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Year 11 student Sky said she was enthusiastic to take up the challenge, as she\u2019s from the Skipton area and was interested in the potential of ongoing local employment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been really happy to be there because it opens up doors for life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like helping the community, speaking to the customers, and working with the staff, knowing that they\u2019re there to help you when you\u2019re unsure of something. They\u2019re really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because of the small format of the Skipton store, which doesn\u2019t get overwhelmingly busy, Mr Decis said it\u2019s an ideal training and learning hub.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get the full experience of working in a supermarket without the hectic nature of a big chain. It\u2019s a quieter environment for them to learn at their own pace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur staff Ashlee, Courtney, Kate, Jess, and Beck have driven the teaching and debriefing, offering one-to-one, or two-to-one experiences, to the students.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an introduction to retail, and now the 10 weeks are up, the kids might decide it\u2019s not for them, but at least they know because they gave it a go, and the only way they can give it a go is if employers offer them opportunities like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Decis is confident he will be able to offer at least one of the students a job now the program is complete.<\/p>\n
Ms Howard said school staff were grateful to him for his generosity, and for giving students the chance to learn and shine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to showcase the amazing things our students are doing. We\u2019re really proud of them for stepping out of their comfort zone and giving things a go,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The students\u2019 hands-on learning has been complemented by weekly online modules in areas including food safety and bullying in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BALLARAT Specialist School staff are always on the look-out for practical and collaborative work experience opportunities for their Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning students. When senior school administrator Katie Howard and work experience coordinator Loretta Robinson brainstormed businesses to approach this year, they thought a call to former BSS teacher Ben Decis could be a […]<\/p>\n