With only one percent of Australia’s carpentry workforce being female, Kildare College is breaking down stereotypes.
The all-girl secondary college at Holden Hill is offering a reimagined Stage 2 Design, Digital Technologies and Engineering subject which sees students designing and then manufacturing their own woodworking projects during the Material Solutions component.
This STEM-based subject was offered for the first time at the college in 2021, bringing future-focussed learning directly to its students.
Each student can create a woodworking project based on their own interest and passion, collaborating with experts to learn the techniques required to complete their project.
And there’s not been a bookcase or table in sight!
Student Shayla, a passionate skateboarder pictured above, chose to make her own skateboard, seeking out a professional skateboard maker as her mentor. Shayla initially created a template and prototype board to ensure the correct weight and balance. Experimenting with different resins and materials, Shayla created her own grip, and using the process of pyrography transferred her self-drawn artwork onto the timber.
Another student, Sara, pictured below, chose to make a chess set using Huon Pine and Western Myall woods. Sara used the wood turning machine to create each separate piece by hand, presenting the completed set in a beautifully crafted timber box.
2021 graduate Olivia, also pictured below, who created a concert ukulele, received a SACE Merit Award for the subject, an A+ grade that placed her in the top 1% of students in the State.
Throughout the process, students received expert assistance from the Chief Demonstrator at the Northern Turners Association, to develop their fine motor skills, using chisels and other tools to complete the more intricate work. Students also used heavier machinery like the wood turning machine and routers, to complete their projects.
Principal Tina Neate says offering the subject to Kildare’s female learners is about providing a holistic education.
“It allows the students to have the opportunities to follow their own interests and passions, and the results have been exceptional.
"It opens up another pathway into engineering for the students, to pursue a STEM career if they choose. We are delighted to be able to offer this subject to our students at Kildare”.
“It was evident throughout the year that the students enjoyed the subject”.
The South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS) has launched a bold expansion strategy that will guide the work of Catholic Education South Australia from 2022 to 2027.
The strategy will see a significant expansion of Catholic schools over the next five years, with student numbers set to climb over 50,000 for the first time.
