Twin projects blessed by Bishop
COMPLETION of Mary MacKillop College’s twin $1 million projects were celebrated with an official opening and blessing last Wednesday.
Bishop Patrick O’Regan and MP Russell Broadbent officialised when the new Trade Skills Centre as well as reception and administration buildings were unveiled.
“I think it’s marvellous, when you have good facilities the learning capacity is increased,” MP Russell Broadbent said.
“It’s an opportunity for students to follow vocation dreams with many streams that may not be academic.”
Both new buildings cost $1 million each and were completed within budget.
The Trade Skills Centre was fully funded under the Australian Government Trade Skills program and the reception and administration buildings were entirely self funded by the college.
The costs also covered machinery and tools, including power and hand tools.
The large open plan Trade Skills Centre workshop allows for quality construction work.
Previously the college has only been able to run a two year partial program.
The Trades Skills Centre allows them to deliver the complete program with students attaining the pre apprenticeship full certificate.
“The learning environment is a key factor in promoting a professional attitude from students in respecting and using the equipment as they would on a job site,” College Principal David Leslie said.
“The building has been designed to create a light and spacious environment to work in.”
The College is a member of the South Gippsland Trade Skills Alliance, a cross sectoral partnership between local government, independent and catholic schools and private and public TAFE providers and agencies.
“Developing our range of facilities, such as the welding bays and metal cold forming equipment to be able to offer students to work with a wider range of materials and techniques to enhance both the vocational and VCE courses at Mary MacKillop College,” Mr Leslie said.
“The design of the building has given the College the opportunity to work on larger scale community projects and store materials in a professional manner.”
The reception and administration centre is an open and welcoming area with significant visual representations of the college’s catholic identity and charism.
The windows represent Julian Tension Woods’ love and wonder of the Australian bush as an expression of God’s creative genius.
The bronze figure of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop stands with outstretched arms, surrounded by silhouettes of students, welcoming visitors with a spirit of hospitality.
The office is an improved general office layout that caters for students and staff and includes comfortable and private meeting rooms and a well equipped board room named the Carmody room in honour of the founding Principal Ed Carmody.
School representatives: Mary MacKillop College school captains from left, Julie Enter and Nathan Rowley walked through the new buildings with Bishop of Sale Most Reverend Patrick O’Regan on Wednesday, September 20.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Sep 26 2017. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
