Volume 1, No 1
September 2010
Great Southern Great Southern Institute of Technology monthly newsletter
Gazette
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THE NEW EXECUTIVE: Kevin O’Connor, who heads the Corporate Services Division, Sue Bennett-Ng, who leads five portfolio managers in the Training Services Division, and Chris Jones, who heads the Student Services Division, with Managing Director Lidia Rozlapa.
Shaping up for a big future The buzzword throughout the institute in June was ‘restructure’. While most staff were intrigued as to how the changes would affect them after the Functional Review Report was released, everyone quickly adapted to the new system once the announcements were made. Some are finding themselves working within a new structure; others have not been directly affected but have had to familiarise themselves with the new titles of directors, portfolio managers and other staff. The major change was the reduction of the executive to the Managing Director and three directors – Chris Jones heading Student
Services, Kevin O’Connor heading Corporate Services and Sue Bennett-Ng leading a team of six portfolio managers in the division of Training Services. Just over two months into the new system, Managing Director Lidia Rozlapa said all sections were working well. “The new executive meets fortnightly to ensure a combined and direct management support to all areas,” Lidia said. “The portfolios are operating at optimum level and there is strong communication between portfolio managers and the executive,” she said. Following the restructure, student curriculum hours
are more evenly distributed across the training portfolios, and there has been a major increase in delivery across the institute. – From the MD’s Desk, page 2 Portfolio managers Health Sciences and Community Services: Steph Tchan Business and Creative Industries: Ang Simpson Trades and Allied Industries: Kathy Keay The Environment and Primary Industries: Neil Binning Communication and the Arts: Lee-Anne Smith Workforce Development Centre: Jan Davidson
Great Southern Gazette
2 Welcome to the first edition of Great Southern Institute of Technology’s newsletter, the Great Southern Gazette. This monthly publication will keep you up to date with happenings across the institute, good news stories, important dates on the institute’s calendar, bargains in the bookshop and tips for work and wellbeing. Our most recent big event, the Professional Development Days in July, brought a renewed awareness of sustainability and we are moving forward in several areas as we do our bit for the planet. The biggest difference will be when electronic media take over from our current paper-based systems. And to achieve that, it’s all systems go. Electrical contractors have been working on installation of overhead projectors and screens in classrooms. Facilities for flexible and online delivery, and for wireless networking, are being installed, and online enrolments will be implemented in the new year. Paul Dollery’s sustainability group is growing and the green message is spreading throughout all campuses, particularly since the group set up a ‘wiki’ for the exchange of thoughts and ideas.
From the MD’s Desk
Paul will be producing a regular column in this newsletter with the group’s latest information – see page 4 of this edition. I urge you to share your ideas, not just on sustainability but on any area where you feel improvements can be made, and together we can move forward. I promise I will personally look at any initiative you send my way. One of our most exciting projects towards sustainability is the website on which you are viewing this newsletter. Student Services set this up so all our publications can be viewed online and printed off as necessary. This initiative is expected to make significant savings, not just on printing costs, but also on paper use. It’s fun to use in the funky ‘Flipping Book’ format as well. Last week, Jan Stanley, Bev Baxter and I attended the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre for the Skills West Expo running from Friday to Sunday. We represented six regional institutes and TAFEs – South West Regional College of TAFE, Kimberley TAFE, Pilbara TAFE, Curtin
Vocational Education and Training Centre, Durack Institute of Technology and, of course, Great Southern. Training in the Regions was the theme of our presentation, and we promoted training opportunities in regional WA – beyond the city limits. See the photos from the event on Page 15 of this edition of Great Southern Gazette. I hope you enjoy this first edition, and remember to email your ideas for stories, details of coming events and information to share – we can all make our magazine interesting and informative. Happy reading, Lidia
Have an idea you want to share? Email gazette@gsinstitute.wa.edu.au
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This is the first edition of our enewsletter – look for it at the start of every month. It’s designed to keep you up to speed with what’s going on at our institute – students, staff, events, celebrations and the nuts-and-bolts stuff such as system upgrades and dates to remember. The editing team need to know what’s going on, so if you have anything to report or snippets to share, email gazette@gsinstitute.wa.edu.au.
