North Central Trade Training Centre

Excursion & learning in the VET Community Services class

VET Community Services is a course that develops the knowledge and skills that would assist young people to work with wide and diverse groups of people, whether working in the retail, hospitality and especially the community services fields – health, aged care, childcare, disability care.

As part of the practical process of applying knowledge and skills to real life situations, the class did a day excursion to Bendigo to visit the non-profit organisation Food Share and the work that they do in the region.

Food Share Bendigo is an organisation that provides food relief to charity and other organisations to distribute amongst those who need it.

We visited the newly established “Grow, cook and share hub” at Strathfieldsaye where seasonal vegetables are grown that will be used in their food cooking partnerships across the region.

Next, we visited the Food Share warehouse in Long Gully, where food (fresh, frozen, canned, processed) is delivered to be sorted and allocated to the various charity groups across the region. Food Share sourced over 750,000kgs of food in 2021/22 that would have been destined for waste.

Back at school the following week, students were to cook a “bulk meal” that was then frozen and delivered to Food Share. Emily made Mac & Cheese; Saxon and Andy – Chicken Carbonara; Kalais and Libby – Spaghetti with meatballs; Sianna and Ella made mini dim sim soup with noodles.

Together the VET Community Service students produced 41 meals that were donated to Food Share. We are hoping to do another session before the term ends.