11 November, 2010
An Adelaide college offering year 11 and 12 students a Health and Fitness for Work Program rather than traditional ‘physical education’ says employers are reporting its students are better prepared for the physical demands of work.
The program, which is run by St Patrick’s Technical College, is designed to help students become work ready by teaching them about the nutritional requirements of working full time, health and safety at work and workplace communication as well as personal fitness.
The personal fitness part of the program is delivered through gym sessions and bushwalking rather than organised sports.
Program Manager Ms Katie Bell said the program is not only designed to prepare students but raises their awareness of the need to maintain healthy, productive and safe work environments.
“Employers also benefit because it helps to reduce the risk of work related accidents and ensures apprentices are ‘job ready’.
“Over 75 per cent of students leaving St Patrick’s go straight into a full time apprenticeship in physically demanding industries such as building and construction, automotive, commercial cookery, engineering and plumbing.
“We think colleges and schools have a responsibility to help students become physically as well as mentally work ready, whether they’re going straight into employment or further education.
“If students go onto further study then they often work part time and these skills will be equally beneficial.
“We encourage other schools and colleges to look at similar programs and we’d be happy to share our knowledge with other educational institutions.
“These types of programs have the potential to make workplaces much safer and assist in reducing work related injuries.”
Local employer Wayne Perry from Perry Trade Services says he’s found St Patrick’s students to be well prepared for the physical demands placed upon them at work and thinks the program should be adopted by other schools.
“As an employer it’s beneficial to have apprentices on-board that are fit, healthy and aware of their health and safety responsibilities. We can then reinforce these responsibilities within the work environment.”
The Health and Fitness for Work Program, which is run by a qualified personal trainer, is broken down into key topics - Workplace Nutrition, Communications, Health and Safety, Basic Cookery, Community Projects, Bushwalking and Gym.
“We’ve found bushwalking to be an extremely successful way of building fitness and problem solving skills, said Ms Bell.
“We take small groups to Mount Crawford where they learn to work as a team by navigating the best route through the forest using a map and compass. They also have to cook using a small camping stove.’
Workplace nutrition is also a key component of the program.
“We investigate the nutritional requirements of working full time and the demands it has on the body, said Ms Bell.
“We look carefully at the daily dietary requirements of somebody to work effectively and maintain productivity and explore which types of foods best meet these needs.
“In particular, we examine fast foods and compare them to healthier options for nutritional value. It’s all about helping students to make informed choices and not be too heavily influenced by the habits of others.”
St Patrick’s Technical College has been running the Health and Fitness for Work Program for more than 3 years. The college builds upon the program each year with new initiatives and topics.
St Patrick's Technical College is a senior secondary school specialising in the delivery of pre vocational trade training and a trade focused SACE. Students enter the College at year 11 for a two year course of study however, in certain circumstances, enrolment at year 12 can occur.
The College opened in 2007 as the Australian Technical College - Northern Adelaide as an initiative of the Australian Government, and in partnership with the Archdiocese of Adelaide and the Northern Adelaide Industry Consortium.
In July 2009, the College governance and ownership passed to the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools on behalf of the Archdiocese of Adelaide, and the College began a new journey as St Patrick's Technical College within Catholic Education South Australia.
For more information, visit St Patrick College's website.
Media contact: Simon Hatcher 0419 780 071