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Baby breathes new life into class Studying breastfeeding as part of their Family Nursing Practice unit, a group of fifth-semester nursing students have been getting practical demonstrations – not in the maternity ward, but in the classroom. Nursing lecturer Pippa Crane gave birth to Beatrice in June, and she is now back on campus, with Beatrice, to prepare the seven students for the practical component of their Family Nursing Unit which encompasses both paediatric and maternity nursing. This month, the group will start the practical part of their studies and will travel to Princess Margaret, Katanning, Narrogin
Nursing lecturer Pippa Crane with baby Beatrice and fifthsemester RN students Sarah Dinneen (left) and Emma Sandells (right). and Fremantle Hospitals as part of their degree course through Curtin University, delivered by Great Southern Institute of Technology. Having a baby in class
has been a treat for the students, but Beatrice is clearly used to being the centre of attention and has taken all the fuss into her stride by sleeping through it.
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New group puts down roots Sustainability at Seeds of eyes’, it is also Sustainability another opportunity Great Southern with Institute of to establish those Paul Dollery Technology took critical community on fresh meaning networks important with the launching of the for the institute’s future. Sustainability Group on Friday, The group is now eager 30 July. and ready to get going on a The group currently has 24 whole-of-institute approach to members and is growing by the sustainability. day. There are a lot of ideas Members come from all areas flooding in from the institute and levels of the institute community and these are but also from the broader immediately placed on the community, including those group’s wiki ‘action board’ from community groups and for consideration and business. implementation. The inclusion of people from If you would like to become a broad section of the general a member or want to send in community is an exciting and ideas, please contact me by critical factor in the group’s email or phone. planned activities. Everybody is welcome! Not only do we get ‘fresh – Paul Dollery
Have a say Would you like to be a regular – or occasional – contributor to our newsletter? Or do you want to tell everyone about a special birthday, wedding, retirement or birth? Email gazette@ gsinstitute. wa.edu.au. It’s the same email address for story ideas. Remember, you don’t have to write it – just let us know about it and we’ll do the rest.
Innovation takes all sorts Think of your favourite jelly bean colour. Black, it seems is the most popular, then red, then orange, then yellow – then it depends which brand you buy as to the rest of the line-up. The more exclusive beans even have speckles. Just as it takes a mixture of jelly beans to make a jar, it takes a mix of people in every department of an organisation or business
to come up with ideas for growth. Jelly beans are the latest corporate analogy used by go-ahead businesses and organisations to represent their acknowledgement of the diversity necessary for their operation. Great Southern Institute of Technology is encouraging all the jelly beans that make up the organisation to show their true colours. Every two months, BIG – the Business Innovation Group – meets at the Albany campus to ‘brainstorm’ ideas for growing the business and building on services.
Thinking big is part of the mission, though, and rather than restrict input to just group members, BIG is inviting everybody to come forward with ideas and innovations that could potentially expand the services of our institute and grow our business. By doing so, everyone can show their individuality, the flavour that adds to the diversity in the whole bag of beans. If you have any ideas you’d like to share with BIG, approach one of the directors or send your idea to gazette@gsinstitute. wa.edu.au.
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Spotlight on...
Jenni Dines Position: Lecturer hospitality/International student coordinator Campus: Albany Star sign: Leo. Favourite food: A medium scotch fillet steak. First car: Leyland Marina – I loved those leather seats. Shame we got rear-ended by a Sydney cab. It never was the same after. Still, two-seaters were all the rage then. Sporting team: Go the Dockers. Hobbies: Coffee, coffee and then more coffee. Which three famous people would you take onto your desert island for a year, and why? Maggie Beer – surely she could do a lot of things with a banana leaf. Laurie Lawrence – best I learn to swim if I’m stuck on this island. David Beckham – something pleasant to look at. Just hope he doesn’t open his mouth! Favourite book or author: Bryce Courtenay Favourite music: “Freeo here we go! We are the Freeo Dockers!” I hate: Tailgaters along Ulster Road. It’s a 60 zone. And Bev Baxter pointing a camera at me. I love: 4pm Friday.
