Helping daylesford students get the skills to work

Students in Daylesford will soon be able to finish high school with an apprenticeship or traineeship, ready for work in high demand and high growth industries thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas, today announced that the Government’s new Head Start Apprenticeships and Traineeships initiative will launch at Daylesford Secondary College in 2019.

Students will have the option of doing an extra year of school as part of the initiative, so they can finish their VCAL or VCE while spending more time doing important, paid, on-the-job training.

Daylesford Secondary will also get additional support and funding to help run Head Start, including a school-based coordinator to provide employment and vocational pathway advice and one-on-one support to students.

The school currently has 77 students enrolled in VET and school based apprenticeships and traineeships across a range of subjects including building and construction, music, sport and recreation, hospitality and automotive.

Head Start will deliver up to 1,700 new apprenticeships and traineeships at 100 secondary schools across Victoria – giving local students more support to study an apprenticeship or traineeship at school.

The Victorian Budget 2018/19 provided $49.8 million to deliver Head Start, alongside $109 million to overhaul secondary school career education and $26 million to enhance vocational education in schools.

Head Start will provide apprenticeships targeted at priority industries and traditional trades like construction, defence and health, with enterprise apprenticeships and traineeships to be developed that target high technology areas needed for the jobs of tomorrow like coding.

The Labor Government’s Education State is making sure all students are supported to get a great education, stay in school and learn the skills they need for the future.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas
"We’re giving Daylesford students the chance to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship while at school so they can finish qualified and ready to work."

"Daylesford Secondary is a great local school and thanks to Head Start, even more local kids will be able to get the skills they need for the job they want. This is in stark contrast to the Liberals who smashed vocational training."