Young People Shine a Light on Local Heroes at Boort District Health

2023 saw a group of Year 11 students from Boort District School (BDS) complete a unique work experience program that saw them “take over” the Hospital as part of their Vocational Major Literacy (VCL) studies.

The six students came together weekly to form a task force in a project called "Showcasing Health Sector Heroes" - a Youth Take Over (YTO) work experience program. 

​YTO is an initiative of the North Central LLEN, supporting young people to gain teamwork, project management and communication skills that help them become more employable.

In this Take Over, students worked like investigators, interviewing the staff at BDH and learning how to tell their stories in an engaging way and from a personal lens. 
 
BDH has a range of career paths, said Patrick*, one of the interns, many of which were news to the young people. 

"It's not just the nursing and stuff, it's a wide range of job that I didn't even know were there... there's so many things you could be doing," he said.

Importantly, the students learned that it is the incredible and diverse range of staff that makes the hospital a unique and exciting place to work - from cleaners and gardeners to admin and the people who run the cafe - every staff member matters. 

After touring the hospital and getting to know the entire workforce, their task was to choose just one employee to connect with and interview to tell their story and showcase the valuable work they are doing. 

Each student produced a write-up about the life of their chosen staff member and snapped a photo of them, which was showcased earlier this week at the Hospital for a special launch event. 

Allowing the young people to showcase their work is an important part of the Take Over program, as it helps the young people work on presentation skills, and gives them a chance to feel proud of their achievements. 

Hamish*, one of the participating students, said that learning their literacy work at the hospital was a great experience for the students as it gave them a chance to connect with their community. 

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"I felt like it was a lot better just being in the community and having different people walking by and having different conversations, instead of just your normal classroom conversations that you get," he said.

Tom Bleicher, the Assistant Principal at Boort District School, said the Take Over was exactly what he had been looking for to use their Vocational Major Literacy (VCL) as a way to get into the workplace and out of the classroom.

"My mind has been constantly ticking over in terms of how we can make this an ongoing part of the curriculum... to leave the classroom and engage with a range of industries," he said. 
  
Lachlan*, another one of the students, said that opportunities like these are important in your final years of school because it gives you an opening into lots of different jobs that you could go into.

"Say you weren't sure what you wanted to do after school, there's always an opportunity at BDH to do something," he said. 

The final work produced by the young people will be used by the hospital to showcase their health sector heroes, and in turn, help BDH attract their future workforce by putting the life stories of their people first. 

Whilst the project has opened the participants' eyes to the range of careers available in their hometown, it has also given the staff at the hospital a new outlook.

Boort District Health CEO Donna Doyle said that one of the benefits for their organisation is that they get to see the Hospital from a youth perspective, which can help them better engage with young people.  

"The biggest win for us is going to be being able to showcase all the different types of career pathways that people have an opportunity to explore at BDH."

“The materials the students have created show young people that the hospital offers a rewarding career that challenges them, that they get to do relevant and interesting and important things in their day-to-day work, but also then how that transpires into their work-life balance," she said. 
 
Speaking at the event, YTO Project Director Ryan Hale, said what makes Take Overs special is that young people enter the workforce as a group, which can bring down the barriers some young people feel about starting their careers or entering a new work environment on their own. 
 
"While one focus of this Take Over was for students to achieve curriculum outcomes in VCL, they have also improved their ability to work in a team, communicate effectively across an age gap, and work to a client brief, which are all transferable work skills.”

"So while they are achieving their curriculum outcomes, they are also developing community and industry networks, honing their teamwork, communications and project management skills and getting out of the classroom and into a hands-on learning environment, giving them a real insight into the world of work," he said.

This group of students at BDS were the first in the area to complete a Take Over as work experience, however Take Overs are happening all over the Loddon Campaspe region, with opportunities for young people up to the age of 25.

Every young person benefits from work experience, so if you know a young person ready for the 'next step' on their career adventure, head to youthtakeover.org.au to learn more. 

YTO was able to bring this program to life thanks to the sponsorship of the Agnico Eagle Community Partnership Program and in partnership with Boort District School, Boort District Health and the North Central LLEN.