Pictured here with Parade College plumbing teacher Jim Hunt is, from left, Old Paradians Jordan and Dylan Varrasso (2011), and current student Harrison Lacko.

They can be seen on the site of an aged care facility in Avondale Heights at which the Varrasso twins are laying bricks for the company Probricknblock.

The twins, once VCAL students in the early days of Parade’s Preston campus, followed older brother Tim, who completed VCAL at Parade in 2007. In the years since, the Varrasso brothers have given back, providing work placement opportunities to Parade College VCAL students like Harrison, whom they have mentored in the finer points of the trade.

Joe Surace, the father of two Old Paradians Michael (2010) and Daniel (2010) who both completed VCAL, has similarly supported the College in providing work placement opportunities for a number of boys.

So it is in 2019, with Joe having arranged for Year 12 VCAL student Jake Stafrace to undertake a School Based Apprenticeship (SBAT) in carpentry through Jants Builders in South Morang and, from 2020, full-time employment with the firm as an apprentice carpenter.

Joe’s youngest son Daniel completed a similar pathway in his final years at Parade, which enabled him to complete his apprenticeship at the tender age of 19 - while another former student Paul Carzino (2013) is a third year apprentice carpenter at Jants, having completed his VCAL at the College.

"Joe Surace has been very supportive of the College with work placements over many years," said Parade College Director Pathways Education John Nicholls.

"Besides his two boys, he has employed a number of Old Paradians on a full-time and casual basis as labourers and apprentice carpenters. We jokingly thought the business name should be called 'Parade Constructions'!

"Our current student Jake Stafrace did a work placement with Joe which was able to translate into a school-based apprenticeship. He looks forward to working full time next year and beyond with Joe, Daniel, Michael and Paul."

The five men pictured in the second photograph are, from left to right: Michael Surace, Joe Surace, Daniel Surace, Paul Carzino and Jake Stafrace, the Year 12 student and school-based Apprentice at Jantz.