St Patrick's Technical College

Ms VLAHOS (Taylor) (15:33): I would like to speak today on the privilege I had to attend the St Patrick's Technical College graduation ceremony on Friday 27 November at the Adelaide Convention Centre. St Patrick's Technical College began its operation in 2007 as an Australian technical college in northern Adelaide, an initiative of the then Liberal Australian government in partnership with Catholic Education and the Northern Adelaide Industry Consortium. In 2009, the college management was passed directly to Catholic Education SA and the school was renamed St Patrick's Technical College, and a magnificent institution it is.

The college currently has an enrolment base of 229 students and is based in Edinburgh North in the electorate of Taylor. More than 75 per cent of the enrolled students are from northern Adelaide, with most of the students coming from about 45 nearby schools. It is a specialist training school which gives students the opportunity to learn skills and to actively participate and to prepare them in employment for many emerging areas in the South Australian economy.

Their focus is on trade, work and employment, and this is what sets them apart from many of the other schools in the area. Employers tell us that it is the first place they look to if a business is looking for an apprentice. The college also facilitates the completion of school-based apprenticeships. Two-thirds of students who undertake schooling at St Patrick's Technical College are successful in obtaining an apprenticeship once they graduate, and to date 671 apprenticeships have been placed since its opening.

The programs on offer include automotive, building and construction, electrotechnology, food and hospitality, hair and nail, metals and engineering and plumbing. These courses and programs enable a smoother transition from school to work, giving the northern suburbs students the bright futures they deserve whilst they are working hard to achieve personal goals.

St Patrick's also works closely with local industry private partners to identify ways in which they can best assist their students in gaining lifetime employment in their skills area. My official duty on the night was to present the 2015 Volunteering Award for Outstanding Service, awarded to Mrs Susan Rowland, and the College Spirit Award, awarded to Mr Shane Marshall.

I would like to thank principal Robert Thomas, the staff and all the board members for their hospitality and good work over the years, but particularly for the job they do every day. They are a beacon of excellence in the northern suburbs. Their students and staff are outstanding and committed to success, and I look forward to seeing many of these students return as successful business owners looking to hire more apprentices in the decades to come.