College opens its doors to industry and community for Skills Challenge Day

Newman Senior Technical College held a Skills Challenge Day on November 24 with the dual purpose of enabling students to engage with industry and the community as well as providing an opportunity for industry to connect with the College’s unique way of learning.

Apart from students at Newman College, the event was attended by students from MacKillop College, St Joseph’s Regional College and St Paul’s College, Kempsey, residents from St Agnes’ House and Maryknoll residential care homes, members of the community (including eight pre-school aged children), representatives of business and industry and students’ families.

The day kicked off with a delicious morning tea, catered for by the College’s Food Project students, and featured an industry showcase, student challenges, skills demonstrations, conversations about career pathways and opportunities for intergenerational engagement.

The Newman College Human Services and Early Education Childcare and Care classes organised some engaging activities for the enjoyment of the residents of St Agnes’ House and Maryknoll and the pre-school children. There was Christmas colouring, ball games, bubble-blowing and hand printing on canvas, which the young ones particularly enjoyed. The smiles on everybody’s faces showed it was a worthwhile activity.

The Skills Challenge, itself, involved Newman students (as part of working in their focus areas) and visiting students, questioning the industry exhibitors to gain information and advice about career pathways for particular industries. Visitors were also able to observe Newman Students demonstrating their learning through skills challenges conducted in the workshops and classrooms around the College.

Local industries and businesses such as Mid Coast Connect, Kempsey and Port Macquarie Hastings Council, Total Tools, Panthers Port Macquarie, Stowe Australia, Spray Paint Perfection, G Works, and Bale Defence interacted with the students via displays, including machinery, vehicles, videos, and giveaways, and interested students were able to register for future employment opportunities.

Several former Newman students, who are now employed with local industry, were also on hand to share their experience with the students about where their career path has taken them since graduating from Newman.

Following on from this year’s success, Newman College hopes to make the Skills Challenge an annual event.