AN INNOVATIVE Careers program aimed at teaching students employability skills was trialed with Woolgoolga Public School Year 6 pupils last Thursday.

The ShoreTrack EPPP Year 6 Let’s Get Ready program saw pupils develop an understanding of the importance of employability skills though six workshop rotations held over the day.

Advertise with News of The Area today.
It’s worth it for your business.
Message us.
Phone us – (02) 4981 8882.
Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au

Students learnt about hands-on tasks which are similar to workplace situations including coding robots, using drones, plumbing and construction, hospitality, creative thinking and emergency response/health, and discussed the employability skills they were using while undertaking each task.

Students learnt how to fly a drone and make it flip over, code using a mobile phone to move a Sphero robot, use technology including an airfryer, food processor and a breadmaker to cook jam drops, sausage rolls and white bread, how to respond in an emergency situation such as a road accident through role playing, how to construct a simple outdoor plumbing system, and how to use recycled materials to create something innovative and useful.

Students got to experience each hands-on activity and compare the skills needed for each task and the workplace in general.

ShoreTrack founder Jillian Ashley said the not for profit organisation assisted students with choosing the “reliable track to getting a job” when they got older, and she stressed to students the importance of employability skills.

“The most important things local employers look for in an employee is employability skills,” Jillian said.

Jillian and ShoreTrack Co-Founder Paul Ireland explained to the students the eight most important employability skills employers look for in an employee, including communication, teamwork, self management, problem solving, initiative and enterprise, technology, planning and organising, and learning skills.

Paul explained to the Year 6 students that research had shown that they will undertake around 17 different jobs in their lifetime.

“One qualification won’t let you have 17 jobs, but having these employability skills will let you learn as you go,” Jill said.

This is the first ShoreTrack EPPP Program to be run in a NSW primary school.

The program was run courtesy of the NSW Department of Education Educational Pathways Pilot Program (EPPP) which has been operating at Woolgoolga High School since 2020 to improve higher education and career outcomes for young people.

The program features ten pilot initiatives which centre on helping students into school-based apprenticeships and traineeships through mentoring and support, expanding opportunities for school students to engage with fee-free VET Smart & Skilled programs, and strengthening careers advice and job-ready life skills for young people.

By Emma DARBIN

Year 6 Woolgoolga Public School pupils enjoyed a full day Careers workshop last week learning about employability skills. Photos: Emma Darbin.