Macedon Ranges Community VCAL 2004

Wed, Jun 23, 2004; by Bill Coppinger.

Macedon Ranges works 'as one' for Young People

On Friday the 18th June, the partners of the Macedon Ranges Community Based VCAL project met to celebrate the completion of the first term of a wonderful new initiative that supports young people re-entering education and training.

Partners gather to discuss success to date.

Bill Coppinger, CEO of the Central Ranges LLEN, and Chair, Rob Hine [rear] congratulate students.

A number of students from the programme joined the agency representatives for lunch and spoke in inspiring tones about the new opportunities that the Community Based VCAL offers them.

The project was originally launched at Maloa House, Woodend on Wednesday 17th March by the member for Macedon, Ms. Joanne Duncan MP.

Joanne Duncan, MP, Launches the Macedon Ranges Community VCAL.

The Partnership agreed to develop, support and maintain a community based Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning course for the social and educational benefit of the young people of the Macedon Ranges Shire. 

It is acknowledged that all members of the community have the right to accessible, affordable, respectful and relevant post-compulsory education which is based on and caters for the diverse educational, social, emotional and vocational needs of the young people.  It is recognised that a number of young people who live in the shire have disengaged from secondary education for a variety of reasons and that a community based option for senior secondary education is one approach to re engagement, reconnection and secondary education for these young people.

The partners include;

• Central Ranges Local Learning & Employment Network,
• Kyneton Secondary College,
• Mount Alexander Employment & Training Services
• Cobaw Community Health Service,
• Kyneton Community & Learning Centre,
• Macedon Ranges Shire Council
• Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE

Presentations were made to representatives of all the agencies on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Central Ranges LLEN

All of the partners and particularly the students, believe this initiative has broken new ground in the way a community can support its young people to re-engage with education and training opportunities.

For further information, please contact the Macedon Ranges Project Officer, Kylie Ward.