With the program now being delivered in 7 new regions, in addition to the original two pilot regions, we now have a unique opportunity to introduce even more students to a diverse range of post-school training and employment pathways. That’s great news for students from the Southern Highlands all the way to the North Coast.

Of course, a sixfold increase in the scope of the program has necessitated a number of changes behind-the-scenes, none more significant than the hiring of new staff to help deliver the expanded program. Over the past several weeks, the new teams of Head Teachers Careers and SBAT Engagement Officers have undergone comprehensive induction processes to ensure they’re ready to deliver the program over the next two years. After countless Teams calls with her new charges, Lyn Kenny, the program’s Career Learning Coordinator, is confident the new recruits will deliver the goods.

“The new Head Teachers Careers are some of the most experienced and passionate colleagues I’ve worked with over my 30 years in education and VET,” says Lyn.

“They’ve all hit the ground running and are out there connecting with the schools in their groups. I’m excited to see what they achieve in the new regions this year.”

Rochelle Dowley, the Educational Pathways Program Careers Coordinator, is equally optimistic.

“The Enhancing SBAT engagement initiative achieved some remarkable results over the pilot phase, and we have ambitious plans for the next two years,” says Rochelle.

“Based on what I’ve seen from the new SBAT Engagement Officers so far, I think we’re going to see some great collaboration across the schools to really drive an increase in the number of students at program schools enrolling in an SBAT, which is fantastic.”

The induction of the new hires culminated in a star-studded webinar held on Wednesday 9 February. While the event was originally planned as a face-to-face affair, the omicron wave put paid to those plans and the event had to be moved online. Nevertheless, the event was a great success with more than two hundred people tuning in to hear from program staff, industry leaders and some special guests.

Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell dialed in from Gunedah to welcome the new Head Teachers Careers and SBAT Engagement Officers to the program and wish us well for the year ahead. Likewise, Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens sent his best wishes in a pre-recorded video message. We also heard from Salesforce CEO Pip Marlow and a handful of the NSW Training Awards ambassadors. If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recordings on the program’s intranet site.

If it sounds like it’s been a busy couple of months for the Educational Pathways Program, that’s because it has been. But the good news is that we’re all set to hit the ground running and have a great year.