The Gazette - February 2012

Gazette The

Monthly Newsletter February 2012 Volume 3, No 1

Great Southern Institute of Technology managing director Lidia Rozlapa (second from left) celebrates staff awards with winners Lesley Brand, Cathy Glen and Sue Dawes.

The cream of our crop One of the most-anticipated announcements at the end of 2011 was the naming of the winners of the institute’s Staff Awards for Excellence.

Managing Director Lidia Rozlapa congratulated all the nominees, saying she was proud of the quality of nominations and the outstanding achievements of so many of

the institute’s staff at all campuses.

Governing Council chair Len Smith presented certificates to 24 nominees in the three Excellence in Teaching categories, 12 in the Excellence in Non-Teaching category and two in the Excellence in Sustainability category.

Continued on page 6

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Our critical focus for 2012 A series of focus groups, Working Together – Shaping our Future, is being organised to address issues identified in last year’s staff opinion survey by consultant Insync.

Gail Hastie has collated the survey results and the information staff provided in the workshops following the Insync presentation at the end of the year.

The 300 responses have been categorised under three main headings: • Innovative, inspirational leadership • Role definition • Organisational cohesion.

Participants in the focus groups will then debate issues in each of these categories and their subcategories, and suggest solutions.

Gail will then prepare the information for presentation to the executive and Governing Council.

The focus group workshops will start on Tuesday, 21 February and each will last for 1½ hours.

Schedules will be sent out so staff may select their preferred dates and times.

Morning or afternoon teas or lunch will be served,

depending on the meeting time.

Several groups will address each category, so if you miss out on one, you may choose to attend one of the others. And you may attend as many as you wish provided your work time allows.

Everyone will be invited, but attendance is not compulsory.

Results of the focus groups will be published and staff will be notified of actions as progress is made.

Look out for your email invitation from Survey Monkey.

While there may be no quick fix for issues, it is important staff have input to start the process towards Working Together – Shaping our Future.

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Tourism studies are plain sailing The recent visit of the replica of HMB Endeavour gave the institute’s tourism students a rare opportunity to gain valuable experience as guides.

The bark berthed in Albany for five nights during her circumnavigation of Australia, allowing many thousands of visitors a fascinating glimpse of 18th century maritime history.

One student who took full advantage of the opportunity was Sandra Graham, who is studying Certificate IV in Tourism in Semester 1.

Sandra said working on the ship and viewing it from close quarters had brought history alive.

“It’s been a magnificent experience – it’s made me want to find out more about the history of the time,” Sandra said.

She explained groups of up to 12 visitors were guided around various areas of the ship. A guide at each station would give them a five-minute talk before the groups progressed on the 50-minute tour.

Sandra enjoyed her time so much, she signed up for extra shifts – with more than 600 visitors going onboard every day, this was welcomed by the regular crew.

She also committed to an overnight shift from 7pm to 7am, which included a two-hour watch. The rest of the night she spent sleeping in a hammock, just as the original voyagers had.

Sandra, who will continue with the Diploma of Tourism in Semester 2, values the experience gained as a volunteer and hopes to carve out a career in the local tourism industry. To expand on her work experience, she is a regular volunteer at Whale World.

Great Southern Institute of Technology tourism lecturer Cathy Glen said the Endeavour had given students real-life experience working with customers and colleagues on a world-class facility in a fantastic setting.

“Locals and tourists appreciate the opportunity to view the replica of a historic

As part of her tourism studies at Great Southern Institute of Technology, Sandra Graham worked as a guide on HMB Endeavour during the vessel’s recent visit to Albany. craft – they are interested in what they are seeing and the tour is enjoyable,” Cathy said.

She said maritime tourism was an important part of the industry in Albany, so students would more fully understand its importance after HMB Endeavour’s visit.

“Studying tourism involves researching information regarding many aspects of the industry, so this will enable students to see how imperative it is to know the history of Albany and Australia,” Cathy said.

“It is also an excellent activity to state on a résumé, as everyone knows what the Endeavour is,” she said.

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From the MD’s Desk

First, I’d like to welcome you all back after the break, whether you’re new to our institute or an old hand returning.

Some of you will wish you were still playing golf or swimming in the Bahamas, but we have to pay for our lifestyle, so here we are again!

Judging by enrolments, we are in for a busy year – we have more students than we know what to do with.

Corporate Services Our big news is that we have a new Director of Corporate Services. Edward Armstrong comes with extensive finance and management experience from the Rare Coin Company.

Edward has been treading the boards with all his managers and as many institute staff as he could since taking over the seat on our second week back, and reports indicate they are all looking forward to Edward’s management style.

Governance unit I have appointed a .5 FTE executive officer working with me to review the findings of the Insync survey and establish working groups to shape our future. I have approached our new Governing Council member Audrey Jackson (see Audrey’s profile on page 9) to assist me in the analysis and findings, and she has agreed to be a part of the assessment process.

I have established a corporate governance unit to respond to nine principles of good governance identified by the Department of Training and Workforce Development as necessary for institutes to achieve minimum governance requirements.

