Thanks for your comments Merran and Janelle. I guess I just presumed that co-ordinators everywhere already new that they were crucial to a successful Voc Ed Program. So for all the non co-ordinators out there - we are like the cake tin - we hold all the essential ingredients together.

Like Janelle said, we all live in hope that one day fully funded positions for Voc Ed Coordinators will be commonplace in every school. My position is funded jointly by the school (it is a priority funding area and therefore other areas miss out), by our industry group (funding raised by way of our Skills Auction) and by grants from the ASTF. Without the support of the ASTF over the last few years, Vocational Education programs in schools would be in turmoil. There is only so much schools and communities can do on their own. Until the need for Voc Ed Coordinators in schools is acknowledged and provided by the Department, a true partnership will not exist.

We continue to lobby for this and I would encourage every coordinator out there to do the same.

Now that I have raised my blood pressure I am going to settle down and tell you a little bit about our wonderful Industry/Education Partnership.

We asked our local industry for help in how we could better meet the needs of students who were 'at risk' of dropping out of school with no real job prospects back in 1989. Our inaugural Industry Advisory Group (IAG) was formed in 1990. The group was incorporated in 1995. The IAG was formed to provide a link between the school, local businesses and industry, and other educational bodies. It has representation from a broad range within the community including TAFE, Sefton House (formerly SkillShare), Hospitality, Horticulture, Automotive, Retail, Building, Forest and Timber Industries.

The group meet quarterly with alternate members hosting the meetings and providing a workplace tour where appropriate. A variety of sub-committees are formed and meet on an as-needed basis. The IAG is dedicated to providing young people with a broad and relevant education to help them reach their individual vocational goals. They have provided much needed support in the form of resources, training, industry visits, development of competency standards and play a major role in the preparation of students for the workplace and in running the off-the-job component of Vocational Courses.

The IAG have also been responsible for running a highly successful Skills Auction each year. This serves the three purposes of raising money to support the program, heightening awareness of the program within the community, and demonstrating the breadth and depth of skills within our community. Over the years we have raised between $5,000 and $9,000 each year by auctioning everything from cocktail parties to vasectomies. The night is run by our students and is great fun. Want more info, just let me know.

I believe that the joint ownership of responsibility and the commitment of this group has played a major role in the sustainability of Vocational Education in Tumut. I am sure there are other successful partnerships out there, so lets here from some others and share our experiences with those who are still struggling to forge links with their community.

Keep the feedback flowing.......

until tomorrow

Anna Cutler
Voc Ed Coordinator
Tumut High School

To view all of the interaction with the online guest browse the voced-coord archives from August 10 - 31, 1998.

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First published September 10, 1998. Last modified October 28, 1999.