South West LLEN News
Workplace Learning Coordinators Program - Media Release
"Engaging with schools, industry, and education and training providers to expand access to and actively promote workplace learning opportunities for young people"
A new program to increase the number of young people undertaking workplace learning is about to start in south-west Victoria.
The South West Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) has won a $600,000 contract from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to implement the Workplace Learning Coodinators Program over the next four years.
South West LLEN Executive Officer, Toni Jenkins, said the program would ensure more young people have access to workplace learning, particularly in industries with strong vocational outcomes.
The program will run in the Colac-Otway, Corangamite, Warrnambool and Moyne municipalities and aims to build on the success of the former Local Community Partnerships.
Ms Jenkins said the program would help address future skills shortages in the region.
"It will help students to complete year 12 at school and when they leave school it will help them be in a better position to find suitable employment", she said.
"We hope that we can encourage employers to support young people to get some structured work placements".
The program is also designed to improve the alignment between VCAL and VET courses and local industry needs and to increase the number of Koori students undertaking workplace learning placements.
"The ambition is to provide placements for all young people, create effective student learning pathways and deepers engagement with industry to generated more opportunites for young people", Ms Jenkins said.
Ms Jenkins said the role oif the coordinator would include liaison with industry and schools, generating work placements, disseminating information and providing contact for employers.
Some existing LLEN staff will move into the coordinator roles but new appointments are also expected to be made.