The Central Grampians LLEN is urging local business and industry to get behind career pathways for local Young people.

Work experience, work placements, structured workplace learning and vocational education all sound similar, yet each area has different requirements and obligations to both student and employer. If you find the procedure too time-consuming and difficult then it possibly prevents your business accepting students into your workplace.

Businesses are often requested to host placement students or students undertaking work experience. Along with requests from schools, providers and parents, businesses find it difficult to understand the differences between each student’s course of study, and their obligations and requirements to each student; their parents/guardians and the hosting school.

The recently formed Local Community Partnership team based throughout the Region are available to assist employers, schools and students to get the most out of a career pathway for young people, with assistance provided to understand the procedures for paperwork and competencies, and someone to lend a hand throughout the process.

The register has been developed from a similar initiative in 2003, which added 40 new local businesses to a database for schools to utilise. Whilst registered details are made available to each school in Stawell, Ararat and Lake Bolac, your business details are kept private.

This support from business was paramount in understanding the needs of each employer and each student seeking a career pathway in local industry.
Alongside supporting students through pathways from education to further training and employment, the Central Grampians LLEN run a number of programs to engage and inspire young people. Options are available on the register to learn more about the Local Community Partnership, Enterprise Learning programme’s two youth-led business initiatives, employers information breakfasts and banner programs such as Careers Month.

As an incentive to register with the Central Grampians LLEN, a competition has commenced for every business that registers to go in the draw to win two nights accommodation at the Mercure Grand Hotel in Melbourne, including breakfast and car parking. Open only to businesses in the Central Grampians Region, your business could be odds-on-favourite to win a weekend getaway. The winner will be drawn at the finale of Careers Month, coinciding with a Vocational Pathways Awards evening.

Get your registration in by Friday 18th August 2006!