School-based traineeships in human services

This case study illustrates the way school-based traineeships can attract young people to human services and help employers to build their future workforce. Mabel Park State High School, itself an RTO, based in Logan, Queensland, has established a successful school-based traineeship model that prepares students for work in the health, aged care and disability sectors.

Key insights include:

• The initiative addresses two social challenges simultaneously: shortages in the health workforce, and reducing the high rates of youth unemployment.
• Students are offered range of experiences and options to attract them to a career in human services: career talks, Health Inspiration Days, hands-on industry work experience, school-based vocational training, and school-based traineeships.
• Strong industry collaboration with a broad and diverse range of stakeholders ensures a holistic program that offers multiple pathways towards employment and development in human services.
• Traineeships at school allow students to undertake their learning journey in a familiar, supportive environment, which reduces risk of student attrition.
• Students are able to experience diversity in the work, work with clients of similar ages or interests in health and disability, and are motivated by the meaningfulness, pay, and enjoyment they experience in the work.