Hope College receives a government grant

By Andra Sincari, Alexander Sund and Maximilian Williams, Bond University Journalism Students

HOPE College received a grant from the government this term for their first free training course.

Assistant principal and theology teacher Pastor Christian Kahnt said the grant was an exciting development for the college.

“For the first time we’ve had a fully government funded [course] … for a certificate III in aged care,” he said.

“We’ve been inundated with calls and for the first time we have had a class of 38 people [which is] massive.”

Christian theology and ministry student Nick Phipps said he had been studying at the college for the past two years and had matured because of his studies.

“I have never been really good at studying,” he said.

“So to actually do a college course was really a big thing for me and there has been a few times where I’ve really struggled with doing assignments and things.

“But it‘s really been a real growing experience.”

Pastor Christian said the highlight for him as a teacher was the dialogue that developed between him and his students.

“The most rewarding bit is when you see students changing for the good,” he said.

“[Another] really rewarding thing is when you see when people get it … [and] you hear down the track that they‘re doing something with their course.”

The college was started by Hope Church in 1997 with classes being taught in the Varsity church campus.

Hope College offers several vocational education training courses on such skills as chaplaincy, aged care, theology, disability work and counselling.

Anyone interested in doing a course at Hope College can contact Hope Church on (07) 55 01 80 00.