Jenna Goggin and Michaela Williams in the school’s allied health room.
Photo by
Cindy Power
St Joseph's College is leading the charge in vocational education, accounting for more than 40 per cent of all VET enrolments across the Campaspe region — a result reshaping how the community thinks about career pathways.
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A landmark report by the Campaspe Cohuna Local Learning Employment Network reveals 797 students have enrolled in vocational education and training delivered in secondary schools and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships across the cluster’s eight schools.
St Joseph’s College represents 335 of those, driving regional engagement in hands-on, practical career pathways.
The CCLLEN data points to a strong and growing local appetite for vocational pathways, with regional enrolments reaching 894 students in 2026 — a 12 per cent increase from 2025.
For St Joseph’s College principal Anne Marie Cairns, the numbers reflect a deliberate shift away from viewing vocational education as a secondary option.
"When vocational education is treated as an equal partner to academic education, our students get real results," Ms Cairns said.
Last year, 84 per cent of St Joseph’s VET students achieved their full qualifications.
Giorgio Kidgell and Daniel Barry in the school’s wood workshop.
Photo by
Cindy Power
Three standout programs — health services assistance, certificate II in sport and recreation, and certificate III in music — each achieved a perfect 100 per cent completion rate.
The CCLLEN report maps student desires against long-term data from the Victorian Skills Authority to ensure local training matches real-world regional shortages.
In the Loddon Campaspe region, the top industries requiring new workers in the next decade include health care and social assistance, construction and manufacturing, and retail and business services.
The impact stretches well beyond the classroom — an impressive 93 per cent of the school's 230 Year 10 students were placed into local work experience blocks this year.
This hands-on exposure is opening real doors to employment for local young people.
Following a work placement with a local council, one student was immediately offered a competitive diesel mechanic apprenticeship — a pathway she had never previously considered.
“Our job is to make sure every student can see where their education can take them,” Ms Cairns said.
“When a student discovers a career they didn’t know existed, gains a qualification, secures an apprenticeship or eventually returns to our community as a skilled professional, that’s when you see the real value of this work.”
