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Accessing Life Beyond School

This week was the last on campus for our Year 12 ACCESS students and it was put to great use. Head of Careers, Maryanne Hughes prepared a Transition Program that gave the students useful skills and valuable micro credentials.

Financial Literacy

We often bemoan the lack of financial literacy among school graduates. Teaching these skills just as they leave school gives them relevance and power. James Rees taught the girls about:

  • Spending habits
  • Budgeting
  • Taxation
  • Superannuation
  • Awards
  • Rights of employees

This was extremely relevant and some students immediately contacted the ATO and the Awards hot line to check their entitlements.

Hospitality Qualifications

Many school leavers go into the hospitality industry for part-time/casual employment. There is a severe shortage of people with those skills in Western Australia currently due to border closures, so those skills are particularly valuable. The Transition Program provided micro-credentials in hospitality skills.

Our girls completed their online Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) Certificate on Monday which they will be able to use when they turn 18. On Wednesday and Thursday they were also certified by Grouch Café Myaree in their in-house barista course.

Grouch Coffee House taught students about the production and preparation of coffee. At their site, they have a range of coffee machines they used to train the girls. They also awarded a certificate so potential employers know our students understand the difference between a latte and a mocha and how to make the foam on a cappuccino perfectly.

First Aid

We all recognise that a St John’s Ambulance First Aid course is invaluable. The girls were fortunate to receive that training on Tuesday and Wednesday right here in the College Plaza.

Student, Kat Fenton said, “It is important we have these skills and qualifications for employment, and getting them at school means one less thing to plan and organise in the real world.”

Bella Hubbard added, “I think it’s also important we do this for our own personal development. The ATAR girls won’t have this qualification but we will. It will be important for situations at work, at uni, or in our own lives.”

Beauty Day

Presentation and self-care are important in the workplace. Sixteen of the Year 12 girls were given special training in this area by TrainSmart in Perth. They were taught about recognising what sort of skin they have and how to look after it, including the skills needed to complete a facial. They also learnt about nail and cuticle care.

To end the program and celebrate the final week of school for ACCESS students, a lunch was held on Friday at the College. Each student was encouraged to invite a guest who had supported them through their time in Years 11 and 12. The girls’ teachers were also invited. It was a festive affair and there was a definite sense that an era was quickly coming to an end.

The ACCESS girls will of course be part of the Year 12 celebrations in Term 4, so we won’t bid them farewell yet. Congratulations on your completion of the ACCESS Program.
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation.  Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world.  Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD.  We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.

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