Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Kawana Waters State College, in my electorate of Fisher, and see their new health education unit in action. The unit is an impressive example of how a secondary school can combine traditional, hands-on experience with digital technology to create a powerful learning experience. The health unit includes a full simulation of a hospital ward, where students get experience using the standard equipment they'll find in their future work environment. While working closely with real hospital beds, heart rate monitors, syringes and drips, the students also have access to tablet computers and other digital aids that support learning and create a more sophisticated simulation. The health education unit has been operational since June and already has 50 students studying Certificate II and Certificate III in Basic Health Care. By 2018 there will be 120 students using the facility, including students from other Sunshine Coast schools.

Kawana Waters State College partners with Sunshine Coast Technical Trade Training Centre and has links with Sunshine Coast University Hospital. These kinds of partnerships and innovative training facilities represent an exemplary model of what we need to prepare today's year 11 and year 12 students for their future careers. I thank Principal Colin Allen-Waters and Cindy Steele for showing me around and I congratulate them on this great initiative. (Time expired)