By Mikayla van Loon
High school students looking to complete an apprenticeship but not interrupt their studies will have greater access to the Head Start program as it expands to every government school across the state.
The Victorian government announced on Thursday 20 April that the initiative would be rolled out across the state by the end of the year.
It will allow students to gain paid, on the job training while still completing their VCE, VCE Vocational Major or Victorian Pathways Certificate.
With 12 hubs established to help coordinate the training opportunities, the Yarra Ranges falls into the eastern metropolitan Melbourne region, seeing a total of 208 students take part in Head Start as at November last year.
Two of those students include twins Paige and Emma Hunter, from Box Hill High School, who have chosen different pathways in joinery and hairdressing respectively.
For Paige taking on an apprenticeship at a stair building company has been the perfect fit.
“I’ve always liked to do stuff with my hands, and I like making stuff, it was just something I always knew I wanted to do. I’m a very visual learner and I like looking at things and then doing them,” she said.
“So I originally was going to do carpentry but then my school placed me with the company I work with now and I just fell in love with it, because it’s just a really rewarding job, working with your hands and seeing the products nearly finished.”
In her second year of the apprenticeship, having started in March 2022 as a Year 11 student, Paige said one of the benefits is knowing she only has two years left of her training before becoming qualified, while still getting to enjoy Year 12.
“I still get to complete my VCE so I’m still at school, I still get at the end my certificate saying I completed Year 12 in school, I get to still do the formal experience with my friends while still being able to work and when I leave school, have a full time job,” she said.
As for Emma, she is in her third year of a hairdressing apprenticeship and she said starting in Year 10 gave her an idea of what she was getting into before taking on Years 11 and 12 in VCE.
Going to school three days a week, working Wednesdays and Saturdays, and then going to TAFE on a Thursday, the Head Start program can be a big commitment but Emma said it was important for her to stay at school.
“I knew what I wanted to do and this gave me the opportunity to test it out. If I didn’t enjoy it, then I had school to fall on and keep going with that.
“It was important for me to stay in school. I quite enjoyed the social aspects of school so I didn’t really want to leave, but I knew what I wanted to do, so that’s why this program was quite a good opportunity for me.”
Knowing one day she would like to start her own business, being able to undertake subjects in VCE that may further her knowledge of doing so has set Emma on a great path.
“I did business management as my Year 12 subject in year 11 and now I’m doing economics and accounting,” Emma said.
“I want to, hopefully, in the future start a business in hairdressing, so I could also learn hairdressing while learning the things in school like business management, instead of having to do it separately and it taking longer.”
Both girls have felt supported in their apprenticeships, surrounded by others who are also learning, particularly for Paige who has taken on somewhat of a male dominated industry.
“There’s actually three other girls that I work with. So I’m always like the baby of the company but I’ve got those older girls looking out for me,” she said.
Participating schools in the outer east, include Croydon Community School, Emerald Secondary College, Healesville High School, Lilydale Heights College, Lilydale High School, Monbulk College, Mooroolbark College, Sherbrooke Community School, Upper Yarra Secondary College, Upwey High School and Yarra Hills Secondary College.
The Victorian Budget 2022/23 funded $69.4 million over four years to expand Head Start to all government secondary schools in Victoria by the end of 2023.
“We’re backing students to get the skills they need for the jobs they want, providing more pathways and paid opportunities to have them job ready when they walk out the school gates for the last time,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
