Gilmore College teacher provides life-changing opportunities for students

World Teachers’ Day will be celebrated on October 28 and a Gilmore College teacher who has helped students find employment will be amongst the educators who will be thanked.

Patrice Kilpatrick has worked at Gilmore College since 2004 in various roles, including manager of the trade training centre and her current role as industry and enterprise coordinator, providing access to training and opportunities for students to gain qualifications to use in future employment.

Ms Kilpatrick was also involved in creating the Gilmore electrical and metals program, which provides students with multiple career pathways in the engineering and electrical industries.

As part of her role, she has also established beneficial partnerships with local industry employers to fill local jobs.

Ms Kilpatrick said the programs gave students life-changing opportunities.

“We have fantastic facilities and great partnerships with industry and TAFE; all of this adds to the opportunities that some students would never be exposed to,” she said.

“It is highly important that our students are job ready as this gives them the ability to enter the workforce with skills and knowledge.”

She said Gilmore prided itself on delivering programs that “provide on-the-job training as well as off-the-job training at an industry standard”.

Ms Kilpatrick comes from a long line of teachers. Her mother was a teacher for more than 40 years and she credits her as her biggest inspiration.

She said there was nothing more satisfying than “helping a young person realise their potential and go on to become highly successful in their chosen industry”.

“It makes you remember why you came into the profession and this is the best part of my job,” she said.

“Everyone can learn, we all just do it differently and our vocational programs allow for this to happen by tapping into everyone’s strengths rather than their flaws.”

Gilmore College principal Dean Gurr said Ms Kilpatrick’s contribution to the vocational pathways at Gilmore College was in no way small and contributed to the results and opportunities for students in Kwinana and the Peel region.

“I have never met another staff member so committed to the education and career aspirations of the students she works with on a daily basis and I believe it is a testament to her truly caring nature,” Mr Gurr said.

“The respect she has from both her peers and the students is well deserved.”