workboots Archives

Cire students washing buses in their new boots

Workwear has again supported Cire Community School with a second donation of work boots for our students.

The company delivered a ‘truckload’ of new boots to the Mount Evelyn campus mid last year and has followed up with another delivery earlier this year.

Students have been hugely appreciative of the boots and Workwear’s ongoing generosity.

Having the OHS-compliant footwear means students can engage in more opportunities for hands-on learning activities for their Certificate 11 in Horticulture, and also structured work placements with local businesses including plumbers, landscapers and local nurseries. Students also undertake projects at Yarra Valley ECOSS, an environmental and educational not-for-profit organisation committed to showcasing and encouraging best practice in sustainable solutions.

The boots are a real boost to the self-esteem and confidence of students, as well as providing them with appropriate footwear for invaluable work experience, according to Karen Swankie, who is responsible for Vocational Education Training (VET), and Student Pathways at Cire Community School.

One of the students, 14-year-old Shaun, was particularly appreciative and wanted to extend a massive

Workwear boots donation for the students at Cire Community School

The boots even made it on the cover of the Mail newspapers

thank you to Workwear.

‘The boots are great and really comfy. I have dropped a few things on my feet at ECOSS so the reinforced caps have saved my toes!’ said Shaun who now has a second pair of boots having outgrown the ones he received last year and almost worn them out.

Another super thankful student is Ollie, especially after a close encounter with a lawn mower which took a chunk out of his boot but not his foot.

‘I was so glad to have the Workwear boots,’ said 16-year old Ollie who is undertaking a school-based apprenticeship in Landscape Construction.

Meanwhile, fellow student, Ethan was also hugely appreciative because he can wear his boots to his plumbing VET course each week.

Cire Community School, with campuses at Yarra Junction and Mt Evelyn, is one of the core operations of Cire Services Inc, a non-for profit organisation, unique to the Yarra Ranges where it provides flexible learning opportunities to people of all ages across its vast catchment area.

Cire’s other core operations are:

Cire Training, our Registered Training Organisation (RTO), delivering accredited, pre-accredited short courses and VET
Cire Children’s Services which offers long day care including integrated kindergarten programs, occasional care, outside school hours care and playgroups
Cire Community Hubs offering a diverse range of programs and services in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Cire operates across sites in Lilydale, Yarra Junction, Mount Evelyn and Chirnside Park, as well as through outreach.

It was like Christmas at Cire’s Mount Evelyn campus on 3 August when a donation of a truckload, almost, of spanking new work boots arrived for horticulture students.

The Port Melbourne-based Workwear Group was behind the incredibly generous donation, with students eager to select their own from the 40 pair available. There were no second thoughts for one student who readily retired his dad’s boots.

Karen Swankie, Leading Teacher VCAL/VET and Student Pathways, and Workwear’s John Simon were delighted to see the expressions on the faces of students when they tried on their very own work boots. Some of the students readily went up to John to shake his hand in thanks.

‘It is an incredible donation because it is such a huge boost to the students and their futures,’ said Ms Swankie. ‘Having their own boots that comply with OHS requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE), helps open the doors for students to future employment and structured workplace opportunities, as well as work placements and experience, on-the-job training, and hands-on learning.’

Ms Swankie said the boots would give students greater confidence to enter the VET field and workforce and maximise the opportunities that are available.

The boots will benefit Cire students at all year levels and across varying programs including those in Vocational Education and Training (VET) Horticulture run in conjunction with Swinburne TAFE and the Hands-On Learning program at Yarra Valley ECOSS which focusses on sustainability.

Ms Swankie said the donation was particularly timely given that students will be involved in structured workplace learning later this term in areas such as building and construction, nurseries and mechanical roles.