The principles are: • Government and public sector relationship – the organisation’s relationship with the government is clear • Management and oversight – the organisation’s management and

oversight is accountable and has clearly defined responsibilities • Organisational structure – the organisation’s structure serves its operations • Operations – the organisation plans its operations to achieve its goals • Ethics and integrity – ethics and integrity are embedded in the organisation’s values and operations • People – the organisation’s leadership in people management contributes to individual and organisational achievements • Finance – the organisation safeguards financial integrity and accountability • Communication – the organisation’s communication with all parties is accessible, open and responsive • Risk management – the organisation identifies and manages its risks.

The unit maintains responsibility for supporting AQTF compliance and risk management at the institute. All the institute’s operations come under the framework of the nine principles.

Jenny Tetlow is leading the charge.

Members of the executive will be apportioned responsibility for some of the principles, and groups will work through those remaining.

A tool called Governance Manager will be in place which will allow Governing Council to see how the institute complies with good governance as established by the framework.

The Governance Unit will report regularly to the Corporate Governance Steering Committee and updates will be disseminated to the institute community through executive, portfolio managers and managers. Updates will also be a standing item at all meetings.

Portfolio Managers We will shortly be advertising two Level 7 positions. One is the permanent portfolio manager position for Health Sciences and Community Services, and the other is for 14 weeks to cover Lee-Anne Smith’s long service leave.

Continued on page 5

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From page 4 Both will be advertised internally and externally to attract the broadest possible selection of applicants.

Dunsky project Congratulations to CALM and VETiS students and lecturers involved in the Dunsky Track project in the West Cape Howe National Park near Torbay. The project, conducted by Sue Dawes, was a focus of the Southern Shores Regional Forum at the end of last year, and has been included in the forum’s report featured in the WA Planning commission’s publication ‘Coastlines’. During the year-long project, students installed special pads to protect the dunes along the 4WD track and revegetated areas bordering the track.

This was a great opportunity for students to put their skills to work in reallife situations while learning about the preservation of our natural environment.

Well done to you all on the completion of the project and the accolades received, you have again put the institute on the map.

Finance Our finance section is to be applauded for an audit report stating our institute had the best corporate card reconciliation and follow-up system of all the institutes.

This was reported by our internal auditors, Global 20/20. Well done to Tom Savich and

Access All Areas

Support for students

access needs due to a disability or medical condition, come and see me at Client Services, phone me on 9892 8741 or email wendy.macliver@ gsinstitiute.wa.edu.au.

As the Learning Support Coordinator and Disability Officer at the institute, I can help arrange the support you need. Assistance

with Wendy Macliver

Have you come from school to the institute, not studied for some time, have a disability, medical condition or learning difficulty?

Great Southern Institute provides study support to help all students be successful. If you are unsure, having difficulties or have learning or

his team for their diligence and continued close attention to this important aspect of the institute’s finances.

Fundraising As well as being a whizz-kid of the executive office, Lexy Grover is also a dedicated fundraiser. (Anybody who goes around in a red dress and sneakers for charity has to be dedicated.)

Lexy’s recent efforts brought in hundreds of dollars for her Hash House Harriers’ Red Dress Run for charity. Well done, Lexy and thanks to everyone who supported her.

Still on the subject of charity, I will be raising funds over the next seven months for my annual cause – the Variety Club Bash. This is a special year for us as the bash will start from Albany on September 1, and Variety WA will be sponsoring a major project in the Great Southern. All contributions are gratefully received and will go to help sick children within our region.

Welcome morning tea Finally, I extend an invitation to everyone to join me, the executive and members of the Governing Council in the café at 10.30am on Thursday, 2 February. We will introduce and welcome new staff members and send the year off to a good start with morning tea.

Happy reading, Lidia

may include books and learning materials in electronic format or large print, a note-taker, tutor or in-class assistant, ergonomic chairs or equipment, computer access or literacy software, or regular contact to track how you are going.

Let us support you to be successful. All enquiries are confidential.

Great Southern Gazette

6 From page 1 Mr Smith then presented certificates to the winners as follows:

Excellence in Teaching Awards – one award in each of three categories

1. Innovation in Teaching category Winner: Tracy Thomas Tracy, who works mainly in the regional campuses of Mt Barker and Katanning, has been instrumental in the online delivery of Certificate IV in Aged Care.

Tracy’s passion and enthusiasm are contagious, and she engages students while inspiring them to learn and achieve.

2. Leadership in Teaching category Winner: Ruth McLean Ruth is an extremely dedicated, studentfocused lecturer.

Complying with institute and university requirements can be a complex business, but Ruth has shown great leadership through her ability to assess the requirements and prepare her lecturing staff.

3. Workforce Development in Teaching category Winner: Cathy Glen Cathy is a constant and diligent worker for the local tourism industry.

She introduces students to key personnel within the industry and encourages them to network and become involved in community events to influence Albany’s future in relation to tourism, Indigenous relations, environmental issues and sustainable practice.

Excellence in Non-Teaching Awards (two awards) Winner: Lionel Hart Lionel has excelled across all areas of his work and has shown a dedication to giving great customer service. In terms of innovation, his creative abilities have been proven with his recent work redesigning our logo.

Winner: Lesley Brand Lesley was nominated by a staff member but also provided complementary testimonials from external parties. Her work in organising the Career Expo this year was first class and beyond the call of duty.

Award for Excellence in Sustainable Practice

This is the first year the institute has offered a major staff award for sustainable practice. The award recognises a staff member who has contributed to sustainability at the institute. Many of our staff bring a sustainability perspective to their work; some in obvious ways by teaching the principles of sustainability, and some in less obvious ways by wearing wool rather than using heaters.

