Vocational Major

VCE VOCATIONAL MAJOR

As part of their Personal Development subject VCE-VM students organised some activities to improve health and wellbeing. They were able to share some of these activities with Grade 4 students last week.  

Well done to the VCE-VM students for their great planning, teaching and sharing skills and a huge thank you to Mrs Evans, Chloe and the Grade 4 students for participating in our activities. We look forward to working with you again later this year!

INTERGRATED PROJECT EXCURSION – VENTIA VISIT TO PUCKAPUNYAL ARMYBASE 

Reflection on Ventia Excursion to Puckapunyal – Olivia Leary

Last Friday, the 14th of June, we travelled out to Puckapunyal and were toured around the army base. Arriving at the gate, we were chauffeured inside by our own tour guide, Luke. Our first stop was the fire station where four firemen gave us a run down on what a typical shift looked like. Once done explaining a piece of gear, the firemen handed it around. Much of the gear proved to be hefty and often made me wonder how many kilos the firemen had to carry when geared up. They then shared a little backstory about their previous jobs, why they went into the fire fighting industry and how those of us who were interested could enter the workforce.  

Everyone hopped back onto the bus, and we spent a few minutes pointing out the normalized presence of kangaroos and emus until parking outside Ventia’s work zone. Luke explained his and other coworkers’ roles and expectations while working onsite. Mrs. Hard almost fell over when Jarrah and Ethan were encouraged to take the American electric mower for a joy ride. With all limbs intact, our group moved inside one of the working sheds to learn about the tools and safety rules used during work hours. Although my interests do not rest in maintaining land, I found it quite interesting.  

Once again, we got back onto the bus and drove to the Burj Khalifa of Puckapunyal, AKA the Health and Wellbeing centre.  Everyone’s jaws dropped at the facilities of the two-part gym, giant pool and outside/basketball area. The building was maintained to suit the training needs of soldiers as well as Puckapunyal’s general public. The gym was routinely used for soldiers training 6am onwards, the pool was used for soldiers who completed water exercises/training and the basketball court/outside area was used for general training. The indoor pool was a warm break from the frosty outside weather, and I learnt that the humidity levels were kept quite high.  Majority of the group seemed interested at the mention of good money when the lifeguards’ jobs were explained. Lifeguards received good pay and many who assumed the current roles were students enrolled in university or TAFE courses.  

Our stomachs rumbling served as a reminder to keep moving so we quickly swung by the hospital where Ebony, Ash and I got a photo together out front.  Ebony and I are currently enrolled in Community Services Cert II and Ash is aiming to become a certified nurse which sparked our interests in a future career at Puckapunyal hospital.  

Puckapunyal’s army base was established and opened in November 1939. Some of the soldiers housing blocks date back to the opening date.  Unfortunately, we were running behind schedule and couldn’t view the inside of the original accommodation blocks which housed 4 individuals in one room and each bathroom was shared. The new units, which we visited, were only a year old and had much neater, more private rooms. We were allowed access into one of the original accommodation blocks which had currently been undergoing renovation. The rooms proved to be much smaller when compared to the new housing plots. However, the dusty vending machine seemed more interesting to the group then the construction taking place around them.

Arriving at our final destination, the busiest mess hall, we shuffled into single file, snapped on some hair nets and wandered through the busy kitchen. Disrupting the orderly chaos, we made our way from the front of the kitchen where the dishes were being washed, through the meal preparation area and out the back to where food was shipped out and brought in.  

To end our tour, the kitchen staff generously catered lunch which consisted of steamed rice, fish or chicken and drinks. They even prepared special options for students who had allergy or food requirements. Bellies full and minds turning over career options, we travelled back to school.  

The excursion showed many career pathways and future options for a wide variety of jobs. It was interesting to see how each job had different equipment, expectations, rules and workers.

A big thank you to Luke for touring us around the base, kitchen staff who catered lunch for us and Mrs. Hard, Mrs. Wood and Tanya Oakley for supervising us (and being the voice of reason to ensure we left with all our limbs intact).

Amanda Hard

Melissa Wood