HVIA community partnership delivering skills to industry

The Queensland Department of Education has produced a video highlighting the successful partnership between HVIA and Brisbane‘s Glenala Senior High School, supporting their Trades Skills Centre.

Glenala SHS Trade Skills Centre (TSC) opened in June 2016 and now has its fifth cohort of Year 11 and 12 students undertaking a Certificate 2 in Automotive Vocational Preparation (Heavy Vehicle Stream).

Local HVIA members have been strong supporters of the initiative, with the facility well situated amongst Brisbane’s heavy vehicle industry corridor.

Many HVIA members, and notably Scania and Iveco, have already made tremendous and generous contributions.

Members continue to assist with equipment acquisition, learning and resources development, and hosting students for work experience and industry open days.

The video encourages schools to develop partnerships with industries in their local area, demonstrating the potential for students to access assured career pathways.

HVIA’s Paul Woodland has been working closely with Glenala SHS for almost ten years including sitting on their industry advisory panel.

In the video Paul explained the importance of the organisation’s workforce development program to members.

“We look at raising awareness in the community of the heavy vehicle industry as a rewarding and progressive career choice,” Paul said.

“We do this by engaging with secondary schools – particularly those that are located in areas local to where our industry is, and schools that are delivering engineering and/or automotive subjects, because these are some of the basic skills that our industry is looking for.”

Glenala SHS Engagement Coordinator Sharina Gibney explained the importance for the school to connect with local industry so that students could do work experience and then go on to securing employment.

She explained how that experience then helps immensely in their first exposure to the workplace, when the students are already familiar with that industry.

“Working with HVIA, we are able to source work experience for our students, and some of these students then go on to securing traineeships and apprenticeships and also securing post-school employment,” Ms Gibney said.

“We have established connections with industry, so the industry is now providing us opportunities where trainers come into the Trade Skills Centre and deliver specific programs, which they have planned with the trainer.

Paul said the partnership with Glenala SHS is not only important for HVIA and its members, but also for the local community, improving graduate’s successful transition into post-schooling career pathways.

“Students who do graduate and get qualifications through the TSC have desirable employability skills in automotive mechanics, which is one of the recognised industry skills shortage areas.”

Glenala SHS Principal Michelle Campbell said the initiative delivered life-changing outcomes for students, their families and the community.

“Our work with local industry and training providers has helped us with the opportunity to provide authentic, real-life experiences for our students,” Ms Campbell said.

“Historically our students have been early school leavers and they mainly stay within our community.

“In some cases, we’re talking about generational change with our families. These will be the first students that ever graduate from high school and transition either into tertiary education or full-time employment.

“So it’s very, very important and valuable that our students are exposed to real-life experiences and the workplace and have that confidence before they leave school.”