Hedland Senior High School a national award finalist for VET trainee program

Hedland Senior High School gets national recognition with a prestigious national award nomination for its comprehensive vocational training program. Representatives from the school will travel to Tasmania next year after the secondary school was named a finalist in the Australian Training Awards for the category of school pathways to VET. The school-based trainee program run at HSHS partners with local organisations and resource companies to provide students with hands-on vocational training while they are in school. Many students who complete the program get jobs with their training organisations after the program. The program had 86 students across Years 11 and 12 last year and has the capacity for 100 across both age groups. HSHS VET co-ordinator Teneal Russell said the breadth of their school-based trainee program made it unique in WA. “It’s unique for a government school to have such high school-based trainee rates in terms of students enrolled in the courses,” she said. “Also we are the only school to deliver a cert two in rail and infrastructure as a school-based traineeship. “What’s really special is that we are aligning our program with industry needs such as more health and childcare workers. Our SBT program wouldn’t have been possible without the support and collaboration with all our Industry and community partners.” Students can undertake their placement in several industries including marine, engineering, automotive, healthcare, rail and infrastructure, child care, and business administration. Paige Hill was a school-based trainee from HSHS and recently won the best apprentice/trainee at the Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.