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I N D E X

Introduction to Passions and Pathways Project 2010 & 2011

Passions and Pathways Projects 2012 & 2013

Passions and Pathways Project 2014 ElementsTeam Building & Student EngagementOrientation to Work - OH&S and Resumés & InterviewsIndustry VisitsYoung Industry AmbassadorsApplied Learning Projects including Project BookletsShowcase & Expo

Interviews with past students involved with Passions and Pathways

Recommendations for 2015

Profi ling

Photo Gallery

BENDIGO A I R P O R TBENDIGO A I R P O R T

Major’sEaglehawk Sports Centre

DAVE YOUNG BUILDER - BENDIGO

BENDIGO SCHOOLS TRADE TRAINING CENTRE

Passions and Pathways is a unique partnership between the Goldfi elds Local Learning & Employment Network, Lightning Reef & Eaglehawk Primary Schools, the Economic Development Unit from the City of Greater Bendigo, the Bendigo Manufacturing Group and a number of manufacturing industries and other business sectors.20

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A I M O F T H E P R O J E C T

The Project supports students from low socio economic areas:• To connect the dots between school and real life• To open students’ eyes to the endless job and career possibilities that exist in their local area.

Students in 2012 chose the name: “ PASSIONS AND PATHWAYS © ”

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BACKGROUND

2 0 1 0

It began with a simple comment at a breakfast meeting that the Goldfi elds LLEN hosted for educators and business & industry leaders. The meeting focused on improving partnerships between schools and the employment world to link authentic work place experiences for students. The Goldfi elds LLEN Executive Offi cer had invited the Principal from Lightning Reef Primary School to join in the discussions. She spoke about how community issues, such as generational poverty and unemployment impact on schools and on students aspirations and the desire to learn.

2 0 1 1

Business and Industries responsesThe CEO of Keech Australia raised the issue at a Bendigo Manufacturing Group meeting – a think tank of key business and industry representatives, an advisory body to the Economic Development Unit of the City of Greater Bendigo – and the group discussed an agenda for change.

Primary Schools’ responsesFurther concerns arose from preliminary fi ndings early in 2011. When questioned by teachers, grade six students’ comments suggested their aspirations, or in many cases lack of, for post school career participation were limited. They believed, or held, little hope for their future workplace participation. It was apparent that many of the students believed successful career people were ‘lucky’ which seemed to automatically exclude them. There was no way that they were ‘lucky’!

Co-ordinated by the Goldfi elds LLEN Executive Offi cer a representative steering committee was formed late in 2011 to develop a strategy plan.

Members included:

• Senior personnel from the Economic Development Unit from the City of Greater Bendigo

• Coordinator of the Bendigo Schools Trade Training Centre

• Principals and staff from Lightning Reef and Eaglehawk Primary Schools

• Management personnel from the Bendigo Pottery – member of and representing the Bendigo Manufacturing Group

• Executive Offi cer of the Goldfi elds LLEN (Chair of the Committee).

She indicated that her school’s School Family Occupation Index (based on income) meant that over 90% of her families received Educational Maintenance Allowance support.

A local CEO from a Bendigo manufacturing business, Keech Australia, was ‘gobsmacked’ that local students were impacted on by poverty including generational poverty. He likened their environment to ‘third world’ conditions.

“I couldn’t believe that here in Bendigo we had students who held such little hope for the future and I knew that it was our responsibility as a community to do something about that.”

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PASSIONS AND PATHWAYS - 2012 & 2013

Key Understandings underpinning the Projects included:• Exploring what a career was and the associated skills, knowledge and attitudes required to sustain a career• In both daily life & work environments, realising that there were issues and regulations relating to occupational health & safety• Developing an appreciation that there were intrinsic and extrinsic rewards gained from following a career path• Learning that links can be made with different communities, locally and globally, to create opportunities to support or source career pathways.

Components included:

• Orientation to work related skills including OH&S• Industry and business tours• Applied Learning projects with mentoring support from industry and

businesses• Classroom activities linked to the tours and the Applied Learning projects• Engagement with Young Industry Ambassadors from a number of

industries and businesses• An Expo with community invitations to share the students achievements• Student, teacher and business and industry surveys to monitor the

impact of the Project• A Report written by a senior research consultant.

