Burnside opens doors, presents pathways to business

Burnside State High School has put out a direct call to Nambour businesses to work closely with the school as it trains the next generation of local workers.

Principal Paul Fitzgerald and Senior School Head of Department Scott Sergeant used the Nambour Chamber of Commerce Coffee Catch-Up, held at the school on Thursday, May 7, to welcome business leaders into the school’s new performing arts facility and reinforce the value of practical partnerships between education and industry.

Mr Fitzgerald said the facility was not only for students, but also had the potential to become an important community asset.

“If you need events and different bits and pieces or training or anything like that, please reach out to us to be able to use this,” he said. “There’s lots of different ways that this can become an integral community facility.”

Mr Fitzgerald encouraged businesses to work together with Burnside High. “The way that schools and industry work together has to be an integral part of the future because we have your next workforce sitting up there in classrooms ready to be trained,” he said. “The more we know about what your needs are, the better we can train our young people.”

He said today’s students, part of the “alpha generation”, had grown up in a digital world, and schools needed input from employers to help prepare them for the modern workplace.

Mr Sergeant said Burnside had been attending chamber meetings for about 18 months as part of a deliberate effort to bridge the gap between education and industry.

“We want to hear from you. We want to get to know you. We want to know what your industry is about,” he said. “Ultimately we would love to be your one stop shop for your HR issues and problems.”

He said the school could help connect local businesses with students for work experience, school-based apprenticeships, traineeships and other work-based learning opportunities.

Burnside State High School offers 14 nationally recognised vocational qualifications within its timetable, as well as additional programs delivered with external registered training organisations.

Mr Sergeant said the school was also keen to support staff with industry currency and upskilling, so teachers remained connected with current workplace expectations.

“We are looking to get our students out into the workforce, whether that’s for work experience, whether that’s for school-based apprenticeships or traineeships,” he said.

“We can help you. You guys can certainly help us.”

Burnside State High Principal, Paul Fitzgerald. 

Senior School Head of Department Scott Sergeant.