Yuille Park Community College staff and students will celebrate the success of a pilot work experience program run as part of the City of Ballarat’s Engaging Communities Program for Wendouree.  As part of the Engaging for Employment Skills pilot work experience program which began in April, students have gained invaluable experience in the construction and installation of shelters and seating at the Wendouree Recreation Reserve and Pioneer Park.  The students received practical training in areas such as site preparation, construction techniques and health and safety procedures. Students obtained White Card and Food Handling certificates and achieved a Level 1 qualification in First Aid as part of the program.  City of Ballarat Deputy Mayor Cr Belinda Coates says the success of the pilot program also led to the students working with the City of Ballarat’s Parks and Gardens team, where they recently completed landscaping works around Lake Wendouree.  “The City of Ballarat is proud to be able to support and provide students with this fantastic learning experience which we hope will give them a great head start for their future careers,” she says.  Yuille Park Community College teacher Craig Montgomery says students participating in the program have gained a range of new skills and experiences that could not be gained from the classroom, such as using maths in real life situations and gaining practical hands-on experience.  “The students who participated in this project have come from a variety of challenging backgrounds that have disadvantaged them in traditional education settings,” he says.  “These courses and experiences have given students an opportunity to participate in work and training that allowed them to develop skills, qualifications and, most importantly, confidence in themselves. The courses have also provided them with valuable qualifications that will assist them as they prepare to enter the workforce for the first time.”  Yuille Campus Leader Beau Guest says there have been flow-on effects from the program into the classroom.  “Our senior students have returned to the school with a new sense of self‐worth, confidence and motivation to achieve their goals.

Free parking in Ballarat’s CBD has been overwhelmingly well received and activity across the CBD appears high, even for the pre-Christmas period.

We continue to work with Coles in relation to the best public outcomes for the interface of the renovated supermarket with the public realm of Sharwood Street.

The City of Ballarat has welcomed the Australian Energy Market Operator’s announcement today that Mondo, a division of AusNet Services, has been selected to design and implement a once in a generation…

Works are progressing at Ballymanus Central Park, with many components nearing completion.   The park, which is located on four hectares in the Ballymanus Estate, features a broad range of facilities …

The Ballarat Animal Shelter is inviting anyone who has adopted a pet this year to a special reunion at Victoria Park on Monday afternoon.  The event will be held at the Inclusive Play Space at Victori…

In the wake of Ballarat being identified as a UNESCO Creative City for Craft and Folk Art, artists, makers and creatives are now being asked to take part in the city’s largest open studio program in A…