Steve Harrison
Huonville High School, TAS
Teaching Fellow
When aquaculture teacher Steve Harrison was given the task of developing Huonville High’s Year 11 and 12 program, he was determined to ensure this would lead to jobs for students living in this area of high youth unemployment.
Working with the salmon industry, Steve has successfully established vocational training which has led to more than 30 jobs in aquaculture alone. Previously, Huonville students could only study up to Year 10 and had to travel 50km to Hobart to complete their education and vocational training. Many chose to quit school. Last year, 95 enrolled in the senior years.
The new learning centre Mr Harrison established has broadened its curriculum, last year offering 21 subjects. Rates of attaining the Year 12 Tasmanian Certificate of Education are well above state average and students – including a student who had refused to go to school – are now going on to university and jobs