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In 2005, the Australian Federal Government started to establish a network of 24 technical colleges which were a class of secondary school that could combine high school education with vocational skills training. The objective was to encourage students to stay in school to complete a certificate and at the same time help them to develop skills in locally needed trades through apprenticeships and placements. Established in February 2007, the Australian Technical College (ATC) - Perth South was one of these colleges. Students could complete their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and trades subjects would be covered at the same time as WACE subjects. The Australian Technical College program ceased on 31 December 2009 when the Labor Government under Prime Minister Kevin Rudd withdrew funding. Most of the 24 ATCs were integrated into existing education and training systems (State/Territory government, Catholic and Anglican), with some continuing as stand-alone independent schools.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the reasons for the formation of the Technical College model from its earliest beginning in Australia, what prompted the Federal Government to form a new model in 2005, and why the model was discontinued after 2009. In answering these questions, focus is placed on the Australian Trades College, Perth South (formerly Australian Technical College, Perth South until August 2010), which was one of the last surviving colleges, finally closing in May 2013. The research has two foci, the first of which is a document analysis which explores: the history of technical and trades colleges; the apprenticeship model; various government decisions concerning the establishment of colleges; government reports; technical college bills in Parliament and government funding for technical education since the beginning of European settlement in Australia. The second focus is a contemporary view of rise and fall of the Australian Technical College - Perth South based on a series of interviews with previous staff members and students of the College.

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