Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Member for Capricornia Kirsten Livermore today officially opened the Rockhampton State High School Agricultural Science and Languages Centre and the Engineering and Manufacturing Trade Training Centre.
The Federal Government has invested around $3.5 million towards these facilities to deliver first class science, language and trades training facilities for the students at Rockhampton High.
It is facilities like these that will help students get the skills they need for the jobs of the future.
The $1.5 million Rockhampton State High School Engineering and Manufacturing Trade Training Centre will provide industry relevant training in engineering that will best prepare our students for the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow.
Trade Training Centres are being established to help increase the proportion of students achieving Year 12 or an equivalent qualification and help address skill shortages in traditional trades and emerging industries.
To date, the Trade Training Centres in Schools Program has approved $1.2 billion to fund more than 370 projects, benefitting over 1070 schools around Australia.
The Federal Government has also provided more than $2 million in funding for the new Agricultural Science and Languages Centre, which is designed to combine academic study with practical learning such as traineeships in rural industries
The Centre will also provide unique language-learning opportunities such as video links with other schools and universities, including sister schools in Japan.
Between the Engineering and Manufacturing Trade Training Centre and the Agricultural Science and Languages Centre, all of the school's 1050 students are benefiting from world-class facilities.
And many more students will benefit in the years to come.