A Building trades training program for high school students at Brighton Estate at Butler has won a Prime Minister’s award.

The skills training program caters for Clarkson Community High School Year 11 students. The school collaborated with developer Satterly to establish the facility in response to growth in demand for trades and chronic shortages in the building trades.

At a ceremony last week, Satterley, Clarkson High and West Coast and Swan TAFEs received the Prime Minister’s award for excellence in Community Business partnerships.

The headquarters of the program is the Shed, which is a facility that was built with funding including $300,000 from Brighton developer Satterley.

Satterley chief executive Nigel Satterley said the company was involved in the program because it recognised the shortage of a skilled trade’s people in the building industries. “Each of these students learning bricklaying, tiling and plastering will have the opportunity of going to an apprenticeship," he said. “There are 24 Clarkson pupils involved and the program will be extended to other schools."

Mr Satterley believes Brighton is an excellent example of business and community working together as one and meets the criteria of the Prime Minister’s Awards.

Speaking on behalf of the trainees, 16 year old Clarkson student Dylan Threlfall said the program had inspired him to look for a career in the building industry.

“I’m enjoying learning the basics of various aspects of the industry, but I think I’ll be looking for an apprenticeship as a roof carpenter”.

Other partners in The Shed are the city of Wanneroo, the Building Industry Training Fund, the Brighton Estate Residents Association and the Alcock Brown-Neaves Training Group.

Education Minister Mark McGowan has also announced $12.44million dollars to build a TAFE facility on the Clarkson Community High School campus scheduled for completion in 2009.

Picture: Nigel Satterley, Education Minister Mark McGowan, West Coast TAFE Joondalup Campus managing director Sue Slavin, Dale Alcock, Clarkson principal John Young, Swan TAFE managing director Wayne Vollier and Clarkson students Jake Fowles (left), Jeremy Lokovanic and Stefan Messham.