Contributions from the partnerships included:• Financial, material resources and equipment • Young Industry Ambassadors as guest speakers and mentor

support• In kind support from business, industry, the City of Greater

Bendigo, schools, the Bendigo Schools Trade Training Centre, the Eaglehawk Schools DEEWR Extended Schools Hub, the Goldfi elds LLEN and the Careers Education Association of Victoria.

Q U O T E S This was about being inspirational. It was about students having positive exposure to local industry and coming to understand that employment and career opportunities relate directly to effort and achievement rather than luck.ManagerEconomic Development UnitCity of Greater Bendigo

We hatched a plan to address a community need and I’m amazed at the impact it has had.CEO of Keech AustraliaBendigo Manufacturing Group member

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THE PASSIONS AND PATHWAYS PROJECT PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CAREER CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK YEARS 7 - 12

CAREERS CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK - Self-Development & Career Exploration

VICTORIAN CAREERS CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK - PRIMARY EDITION ( DRAFT ) Years 3 - 6

These stages are refl ected through six steps in a young person’s acquisition of skills for career development, and form the structure of the Framework. Young people complete all six steps at each year level. Through planned career development learning, young people discover their strengths and talents, explore the world of work and their place in it,

focus on their values and interests, use decision-making skills to plan their learning and career programs, decide on their best options and opportunities, and apply their skills and knowledge to their learning and career planning. These steps provide the skills and knowledge for lifelong career self-management.

A Career Education Framework has been designed to prepare students in Years 3 to 6 for a changing world in which a career is not just a destination but a journey that involves lifelong learning and decision-making. It focuses their attention on recognising or creating opportunities, making informed choices and defi ning and achieving their career goals. In each year level, students develop an annual career action plan that refl ects their increased learning, identifi es future actions and builds on previous planning.

Teachers from Lightning Reef Primary School provided input to the draft document working with the Careers Education Association Victoria (CEAV).

Teachers aligned student learning outcomes with AusVels supported by the Regional Career Development Offi cer and CEAV staff. Almost all dimensions of AusVels were included. Student learning outcomes also correlated strongly with the CEAV Years 3-6 Careers Curriculum in preparation for the 2014 Project.

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PURPOSE

• To provide students with information and skills about Resumé preparation

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PURPOSE

• To prepare students for industry visits and projects• To provide students with skills and knowledge

that could be utilised later in life as they enter the workforce.

PURPOSE

• To develop self-awareness in relation to interests, abilities, competencies and values

• To investigate personal learning styles• To build healthy relationships - problem solving

communication, collaboration and working with others

• To set goals• To model school values

• To demonstrate perseverance in making choices

Lightning Reef introduced the Grade 5 students to the Project. They attended some tours and the Expo.

Grade 5 students are excited to be part of the Project and are looking forward to next year (2015).

Be respectful Be responsible Be your best Students’ quote:

“The skills I have learnt so far from my class activities are team work and never give up.”

“I learnt how to work with people that I don’t like and learnt not to be shy when sharing my ideas.”

“I would like to be more co-operative with co-workers.”

Team Building & Student Engagement “Let’s just do it!”

PASSIONS AND PATHWAYS - 2014A review of the previous year’s Project led to some additional elements in 2014.

Components included:• Team building and student engagement including piloting components of the Project with

Grade 5 students• Orientation to work with a focus on OH&S, Resumé preparation and Job Interview practise• Industry tours to four local sites• Engagement with Young Industry Ambassadors from four local industries• Applied Learning Projects with employer support from fi ve industry / businesses; • Each Project developed a Project Booklet to guide the students, teachers and the

employers through the stages of the Project• Classroom activities linked to the tours and the Applied Learning Projects • An Expo with community invitations to showcase the students achievements; students

developed portfolios that formed part of the exhibits at the Expo• Student, teacher and business and industry surveys to monitor the impact of the Project• Interviews with past students now at secondary schools who were engaged in the Project

in 2012 & 2013.

ESE Consulting provided a Resumé and Interview workshop.

Resumés & Interviews

Orientation toWork - OH&S

Paul Flood from Safety Systems provided an OH&S workshop.

