Edition 41, December 2006

Aviation High to launch new era in education

A new era in education is set to begin in 2007 with the opening of Australia's first dedicated aviation high school at Hendra in Brisbane.

From the beginning of the new school year, Hendra Secondary College will become Aviation High, providing students with a direct pathway to careers in the aviation industry.

The school will support Queensland's growing aviation industry by providing high-quality and relevant education and training for students from Years 8 to 12.

The aviation sector is a major player in Queensland, employing an estimated 14,000 people, with some 6000 jobs generated by industry expansion over the past five years.

The high school will work with Aviation Australia, universities, training providers and industry to provide students with direct pathways to careers in the aviation and aerospace industry in Queensland and beyond.

In Years 8 and 9 students will study the same or similar subjects studied at other high schools but with an aviation focus where appropriate. For example, technology students may learn about hi-tech developments in aircraft construction, while in studies of society and the environment they may look at the history of flight and its impact on society.

Senior students will continue to study core subjects like English and mathematics, but will also have opportunities to study a range of elective aviation subjects. These subjects are designed to support a variety of aviation careers - everything from caterers and flight attendants to pilots, meteorologists, aviation lawyers and engineers.

Hendra Secondary College was selected as the site for Aviation High because of its already strong links with the aviation industry and its proximity to the Brisbane Airport precinct. It is one of 10 Queensland schools from areas around Brisbane, Ipswich, Townsville, Cairns and Caloundra involved in Education Queensland's innovative Aerospace Project.

Aviation High will build on this successful initiative by providing Queensland students with greater opportunities to launch a career in the aviation industry.

The Aerospace Project is a collaboration between Boeing Australia, Aviation Australia, Australian Aerospace, Smiths Aerospace, Brisbane Airport Corporation, and Education Queensland.

Boeing Education Awards

As part of the Aerospace Project, 10 Queensland students and teachers have been recognised for outstanding achievement in aviation education at the 2006 Boeing Education Awards ceremony in Brisbane recently.

The Boeing Education Awards include cash prizes and scholarships for students, and the opportunity for a teacher to complete a study tour at Boeing in the United States. The winners are chosen on the basis of outstanding academic performance, leadership and innovation in aviation education.

Boeing Australia's Managing Director, David Withers, said the Aerospace Project had been particularly successful in fostering the next generation of aerospace employees.

'These students have the abilities and skills we value highly in the aerospace industry,' Mr Withers said.

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