Mortlake College is among eight schools who will receive a Lynne Kosky Memorial Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) Grant.
Labor Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney said the grants provide important financial support to the selected VCAL providers to develop outstanding learning initiatives for their students that involve strong community participation.
The grants acknowledge the outstanding contribution made to education and training in Victoria by Lynne Kosky, the former Victorian Education Minister, who passed away in December 2014.
2020 is the first time that Mortlake College has been able to offer a VCAL program to Year 11 and 12 students. The College is planning to use the grant to start a Food Van Project, which will involve purchasing and renovating a second-hand caravan. The caravan will be used by VCAL students as a food and coffee van that they will take to community events. Students will also learn about food preparation, selling their products and maintaining the food van.
Each recipient will receive a grant of $6,250 to implement their respective learning initiative during 2020.
The aim of the grants is to provide support to VCAL providers to implement an initiative that will extend student progress and attainment in their VCAL studies, increase VCAL student opportunities for lifelong learning, enhance VCAL student opportunities for community engagement and engage them in the various stages of the initiative from design through to the end.
VCAL is a hands-on option for students in Years 11 and 12. It provides students with practical work-related experience, as well as literacy and numeracy skills and the opportunity to build personal skills that are important for life and work.
The Victorian Government has invested $109 million over four years to redesign career education, to help students make better career and pathway decisions, and to meet business and industry needs.
The Government is also investing $25.9 million to improve students’ access to high-quality Vocational Education and Training as part of their senior secondary schooling.
Quotes attributable to Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney
“Congratulations to Mortlake College on receiving a Lynne Kosky Memorial VCAL grant which will provide an important financial stimulus for their school’s VCAL program.
“The Lynne Kosky Memorial VCAL grants support projects that allow students to gain skills essential to the workplace and to build strong links with industry and local community organisations.”
“VCAL provides important pathways to engage and retain students in applied learning that prepares them for future success in further education, training or employment.”