Students’ quotes:“I learnt that there are different jobs and there are different things to do and different safety things too.”

“My interest was all of the safety skills you need.”

• To practise how to prepare for and conduct yourself in an Interview.

Employer’s quote: Katie“What an impressive initiative by Lightning Reef Primary School and Eaglehawk Primary School the ‘Passions and Pathways Project’ is. Giving children the tools to start thinking about their career options in grades 5 and 6 means that they can open their eyes to all the wonderful careers they can aspire towards. We can’t wait to help out again in 2015!”

Student’s quote:“I hope people will remember this day as when people go for a job they will need to know how to do a resumé.”

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INDUSTRY VISITSPURPOSE

• To prepare students for the visits, teachers and students focussed on:

Sites VisitedHofmann EngineeringKeech 3D advanced manufacturingMotherson ElastomersThales Australia

Checking what students already knew Conducting research on each industry Developing students’ abilities to use skills and knowledge

through the prepared list of questions to ask and record the answers at each site visit

Collecting new knowledge Preparing students for their beliefs and values to be challenged

about the world of work.

Eaglehawk PS Principal’s quote: Kerrie McMillin“I think there was more active student involvement this year with pre-set questions for the industry visit. It was fantastic to see how well the students researched and prepared for the industry visits and the high level questions they asked the industry tour leaders. If questions were answered, students had to re-design new questions. This really showed the students growing understanding of the role of these industries in the local, regional, national and international community.”

Student’s quote:“Some personal skills that you need for a job is good behaviour, being on time, listening to what the boss or someone has to say so you know what to do.”

Student’s quote:“I really want to learn more about all the industry visits and they will help me with my skills and ideas for my life. I want to learn about what kind of jobs they have.”

Employer’s quote: Doug Baird“ I think the students have been impressed with the technology; 3D is cool; its cutting edge.”

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Goldfi elds LLEN staff member’s quote: Chris Coughlan “Visits to both Lightning Reef and Eaglehawk Primary Schools were well-received by the students. The presentations and explanations of careers in manufacturing engaged the students and they asked many questions of the presenters. The young apprentices quickly established a good rapport with the students and were involved in animated discussions throughout. The primary school students enjoyed interacting with the materials the speakers brought with them.”

Young Industry Ambassadors sharing their career pathways at Eaglehawk and Lightning Reef Primary Schools. Aaron Marshall and James Robinson, McCullochs Engineering; Lachlan Jenkins, The Australian Turntable Company; Nick Bennett from THALES.

Eaglehawk PS Principal’s quote: Kerrie McMillin“The visits by the Young Ambassadors were a highlight and it was wonderful to see the keen questioning by our students and how good the Young Ambassadors were at answering these questions.”

YOUNG INDUSTRY AMBASSADORSPURPOSE

• To engage Young Industry Ambassadors from local businesses and industries who are trained to talk about their own career pathways to students.

The Australian Industry Group in partnership with the Economic Development Unit of the City of Greater Bendigo and the Goldfi elds LLEN supported the training of these young employees.

Ambassadors from:Lendlease (Bendigo Hospital)McCullochs ManufacturingThalesThe Australian Turntable Company

Young Industry Ambassador’s quote: Nick Bennett“It was an absolute pleasure talking to the kids about my job and how I came about doing it. It was really fun to answer their questions and to see my job through their eyes for a brief moment and remember how I felt at their age and what drove me to become who I am today.I’d defi nitely recommend any young professional in the local community participate in the programme, the kids get to fi nd out things that will help them make informed decisions about their future, and we get to critically examine our professions. It’s a win-win! Thanks again for the opportunity.”

Student’s quote:“I learnt that there are different jobs

and there are different things to do and different safety too. I learnt the most when I had been inside the bushmaster.”

Student’s quote :“I saw how many workers they all had, what they made - it was awesome in a word because we got to see everything.”

Employer’s quote: Gordon Hardcastle“Passions and Pathways is important to show students in grade fi ve and six what happens in manufacturing and the range of opportunities available in the manufacturing industry. I am passionate about and committed to manufacturing and its future. The Project gives students an experience in the world of work in a range of manufacturing businesses in Bendigo and the skills required.”

