School; Kincumber High School; Northlakes High School; Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College at Berkeley Vale, The Entrance and Tumbi Umbi; and Wyong High School.
“The Educational Pathways Program is designed to improve education and career outcomes by introducing NSW public high schools students to a range of post-school training and employment pathways,” Mitchell said.
“The program will also help to broker relationships between schools, local employers and industry leaders, which can lead to jobs and further training for these students.”
Minister for Skills and Training, Alister Henskens, said the program’s pilot phase over the past two years successfully introduced thousands of students to different training and career pathways.
“The program has already seen the tripling of the number of students across the 24 pilot schools enrolling in school-based apprenticeships and traineeships,” Henskens said.
“The expansion of the program to an additional 120 schools means the program now spans 144 public high schools in nine NSW regions, which is a real win for students, schools and local employers.”
Features of the Educational Pathways Program in 2022 include: fee-free apprenticeships and pre-traineeships, allowing students to ‘test-drive’ different vocational education and training courses; specialist head teachers and teams to work with careers advisers to create more engaging opportunities and pathways for students; and dedicated staff to promote awareness and engagement in school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, and offer tailored support and mentoring for students exploring these pathways.
For more information, visit www.education.nsw.gov.au/educational-pathways.
Terry Collins