Our Mission
To implement a coordinated and systematic approach to recognised on-the-job learning and further career education for young people (13-19 years) and to be instrumental in developing innovative strategies that will improve their employable skills and knowledge.

• 1996 Finalist ANTA Australian
  Training Awards
• 1998 National Finalist Learning Community Award
  (Dusseldorp Skills Forum)
• 2001 Winner State Final Queensland Indigenous People’s Training Initiative Award
• 2002 Queensland Government / Education Queensland Showcase Award for Excellence
• 2005 Construction Training Queensland Training Excellence Award

Introduction
Mackay Region School Industry Links Scheme "Inc" (MRSILS) was formed in 1995 with the assistance of an AVC Australian Government grant to implement a coordinated and systematic approach to recognised on-the-job learning for secondary school students, and to be instrumental in developing innovative strategies that improve the employable skills and knowledge of all students’.

Our Staff
From left: Roz Roddenby, Glenn Bartem, Julie Ingram, Frank Hayes, Rhonda Danastas

All About Us
The scheme arranges and coordinates the industry placement of more than 2,000 students from ten of Mackay’s secondary schools into on-the-job learning situations that include both ‘structured workplace learning’ and ‘work experience’. We have the active support of more than 2,000 businesses and we coordinate and control all placements on a computerised Activ8 Placement Database.

After inception in 1995 MRSILS continued its work subsidised by Australian Student Traineeship Foundation (ASTF). Many of the current Local Community Partnerships (LCP) around Australia modelled their operations on MRSILS and we were asked and funded by the ASTF to host collegial visits to other regions from around Australia. The following dot points indicate some of MRSILS's highlights as it developed:

• MRSILS continued its work subsidised mainly by the Enterprise Career Education Foundation (ECEF) and later by the Australian Governments Department of Education Science and Training (DEST).
• In the year 2000 MRSILS started its successful DEST funded Indigenous Students Links with Industry Project that is aimed at improving the school retention rates for Indigenous students to year 12. This successful program is still operating with annual retentions rate higher than 96% for participating students.
• At Education Queensland’s request Mackay Region School Industry Links Scheme "Inc" implemented its “Long-term Suspended Students Support Programme” that assists students that are under suspension to modify their attitude and behaviour in a positive manner and to utilise their suspension period gainfully
• MRSILS effectively conducted a DEETYA funded a successful Job Pathways Programme.
• MRSILS conducted a project to assist the Brisbane School of Distance Education to organise a systematic plan to place VET students in SWL and establish and implement the use of an effective database at their Brisbane Office, and prepare a sustainability plan to maintain their service.
• MRSILS has the support of the schools from inside and outside their Statistical Sub Division region, our success has been a result of developing a one stop shop for Structured Work-place Learning (SWL) placements for students, schools and employers, eg employers do not want ten phone calls a day from ten different schools, employers support the program because we only impinge on their valuable time when we know it will be advantageous to them and to the student that they will support. This results in all the students gaining the industry placement of their choice; keen students attend SWL with supportive employers, this creates a win/win situation for all involved.