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2014 Passions and PathwaysCubby Project Student Workbook

Hosted byBendigo Truss PlantBendigo TAFE&Eaglehawk Primary School

APPLIED LEARNING PROJECTS

PURPOSE

• To link the Project with the school curriculum and the industry visits

• To practise workplace skills• To provide a hands-on-experience for students

that links some of the skills to the industry visits predominantly in work places

• To host an Expo to showcase students’ achievements.

Applied Learning Projects hosted by:Bendigo Pottery The Pottery ProjectBendigo Truss Plant & Bendigo TAFE The Cubby ProjectDesign Experts The Augmented Reality IT ProjectJools for Jim The Hair, Skin & Beauty ProjectKeech 3D advanced manufacturing The 3D Printing ProjectMSD Animal Health & La Trobe University The Science Project

Goldfi elds LLEN Executive Offi cer’s quote: Anne Brosnan“The meeting with educators and employers engaging and collaborating with each other to develop the Projects enhanced both mutual respect and new insights about each other and their respective work environments.”

Eaglehawk Primary School Teacher’s quote: Stacey Harvey“Students gave great feedback about the Projects, for example the Jools for Jim and Bendigo Pottery Projects. They really enjoyed being able to work on something throughout the four weeks and take it home with them. They found it really engaging and hands-on.”

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Project BookletsAs a result of the 2013 review of Passions and Pathways, it was agreed that educators and employers hosting the Applied Learning Projects would greatly benefit from working together to develop a Student Project Booklet for each of the Projects.

Consequently a meeting was held to develop the Project Booklets. These booklets provided invaluable support to all involved especially the students. The booklets also assisted the employers hosting the Applied Learning Projects to develop an understanding of what Grade 6 students can and can’t yet achieve.

2014

Passions and PathwaysStudent Guide Book

Hosted byMSD Animal Health

and La robe Universityy

Passions and PathwaysProject Guide Book

Hosted

By

Keech 3D

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APPLIED LEARNING PROJECTS

Eaglehawk PS Principal’s quote: Kerrie McMillin“The students worked closely with a buddy from BTEC (Bendigo TAFE) which enabled the primary students to use a range of equipment under close supervision. In this way, students to use a range of equipment under close supervision. In this way, students had a lot of hands-on experience during the actual construction phase.”

Goldfi elds LLEN staff member’s quote: Chris Coughlan“It was interesting to see the students grow in confi dence as the program unrolled. Some had not sawn or nailed anything before so they were quietly proud of themselves when they could do that. I was pleased to encourage and affi rm the students.The BTech students were excellent in their interaction with the primary students often encouraging and affi rming these younger ones.”

The Cubby at Eaglehawk Primary School

The focus of the Cubby Project was to give the students an experience with the planning, designing and construction of a small building on the site at Eaglehawk Primary School. A grant from Empower Eaglehawk made this project possible.

The Cubby Project

“The experience of working on a Project, within an industry setting, is a vital component in the Passions & Pathways program. We thought more deeply about project links to the curriculum and join planning with teachers to improve the process, content and delivery. Involving the students in the design of an end product encouraged their engagement, both physically & intellectually.

It was great to see students excited about going to school. The hand decorated pottery was a refl ection of the process and the students were their own critics, using artistic judgement. The Projects have the potential to empower a student to want to take their place in the world, to be an active participant in life.”

The Pottery Project

Manager’s quote: Sally Thompson

The focus of the Project was to explore the steps in the factory from preparing the clay to making and fi ring pottery. Students made and decorated two pieces of pottery to display at the Expo.

Student’s quote:“What I have learnt about the Bendigo pottery is: who works there; what you do there; how clay is moulded ; how to make pottery; and how a kiln works.”

Student’s quote: “I wanted to do this Project because not many girls do building.”

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The focus for this year’s Project was to expose and engage the students in cutting edge digital communication using Augmented Reality; it overlays digital objects into reality to enhance the experience and create increased engagement and learning.

The students created their own “augmented experience” using their iPads and in front of their eyes their creations came to life - they loved it and cottoned on very quickly!

