The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 60

Education 3 VOCATIONAL A teacher's suggestion marked the beginning of a student's big career. Part of the furniture. Students have fine designs on the future, reports Lisa learns. Since the age of eight, Rebecca Ritters has juggled her schooling with her TV commitments as a star on Neighbours. Playing the role of Hannah, Rebecca, now 15, has kept up her education with on-set tutors and as much class time as her shooting schedule allows.

I can't remember what it's like to go to school every day, nn wn'cn 's sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad UU thing. I joined Neighbours aged eight, and have had a disrupted schooling ever since. Acting was never something that I desperately wanted to do, I just fell into it. My teacher at school suggested I join an agency, so I went in and had some photos taken. I got the part within a couple of months.

It was all a bit unexpected. I never had acting classes, but I did a school play once. I attend Methodist Ladies College and was in year 3 when I got the part. Since then I haven't really had a "normal" school life. I try to go to school whenever my filming timetable will allow.

I'll usually go two or three days a week, but never in a row. I might get an afternoon here or there, it all depends on filming. The majority of my teachers over the years have been great, they realise that I'm in a difficult situation and help me out as much as possible. I have a tutor on the set, Leanne Callegaro, who's great. She's been there since the start of the year.

I'm on my fourth tutor at Neighbours. She helps me with my assignments and homework; sometimes I'll even sit exams on the set. At the moment there's only Jonathon Dutton (Tad) and myself, but there was a time when there were six of us studying. I had a five-month break from the show last year (when Hannah was in France) and really enjoyed it. I had the chance to go to school every day, to get to know the people in Future in furniture: student Irene Tsiavos and tutor Henry Johnson with Irene's Fijian cabinet.

picture: penny Stephens lite RKNK Tsiavos delivered her handmade Fijian cedar shadow cabinet last week for judging in the furniture industry's annual awards. For the first time, there is a section for young, up-and-coming furniture designers and apprentices, called Furniture Makers of the Future, and Irene is one of four school finalists. For two hours a week in year 10, the I.owther Hall student trekked to Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE in Broadmeadows, where furniture maker and teacher Henry Johnson provided guidance as she created her own design and brought it to fruition. For VCE, she made her own arrangements to attend the TAFE as her school had insufficient student interest to offer the subject (although its students can study the VET subject of hospitality). But new opportunities are opening to interest more students in woodwork.

Lynne Stockdale, from Furnishing Training Victoria, one of the State's 15 industry training boards, says there was a sharp jump in secondary schools showing interest in furniture making as a VCE subject after Graeme Cock, head of the Furniture Industry Association of Victoria, asked in The Age last year whether schools were displaying a lack of knowledge, or lack of interest. The flurry of interest was such that the Board of Studies has recently made an in-principle agreement to incorporate a VET furniture subject, Certificate 2 in Furnishing I're-Apprenticeship (Cabinet Making), into the VCE from next year. A host of schools have said they have students doing the VCE subjects Materials and Technology Wood (like Ms Tsiavos), or Technological Design and Development, who want to link in with the VET in Schools program and industry to take more practical steps in achieving careers from their education choices. "Not enough students, teachers or my classes, and to have a social I loved it. But I can't imagine going to school every day, it was just a nice change.

A lot of my friends I've had since before I was on Neighbours, and they're all OK with me being on TV. I'm in year 10 this year and have the hard years at school ahead of me. I want to do English, English Lit, photography and drama. 1' not sure what I want to do after Neighbours and school, maybe I would like to go behind the camera, directing or writing, but I would love to keep acting, I just love it -REBEKAH DEVLIN I parents realise that there is plenty of scope for career development within the furnishing industry," Ms Stockdale says. "This program will help set up formal links between the largest source of potential trainees or apprentices, the secondary school system, and the furnishing manufacturers." "The industry combines creativity with functionality and design." After teaching furniture making for 24 years, Mr Johnson is delighted that career paths are opening up again for students.

"When technical schools began closing, there was no clear way into the industry," he says. "The new program will give students dual recognition for their work, through the Certificate 2 and the VCE path." Some schools are opting to teach the subjects on campus, while others, like the Anglican Lowther Hall have limited or non-existent facilities and prefer to pay for students to attend TAl-'K courses. I.owther Hall students have been attending Mr Johnson's courses for about six years. At the moment, Ms Stockdale says the furnishing industry is "crying out" for apprentices. Victoria has the largest concentration of manufacturers and employs almost one-quarter of the a i a 1 1 workforce.

"The industry combines creativity with functionality and design," Ms Stockdale says. "It is a career which transforms raw materials into artistic, useful, finished products. It involves computer design work as well as delicate manual work and includes working with timber, metal, glass, fabrics and new technology." Finalists' work will be on display in Furnitex '99 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre when it is open to the public next Tuesday, 20 July. More than 3(H) Australian and New Zealand furniture manufacturers will have displays at the trade fair. Further information.

Furnishing Training Victoria, on 1640. 7 'Ml.