In 1986 an Education Support Unit for students in Years 8 to 12 was opened on the Mandurah Senior High School campus. This rapidly expanded to two units. By 1996 the student population had grown to 28 and the unit became a Centre.
In 2001, as a result of local area education planning in the Peel District, the centre was renamed Career Enterprise Centre and moved to the new MET (Mandurah Education Training Campus). For 2001 only, a Year 10 satellite class continued to operate at the old site of Mandurah High School.
At the beginning of 2016 the Career Enterprise Centre changed its name to John Tonkin College Education Support Centre (JTCESC). Although the name change occurred, JTCESC retains its independence as a stand-alone, Independent Public School that is co-located within the MET Campus.