Winner: Sue Dawes In addition to completing a Diploma of Sustainability, Sue has single-handedly organised the institute’s ‘free cycling’ days at the start of each semester. This event has not only recycled more than 50 boxes of used stationery, but has also raised everyone’s awareness of sustainability.

Public Sector Commission

Study Assistance Scheme As a WA Public Sector employee, you may be eligible to receive a 10 per cent discount on course fees for a range of postgraduate and masters programs.

The Public Sector Commission has partnered with four WA universities to provide WA Public Sector employees with savings on the cost of a public-sector-related qualification.

Complete an application form (PDF – 532KB) and submit to tuitiondiscount@psc.wa.gov.au by the deadline stated in the guidelines.

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Institute initiative has wide impact A recent agreement between Great Southern Institute of Technology and a Queensland company will result in one of the institute’s courses being delivered extensively throughout northern Australia.

Indigenous training and workforce development company Corporate Culcha chief executive Paul Dodd travelled from his Gold Coast base to Albany on December 13 to sign the contract with the institute’s managing director Lidia Rozlapa.

The company will deliver the Certificate III in Mentoring (Wirdanyiny) to corporate groups and community workers in Queensland, the Northern Territory and remote areas of far-north Western Australia.

Corporate Culcha will deliver the course under licence from the institute, and with an auspicing arrangement in place to ensure it is delivered and assessed to Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) standards.

Paul, who explained his company specialised in delivery of cultural awareness training to big corporate clients including mining companies and banks, said Great Southern Institute was the only registered training organisation in Australia he could find which was

Corporate Culcha chief executive Paul Dodd and Great Southern Institute of Technology managing director Lidia Rozlapa sign an agreement that will result in an institute course being delivered throughout northern Australia. Looking on are lecturer Simon London and Health Sciences and Community Services portfolio manager Donna Blight, who facilitated the contract. delivering the accredited course.

“The institute must be proud of this product,” Paul said.

“Our business survives on our reputation and brand profile, and our clients are some of Australia’s largest companies,” he explained.

“So we don’t enter into partnerships lightly.”

Lidia agreed that trust and confidence were paramount before she entered into agreements on behalf of the institute.

“I’m very pleased to work with a company that understands how important mentoring is,” Lidia said.

“This valuable partnership

is a coup for a regional institute and it can only increase our reputation,” she added.

“It will enable us to deliver to Aboriginal groups beyond the Great Southern.”

The institute’s mentoring lecturer Simon London has adapted the course content to ensure relevance to a wide student base, which includes mentors and community development officers wishing to gain a qualification.

Corporate Culcha staff will start the training early this year and Simon will regularly monitor the quality of delivery and assessment.

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Governing Council welcomes members Membership of Great Southern Institute Governing Council is made up of community and industry representatives applying to, and nominated by, the Minister for Training and Workforce Development.

This month, the Gazette introduces two new Governing Council members who bring wide experience in the business and education sectors to benefit our institute.

Meet Gillian Evans and Audrey Jackson.

Gillian Evans One who has experienced Great Southern Institute of Technology as a student, a lecturer and as part of the administration team is now bringing her valuable expertise to the Governing Council.

Gillian Evans, Principal Solicitor at the Albany Community Legal Centre, brings a new dimension to the council with many years of legal practice and a broad range of business skills honed in Australia and overseas.

Her keen interest in vocational education and training and the prospect of broadening her experience by helping to drive the organisation with others from various areas of the business community motivated Gillian to join the council.

“It’s interesting to meet the diversity of people from various backgrounds,” Gillian said.

“I enjoy the opportunity to be involved in the future direction of the institute and it’s exciting to be part of a big organisation,” she added.

Gillian has worked in business and government organisations in France and Africa as well as Australia, where she has lived since 1969.

For Gillian, law is her second career which she undertook as a mature-age student. She was admitted to the bar after graduating from the University of Sydney in 1985.

Away from the office and the boardroom, Gillian loves nothing better than to nurture her creative side through music and theatre.

A member of the Albany Light Opera Company, Safety in Numbers singing group

and Spectrum Theatre, Gillian sings, acts and plays piano and guitar.

And she not only advocates lifelong learning, she practices what she preaches, having recently taken up learning to play the cello and the harp.

While she is relishing the opportunity to guide the institute and advise the Governing Council on legal matters, Gillian is impressed with the direction the institute is taking.

“It’s going from strength to strength, and it has a strong managing director, so there’s no reason that should not continue,” Gillian said.

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Audrey Jackson Having recently moved to Albany from Perth, Audrey Jackson plans to contribute to the local community in the best way she can – by sharing her many years of experience at the leading edge of Western Australia’s education sector to influence the direction of local educational establishments.

Happily, Great Southern Institute of Technology has benefited from Audrey’s plan, as she joined the institute’s Governing Council in December and instantly made a valuable contribution by providing a professional evaluation of last year’s staff satisfaction survey.

The State Training Board member and former principal of St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School has a thorough understanding of vocational education and training (VET) from a school perspective, and now she is looking forward to exploring the sector from within.

Audrey acknowledges the challenge of state training providers to offer a broad scope of courses for vocational education and workforce development. This is in contrast to private providers’ preference of offering only courses that are profitable.

