11 November, 2010
St Patrick’s Technical College will give visitors a sneak peek of its new Industrial Science Suite at an Apprenticeship and Industry Expo on Sunday 21 November.
The suite is being built to support the college’s role as the curriculum focus school for the state in the $5.7 million Advanced Technology Project to prepare young South Australians for jobs in the defence and advanced technology industries.
The project is funded by the Commonwealth government as part of a $10.9 million National Partnership Agreement with State governments.
As the curriculum focus school, St Patrick’s Technical College will provide trade focussed resources to South Australian Project Schools. There are nineteen Project Schools in metropolitan Adelaide with a lead school in each region.
The Science suite contains a traditional science facility to enable trade students to test scientific principles important in a trade context such as chemical compositions, reactions under pressure, material strengths, structural limitations and nutritional values.
This facility is being teamed with a “Mythbusters” lab designed to test traditional scientific principles using engaging real life experiments.
Next year, the college will for the first time offer an Applied Engineering course, which will deliver a specialised curriculum for year 11 and 12 students around maths, science and technology. The suite will be used to deliver the new course.
St Patrick’s Technical College Principal Rob Thomas said our objective is to increase participation in mathematics, science and technology to help grow the number of young people in Vocational Education and Training (VET) and University around these subjects.
“This will help support the defence and defence related industries experiencing a shortage of suitable professional and trade related employees.
“The new course and facilities at the college will help students into further study in fields such as mechanical and electronic engineering, materials technician or metallurgist or apprenticeships in trades like machinists, fitters and toolmakers.
“South Australia’s growing credentials as the Defence State will provide a host of opportunities for young people to take up careers in this vital industry.”
St Patrick’s Technical College also offers courses in automotive, building and construction, commercial cookery, electro technology, hairdressing, metals and engineering and plumbing.
St Patrick’s Technical College is located on Hooke Rd, Elizabeth West SA 5113. The Open Day and Industry Expo on November 21 will commence at midday and run till 4pm.
For more information on the Open Day and Industry Expo, call the college on 8209 3700 or visit the website.
Media contact: Simon Hatcher 0419 780 071
