Two Year 12 students at BUSY Schools Cairns, Kais and Jacob, are undertaking work experience as Diesel Mechanics at Kinetic Fleet Services who own Sunbus Depot and Love’s Buses in Smithfield.

Both students are really enjoying getting their hands dirty and are hoping to gain a school-based apprenticeship from the work experience opportunity. One of the students, Kais is feeling optimistic about pursuing this as a career, having never considered becoming a Diesel Mechanic until a few months ago.

Kais grew up in Torres Strait and Thursday Island and his earlier schooling was done via remote learning. He was taught only one topic per term and after hearing about BUSY Schools when he first moved to Cairns, he was really excited to attend a campus with a broader curriculum and support of employment pathways.

“I realised the program was a great fit for me as an individual and although going from learning one topic per term to learning ten topics per term was a big adjustment, the support I received from my teachers, where they go out of their way to assist me, was extremely helpful,” said Kais.

Employment Pathways Officer at BUSY Schools Cairns, Amba Tipton, stated, “At BUSY Schools we take the opportunity to get to know the students and treat them as equals.

This not only makes them feel more comfortable in the classroom, but it also allows us to gain a better understanding of their attitudes, learning abilities and appropriate career choices. This helps with our individualised approach to teaching and learning and support towards employment opportunities.”

Jacob came from a different educational experience and struggled at his last school, he didn’t enjoy the schooling and found it difficult to pay attention in class. He now appreciates the non-traditional school setting BUSY Schools offers and the assistance he gets from his teachers.

“I’ve found I am understanding the schoolwork a lot better because my teachers are explaining it to me in a way that helps me comprehend it easier,” said Jacob.

Lee Aitken, CEO for BUSY Schools said, “BUSY Schools is focused on the individual student, their strengths and career aspirations. Students get to explore pathways through work experience and vocational education alongside their school curriculum.  It’s great to see students like Jacob and Kai completely change the way they view their schoolwork and their future.”

BUSY Schools Cairns students, Jacob (L) and Kai (R), had the opportunity to undertake work experience in Diesel Mechanics trade with Kinetic Fleet Services.

For more information, visit https://www.busyschools.qld.edu.au/

Having moved to Australia from New Zealand three years ago to be with the rest of her family, Jade found the adjustment quite difficult, including life at her new school as it was very different to the school she came from in New Zealand.

Eventually, Jade dropped out of the school halfway through Year 11 and found herself completely unmotivated to do anything outside of her home.

Referred to BUSY Schools, Jade soon gained an interest in learning again, as well as developing great friendships with the other students.

“I am making way better progress here at BUSY Schools than I was at my last school, my grades have increased, and I even had a 100% attendance rate last term which I was really proud of,” said Jade.

“The biggest difference has been the teachers and their teaching styles, they are more involved in your education and do a lot of one-on-one sessions with the students which I found helped me a lot,” Jade added.

Earlier this year, Jade started a traineeship in Business Administration at In Scope Training, a vocational training provider who offer a range of accredited courses. Jade attends each Wednesday as part of her school-based traineeship. On top of this Jade is also completing a Certificate I in Construction as she is unsure what industry she would like to go into after graduation, so is taking the time to explore her options and discover her career passion.

Employment Pathways Officer at BUSY Schools Shailer Park, Karlene Feldbauer, said getting Jade a traineeship was easy because she is so open and friendly, and will give absolutely anything a go.

“I invited a contact of mine to help out with training on campus and she mentioned she was looking for a trainee, I immediately thought of Jade and she started the following week,” said Karlene.

Recently, Jade was also invited by Minister Mick De Brenni to attend the Parliament House in Brisbane for a School Captain’s lunch where she witnessed Anastasia Palaszczuk deliver a motion into Parliament.

“I found the whole experience really inspirational and I also managed to get a selfie with the Minister,” said Jade.

“I would definitely recommend BUSY Schools to anyone wanting to go somewhere that makes you feel welcome and is interested in helping you with your studies,” added Jade.

Lee Aitken, CEO for BUSY Schools, a part of the BUSY Group Ltd, said, “We at BUSY Schools want to see our students succeed both in their education and in life. Our staff and teachers work to provide the support and encouragement to help them achieve their goals and become positive contributors to their community.”

For more information, visit https://www.busyschools.qld.edu.au/