Geraldton Senior College - a leader in design and technology courses
Geraldton Senior College is carving a name for itself for its top delivery of design and technology courses.
The school is currently undertaking action research for the new Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) Building & Construction course, before it is officially introduced in Year 11 in 2008.
The school's design and technology teacher, Allen Read, says the course provides students with strong skills that translate directly into employment and training opportunities.
Building and Construction students hard at work at Geraldton Senior College.
"In a high growth area like the Mid-West, this focus on skills development will give our students a head start," he said.
Mr Read is able to draw on his wide work experience in delivering the course, including experience in boilermaking, welding, bricklaying and carpentry.
The new Building and Construction course has been so successful that the school has three classes scheduled for next year.
"There's been a lot of student interest in the course and that's partly because it offers real life experiences and a chance to build practical things," he said.
"Students take a lot of pride in their practical work and they also recognise the importance of the theory they learn.
"The theory for the Building and Construction course includes learning about timber and safety, researching structures, drawings and scale, and volumes and ratios.
"The course is flexible for teachers and it has the support of the Building and Construction Industry Training Fund.
"Examples of practical tasks we've completed include a water feature, timber decking, brick barbecue, outdoor seating and a pergola.
"Next year we're planning more of an enterprise project in which we will pre-fabricate such structures as gazebos, garden sheds and cubby-houses.
"The strong links our school has made with Central West College of TAFE means we will be able to use the TAFE's facilities for Building and Construction tasks in the future."
Mr Read said the school's Technical Graphics course was another practical course that was proving popular with students.
In the course, students undertake a variety of research, including career options in the drafting industry as well as practical tasks such as sketching, architectural drawings, logo designs and product development.
"The Technical Graphics course attracts both genders and the strong industry focus translates into strong job opportunities."
The Curriculum Council's Building & Construction curriculum officer, Andy Briggs, said Geraldton Senior College had already established itself as a leader in the delivery of the two courses.
"The school is offering students 'real life' projects that simulate the workplace," Mr Briggs said.
"In terms of the end product, they don't get much better than those produced by the school."
