1. NEWSWEEK
STOCK JOURNAL ■ June 12, 2014
14
Horticulture plan boosts Year 12 completion
By MIRANDA KENNY
A
JOINT program between the
horticulture industry and a
local school has helped push
Year 12 completions to 93 per
cent at Renmark High, a 10pc jump
since the new South Australian
Certificate of Education was intro-
duced in 2010.
Producers in the region have
also benefited by being able to
attract keen and experienced
employees who are enthusiastic
about their future in the horticul-
ture industry.
Renmark High School pathways
coordinator Marina Pater said
the retention rate had climbed
rapidly since vocational educa-
tion training was included at the
school. The school, which has
one of the biggest horticulture
programs in the state as part of its
farm management centre, is part
of a regional VET program, with
high schools up to 80 kilometres
away working together to ensure
students have greater opportuni-
ties.
This year, 270 students from four
different high schools – Renmark,
Glossop, Loxton and Waikerie –
spent one day a week working
through their VET requirements,
with subjects such as doorways
to construction, animal care and
husbandry, electronics, business,
technical engineering, children’s
services and cookery offered.
“It’s quite a complex set-up,” Ms
Pater said.
“The Year 11s and Year 12s can
finish a Tafe Certificate Two and
Tafe Certificate Three in their cho-
sen subjects by the end of Year
12, which is industry-recognised
and means it will be easier for
them to gain employment.”
Ms Pater said the student reten-
tion rate had climbed rapidly.
“A lot of the students are mov-
ing into apprenticeships,” she
said. “It has really helped the
students get into the right path-
ways.”
Quality Fruit Marketing chair-
man Michael Trautwein said the
RHS program was an important
interaction between industry and
schools. “Why as an industry are
we interested in a school-based
activity? It goes right back to the
mid-1990s,” he said.
“Industry had identified we
were struggling to attract good,
quality people in horticulture.
“We were sick of the bad news
stories, of the moaning and groan-
ing. We knew we were going to
battle to tell people that there
were exciting careers in horticul-
ture. Part of the problem was,
in this region if you ended up in
horticulture that was the job you
took while you were waiting for
another.
“Very few people, other than
the sons of fruitgrowers, wanted
to work in horticulture.”
Mr Trautwein said his involve-
VET pathways forge fruitful careers
RENMARK High School pathways coordinator Marina Pater (pictured on the right
with horticulture students Navjot Singh, Waikerie; Dylan Sumner, Renmark; Jack
Gray, Loxton; Sophie-Lee Richter, Renmark; Kasey Wickham, Renmark; Chloe
Millington, Renmark and Harley Thiele, Renmark) said the retention rate had
climbed rapidly since vocational education training was included at the school.
Sophie-Lee, a Year 12 student, said she was currently completing a Tafe
Certificate Three in Horticulture. As part of this she was working for Quality Fruit
Marketing chairman Michael Trautwein.
“It’s going to be great to be able to get a job,” Sophie-Lee said. “I’ve grown
up around horticulture, it’s always been a part of my life and I want to continue
doing it.
“I love being outdoors. I really enjoy working with my hands so I’d love to get
a job back in agriculture, either back on a cattle or sheep farm, or to continue
working in horticulture.”
■ Important interaction
■ Recognised qualifications earned
■ Horticulture careers now desirable
KeyPoints
ment began in 2000, with former
principal Paul Wilton.
“We wanted them to see it as
a job not of last resort, but an
option of first resort. We met with
the new school principal in the
first week he was here and I’ve
been involved ever since,” he said.
•Details: Miranda Kenny travelled to the
Riverland as part of a Brand SA and RA&HS
Around Our State Tour.
stockjournal.com.au
Video available on
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How one dairy
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No stranger to working the land, Rod Banks has
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Since 1999, CowBank has helped those who
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The initial response to CowBank was huge.
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District Agribusiness Manager, Bruce Keeley
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