By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Barwon Health, GMHBA and Bendigo Bank are among five local employers in an Australian-first pilot program in Geelong involving big business in the educational curriculum.
The other two are educational software company Tribal Campus and valuers Opteon Property group, participating in teaching 80 Year 9 students.
The pilot program, Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) is hosted at Newcomb Secondary College.
Federal Government allocated $500,000 to the pilot program, with another P-Tech class for 20 students established in Ballarat at Federation College with multi-national IT company IBM.
The concept generated controversy because it involved private enterprise helping to shape a curriculum, with critics saying business needs could override educational goals.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the pilot was compulsory for more than 80 Year 9 students participating in the first year of the trial.
The program would become an elective from Year 10 onwards with students working with local employers to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, he said.
“The P-Tech model is providing a pathway to work and employment for these school students,” Mr Birmingham said.
“It is providing them with a real introduction to the world of work and ensuring they develop understanding what it is that employers are looking for.”
Senator Birmingham said the program was adapted from a US model with changes made to adapt it to an Australian education and schooling context.
“The two schools involved have each taken different approaches already, with one starting in Year 9 and the other starting in Year 10. Some are doing compulsory units, others are choosing elective units.
“These types of variances will help us to best structure the model in a way that can be rolled out across schools around Australia to provide the practical link between local employers and local schools to further the opportunities for students.”
