Trade Training Centres for Queensland secondary schools

The Trade Training Centres in Schools program has been schemed by State and Federal Governments in the hope of improving Year 12 retention rates and combatting skills shortages.
 Education and Training Minister, Rod Welford, said 11 Queensland schools, or clusters of schools, would share in nearly $20 million in Federal Government funding to enhance training facilities. 
The first phase of the Trade Training Centres in Schools program was announced yesterday at Aviation High in Hendra, said Mr Welford. 
This is a promising partnership with the Federal Government to address skills shortages and increase Year 12 retention rates in Queensland by providing vocational education through the school system. Secondary schools throughout Australia were invited to apply for funding to establish Trade Training Centres, to provide students with access to industry standard trade training facilities. 
Queensland secondary schools expressed strong interest, with applications covering construction, engineering, marine, hospitality, plus the Aeroskills and Aeronautics Training Centre at Aviation High - a new aeroskills workshop which will extend the school's existing Industrial Technology facilities. 
It will also include the refurbishment of the graphics room, upgrades of an existing classroom to become an aircraft control systems facility and new equipment, including an open-circuit wind tunnel for teaching the principles of aircraft flight for the training centre.  According to Mr Welford, the Department of Education, Training and the Arts played an assessment role in the program, looking at all submissions to ensure they addressed skills shortages in specific regions, that local industry partnerships were appropriate, and projects were building on existing infrastructure rather than duplicating facilities.
Mr Welford said $18 million in State Government funding had been committed to Aviation High over the next four years, including $6 million in capital funding. 
The Federal Government's funding of $1.36 million, through the Trade Training Centres program, will augment this allocation, he said. 
Aviation High has five foundation industry partners  Boeing Australia, Aviation Australia, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Australian Aerospace and GE Aviation, as well as more recent partners - QANTAS, Virgin Blue, Thales, Roland DG, CAE and Raytheon. 
These industry groups must be congratulated for their ongoing contribution and support to ensure the success of the education and training provided through Aviation High. 
The Queensland schools, or school clusters, and the project areas to be funded through the first round of the Trade Training Centres in Schools program are as follows: 

• Aviation High School - up to $1.36 million on Aeroskills and Aeronautics Training Centre

• Harristown State High School - up to $1.35 million on Construction

• Marsden State High School - up to $1.35 million on Building and Construction

• Morayfield, Caboolture and Tullawong State High Schools - up to $1.36 million on Construction trades

• Tagai State College - up to $1.36 million on Marine, Construction and Hospitality 

• Woree, Mossman, Cairns, Gordonvale, Smithfield, Trinity Bay State high Schools, Bentley Park College and Kuranda District State College - up to $2 million on Marine

• Assisi Catholic College Coomera - up to $1.36 million on Hospitality Training Centre

• Marist College Ashgrove - up to $0.76 million on Construction 

• Saint Edmunds Christian Brothers College, Ipswich and Ipswich Girls Grammar School - up to $2.99 million on Construction, Automotive and Engineering

• Kings Christian College - up to $1.5 million on Hairdressing, Food Processing, Automotive and Health Support services

• Mackay Christian College, Carlisle Christian College, Whitsunday Anglican School - up to $3.38 million on Engineering and Construction