Partnership takes shape

Avalue-adding Wimmera partnership involving Warracknabeal disability service provider Woodbine, Horsham College and Horsham Special School will reach a pivotal milestone today.

Woodbine will officially start operating a Horsham base from the college’s two-story building in Dimboola Road, where it plans to expand services through the use of modern education facilities and infrastructure.

The organisations have joined forces in a venture to enhance and develop new learning, activity and employment opportunities.

The venture has the potential to open new doors of opportunity for people with disabilities from across the region and beyond, while stimulating Horsham student education and career ambitions and pathways.

College alternative programs assistant principal Adam Ross said while the partnership had been established at the beginning of the school term, Woodbine’s first official day in the building would be this week.

“Woodbine will basically have use of half of the two-storey building,” he said.

“It is really exciting. It will work well for Woodbine and the opportunities for us are huge. There will be a lot that we will be learning from them.

“From our perspective, the joint use of facilities will help enormously with providing students with insight into the disability sector.”

Mr Ross echoed Horsham College principal Rob Pyers’ comments on the announcement of the partnership, that it would promote ‘inclusive practice, work experience, schoolbased apprenticeships and traineeships’ among students.

“Woodbine will be able to provide programs to, for example, better integrate into curriculum with Horsham Special School, while the college can develop student pathways,” he said.

The opportunity for the collaboration emerged in Horsham College’s transition from a two-campus to one-campus school based on access to infrastructure and available services.

Horsham Special School is already well established on the college’s former high school site.

Woodbine’s involvement in the inter-town development is designed to add considerable support for Warracknabeal services, which will remain unchanged.

Under the arrangement, modern facilities at both Horsham College and Horsham Special School will be available to Woodbine as part of a simple booking process.

The ground-breaking partnership represents one of the most profound developments in Wimmera disability-service history.