Employer’s quote: Tim Gentle

“It was a bit of a challenge to present this new media channel to them, mainly because it is so new and we haven’t tried to teach it before, we have since developed learning material which was a great outcome for DE. Although challenging, it was overpowered by the smiles of the students when their physical objects came to life with a video of themselves playing on the object right before their eyes. Amazing stuff. The exploration continues for us and them.Our youth are entering a world of constant digital innovation, it can be stated that it’s a matter of keeping up or be left behind - quite scary really... “

The Augmented Reality IT Project

Goldfi elds LLEN staff member’s quote: Simon Flood“The Passions and Pathways Project gives exposure to pathways and opportunities never before thought possible. It was a delight to be involved with the Augmented Reality IT Project; Design Experts.”

Student’s quote:“I think it would be a fun job to be working at Design Experts. It’s taught me a lot about work places and things. Although it didn’t change my mind about wanting to be a singer. I do think that working at Design Experts would be cool though. If I worked there, I would want to be a graphic designer”.

Students’ quotes:“ The two things I loved about the Passions and Pathways project that had captured my interest were working with Eaglehawk students and learning and doing things at Jools for Jim for our project.”“ If you were to get a job at Jools for Jim, the personal skills that you need are being good at maths, being good at typing and being good with your English.”

Manager’s quote: Jill“We think the Passions and Pathways program provides our team with a fantastic opportunity to learn from and experience Grade 6 students. We help students how to learn and train in our work setting. Further to this, we show the value of a good team and how it supports the in-puts of all its members no matter the level of experience. No-one could be part of this program and not feel lucky to be involved. You really need to experience the Passions and Pathways program - it is brilliant; a good win-win.”

The Hair, Skin and Beauty Project

The focus of the Project was to introduce the students to the Salon’s environment and its various services. They were introduced to hairstyling techniques, makeup application and skincare, nails and polish, hair shampooing and blow-drying. The students practised “meet & greet techniques” in order to make a good impression for all customers entering the Salon.

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The Science Project

The focus of the Project was to introduce the students to the world of Science with a visit to MSD Animal Health and laboratory experiments using microscopes at La Trobe University’s science laboratories.

MSD Animal Health employee’s quote: Kaye Honeychurch“I really enjoyed the experience of being a project leader. The whole experience was quite challenging however very rewarding to do something different with a community focus.I got great support from Anne Brosnan from Goldfi elds LLEN as well as the Principals, Kerrie McMillin and Dzintra Martin; without their support this Project would never have been possible.”

The 3D Printing Project

The focus of the 3D Printing Project was to introduce students to the exciting world of 3D printing and show them that some really good opportunities exist for young people to get involved with this technology. Students saw lots of interesting things being made. Each session focussed on the different areas of the business that was involved in producing quality 3D printed parts.

Students learnt to use Computer Aided Design (CAD) with a CAD technician and were introduced to the 3D printers and the software that runs them. Each student produced a small 3D article, a keyring, to showcase at the Expo.

Students’ quote: “The skills I learnt were to create something on the computer and print it out in 3D.”

“When asked what else I’d like to learn, I’d like to learn new skills at Keech 3D”

Employer’s quote: Doug Baird“The Project has enabled us to show what is happening with 3D printing and the role it is playing in modern manufacturing.”

The students had visited Thales prior to this Project and had the privilege of viewing and sitting in the Bushmaster. At Keech 3D, the students saw the 3D model of the Bushmaster.

3D keyring

Student’s quote: “It was exciting to visit laboratories and to use microscopes to watch little creatures you can’t normally see. I’d never been to La Trobe. Now I know what it’s like to go to Uni.”

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P a s s i o n s a n d P a t h w a y s S h o w c a s e a n d E x p o

Purpose• To acknowledge the contribution of all stakeholders• To provide an experience where students have to explain their Project’s journey• To celebrate the students’ achievements.

Attendees included industry and business leaders, local dignitaries, parents, educators, Goldfi elds LLEN staff and the students. The students’ work was displayed and engaging conversations were had. Students were enthusiastic about their achievements. They were bubbling with possibilities and ideas about which careers they might want to pursue which could be paramount in keeping them fully engaged in their secondary schooling.

Design Experts Manager’s quote: Tim Gentle, “We had prepared for the Expo display table. We wanted to ensure that all students played a role in “bringing our table to life”.

