Constituency Statement – Shalom College

Mr PITT (Hinkler) (16:30): I had the great pleasure last week of opening the Mount Sion trade training centre at Shalom Catholic college. I congratulate Principal Dan McMahon, who has done a fantastic job to secure funding for over $11 million worth of buildings which were opened last week at Shalom College. The trade training centre will be able to turn out students with a high level of vocational education and training before they go into the work force, skills which are essential to help them secure the thing which is most important to them, and that is a job.

Principal McMahon in his speech spoke about the combination of professionalism and humility. As an example, he spoke about the All Blacks. Whilst I was disappointed in the loss, as all Australians were, this was something I did not actually know about the All Blacks. They have a tradition that after each and every game two All Blacks, regardless of their seniority, clean out the dressing sheds—they rake up all the bits and pieces of strapping and boots and mud and bits and pieces—to demonstrate that all players in the team are equal. So professionalism and humility, which I am sure will come from the students of Shalom, will serve them well in the future.

But the trade skills that they will learn will teach them to be able to secure positions as tradespeople, as trainees, and they will then go on to provide desperately needed skills in this country. There is a shortage, right now, of successful tradespeople, people who know their jobs. These things are absolutely critical to the future of the nation. I certainly congratulate Principal McMahon and all of the team at Shalom, and I wish them all the best with their new trade training facility.