The Western Australian Government has launched a new initiative that will offer engineering program for school students that will be housed at the $63 million Governor Stirling Senior High School in Midland from 2013.

 

The Approved Specialist Program in Engineering partners Governor Stirling Senior High School with Leighton Contractors to deliver a five-year sponsorship agreement.


The agreement will provide student scholarships and ensure ready access to industry knowledge and opportunities for practical experience.

 

State Minister for Education Peter Collier said with more than 30,000* new jobs forecast over the next three years in the mining, construction, professional and technical services sectors, secondary schools played a vital role in getting young people ready for industry.


“The scholarships provided by Leighton Contractors as part of this sponsorship will help students with their studies and target high academic achievers, girls and indigenous students wanting to pursue university qualifications and careers in engineering,” he said.

 

“There will also be traineeships for students wanting to pursue vocational and trade pathways, which is an area I want to ensure more secondary schools are preparing students for.


“I believe our schools should be preparing all students with a qualification on graduation, not simply focusing on being a pathway to university for those who want to pursue tertiary studies.”


The school has also teamed up with The University of Western Australia to access academic and curriculum expertise.


“The Approved Specialist Program in Engineering has all the right ingredients for success - the backing and support of a major construction company, the expertise of one of the world’s top 100 universities and a state-of-the-art public school campus.”