Multicultural students are learning about future employment opportunities and skill expectations at local industry sites.
Lavalla Catholic College and Traralgon College students with home countries in South Sudan, Pacific Islands, Vietnam, India, China, Finland and the Ukraine toured local companies, industries and services in the interest of future employment.
Last week the students visited the Australian Paper Mill at Maryvale, Woolworths Morwell and Latrobe City Council, and are set to tour Federation University today, and the Morwell Leisure Centre next week.
Centre for Multicultural Youth Gippsland multicultural youth worker Hayley Franklin said the tours followed a five-week in-school program, discussing employment, careers, long and short term goals and the concept of skills.
“These kids are pretty resourceful, they have a lot of knowledge and their journeys are quite profound and they’ve been through a lot,” Ms Franklin said.
“They already have so many skills, but don’t necessarily realise they have them. We’re giving them the tools to take advantage of what they already have.”
The joint CMY and Baw Baw and Latrobe Local Learning and Education Network ‘Journey to Work for your Future’ program, was established four years ago.
About 30 students from the two schools are involved in the program, and range in age with students from year nine to year 12.
Student Boo Gai said she found the APM tour interesting and was looking forward to visiting the Morwell Leisure Centre.
“I’m excited for the last tour, which is all about the sports industry. I want to do personal training or be a dietician,” Boo said.