Lightning Reef PS Principal’s quote: Dzintra Martin“There is mounting evidence about the positive outcomes of starting Career Education early. It’s great to know that we are leading the way. Our approach is also recognised as being unique and innovative. Our Bendigo Team has made this possible. Bendigo is an amazing place to live. We have manufacturers and businesses who are global companies. Innovation is seen as vital for future growth. We have so many wonderful people supporting this project - why? Because they care and strongly believe they can make a difference to young people’s lives. Many businesses have included this project as part of their corporate social responsibility. The change in student self-confi dence and aspirations is awesome.”

Eaglehawk PS Principal’s quote: Kerrie McMillin“Eaglehawk Primary School would like to acknowledge and thank the many stakeholders involved in the program for the amount of time, effort and in-kind support they provided to make the program a success.”

Lightning Reef PS Teacher’s quote: Kellie Parsons“It was an exciting project to be part of for the fi rst time. To see the enthusiasm, positive attitudes and excitement for learning in the students was amazing.”

Lightning Reef PS Teacher’s quote: Katrina Johnstone“The Passions and Pathways Program is fantastic for our students as it opens them up to a range of future possibilities they may never have considered before. Students were engaged in authentic learning. Future goals have changed from working at a local fast food restaurant or supermarket to a career. Year 5 are excited to have been part of this program and are excited to complete their Projects next year.”

Students’ quotes“During the Passions and Pathways program, I learnt that school is important. I learnt there are different pathways like going to university or an apprenticeship. It’s important to choose something you are passionate about. I am passionate about animals so I want to be a vet.”

“I think I’m going to go well in the future after all the things I’ve learnt.

“I enjoyed putting our portfolio together to showcase our achievements at the Expo.”

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The purpose of these focus groups was to provide insight as to whether or not some transference of the aims of the P&PP had occurred. The focus groups were chosen to provide the students with a degree of comfort and fairness to begin discussions. Students tend to feel comfortable when confronting loosely structured questions and can make and specify their assumptions, recall and different points of view more easily. Through several structured questions and some unstructured questions a means of ascertaining students’ recall and conclusions as to the impact of this project was explored.

The students were fi rst asked to identify what project, tour etc. of the P&PP they were involved in at their primary school. The following questions were discussion starters but there was also free discussion time allowed for the students to further talk about their experiences with the project.

QUESTIONS Year 7 and 8 students 1. Did you fi nd your involvement with the

Passions and Pathways Project thatyou participated in at your primaryschool valuable?

2. What are 3 things you rememberabout this project?

3. What sort of things did you do in theclassroom that were connected toyour tour/project activities with theP&P Project?

4. Can you tell me at least 3 thingsyou learnt from this P&P Projectexperience?

5. Has this experience (with P&P P)helped with your understandingregards future job opportunities orstudies for the future?

Student ref lect ions with past students now in Year 7 and 8 at secondar y schools

6. What personal beliefs/understandings have youdiscovered about yourself sincethe project?

7. In your P&P Project experienceswhere did you feel mostsupported?

ResultsUnpacking students’ responses was complex. What was noticeable was the greater maturity displayed by the year 8 students. Although the student sample was small, there were interesting insights provided.The themes that arose can be grouped under the following:1. Was the P&PP valuable?2. Was there any change in

their beliefs regards futureemployment?

3. What skills did they learn?4. Where did they feel most

supported?Of the 9 students interviewed 7 felt that it was valuable and could individually articulate why, especially the year 8 students. Two students, year 7s, were more uncommunicative and it was felt that in a 1: 1 situation more insight may have been achieved as they were more reserved students.

Of particular signifi cance were the comments regarding the hands on projects such as the ‘chook shed’ and ‘bike maintenance’. It was here that the students found the most benefi t. They could remember with greater clarity the skills they learnt; the skills that they carry over into their lives; and a belief about these skills integral to future work competencies. Skills, such as, measurement, drilling etc. and observing as they could understand what was happening.

Learning about companies and what they did was recognised by the students as more diffi cult to comprehend. It appears that understanding the different ‘job skills’ (from the tours) was made clearer with some companies than others. One boy in particular found that “there are heaps of jobs you can do” and is now very interested in anything mechanical. “As one student said “I didn’t know so much was out there”.

