Principal

Update

As you know we will be on one site in 2017 and the question on everyones mind is, what will happen to the Etty St  Campus?  

The Campus provides a unique opportunity to attract young people in Mount Alexander Shire who are disengaged with traditional education through collaborative partnerships with local community groups and businesses.

Key outcomes:

• Access for 100 students within Mount Alexander Shire to VET programs in areas aligned to local employment opportunities.
• Mentoring of young people by experienced work professionals and community volunteers to acquire work readiness skills and practical experience enhancing employment opportunities.
• Merging of school, community and business to create a dynamic, supportive and diverse learning environment.

Alignment with the Education State

The current government has highlighted the need for Victoria to become the Education State. Education and training forms the basis for economic growth and development through the building of individual and community skills.

The Campus will provide Certificate 2 or 3 vocational training in:

• Hospitality
• Horticulture
• Information Technology
• Automotive
• Event Management
• Business Administration

Several key community groups (Workspace Australia, Castlemaine Hot Rod Centre, U3A, Castlemaine Theatre Company and The Good Shed) are working with Castlemaine Secondary College to reinvent the Etty St campus as a facility providing learning opportunities for community members aged from 15 and up within Mount Alexander Shire. 

How will The Campus work?

The community organisations will reside at The Campus providing opportunities for formal and informal mentoring of young people and supported learning to gain accreditation through real community based activities.  Post-graduate students from across Australia and the world will also be invited to live and work on site through an initiative of The Good Shed, Taradale.  Links with multiple and diverse small businesses through Workspace Australia provide opportunity for further mentoring and employment outcomes for the students.

Learning will be less desk and theory based, with greater emphasis on real experiences working with a real ‘client’ or customer.  For example, preparing the agenda and taking minutes for a sporting club, setting up for a U3A workshop, working on a hot rod engine, conducting tours of the Hot Rod Museum, preparing food or working as waiting staff at the café.  A literacy and numeracy program will also operate for those young people who need to further develop these skills. 

Shared use agreements will specify how each of the partner organisations will support and contribute to the learning and education of others (via cash and/or services).  Castlemaine Secondary College will employ a campus based assistant principal, leading teacher to supervise the vocational learning programs and an assistant business manager to manage the facility and provide support to partners.

Steering Committee members include:

Mary McPherson - Castlemaine Secondary College

Vicki Farrell – Castlemaine Hot Rod Centre Ltd     

Bob Duffy - Castlemaine Hot Rod Centre Ltd

Kate Stone – Castlemaine Theatre Company

Ken McLeod – Castlemaine Theatre Company             

Russell Annear - U3A Castlemaine

Max Clarke - U3A Castlemaine                                          

John Shone – Village Incubator, The Goods Shed Taradale    

Jim Norris - Workspace Australia

Rebecca Dempsey - Workspace Australia

For further information:

Mary McPherson                                        Elissa O’Connor

Principal                                                       Business Manager             

0403 050 734                                               0475 942 452

mcpherson.mary.m@edumail.vic.gov.au                       o’connor.elissa.e@edumail.vic.gov.au

Mary McPherson