The Sunshine Coast community has farewelled graduating Year 12 students on their last day of school, wishing them all the best for the future.
A recent survey shows that future is brighter than ever, with their predecessors, the Class of 2021, recording a major increase in engagement in education, training and employment after graduating.
Education Minister Grace Grace said the 2022 Next Step survey showed graduates from the Sunshine Coast are kicking goals.
“On the Sunshine Coast, total engagement in education, training and employment for the most recent graduates has risen to 92.8% in 2022 from 88.3% in 2019,” Ms Grace said.
“This year’s graduating Year 12 students can celebrate their success knowing a bright future of good jobs and a great lifestyle lies ahead of them.
“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to ensuring all Queensland students get a world-class education, regardless of where in our state they live.”
Participation in employment by last year’s Year 12 students across Queensland increased 3.2 percentage points to above pre-pandemic levels and the highest rate since 2009, while participation in education and training has also reached pre-pandemic levels.
Coolum State High School Principal Troy Ascott said that the school was delighted with the pathways chosen by 2021 graduates.
“Coolum High had its highest ever number of students entering apprenticeships and continued its outstanding academic traditions, with 37% of students choosing to study bachelor degrees,” Mr Ascott said.
“Coolum High’s students have taken up pathways in music, health, engineering, a wide variety of trades, education and the military and we are enormously proud of them.”
Ethan Irvine graduated from Coolum State High School in 2021 with a passion for writing and theatre, and is currently studying a double degree at QUT in Secondary Education (English) and Fine Arts (Drama).
“The passion I have for this field was encouraged by many of my teachers at Coolum High,” Ethan said.
“I developed a deep respect for the teachers who taught me throughout my senior years. They were not only selfless in giving of their time, but in the rapport I developed with them.
“I hope I can be as enthusiastic in my delivery of content and curriculum towards my students in the future, as they were for me.”
More than 51,000 Year 12 students from 2021 were invited to participate in the 2022 Next Step survey, with more than 39,000 providing a response.
For more information on the 2022 Next Step survey, and for full regional breakdowns of statistics from right across Queensland, visit www.qld.gov.au/year12completers.