“It is particularly important for people in regional areas to access the quality of training available in Perth,” Audrey said.

She commended the institute on its strong ties with local high schools, with auspicing arrangements allowing students to gain genuine competencies they could carry forward.

“This will grow in the future and it has to be promoted,” she said.

While university is widely touted as the main tertiary educational path for school leavers, Audrey views VET as a viable alternative.

“University is not the be all and end all,” Audrey said.

“We need thinkers and creators, but there’s no reason why they should not start in the ranks,” she added.

Engaging the brain with new experiences is a philosophy close to Audrey’s heart, not

only for sharpening the mind, but also for physical health.

So while she describes herself as semiretired, she continues to work with schools and serves on the governing body of Great Southern Grammar.

“I don’t want to feel I can’t still learn and still give,” she said.

For Audrey, joining a governing body means committing to working for the organisation and taking the legal and moral responsibilities that go with it.

“I have a lot of experience on governing bodies including Scitech, Perth College and Curtin University, and I will ask questions so I can understand the way forward,” Audrey said.

“It’s important there’s good discussion and input from all members,” she said.

Regular workouts at the gym and annual skiing holidays are high on Audrey’s recreation list when she doesn’t have her nose in a book. And now she is settling in to her new home on the south coast, the former golfer is also considering dusting off the clubs and facing another challenge – our links fairways – in a bid to revive her game.

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Young author goes global with fantasy

Elisabeth Bownds has published a fantasy novel.

With ambition and determination in sufficient quantity, it seems any obstacle can be overcome and any dream realised.

One who has demonstrated this and is now reaping the rewards is Albany author Elisabeth Bownds.

Brushing up on her English at Great Southern Institute of Technology was the catalyst for Elisabeth to tell the world her amazing fantasy stories in the form of a self-published novel ‘This Army and Me!’.

Since publishing the novel, Elisabeth has received excellent feedback from readers in Australia, the US, the UK and Canada, and while many are calling for a sequel, the industrious young author is concentrating first on a prequel.

Taking inspiration from her favourite adventure authors JRR Tolkien and John Flanagan, Elisabeth is also influenced by her love of castles and stories set in the Middle Ages.

“I’d love to visit Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany,” she said, explaining this was the archetypal mystical castle inspiring the setting for so many fantasy and adventure films.

Creative writing is Elisabeth’s favoured outlet for expression, and she sometimes

pores for hours over her computer.

But she insists writing is for her spare time, as she works at a local office supplies shop while also studying for Certificate IV in Frontline Management at the institute as well as partnering a musician friend in the Netherlands in a song writing venture.

“Writing is very easy if I’m in the mood and it just flows,” she said.

When ideas come to mind while she is at work or busy on other tasks, Elisabeth jots them down in her notebook to weave into the story later.

As for the unusual title, Elisabeth said it had been a quirky response to the perennial question “You and whose army?”

Now organising supplies of her 181page novel at local book shops at a recommended price of $16.50, Elisabeth said it would also be available for purchase as an ebook on the web.

“I am asking people to leave me a message on Facebook if they would like a copy – they can get one from me for $13,” she said.

In addition to working on the prequel to her published book, Elisabeth is also busy with other projects, including a thriller trilogy.

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Katanning student Mohammad Sinn composed the above picture of a mosaic and the students who produced it.

Mosaic a symbol of cultural diversity Last year’s Certificate of General Education for Adults (CGEA) students at the Katanning campus called on their considerable artistic skills to produce a colourful and inspiring wall mosaic for future students to enjoy.

Lecturers Gaye Bushell and Sally Crossley led the project, which reflects the diversity of student backgrounds and the theme of multiculturalism,

the essence of the town of Katanning.

Individual mosaic slabs were done by Reza Rustami (Afghanistan), Deni Matthews (Australia), Jaymie Matthews-Bell (Mauritius), Josh Trenfield (Ireland), Anthony Tran (Vietnam), Marry Schout (Holland), Muhammed Yusnie (Cocos Islands) and Mohammad Sinn did the connecting lines to all slabs.

The group, all studying Certificates I to III, produced the artwork and other students helped to finish it by putting the finished piece onto the wall, sticking on extra tiles and generally lending a hand.

Mohammad then showed off his photographic skills as well as his talent with Adobe Photoshop to produce a composite picture of students with the artwork.

UPDATE YOUR OLD TAFE STAMPS NOW! Phone Vicki Halliday on 9892 8852

BOOKSHOP

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Ye Olde Photo Competition Congratulations to Helen Polette, who put the correct names to all the photos in December’s competition.

Helen received the coveted ‘I got the most right’ certificate as well as the admiration of her colleagues.

Helen’s secret? “It’s in the eyes.”

But she admitted the last few were decided on a process of elimination.

Well done, Helen, and a big thank you to all who dug out their excellent photos for our competition – and to those who entered.

1

2

Amy Jo de Jong

4

Elizabeth Svendsen

3

Andrew Nicholson

5

David Hansen

6

Jodie Watkins

John Maddison

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Ye Olde Photo Competition 7

8

Julie Harris

10

9

Steve Speight

11

Roger Logan

Pauline Murphy

12

Natasha Henderson

Sue Stokes

Need stationery?

Visit your bookshop first Phone Vicki Halliday on 9892 8852

BOOKSHOP

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WHERE ARE

THEY NOW

?

