To evaluate international models for the facilitation of trades based learning in a secondary school environment

Paul acknowledges that the opportunity to travel, observe and participate in a variety of innovative engagement strategies has allowed him to develop an overall perspective that all students are important and need to be supported to maximise their opportunities for success. The best outcomes for all community members are achieved when all relevant parties are working towards the same goal with a shared understanding of the need to place the student at the centre of any program design. Each organisation Paul visited was facing similar challenges to those in Australia and each has implemented a unique approach to supporting young people to remain connected to schools and community. Although no one system can respond effectively to every challenge, a combination of ideas, presented as a new approach and developed in collaboration with all partners, would be considered the best approach.

Based on his visits and the experiences of schools, industry, and community, Paul has provided several recommendations to allow all youth within our communities to achieve their best and be supported for years to come. Here are his first 12 recommendations, please read his report to consider all his recommendations in the depth they deserve:

I) Greater collaboration between schools;

2) Youth Mentoring;

3) Credits to college and high school diploma;

4) Innovation and the freedom to take risks;

5) Piloting of new and creative ideas – the freedom to fail and learn;

6) Further investigation of the Swiss VET System and how elements could be applied to the Australian experience;

7) Industry involvement in program development, implementation and course structures – examples from the P-Tech Model with IBM and Paul Robeson High and following the initiatives implemented by Nicholas Wyman, who was a 2012 Churchill Fellow;

8) Freedom to tailor nationally recognised programs to meet the needs of industry;

9) Micro-credentialing of workplace and community skill sets to empower young people to move freely between industries with transferable and recognisable skills;

10) Greater influence from State and Federal governments to support students and industry to value the apprenticeship and traineeship system;

11) Flexible high school completion opportunities including self-directed learning and individual learning plans;

12) Career counsellors in high schools having greater involvement in local industry through a formalised mentoring program.