Growing their futures

AFTER ten months of foundational skills training, The Gordon’s Certificate II Landscaping students graduated from the program and are excited by their future employment opportunities.

Operated in conjunction with BGT’s employment services, the course encourages a selection of high school students to find their passions through hands-on learning.

The course’s horticulture teacher Sophie Bult said they formulate 15 units of a variety of basic trades and interpersonal skills for the students to complete throughout the program.

“These kids are incredible, they’ve all really grown although they’ve had a really hard year,” she said.

“We hope that they can discover things they like while teaching them little behavioural things, like manners and phone use, which makes all the difference to getting them job ready.”

Running two days a week, landscaping teacher Tony Veitenheimer said although the course was extended to ten broken months of studying, they still saw amazing progress.

“We teach them not just about the skills, but how people work,” he said.

“We will work closely together to offer jobs and apprenticeships where possible and others go back to school.

“We’re just trying to teach young people to be good people and job ready.”

At the program’s graduation day, BGT apprentice consultant and course coordinator Julie Butler said after this tumultuous year, it’s great to see students excited and involved with their studies.

“Considering so many of the kids don’t want to go to their school, during COVID they were ringing me constantly asking when they would be coming back,” she said.

“It’s amazing because they don’t even know each other when they come here but they leave, they’re all the best of friends.”