Great Southern Gazette

Felicity finds her niche in nursing Changing the course of one’s career – and life – can start with a simple phone call.

For Albany nurse and former Great Southern Institute of Technology student Felicity Williamson, phoning the institute on a whim kick-started a series of events that led her to a rewarding and stimulating vocation.

Felicity had barely put the receiver down when she found herself studying for her BSc (Nursing) through Curtin University, delivered at the institute’s Albany campus.

“I woke up one morning and decided to find out more about nursing,” Felicity explained.

“I phoned TAFE and the coordinator said ‘You’ll have to hurry up because the course starts on Monday’,” she laughed.

Clearly not one to let the grass grow under her feet, Felicity enrolled without a second thought for the hurdles she would face in the first few months.

Born in the UK, she needed to secure Australian citizenship and also sit the STAT test for entry to university.

Studying just two units in the first semester allowed her time to organise the

Felicity Williamson found her nursing niche in the mental health field after graduating from Curtin University’s BSc (Nursing) course delivered at Great Southern Institute of Technology. nuts and bolts of her new situation while settling in to her studies, and she caught up on other units later in the course.

She has not looked back, and is now working in her chosen area of mental health at Albany Hospital.

Mental health was not her first choice while she was studying.

“I wanted to be a midwife,” Felicity said.

“But I chose pracs in Perth because I wanted to get as far and wide as possible to get as broad a scope of experience as I

could,” she explained.

Taking one of these practical components of her course in the mental health ward at Fremantle Hospital swayed Felicity to continue in that field.

After graduating in 2005, she spent two years in general nursing, including some mental health work, at Albany Prison before moving to the alcohol and drug rehabilitation unit at Palmerston.

In 2010, after three years at Palmerston, she moved to her current position.

Continued on page 15

Great Southern Gazette From page 14 Last year, Felicity completed her postgraduate studies in mental health and she is now studying for her Masters, which she expects to complete next year.

But Felicity has no intention of resting on her laurels even then.

“My next major goal after my Masters is to get credentialled as a mental health nurse and work independently as a counsellor,” she said.

Clearly gratified by her decision to pick up the

15 phone and change her life nearly 11 years ago, Felicity recommends the nursing degree delivered at Great Southern Institute.

“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to do a science degree in Albany, and study with a small group,” she said.

Practical components could be completed in the big metropolitan hospitals, giving students the same opportunities as their city counterparts, Felicity explained.

While she does not rule out a career move to

midwifery at some stage in the future, Felicity is relishing the challenges of nursing in the mental health arena.

“This is an area of health that has been neglected in the past, and mental health nursing has a long way to go,” Felicity said.

“I’m passionate about research and reducing the stigma of mental illness – it could happen to any one of us at any time,” she said.

“It’s not glamorous, and you need a sense of humour, but you can make so much of a difference.”

Spotlight on...

Ches Leonard

Position: Manager Student Administration Campus: Albany Star sign: Capricorn.

Favourite food: Indian, Thai, Mt Barker Bakery is also very good…

First car: 1980 Ford Escort, I should have never sold it…

Sporting team: Chelsea FC, Aussies in the cricket.

Hobbies: Cricket, soccer, gardening, music, four-wheel driving, motorcycles, fast cars, brewing beer, amongst many other things.

Which three famous people would you take onto your desert island for a year, and why? David Attenborough, he could tell me which animals I need to eat and/or run away from.

Carla Gugino, no need to explain this, just watch Sin City…

George W Bush, so I can laugh at his stupidity and use him as bait to catch sharks (would anyone miss him… really?)

Favourite book or author: Confessions of an Economic Hitman.

Favourite music: Progressive Rock, Metal and Blues.

I hate...: Globalisation and the militaryindustrial complex.

I love...: My wife, My dog and that we moved here to Albany. Now I just need to keep the rest of the Perth people away.

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Great Southern Gazette

In with the new New building work, refurbishments, updated facilities and sustainability infrastructure have been taking shape around our campuses, and Facilities and Services manager Neil Augustson reports 2011 expenditure at approximately $1 million.

For the Albany campus, the year started with the long-anticipated opening of the Environment and Primary Industries buildings on the south side of Anson Road – R Block – accommodating Neil Binning and his staff.

Building work had been completed at the end of 2010, but it was last February before it was first used by students and officially opened by Managing Director Lidia Rozlapa.

Several upgrade programs throughout the year transformed areas of our campuses with modern facilities for teaching and learning.

In Albany, George’s restaurant was refurbished with new paint, carpet, ceiling, blinds, reception counter, bar and audio/ visual system. Now, in addition to being a contemporary restaurant for our cookery students to showcase their work, the restaurant is also a comfortable and versatile conference venue.

Also in D Block, two classrooms were refurbished and a new staff office was created.

C Block received the greatest attention.

The former aquaculture and wool classing areas were converted into classrooms, store rooms and staff offices, and three existing classrooms were refurbished.

C Block was in the final throes of refurbishment at the end of the year and the last touches are now being added.

Budget for the work in C and D Blocks was approximately $730,000.

Trades was another area to receive building work.

Carpentry and joinery workshops were created in the former automotive workshop at a cost of about $188,000, which included new machinery and sawdust hopper

upgrades.

Ceiling-mounted projectors were installed in every classroom on the Albany and Katanning campuses.

