By Ruza Zivkusic
SUNSHINE College students have got a good reason to smile.
Students will be able to expand their skills thanks to a new Australian Technical College being built next to the school.
The new college will provide a new approach to vocational education offering apprenticeship opportunities for students in the automotive industry, in manufacturing, the building and construction and electrical trades.
Sunshine College North Campus principal Lynda Steele said it would “turn upside down old ideas based on technical education”.
“Just as industry has moved so far from the ‘smokestack’ image of the past, this new technical school will provide intelligent and focused education in state of the art facilities for a new generation who will be part of a world class future for Australian industry,” Ms Steele said.
The college, which will accommodate up to 300 students, will have representatives from companies such as Toyota, Toll and Bitzer.
Students will also benefit from smaller class sizes and a higher level of support, Ms Steele said.
“This support will even extend as far as all students being provided with a notebook computer for their personal use,” Ms Steele said.
It will open with limited enrolments next year but is expected to expand rapidly when completed by 2008.
