An array of Dubbo businesses will be hosting nine year 12 students from the Western Access Program as part of their mandatory work placement hours required for VET courses.
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The program consists of 'socially isolated' year 11 and 12 students from Peak Hill, Tottenham, Yeoval, Trundle and Tullamore and teaches the students through video conferencing.
Western Access Program head teacher Crystal Stanford said the students are able to stay in Dubbo for the week and garner first-hand experience working in the industries they are most passionate about.
"We as a program every term in week six get the students to do their mandatory work placement hours. They can do it locally if their town can facilitate it, but Dubbo's quite central for us," Mrs Stanford said.
"We work with a program called Western Student Connections who places our students for us. The students select three options of where they would love to work and we try to make it happen for them.
"This week we have a kid from Tottenham doing primary industries, I've got some hospitality kids from Yeoval and Tullamore and I have a construction kid from Peak Hill.
"My boy in year 12 from Tottenham is the only kid in his class, he's the only year 12 student, so this isn't just about getting experience in an industry they are passionate about but in the afternoons he gets to socialise with his peers that he'd normally interact with over a television screen.
"It's a really good way to build up that well being as well and soft skills like communication and socialisation."
The students started work in Dubbo on Monday and will be staying in town for the week.
"We drive them two and from their places of work and supervise them throughout the week."
Mrs Stanford said it is a big thanks to staff from the varying schools who volunteer their time to help with supervision.
"We've been doing this for maybe 10 years now and it's a really important program. It's heavily subsidised by all of the schools, so the only cost to the kids is $150.
"It is a good stepping stone for a lot of these kids because I don't think there's been a time where one of my kids hasn't been offered an apprenticeship or traineeship."
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