In line with the institute’s sustainability policy, several initiatives were instigated, and money saved is ploughed back into further projects to compound the savings both to the planet and to the institute’s finances.

In 2011, solar photovoltaic panels were installed to power the aquaculture centre at R Block at a cost of $16,500.

This was in addition to initiatives including: • A filtered water refill station in the café • Sensor light switches in the public toilets • ‘Freecycling’ used stationery • Water tank to service public toilets • Can recycling bin • Default double-sided printing on all printers.

For this year, a Greensense energy monitoring system will be installed to monitor electricity consumption, though the system has the capability to be extended to monitor water and gas in all campus buildings.

And at R Block, a wind turbine is scheduled to be installed within the next few weeks. Peter Young will manage this project.

As staff and students embrace the green philosophy, and further savings are made, investigations will be carried out into the feasibility of a wind turbine at R Block to generate electricity.

More pictures on next page

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Great Southern Gazette

18 Every one of the institute’s staff is a small cog in a big machine – each playing a vital part in progressing the organisation and developing the workforce.

We get to work with people from other sections every day, and on PACD days, we meet those we don’t normally come into contact with.

But do we really know what each section does?

This month, Great Southern Gazette continues a series of articles on the

what do they do . . . various sections within our institute, with a focus on the staff in Facilities and Services at the Albany campus.

Facilities and Services staff are Julie Robins, Jim Henderson, Neil Augustson, Bob Vigar, Rob Schorer, Anne Pinchen and Leigh Barsby.

The Facilities and Services section supports the institute by taking care of the buildings, grounds, plant and vehicles and managing utilities and the contracts associated with these services.

The section’s manager is Neil Augustson, who arguably has the most interesting and varied position at the institute.

Neil manages the institute’s contracts, which include gardening, cleaning, security and printing and photocopying services.

He also oversees maintenance of the buildings and the capital works programs

such as the recent refurbishment of C Block.

Neil heads up the Strategic Asset Management Committee and the Sustainability Committee. He is also Chief Fire Warden, organising the emergency evacuation drills at the Albany campus.

Anne Pinchen is Supply and Assets Officer.

She ensures we purchase goods and services in accordance with Government policies and maintains a register of physical assets.

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Continued on page 19 From page 18 Anne also issues purchasing cards, building keys and mobile phones as required, processes insurance claims for property and motor vehicle damage, and purchases furniture.

Anne is happy to answer your queries about purchasing procedures and asset management.

If you are travelling on institute business, you might need to see Julie Robins to arrange accommodation, flights, taxi vouchers and hire cars.

Julie will also process travel allowances for your trip. Reimbursement of costs for the use of your private motor vehicle for institute business (where a fleet car is not available) is also processed by Julie as Travel Officer.

Julie also orders name badges for staff, and for students who may need them for work placements.

Neil, Anne and Julie are all in the Administration area of L Block.

Bob Vigar and Jim Henderson share the position of Building Services Officer.

This multi-skilled duo take care of minor building repairs and if they can’t fix it

they report the breakdown to Building Management and Works.

They also carry out minor improvements such as painting, installing notice boards and hanging pictures.

They are very obliging and as time permits, will help you move furniture or set up for a special event.

Leigh Barsby is our Vehicle Fleet Manager.

Leigh can book you a car for institute business, whether it be a trip to the regions, Perth or downtown Albany. However, for student excursions, you may need a bus, which Leigh can also arrange.

Leigh ensures our vehicles are regularly serviced (although fuelling the cars is the responsibility of the drivers) and changed over.

He also receives all the institute deliveries of goods for the Albany campus, which he then distributes around the campus.

Bob, Jim and Leigh are located in the donga in the C Block compound.

Rob Schorer is the Farm Technician and his office is in the machinery shed at the rear of the Land Management and Horticulture Centre. Rob maintains the farm machinery and vehicles and keeps Environment and Primary Industries tidy.

Major video resource update

One of the Library’s roles is to ensure the currency and relevance of its collection. A major effort over the past month has been to remove all audio-visual resources in the video format which are no longer being used. Lecturers throughout the institute have been asked to help with identifying these videos.

As a result of this process, lecturers have requested that a significant number of those videos whose content remains relevant be converted to DVD format. Library staff are in the process of contacting the firms holding the copyright to secure permission for this conversion.

Once the unwanted videos have been removed, the remaining collection will be re-located to shelving at the back of the Library, and a new space/area created to accommodate additional ever-popular round group-study tables.

20

Great Southern Gazette

Qualifications smooth the way to government jobs Having created a suite of online learning modules and developed qualifications in Government, Great Southern Institute of Technology is fast becoming a training specialist in public sector administration.

The institute delivers Certificates II and III in Government online and through school-based traineeships, and is preparing to deliver the qualification to government organisations Former Great Southern Institute of Technology student throughout Western Australia.

Jessica Johnston and Government trainee Kirstie Great Southern Institute Colbung. of Technology Managing Director Lidia Rozlapa said gain employment and turned that position the institute was committed to assisting into a traineeship in Government, bringing public service to achieve high levels of benefits to both herself and her employer. accountability and probity.

Kirstie Colbung now gets paid to learn “An advantage for us is that as well as on the job. Her employer, ATC Worksmart, being a training organisation, we are and her host employer, Great Southern ourselves a government organisation,” Ms Employment Development Committee Rozlapa said.

