As the Year 10 cohort this week completed their Work Experience placements, it is interesting to note when it all started. Here are some details from the Archives:
In 1982, the College introduced the Work Experience program into Year 11. This initiative was facilitated by the newly-created Careers teacher role taken by Mr Ted Jorna. His role was to talk with students about jobs, unions, programs, values, interests, abilities and any particular talents they may have. He would then contact employers, seeking short-term opportunities for students to participate in a chosen field or industry, although many students organised their own placements. The idea was to give the students some experience and insight into the workplace and hopefully develop employability skills and career options.
Mrs Elizabeth Dufty was appointed to the role in 1987, assisted by Ms Helen Christie, and the College certainly benefited from her expertise until her retirement in 2020. In more recent years, the focus of the program has been on Year 9 and 10 students.
Two students who gained valuable advice from the program in the early days were Julia Harrison (Class of 1988) and Dion Courtney (Class of 1993) (both pictured below).
Julia became a doctor and forged an outstanding career in the field of health care and medical education, being awarded the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Award for Excellence in 2009.
Dion served with the Australian Defence Force as a naval pilot flying Seahawk helicopters, seeing active service overseas in Iraq. He has also returned to the College to be involved in the career counselling programs. Both have been inducted into the Mercy Honour Roll — Julia in 2012 and Dion in 2017.