Around the Region
Katanning Katanning is delivering Certificate IV in Training and Assessment throughout Semester 2. This will be running as two- to three-day workshops. If you are interested in enrolling, phone Julie Harris on 9821 6403.
Show you’re hot to trot on October 1
Walk to Work Day
Friday, October 1 is National Walk to Work Day and everybody is encouraged to join in. You don’t have to walk all the way to work if you live across the other end of town, but if that’s the case, park somewhere other than outside the door and give your legs – and your heart – a workout. The idea is you’ll feel so good, you’ll want to walk more often, and we all know the benefits of that. Register at www.walk. com.au and you could win a walking holiday in New Zealand or Tasmania, or a pair of comfy Rockport shoes. It’s free for individuals, and everyone who registers receives a $25 voucher from Rockport. If you would like to be a part of the walking workplace, phone Gail Hastie to register your interest on 9892 8707. And if you walk all the way from home to work on October 1, you’ll be rewarded with a healthy breakfast before you hit the desk. At the Albany campus, just let Gail know you plan to walk so she can include you in the breakfast numbers. Mark October 1 on your calendar – this could be the start of your healthier, fitter lifestyle.
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Wishing and hoping Students in Great Southern Institute of Technology’s Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP) only have to look at the wall to see their goals set out before them. The students recently constructed their own vision boards – their career and personal goals depicted in vibrant pictures and snappy phrases cut out of magazines. While some wished for an easy Lotto life with all the trappings, most were happy to depict their chosen lifestyles with realistically attainable targets, even though pictures of red sports cars were in short supply. Lecturers Lillian Whitmarsh and Sue Johnson conducted the lively session with the big group studying for Certificates I, II and III in General Education. LLNP Coordinator Margaret Sefton said the students had enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere in the class for this project. “It was a collaborative effort and it was good to see some smaller groups working as a team,” Margaret said. The group also welcomed Communication and The Arts Portfolio Manager Lee-Anne Smith, who visited the class to view the students in action. Phone LLNP Coordinator Margaret Sefton on 9892 7591 for more information.
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Plumbing prize in the pipeline
Daniel Salisbury took out the title of Apprentice of the Year with Active Plumbing, competing against 21 others from Perth, Geraldton, Bunbury and Albany. A Great Southern Institute of Technology student has taken out the title of Apprentice of the Year with statewide plumbing firm Active Plumbing. Competing against 21 other apprentices, Daniel Salisbury kept his nerve to outperform his peers in a variety of tasks under the critical eye of the judges. The competition, held at Bayswater in Perth, was for third- and fourth-year plumbing apprentices with Active Plumbing, which has branches in Perth, Geraldton, Bunbury and Albany. Great Southern Institute of Technology plumbing lecturer Rod Connell said the institute had a healthy rapport with Active Plumbing, a business committed to the quality
training of apprentice plumbers. “Active is a strong supporter of the institute, and we work very closely with the company,” Rod said. “They also help the institute by giving us offcuts for apprentices to work with – what we save on these materials, we can spend elsewhere,” he said. David Marsh, Active Plumbing’s divisional manager Great Southern, applauded Daniel’s achievement, saying he had maintained his composure in front of his industry peers during the challenging projects. Daniel had listened carefully to the instructions before each part of the competition, concentrated on the task in hand and
produced work of a high standard, David said. He explained how students had been required to complete various plumbing and roof plumbing tasks including PVC pipe cutting, septic pipe fabrication, fusion welding and metal construction. All appropriate safety gear had to be worn, and the practical component was finished off with a section of theory-based questions. Daniel, who started a pre-apprenticeship at Great Southern Institute of Technology in 2006, completed his studies in 2009. He was proud to take out the award and was now preparing for the three-day trip to the Caroma factory in Wentworth Park, NSW – his prize for winning.
