Callaghan College and Surfest
The relationship the Callaghan College Jesmond Senior Campus has with the Surfest organisation is an acknowledged exemplar in Vocational Education and Community Partnerships.
Callaghan College Jesmond Senior Campus has been in partnership with Surfest for the last 12 years. Over 100 students are involved in Surfest every year. Students are involved in every aspect of the event from the catering, multimedia and marketing teams, judging area, photography, building the compound and administration.
Surfest is an internationally recognised and community surfing festival that is firmly implanted on the Newcastle annual social events calendar. Callaghan College Jesmond Senior Campus has a proud and long standing partnership with Surfest.
This partnership won the regional VET in schools Award of Excellence in 2009 and was also nominated as a finalist in the NSW State Training awards for 2008 and 2009 and 2010.
In 2012 the partnership won the Newcastle Sports awards for Outstanding School and Community partnership.
Student involvement includes:
Hospitality – Kitchen operations students plan, prepare and cook all meals for the Surfest organisational crew and the corporate sponsors throughout the event. Hospitality – Food and Beverage students set up for catering functions, meet and greet officials, provide table service, deliver meals to officials and judges and communicate with the Kitchen Operations students on meal allocations and delivery.
Business Services – Students work with the School Surfest management team prior to the event collating and preparing for organisational administration duties such as rostering, WH&S induction check lists, signage and distribution of information to students. They also provide administration assistance to officials during the event.
Newcastle Surfest Organiser Warren Smith said, “Since the inception of the partnership with Callaghan College, Surfest has seen over 800 students work on many facets of Surfest from construction, hospitality, photography, media studies and SLR.”
Further he said, “The students have been a part of the Surfest team in presenting the event each year and have been given responsibility in their particular area to showcase their skills as individuals and to work as a team. As organisers we have enjoyed sharing our knowledge and experience with the students and have been overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. There have been many students that excelled in the work environment of event management and it was so satisfying to know that Surfest provided the opportunity for them to learn these skills.
