The principal of Sunshine College is hoping a new $2.2 million training building will spur more young women into taking up a trade.
The HV McKay building was officially opened last Thursday when about 105 people turned out to inspect the new addition to the Harvester Technical College precinct on Suffolk Road, Sunshine North.
Principal Mandy Patmore said the college was encouraging young women to get into trades “beyond hairdressing”.
“When girls take up traditional trades they tend to be very successful; there’s just not many doing them,” she said. “We’re hoping the new facility allows us to run specialised programs, or women-only taster programs.”
The building will be used to deliver pre-apprenticeship programs in building and construction, engineering, hairdressing, electrotechnology, bricklaying and plumbing.
It is one of five sites that comprise the Melbourne West Trade Training Centre, which is made up of a 10-school consortium. Two other campuses, at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College and Footscray City College, are already running; two more, at St Albans Secondary College and Victoria University Secondary College, are expected to be completed soon.
Ms Patmore said the new building had been open most of this term to 220 full-time students, mostly from years 11 and 12.
“Next year, we’re going to be seeing an extra 200 to 300 students coming in to use the facility,” she said.
The fastest-growing course at the college this year was engineering, with 50 students enrolled. Ms Patmore said electrotechnology and plumbing were also rapidly expanding.