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Above: Paddy Roberts (front row, left) celebrates her retirement with a night out on the town in the company of colleagues Ruth McLean, Jodie Watkins, Catherine Attwell, Vicky Evans and Karen Robinson. Left: Quilting is high on the retirement curriculum for Great Southern Institute of Technology lecturer Paddy Roberts.
Paddy’s putting her feet up If you’ve spent your working life as a teacher and a nurse, it’s fitting to end your working days teaching nursing. So it’s no wonder Great Southern Institute of Technology nursing lecturer Paddy Roberts allows herself a smile of satisfaction as she looks back over a long career doing one or the other – or both – of these, her chosen occupations over four decades. Last month, Paddy hung up her stethoscope and swapped blood pressure machines for a sewing machine. Now she is looking forward to her hobbies of patchworking and quilting to her heart’s content and spending more time with her family. Jodie Watkins, enrolled nursing coordinator at Great Southern Institute of Technology, said Paddy had been a real asset to the section since she joined the team in 2005.
“She has put in a lot of hard work teaching Anatomy and Physiology to the ENs,” Jodie said. “We are going to miss her and her wealth of experience as an RN,” she added. Paddy had been a school teacher in Kalgoorlie until her mid-30s, when, widowed with five children, she made the career move into nursing. Once the children were grown up, Paddy took on the challenge of remote area nursing, moving to Derby to work as a nurse educator at the regional hospital. The 15 years she spent there, building relationships with the local people and making a real difference to the community’s health, became the highlight of her career. “It was very rewarding all round,” she said. With a keen interest in Aboriginal health, she built up a strong rapport with the local Indigenous population. Continued on page 9
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Paddy’s putting her feet up From page 8 “If you go there with an open mind and keep your sense of humour, it’s enjoyable work,” Paddy said, as encouragement to young nurses considering remote nursing. In 2004, Paddy left the Kimberley and joined her family in Albany. She took up a position as lecturer with Great Southern Institute of Technology, teaching enrolled nursing and medical terminology. Paddy said she loved seeing students develop. “Some of them are shy at first, and you watch them as they grow in confidence and take control,” she said. But most of all, helping sick people back to health was the essence of Paddy’s dedication, and she gained most pleasure seeing patients recover from serious or prolonged illness. “With chronically sick people in hospital, it’s important to have a photo of them when they were well, so they can see what they can get back to,” she said. Paddy’s family are now the focus of her life – of her five children, 11 grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren, only two live outside the Great Southern. Her sewing skills were honed in her early married life, when she made clothes for the children, and she still loves sitting at the sewing machine. Apart from enjoying her extended family and producing more queensized quilts to add to the five she has already crafted for her grandchildren, Paddy has one other plan for the future. “To live to a ripe old age and be healthy.” Her many students and colleagues all wish the same for their much loved and respected friend and mentor.
Diploma of Remedial Massage student Peter Green was among a group of students giving free 15-minute massage sessions at the Careers Expo last month.
Record turnout for expo’s mass massage While most of us on the Albany campus were enjoying the buzz of activity at the Careers Expo on August 13, some were working their fingers almost to the bone. One of the most popular attractions was the free massage, which attracted no fewer than 242 clients over the four hours. Lecturers Christine Groves and Carol Wolfe and nine remedial massage students were flat out all day giving the 15-minute sessions for expo visitors. “It was a Trojan effort – I was very proud of them,” Christine said. She said while the massage always drew a good number of clients, more boys were attracted to the sessions this year.