(GSEDC), know she is on track to a “This qualification is an excellent way for qualification while learning valuable skills. students to understand the public sector Ms Colbung, who had completed and its guidelines, and what it means to be Certificate II and modules of Certificate III in a great public servant,” she said.

Business at the institute before embarking “Our delivery of it reflects our commitment on her traineeship, said studying for the to the region’s workforce development, qualification had helped her in her daily and the uptake by increasing numbers of work. students demonstrates the value of the “I have found the course very useful,” Ms course, both for employers and employees. Colbung said.

“The institute is approaching regional “The traineeship has been a big success, public service organisations to encourage it has helped me gain employment in a them to extend opportunities for existing government department,” she added. workers, train their future workforce, and Jessica Johnson completed her Certificate take on school-based trainees.

II in Government as a school-based trainee, “From the Great Southern, we are able to also employed by ATC Worksmart, before service traineeships statewide.” securing a position as a portfolio support One Albany trainee who studied for officer with Great Southern Institute of Certificate III in Business at Great Southern Technology.

Institute of Technology used those skills to Continued on page 21

Great Southern Gazette

21

From page 20 Ms Johnston said her qualification led directly to the post she now held.

“My school-based Government traineeship gave me valuable insight on how the public sector works and operates, and I have gained what I believe is essential knowledge in any Government environment,” Ms Johnston said.

“I believe this traineeship is a fantastic opportunity and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in working in the

Government sector.”

ATC Worksmart general manager Peter Adams said both Ms Johnston and Ms Colbung had seized a great opportunity made available by the institute.

“It will give them the edge in what can be a very competitive employment market,” Mr Adams said.

For more information on Government qualifications through Great Southern Institute of Technology, phone Lee-Anne Smith on 9892 8796.

2011 student survey confirms quality of institute training The Student Outcomes Survey (SOS) is an annual survey of students who successfully completed some vocational training in Australia. The survey has been conducted by the NCVER since 1997. The 2011 student outcomes survey provides information on students who undertook VET studies in 2010.

A random sample of both graduates and module completers are sent questionnaires to identify: • Personal characteristics • Employment outcomes • Further study activity • Satisfaction with training • Achievement of study goals.

For Great Southern Institute of Technology, response rates were above the national average with 47.2 per cent of institute graduates returning completed questionnaires.

The institute continued to exceed State and national benchmarks of satisfaction, with 92.1 per cent of institute graduates expressed satisfaction with the overall quality of training and 90.4 per cent of graduates achieving their main reason for enrolling in the training. Those who would recommend their training to others made up

VET Trends

94.4 per cent of the respondents.

Other findings of the survey include: • 77.6 per cent of graduates gave employment-related reasons as the main reason for undertaking training with 79.5 per cent of graduates in employment, of whom 66.8 per cent were working full time • 22.2 per cent of graduates were employed in the same occupation category as their training course and 36.3 per cent were employed in other occupations but found their training relevant • Of graduates who undertook training for further study and personal development, 97.6 per cent believed they had received some form of personal benefit • The occupation where graduates were most likely to receive an increase in earnings as a result of their study was in community and personal services • 37.7 per cent of graduates enrolled in further study, with 13 per cent progressing to university.

The survey also provided indicators of the quality of training provided with ratings of satisfaction of the instructors/lecturers ranging between 95 and 98 per cent, and 96.6 per cent with instructors recognised for their content knowledge and the respect they showed to students.

Great Southern Gazette

22

Skills for tomorrow’s workforce Delivering relevant industry skills to its students in order to meet the demands of tomorrow’s workforce is a priority of Great Southern Institute of Technology.

To do this, it is imperative the institute understands the needs and expectations of industry in order to plan course delivery and teach students relevant, upto-date skills. The WA Government, and

the institute, work closely with industry training councils (ITCs) to ensure training priorities and the vocational education and training needs of industry are met.

For their part, ITCs ensure training and skills development in the VET sector are available and reach industry standards.

The next ITC in the series is the Recources Industry Training Council.

The Resources Industry Training Council (RITC) is a joint venture between the Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) and the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA). It has been in existence since 2009.

The RITC is one of 10 training councils in the Western Australian Training Council Network funded through the Department of Training and Workforce Development. The RITC is overseen by an advisory board that comprises senior membership from industry.

In terms of scope, the RITC covers the following broad sectors: • Mining (including exploration) • Oil and gas (including exploration) • Process manufacturing (including laboratory operations).

The RITC provides a range of workforce development services to the Western Australian Government (under a Service Agreement framework) and also to industry and registered training organisations.

Provision of industry advice to the Government on critical areas of skill shortage and strategies that may be employed to address them are central functions of the RITC.

This advice informs the State Government workforce development planning at the wholeof-Government level.

A strong project focus is a key feature of the RITC’s operations.

During 2012, work will be undertaken on the following projects: • FastTrack project aimed at increasing the representation of Aboriginal women in the resources development sector. This project has two distinct phases being a pre-employment training program and a Traineeship (Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations) with participating companies Rio Tinto and Macmahon • Automation project which focuses on the incidence of automation across the RITC industry coverage and draws out implications for skills development and productivity • Apprenticeships project which examines delivery models in operation across RITC industry coverage and draws out observations and recommendations for change.

This year will also see a focus on consultative processes with a number of RTO and industryfocused forums being held.

