OUTSIDE THE BOX

thinking OUTSIDE

EDUCATING TOMORROW’S INDUSTRY LEADERS

THE BOX

When young people were unable to attend campus or work experience out in industry due to COVID-19 restrictions, the College pivoted the curriculum, thinking outside the box to deliver an industryfocussed practical project to keep students motivated and engaged in learning.

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australian industry trade college

AITC staff weren’t deterred by Queensland’s restrictions in April and May, working quickly to organise engaging industry learning, including a mystery building project for young people to assemble at home.

“The project closely aligned with our entrepreneurial vision here at the AITC,” said Industry Consultant Jay Harris. “Our College prides itself on thinking outside of the box to help our young people learn in a different way. As they were unable to go out to work experience, we needed a project for them to complete from home, which got them away from the computer screen and working with their hands.”

The AITC teamed up with Align Design and Fitout on the Sunshine Coast, who made quick work of the task, producing 800 project kits within a week. The AITC is very grateful for their timely response and partnership on this project. Young people in Industry Block were asked to pick up their kit of materials, unaware of what they were going to be building and only to find out once they got home.

They soon discovered that they were crafting a game board. There were many parts in each kit (and no instructions), so the future industry leaders had their work cut out for them. With more than 400 pathways available at the College, the

industry team wanted to incorporate a creative element into the project. Following the practical assembly of the game boxes, young people were given the opportunity to flex their creative muscles by designing a logo.

“Even though they were completing the project from home, our expectation for good craftsmanship was still high. Knowing what our young people are capable of, we anticipated some great game boards, and we weren’t disappointed,” said Jay.

But the mysteries continued. Once completed, they were given another kit of the same materials, but this time were provided an instructional video detailing how to construct the project. Young people presented both boxes for feedback and marking to the campus when it was safe to return to site, then chose one of their boxes to donate to a charity or person in the community.

“The young people had the opportunity to select which box they would donate, a decision that would test their character,” said Jay. “It was up to them to decide which project showcased better workmanship, and whether they would give away the one they believed was of higher quality.”

Unique projects like this are what makes the AITC stand out from traditional schooling models. The College quickly adapted to overcome the challenges that the pandemic presented, without sacrificing the practical industry learning experiences and values-based education of our young people.

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EDUCATION REFORM

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EDUCATING TOMORROW’S INDUSTRY LEADERS EDUCATING TOMORROW’S INDUSTRY LEADERS

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BUSY AT WORK

Encouraging greater industry skills and employment outcomes