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Access All Areas with Wendy Macliver
Did you know that 1 in 6 Australians has a hearing impairment? Hearing loss is more common than cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, and mental illness. Protect your hearing by: • Wearing earplugs or earmuffs when using equipment like lawn mowers, blowers or anything that makes loud or continuous noise, such as musical instruments. • Get better fitting ear buds for your personal stereo player or MP3 player • If you are listening to a personal stereo player and someone else can hear your music, it is probably up too loud. Free Telephone Hearing Test Do you turn up the TV or the music in your car? Most people have hearing loss for a number of years before seeking some help. Australian Hearing has a free telephone hearing test. Call the toll-free number 1800 826 500 and follow the prompts.
Hearing Awareness
Do you have difficulty hearing on the telephone? A new technology is being trialled in Australia – captioned telephone – CapTel. Captioned telephones work like other phones but also display every word the caller says. To register your interest in taking part in this trial go to www.aceinfo.net.au. Lecturer Tips For information on teaching students who are hearing impaired go to http:// www.adcet.edu.au/Specific_Impairments/ Hearing_Impairment_and_Deafness.chpx. Photography Exhibition View David Crocker’s journey through deafness depicted at a recent photographic exhibition at Foto Freo. Visit www.quiet.digiwerx.com.au.
Employee of the Month July Jim Henderson x 2 A Block staff Vicki Halliday Lauchie Gillett Paula and Di The Café Staff Liz Bailey Beck Forster Ann Molan, Dani Samwell and Sue Stokes
Carl Dusenberg John Langridge Paul Metcalfe Liz Svendsen Linda Russell The PACD Team (Linda Russell, David Hansen, Paul Dollery, Sue Bennett-Ng, John Maddison, Bev Baxter, Nicole Hutchinson, Gail
Hastie, Neil Binning, Justine Bradney, Lee-Anne Smith, Jan Stanley and Steph Tchan) And the winner is... Vicki Halliday – Bookshop Coordinator Well done, Vicki, and to everyone who was nominated.
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Looma resident Bunda (left) and Aboriginal health worker Jasmine (right) welcomed Curtin final year nursing student Elsa Piggott to the community for a three-week stint.
Remote nursing a goal for Elsa Three weeks working in the remote Aboriginal community of Looma in the Kimberley brought a new set of challenges for local nursing student Elsa Piggott. But Elsa found the opportunity to make an impact on the health of the people so rewarding, she is hoping to return for a year on a graduate nursing program. Now in the final semester of her nursing degree with Curtin University, delivered at Great Southern Institute of Technology, Elsa returned to Albany with a swag of experiences and a new perspective on remote nursing. “Looma is a dry Aboriginal community about 120km south-east of Derby,” Elsa explained. She said she joined the town’s two nurses and two Aboriginal health workers, who showed her the ropes
and made her welcome. She gained a valuable insight into the way of life as well as aspects of health facing the Indigenous population. “The Aboriginal health workers there were very helpful and I was able to build a rapport with the people,” Elsa said. “Some people speak three tribal languages, so I sometimes needed a translator, especially when I was talking to the older people,” she said. “I conducted ear education sessions with school children in Years 4 and 5, and the kids were very receptive to it,” she said. Because there are no doctors in Looma, all initial consultations are carried out by the nurses, and where necessary, patients are taken by ambulance to the hospital in Derby. Elsa lived in a separate
community housing teachers and nurses 10km away and travelled to the town each day. “It was really hot, but I coped OK,” Elsa said. “And there was plenty of time for sightseeing – the scenery there is beautiful,” she said. Seeing the difficulties such communities have in attracting nurses, and the demands faced by remote health workers prompted Elsa to consider returning for her first year as a qualified nurse. This month, others from the nursing section are out and about gaining experience. The final semester students are completing their last practical component and the Semester 5 Registered Nursing students are heading to Princess Margaret Hospital and Fremantle Hospital to study paediatrics.