The first (scheduled for mid-April) is for RTOs delivering in the laboratory operations area.

This forum will comprise an overview of training package developments by Manufacturing Skills Australia (MSA) and an assessment moderation/validation exercise.

For further information about the RITC, visit www.ritcwa.com.au or phone 9220 8538.

See full list of industry training councils on next page

Great Southern Gazette

23

Western Australia’s ITC website links – click to access Community Services Health and Education Training Council Construction Training Council Electrical, Utilities and Public Administration Training Council Inc Engineering and Automotive Training Council Inc Financial, Administrative and Professional Services Training Council Food, Fibre and Timber Industries Training Council (WA) Inc FutureNow - Creative and Leisure Industries Training Council Logistics Training Council Inc Resources Industry Training Council Retail and Personal Services Training Council

Debunking common energy myths People often use office equipment in what they believe is a cost effective and environmentally preferable way, when in fact what they are doing is exactly the opposite.

Often they are acting on widely believed but wrong information, or they’ve had a bad experience with older models of equipment and don’t realise that the problem doesn’t apply to the newer models.

Here are some of the more common dollar- and energy-wasting myths and the realities behind them.

Myth: Screen savers save energy.

Reality Screen savers are energy wasters! Most computers use about twice as much energy lighting up the screen as they use for processing.

Originally, screen savers were designed to stop screens being burnt by a constant image, but they aren’t needed for modern screens.

Not only can screen savers use as much energy as a full screen of work, but many require considerable processing

Seeds of Sustainability with

Neil Augustson energy as well. To save energy, enable power management on your computer.

Myth: Turning off computers damages the hard drive.

Reality: Switching off computers will have no significant effect on the useful lifetime of the hard disk.

In the past, larger hard drives were degraded by mechanical stress, but today some manufacturers specify a life of 40,000 power cycles for their hard drives. That is equivalent to 30 off/on cycles for each working day over five years.

This article is reproduced with permission of Monash University.

See next month’s Gazette for more energy-saving myths.

Great Southern Gazette

24

OHS reps play a vital safety role Safety First With Rick Muller

Great Southern Institute of Technology views the role OHS reps play in developing and maintaining a partnership between employers and employees on occupational safety and health issues as a significant contribution and an integral component of maintaining safety at workplaces.

On behalf of the members of the OHS committee may I take this opportunity to thank those who have taken on the role of health and safety representatives at Great Southern Institute of Technology.

As a health and safety representative you are well placed to make a real difference to the working lives of your colleagues.

Statistics show that workplaces are safer because active, effective and involved health and safety representatives help create and maintain safer and healthier workplaces.

Who are your OHS reps?

Name

Phone

Area

Liz Bailey

Ext 8756

B Block

Vacant

Ext

A Block

Jodie Watkins

Ext 8760

M Block

Tony King

Ext 8759

C Block

John Langridge

Ext 8807

D Block – Lower

David Mallory

Ext 7568

D Block – Upper

David Christophers

Ext 8783

Sue Dybing

Ext 3201

Block (J,H) demountable, sheds and outbuildings Denmark

Mel Bishop

Ext 7586

Trades (O,P)

Mark Crabtree

Ext 8806

Trades (G, K)

Julie Harris

Ext 6403

Katanning

Vacant

Ext

L Block

Rob Schorer Mob: 0438 993 513 Ext 7548

R Blocks- Farm

Sez Cornwell

Ext 3900

Mt Barker

Rod Connell

Ext 7508

N Block

Noelene Robinson

Ext 8851

F Block

Great Southern Gazette

25

Party a multicultural celebration Students learning English as their second language at Great Southern Institute of Technology celebrated the end of the year with their families and lecturers.

The course they studied was the Certificate in Spoken and Written English (CSWE) – all the students are from non-Englishspeaking backgrounds.

They came to Australia from various countries including the Philippines, Thailand, China, France, Afghanistan, Burma, Russia, Vietnam, Japan, Somalia, Colombia and Mexico.

During the course, students improve their English for everyday use in the workplace and in the community.

In a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, students make friends and also work on developing their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

A number of students have gone on to further studies in child care, dental assisting, aged care and business.

Classes are for beginners to Certificate IV level.

They are held part-time, from Monday to Thursday depending on the level, and there are no formal entry requirements.

Certificate IV classes can help students who are aiming to sit the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test.

Entry level is determined

by means of an informal interview (in person or over the phone, depending on the circumstances).

Interviews are necessary for potential students who would like to make use of their 510 hours of free English classes under the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) offered by the Australian Government to holders of specific visa types.

Fees are dependent on a student’s visa. Students with Australian citizenship or permanent residency visas can expect to pay approximately $70 for 20 weeks.

Phone me on 9892 7594 for further information. – Jill Buchanan

Great Southern Gazette

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Group celebrates a year of progress

Certificate in General Education for Adults (CGEA) students celebrated their achievements at an end-of-year barbecue at Eyre Park in December.

Most of these students were also part of the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP), which gives valuable help with English language, reading, writing and numeracy skills to improve

job opportunities.

Six students completed their Certificate III and are now continuing their studies into a range of fields including beauty therapy, education support and information technology.

CGEA lecturing staff are very proud of this group’s achievements.

– Rebecca Lovitt

r o t a ty f e Gr uni ts! rt en o p tud p o s • Your own email account

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