North Central students discover local career opportunities through Broader Horizons

Students across the North Central have been stepping out of the classroom and into local workplaces as part of the North Central LLEN's Broader Horizons program.

Designed to broaden students' horizons and showcase the career opportunities available right on their doorstep, the program connects Year 9 students with local businesses aligned to their interests.

Students spent time immersed in different workplaces that align to their interests, gaining hands-on experience and learning directly from local employers. During Term 2, students from Charlton, Donald and Wycheproof completed the program.

Charlton College students were grouped according to their interests in agriculture, trades and early childhood education with a group out each week over five consecutive Wednesday afternoons. The program began at Dirt Fabrication, where students were shown many aspects of a career in fabrication learning some hands-on skills including grinding and welding steel to create their own fire pokers.

Several businesses welcomed Broader Horizons students for the first time this year. Holmes-Brown Floor and Window Coverings and North Central Smash Repairs and Restorations in Charlton provided engaging experiences for the trade group. At Holmes-Browns, students measured rooms, calculated flooring requirements, operated steam cleaners, cut carpet and learnt how flooring is installed. At North Central Smash Repairs and Restorations, students followed the entire repair process, paint mixing and baking, before getting on the tools themselves to remove a bumper from a damaged vehicle ready for repair.

Agriculture students experienced the diversity of the industry through visits to North West Ag, Teys Aust. Charlton Feedlot and Gunyah Blooms. The contrast between a larger agricultural businesses and a small, family-run flower farm demonstrated the many different pathways available within the sector locally. At Gunyah Blooms, students met Tessa, she shared her interesting pathway, who is currently balancing full-time study in environmental science, part-time work at Fosterville mine, running her own flower farm and parenthood. Tessa also shared how Gunyah Blooms can generate additional income through selling not only flowers but also tubers and seeds, with students collecting seeds to take home.

In Wycheproof, students visiting Premier Auto Electrics dismantled an alternator to better understand how it works with the power of magnetics.

Wycheproof P-12 College students were out in multiple businesses over the course of one full day, and they engaged in trades, community services, sport and health. First stop was to travel to Birchip to visit O'Connors to learn about careers available not only

as a diesel mechanic but the variety of roles available within the business across branches in Victoria and New South Wales. Next stop was the Wycheproof Community Resource, the heart of Wycheproof community-based focus and the career roles that they have and support, after the session Jess from Centre Central Mallee Health was running a clinic from the WCRC and gave her time to present a detailed presentation on her journey from subjects selections to university advice, allowing students to explore a range of community-based career pathways. The final business to complete the day was Premier Auto Electrics where Josh shared his passion as an auto elect where the students got on the tools and dismantled alternators and identified a fault using technology on Ute.

In Donald High School, students also spend a full day out in multiple businesses with students interested in trades and agriculture visited BB Harvesting, Nutrien Ag Solutions and Donald Steel. Those with an interest in health and early childhood education spent time at Goodwin Village and the Donald Kinder, gaining valuable insight into caring professions. At Goodwin Village students were able to take residents for walks in nature, assist with morning tea service before finishing the morning with a highly contested game of bingo, after lunch this group engaged with a young cohort of Donald at the kinder, with students quickly making the students feel welcome with including them in games, activities and reading books. Donald trade and Ag students enjoyed time at Nutrien Ag Solutions and careers within ag that are available before heading to BB harvesting, that included an insight to both Trade and Ag with the students impressed see such a large scale harvesting businesses in Donald and the machinery that requires trades to keep them operational. The group completed their day at Donald Steel on the tools, making their own fire shovels under the guidance of John and his team.

The North Central LLEN would like to sincerely thank every business that opened its doors to support the program. Providing students with real world experiences and the opportunity to meet local employers plays an important role in developing our young people.

If your business would like to be involved in a future Broader Horizons, please contact Julie on j.bourke@ncllen.org.au

Steam cleaning carpet at Holmes Brown Floor and Window coverings

Students dismantling a bumper at North Central Smash Repairs