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Around the region – Denmark Denmark campus has a full program this semester with good attendances in all fulltime and part-time courses. Of special interest to our students and the community in general is the recognition of our ceramics teacher Mary Wallace, who has just spent time in Korea where she participated in workshops attended by 20 invited international ceramicists. Mary is a world class ceramicist in her own right and a teacher of very high calibre. Here is a little information from Mary about her time in Korea:
some 500,000 people – this was a bad year as we got hit by a typhoon on one day so the whole festival had to batten down for a bit. During the festival we as international potters were given demonstrations of techniques by the Korean potters which was fabulous – different techniques, philosophies and great inspiration. We also did brief demonstrations of techniques ourselves for the Koreans and the public and this was very well received. It was quite satisfying to be able to teach these amazing potters something! Gangjin is just one of nine major ceramics areas in South Korea and there are many more smaller but significant areas. Over the next week we visited many potters around South Korea in other major areas such as Ulsan, Mungyeong, Icheon, Yeoju and Gyeongju – wonderful work, great inspiration and marvelous generosity from all. We also visited a number of fabulous museums dedicated to ceramics. It’s a potter’s heaven. Even the service areas of the toll booths on the motorways were decorated with ceramics from their areas. Ceramics is truly part of the Korean mindset and everyone regards it as a necessary part of their lives.
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Mary's course is always popular and this semester is no exception.
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Gangjin Celadon Festival is held every year to celebrate and promote the ceramics of the area – Celadon is a very old style of glaze – usually green to blue and has a jade-like quality. Gangjin is famous for its blue colour – it’s exceptional and absolutely lovely. The Festival runs for a week and features many of the very best of the areas potters as well as the group of invited international potters, who also are invited to attend workshops given by the local potters – most of these are Professors and Doctors of Ceramics at the region’s universities. The festival this year was expected to attract
In the Arts Administration department, our head lecturer Valeska Wood has flown to Launceston, Tasmania to speak at the Regional Arts Australia National Conference. Together with a panel of local Denmark Arts workers, Valeska was at the Launceston conference from 26-29 August speaking about a community project that she is heading up called "Bloody Hippies". The project’s ultimate aim is to become available nationally. Continued on page 13
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Around the region – Denmark
From page 12 It is currently being developed by Valeska in conjunction with our local arts organisation Denmark Arts and it is envisaged that it will become a heritage documentary providing a backdrop for a broader national discussion about the capacity of regional arts organisations to manage change in the sea/tree change environment. We look forward to the presentation of this project, that will be in the format of a DVD, which will capture a collection of oral histories documenting the arrival in the town of Denmark by "alternative" life-stylers, including hippies, greenies, and artists. Oral histories will be collected from both the old "hippies" and the former "establishment" (including farmers, business owners and timber industry workers) as a way to link these two sets of people with the theme of the alternative movement in general in WA. Many small rural towns will have had similar experiences where the "other" (intruder/outsider) becomes accepted into the community and contributes to the economic development of the town. This worthwhile project explores an area
what’s on?
of our cultural history that is, as yet, largely unexplored. Meanwhile in the Music department, Sue Cunningham has been guiding our budding music industry leaders through the next stage of their development with exciting and essential out-of-school activities planned for the near future. In Cert III the "Manic Sound Kittens" will be supporting Hyacinth on Friday 27 August at the Denmark Hotel and "Minute 36", the WAMi award-winning band which has members currently enroled at the diploma level, will be launching their new album and WA tour from the White Star Hotel on Saturday 28 August. Both of these groups are inspirational members of our music student team. Another Music department initiative is an outside program run in conjunction with the Denmark Agricultural College where live-in students come over to the campus on a Monday evening for an informal 'jam session'. This eight-week course is proving to be very popular with the agricultural college students. Stay tuned to the Denmark campus section of the newsletter for many more installments of what we're up to, including profiles of our valued staff members. – Brigid Morrigan
At the library
A Colour printer is now available to library patrons working on the public access computers. A trial is underway to determine appropriate charges. The universal price at present is $2, regardless of amount of colour used, however it is likely that once the trial has ended, two prices will be established. One-on-one and small group training sessions on the use of the EBSCO journal databases, and on internet searching, will be offered by library staff throughout the quieter third and fourth terms. The final book sale for the year of discarded library resources is imminent. A stocktake of catalogued resources held in departments around the campus will start in October.