Several recommendations arose from the evaluation exercise It appears that greater discussion is required to achieved better learning outcomes from the tours. As one student stated “not just observations”. Not coincidentally, there is a strong relationship between procedural (‘how to do things’) knowledge and cognitive knowledge (the linking of relationships between bits of information which requires learning through factual, thoughtful and refl ective thinking). If tours, through the tour guides, could greatly expand the scope and real-life application of such machines and provide what basic skills students need more value could be provided. That is, if greater articulation and defi ning features of engineering tours for example are provided with student handouts to be completed as a result of the observations a more reliable knowledge attainment and involvement from students may result.

And the students mentioned that they felt that smaller groups were more valuable both for the tours and the projects.

by Dr Barbara Tadich

Final year undergraduate teacher’s quote: Angela Dickson-Flood

“My involvement with the Passions and Pathways Program was a fantastic opportunity to work with a group of Grade Six students as they developed their technological and life skills, collaborating as a group to design and implement an augmented technology. It was exciting to watch the students change their focus and grow their career aspirations as a result of their time at Design Experts. The exposure to post high school study and employment opportunities highlighted to these students how to turn their dreams into reality. The opportunity to talk and interact with Tim and his staff motivated the student’s self-belief, with one student commenting at the beginning of the program, ‘I could never go to university and do that’ to, ‘I really want to be a designer now’.

It was inspirational to watch this small group of students grow in confi dence as they worked with a new and exciting technology and showcased their talents at the Passion and Pathways Expo.”

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• 3556 magazine Issue Six, April 2012

• 3556 magazine Issue Nine, December 2012(3556 is a local Eaglehawk community magazine,Federally funded by the Extended Schools Hub Program)

• Inspire DEECD magazine, August 2012

• Inspire DEECD magazine, December 2012

• Bendigo Advertiser - October 29, 2012 and May 22, 2014

• City Of Greater Bendigo Annual Report, 2012 & 2013

• Passions and Pathways reports 2012 & 2013

• Two local businesses have included their project contribution as part of theirCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

• Goldfi elds LLEN Strategic Plan, goals 3/4/5, 2012 / 2013 / 2014

• Goldfi elds LLEN 2012 Case Study

• Passions and Pathways Report by Dr Barbara Tadich, 2012 & 2014

• Passions and Pathways website 2013:www.passionsandpathways.com.au

• Passions and Pathways You Tube 2013 : Passions and Pathways 2013 :www.youtube.com/watch?v=RerMjP-mBEk

• Eaglehawk Primary School: www.eaglehawkps.vic.edu.au

• Lightning Reef Primary School: www.lightningreefps.vic.edu.au

• Bendigo Pottery promotion and marketing material, with Passions andPathways photos to profi le ‘hands on’ activities

• Referenced in: Aspiring Learners, Thriving Communities: A long-termapproach to improving rural and regional learning outcomes: DEECD 2014,page 22

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S f o r 2 0 1 5

• Strengthening the link between the Projects, the school curriculum,the various industry visits and work place skills

• Providing dedicated time to plan together with the educators, industryand business personnel to develop Project Briefs and the Projectbooklets

• Improving the immersion and engagement of teachers in the industryvisits and Projects

•

• Reinforcing aspects of the new Australian VELS Education LearningStrands (AUS VELS) curriculum and the links to the Passions andPathways Project

• Hosting a Business Industry Forum to seek support from newemployers to extend the program to other Primary Schools in 2016and beyond

• Documenting all resources into a package that will provide directionand support with the intent to extend the Project into other schools in2016 and beyond

• Including the City of Greater Bendigo website as a resource whichprofi les industries in Bendigo: http://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/Business/Greater_Bendigos_Manufacturing_and_Mining_Industries

• Continuing to build on the Passions and Pathways website:www.passionsandpathways.com.au

• Exploring strategies to increase involvement of parents and signifi cantadults in the young students’ lives

P R O F I L I N G

2014

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Photos taken for Passions and Pathways 2012 & 2013

Photos taken for Passions and Pathways 2014