New courses on offer in health, early childhood and IT

Published 11:00am 25 October 2022

Words by Kylie Knight

Australian Trade College North Brisbane will expand its Year 11 course offering from 2023 to include Information Technology, Health Services and Early Childhood Education.

Principal Brett Kavanagh says the move is in response to a growing need for quality trained and skilled graduates to take on in-demand careers.

“Our new course offerings are all at a Certificate III level and include direct pathways to employment or opportunities for students to commence their Diploma studies in their final Year 12 semester,” Mr Kavanagh explains.

The Trade College is partnering with leading industry training organisations Mater Education, C&K College and Amazon Web Services to ensure the quality of learning delivered at its Scarborough campus meets industry requirements.

“We already have families’ enrolment applications submitted for these new programs, and with continued strong enquiry levels and demand for our flagship industry placement program, and apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities, we felt it was the right time to announce our new course offerings and partnerships. This gives families time to plan their educational arrangements for 2023,” he says.

About the courses

Certificate II in Health Support Services and Certificate III in Health Services Assistance

The college is partnering with Mater Education to offer a Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) program for senior students who are passionate about embarking on a career in the health industry.

Students will have the opportunity to study onsite in the Trade College simulated learning environments and gain firsthand experience in acute hospital and healthcare settings, working alongside qualified healthcare professionals.

About Australian Trade College North Brisbane

Mr Kavanagh says the college is a mainstream independent senior secondary school with a focus on trade and business subjects.

“Young people today have boundless opportunities. With hard work they can achieve whatever they put their minds to,” he says.

Mr Kavanagh says life at the college is about more than trades.

“We pride ourselves on providing opportunities in all areas to support the growth of our students, with our recent Year 12 senior formal, college fun run and Queensland Mental Health Week activities prime examples,” he says.

“College values of courage, engagement and gratitude all come together to provide an experience that lives on in students’ memories.

“The Australian Trade College North Brisbane’s flagship Industry Engagement Work Experience/Vocational Placements Program sets us apart from other schools.

“Students engage with regular extended blocks of work experience to support their selected trade career.”

Mr Kavanagh says every opportunity is made available for students to prepare for their desired futures while equipping them with qualifications and extensive industry experience while completing their QCE.

“Year on year we inject over 50,000 hours of industry work experience into local business and have 90 per cent of our Year 12 students in school-based apprenticeships,” he explains.

“These school-based apprenticeships move automatically to full-time apprenticeships the day after Year 12 graduation. Our Year 12 outcomes employment data is strong.”

From the College Ambassadors

College Ambassadors and Year 12 students Noah, Cooper, Dakota and Bailey are all taking steps towards rewarding, lifelong careers.

Noah, who is undertaking a Certificate II in Electrotechnology, says the Trade College offered different options and opportunities than his previous mainstream school.

“At my previous school, the main focus was on ATAR or athletics and I didn’t fit either of these,” he says. “I knew I didn’t want to go to uni and wanted to do a trade.”

“If you want to take control of your future now then the Trade College is a great option,” Cooper, a first-year carpentry apprentice, says.

Dakota, a first-year hairdressing apprentice, says she chose the college because she wanted to get a step ahead.

“I can do Year 12 and also get a year into an apprenticeship,” she says.

A school bus service return from Caboolture Bus Interchange along with the Kippa-Ring train service makes it easy for students from across the Moreton Bay Region travel to and from the Trade College each day.