From the Diary
September
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Applications open for 2011 online
27
Government school holidays start
27
Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday
27
Lecturing staff on leave 27-Oct 8
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what’s on?
At the bookshop
The bookshop has a good variety of flash drives at really competitive prices. 2GB $13.00 4GB $18.50 8GB $33.50 Weird but true, as we have horticulture students, the bookshop stocks FELCO secateurs, again at very keen prices! Gardeners - now’s the time for pruning, so if you’re interested in a quality product, call in to the bookshop and look at the stock. The Felco catalogue shows a huge range of styles, all readily accessible. And here’s a bargain – Felco No 2s just $71.00.
Gardeners and horticulture students – get your secateurs at the bookshop.
Felco No 2s: $71.
Tips for electrical safety With Jason from Jim’s Test & Tag As many of you would be aware, I spent several weeks at Great Southern Institute of Technology testing and tagging electrical appliances. A number of faults were found, including damaged cords due to cupboards, desks or other furniture being pushed hard up against cables, faulty powerboards and 15 amp plugs filed down to fit into 10 amp sockets. Olympic gold and silver medallist Brooke Hanson is an ambassador for Jim's Test & Tag. Brooke became passionate about electrical safety after receiving an electric shock in a workplace accident. The impact of this has made Brooke a campaigner for electrical safety. We need to ensure no employee or visitor suffers as Brooke did. Many of the faults I found were obvious. For instance, having desks or cupboards pushed up hard against a cable could, over time, expose live wires. If someone touched these wires,
they might receive an electric shock or worse, be electrocuted. Here are some tips: You must not under any circumstances, grind down a 15amp plug to fit a 10 amp power socket. This could, in the right conditions, start a fire due to too much current draw in the building’s wiring. If you pick up a powerboard and it rattles, this is normally an indicator that the internal pins have deteriorated and the powerboard should be thrown away. It is important that issues such these are reported and/or fixed, and that electrical repairs or modifications are carried out by a suitably qualified person. Remember, you could save yourself or one of you workmates from electrocution just by following these simple recommendations. Jason McLennan Regional Franchisor, Southern WA Jim's Test & Tag
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Taking the regions to the city Great Southern Institute of Technology MD Lidia Rozlapa, Student Services Coordinator Jan Stanley and Communications Manager Bev Baxter represented six regional institutes at the Skills West Expo in early September. The three-day event advocated training in the regions and helped to raise our profile at state level.
Six institutes and TAFEs were represented at the Training in the Regions stand.
Lidia Rozlapa gave a presentation in the seminar room.
The Training in the Regions stand ready for business.
In the October edition • Focus on the Governing Council • Repairing Dunsky – students join volunteers to rehabilitate 4WD track
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Kadadjiny Noongar Moort
Real-life learning gives new meaning to lessons
Carlos Manson, Aaron Charles, Bradley Jetta, Clay Walker and Ronald Padoon put their bricklaying skills into practice on a gazebo project at Great Southern Institute of Technology. With the popularity of Great Southern Institute of Technology’s innovative TryTech program for Year 10s, the program was introduced for Aboriginal students this year. The pilot program has proven its value, giving the students a chance to try their hand at several trades, equipping them to make better career pathway choices at the end of the year. Working on real projects has been a valuable learning experience for the
students, who have helped to build a barbecue at an Aboriginal community complex, using newly learnt concreting and bricklaying skills. The program allows the students to put their maths and literacy skills into practice, and recognise the real-life benefits of school learning. Local high schools are to be congratulated for their support of the program, for which students spend one day a week on the institute campus.
Upcoming short courses for Aboriginal people Forklift 20-21 September Elevated Work Platform 19-20 October Phone 9892 8829 for more information.