Construction & Trade Program
At SEDA College NT, we change students’ lives by developing real-skills and preparing them for a successful future.
The Construction and Trade Program is launching in 2026 and is designed to provide Year 11 students with hands-on experience in the construction and trade industries while completing their secondary education. The program combines practical learning, industry exposure, and nationally recognised qualifications to ensure students are apprenticeship-ready.
The College's emphasis on hands-on learning appeals to many students who are eager to pursue trade-based careers, particularly in the construction and trade fields. Annually, a significant number of our graduates successfully transition directly into apprenticeships, primarily attributed to the effectiveness of our work experience program.
Our students will undertake real-life learning opportunities and experiences within the industry, as well as potential work placements. The experiences are varied in a huge range of trades, allowing students to better understand and choose which trades they are most interested in.
Our teachers take on a true mentoring approach, where they walk alongside and support the individual journey of our students as they complete their senior secondary education. In the classroom, this teacher-student relationship is based on a shared passion or interest. Teachers regularly communicate with students' families and serve as the primary point of contact for any needs that arise during the students' time at the college.
Students will enrol in and attend classes at Charles Darwin University's Trade Centre to pursue their vocational education and training qualification. Their SEDA College teacher will support this integrated learning experience, allowing the teacher to understand each student as an individual and develop positive relationships with both the students and their families.
In collaboration with teachers and caregivers, our Student Support Team engages with students requiring additional support in and outside of the classroom. They provide a range of services including educational, wellbeing, cultural, and behavioural support.
Our students get a head start in their careers through our structured work experience program. Students gain an in-depth understanding of the duties they might be expected to perform in the workplace, and they will acquire the knowledge and attributes that prospective employers expect in their employees.
This hands-on learning experience occurs one day per week throughout the academic year and can take place in an industry of choice. Through real-life learning with local businesses and industry partners, students have the opportunity to explore career pathways and acquire transferable skills in real workplace settings.
MyPLAN is a digital portfolio that supports students to track their individual goals, achievements, experiences, and growth during their time at the College.
Development and monitoring of each student's MyPLAN portfolio is supported by timetabled MyPLAN sessions in class and regular MyPLAN meetings between teachers, caregivers, and students.
Underpinning MyPLAN are the Transferable Work Skills and Personal Habits, which have been identified as important attributes to succeed at the College and beyond. Through our unique teaching, learning and industry experiences, students are equipped with transferable skills that will help them enter the working world with confidence.
Curriculum
Students engage in a curriculum that enhances learning through their interest in construction and trade. We design our curriculum in collaboration with the construction and trade industry so that students develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes of current industry professionals. Below are the subjects students will be enrolled in during Year 11:
English builds on the oral and written skills which have been developed in the middle years of schooling. The curriculum focuses on students responding to and evaluating literature and language as well as achieving an understanding of the relationship between context, purpose, and audience.
Students reflect on and respond to a range of literature and language texts which may include novels, films, plays, poetry, or media. They also complete an intertextual study which analyses the language features of different texts or makes connections between texts.
Students produce a variety of creative written and oral texts which may include imaginative, informative, or literary writing. Students are encouraged to read independently and produce a folio of four or five summative pieces which include both written and oral tasks.
Essential Mathematics offers students the opportunity to extend their mathematical skills in ways that apply to practical problem-solving in everyday and workplace contexts. Students apply their mathematics to diverse settings, including everyday calculations, financial management, business applications, measurement and geometry, and statistics in social contexts.
In Essential Mathematics there is an emphasis on developing students’ computational skills and expanding their ability to apply their mathematical skills in flexible and resourceful ways. This subject is intended for students planning to pursue a career in a range of trades or vocations.
This subject is designed for students to focus on the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and societies in the environments they share. Students will explore the interrelationship of lifestyle, physical activity, social behaviour, health care and promoting healthy environments and healthy living in society.
Students will be assisted in developing life skills such as building positive relationships, that will enhance their options for healthy living and skills for managing and promoting physical and mental health.
Students explore Ways of Defining Health, The Effect of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs on Health, Obesity and Mental and Emotional Health, investigating current health issues and trends and the impact of social media on Health.
- CPCCWHS2001 Apply WHS requirements, policies and procedures in the construction industry
- CPCCOM1013 Plan and organise work
- CPCCOM1012 Work effectively and sustainably in the construction industry
- CPCCOM1015 Carry out measurements and calculations
- CPCCVE1011 Undertake a basic construction project
- CPCCCA2002 Use carpentry tools and equipment
- CPCCCA2011 Handle carpentry materials
- CPCCJN2001 Assemble components
- CPCCCM2006 Apply basic levelling procedures
- CPCCCM2012 Work safely at heights
SEDA College NT Limited provides individual support services and recruitment of prospective learners for this qualification on behalf of Charles Darwin University (RTO Provider: 0373). cdu.edu.au Qualifications are subject to change and Charles Darwin University is responsible for the issuance of AQF certification documentation.
During Year 11, students will take White Card and First Aid courses. These will be provided by external registered training organisations and supported by College teachers.
SEDA has given my child a wonderful opportunity for development in independence and participation. They have expressed directly how much they enjoy going to school.
— 2024 SEDA College NT Caregiver via Semester 1 Caregiver Survey
Timetable & Classrooms
At SEDA College, learning is not restricted to the classroom. It occurs in genuine workplace and community settings in collaboration with teachers and industry professionals.
Students attend the college full time completing a timetable that will look similar to the one shown below.
| Session | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
NTCET
|
Work Experience
|
CDU Trade School
|
NTCET
|
NTCET
|
|
2
|
NTCET
|
Work Experience
|
CDU Trade School
|
NTCET
|
NTCET
|
|
3
|
NTCET
|
Work Experience
|
CDU Trade School
|
Community Projects
|
Private Study
|
During week 1 of the school year, students participate in the College’s Orientation Week, where they commence the development of their MyPLAN portfolio, meet fellow students and College staff as well as engage in swimming assessments and various activities, learn from guest speakers, and meet industry partners. Caregivers will meet with their child’s teacher at MyPLAN meetings during this period.
For the first 3 weeks of Term 1, students participate in a workplace readiness program to assist them in the development of their MyPLAN, identifying work experience opportunities, as well as attaining skills and knowledge required to work safely in the workplace and other environments.
To maximise student learning and deliver industry-based experiences, learning environments are located at CDU's Trade Centre and local community facilities in the Marrara sporting complex area and other surrounding suburbs. Students are expected to use public transport to access venues used by the College. SEDA College students can access an NTG school bus departing Palmerston in the morning, dropping off at SEDA venues, and returning in the afternoon.