Regional Employers introduce city students to opportunities in the bush!

Thu, Nov 18, 2004; by Bill Coppinger.

Regional Employers introduce city students to opportunities in the bush!

With the wonderful support of two of the CRLLEN's largest employers, Transfield Services and Lake Mountain Resort students studying the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning [VCAL]from the Broadmeadows Secondary College spent all of Wednesday 17th November exploring and experiencing the opportunities available in rural and regional industries .

Approximately 25-30 students from Years 10, 11 and 12 are spending a week at Narbethong and are exploring the Murrindindi and Mitchell shires, looking at potential employment options, the skills required and generally getting a better feel for how to focus their studies and work placements in the final years of their schooling.

• Transfield Servcies - Puckapunyal Military Area
• Lake Mountain Resort [Report pending]

Transfield Services:

Mr. Terry Collins, Transfield Services Garrison Services Manager for the Puckpapunyal Military Area, hosted approximately half of the students and provided them with some rare insights in to the roles and varied work opportunities within a company as large and diverse as Transfield Services.

On arrival at the Puckapunyal Base, students were escorted to the first of three operations areas occurring on the base.

Students were introduced to the role of Transfield Services across their entire operations in Australia, covering a wide ranges of industries, including Mining, Military Garrison support, and Yarra Trams just to name a few..

Terry provided students with a clear and detailed idea of the types of things they can do to improve their chances of getting in to the job market. He outlined the qualities and skills that an organisation like Transfield Services looks for and pointed out that many Transfield employees stay with the company for a long time, gaining extra skills and qualifications all the time, learning as they go.

 

Students were introduced to leading Firefighter and station boss for Transfield Fire Services, John [joffa] Stanton.

John outlined the role and importance of the fire services and gave students a personal and fascinating insight in the the career of a firefighter.

Students were encouraged to use every opportunity they had at school to collect or acquire references, certificates and examples of the things they have done that would make them attractive to an employer. All of the students had completed the early stages of the Occupational Health and Safety certificates and some had completed their first-aid. One or two students left the briefing keen to pursue possible links with the Swinburne Certificate 11 and Certificate 111 courses in Fire Fighting.

Next on the agenda was a visit to the unique live-firing range of the Puckapunyal Military Area.

Students were greeted by the Range Manager Larry and quickly began to understand the complexity and responsibility that these employees had. 46,000 hectares, often with 400-600 people in the vicinity and live firing of anything from small arms [Pistols] right through to Tank shells and even 2000 pound bombs dropped from an F1-11 flying up to 7 kilometres away.

 

 

Once again students were shown how various jobs began, perhaps beginning as a farm-labourer type role on the range, then working their way through the different levels and responsibilities to perhaps being in charge of huge and complex live-firing exercises for the army and air force.

 

Just as the students thought they had see some of the most complex and varied jobs of the day, they were introduced to the role of the Spotless Catering group.

Students were introduced to one of the 6 Kitchens on base, the RO Canteen. A number of students were interested in hospitality careers, and some had even been in fairly large kitchens. It is safe to say that not too many students had seen a kitchen this large, nor ever thought how long it would take to crack 6000 eggs for breakfast!!

Spotless Site Manager Darrel outlined the precision, quality and speed required to provide meals for military and base personnel and some of the quantities they dealt with were mind-boggling! Once again the importance of things like Occupational Health and Safety were paramount and students were reminded that having qualification such as this gave them an edge in the market.

All the students were genuinely appreciative of the insight and generous offer of time that each of the managers and organisations had provided for them on the day.

Special thanks needs to be extended to Mr. Terry Collins, Garrison Services Manager-Puckapunyal, Transfield Services for his personal assistance and generous offer of time to escort the students while on base.

The commitment that Transfield Services shows to the needs of young people attempting to make that transition from school to work is genuinely impressive.

Such valuable and real-world insights in to the demands of modern workplaces, the opportunities that exist and the pathways required to reach these positions is something not all young people get the opportunity to experience.

Congratulations to all involved.