Gazette
Great Southern Gazette
Monthly Newsletter March 2012 Volume 3, No 2
The
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GATE way to health scholarship
While attending Great Southern Institute of Technology one day a week from high school, Jessikah Woods tried her hand at a broad range of skills. Studying Certificate I in Gaining Access to Training and Employment (GATE) under an Aboriginal SchoolBased Traineeship (ASBT) gave Jessikah a taste of work in a variety of areas, including health, trades and business. Jessikah nurtured a dream of pursuing a career in beauty therapy or massage, and this year, she enrolled in Certificate IV in Massage Therapy Practice at the institute. While just settling in to her first few weeks of fulltime study, Jessikah was delighted to hear she had been granted a $1000 Aboriginal Health Division scholarship of $1000 from the Department of Health. “It was great news,” Jessikah said. “It will be a real help with my books and course fees,” she said. The scholarship was made available to students in any area of health, as part of the department’s strategy to boost the numbers
Jessikah Woods hones her massage technique on a fellow student. Jessikah will use the $1000 grant from the Department of Health to pay her course fees and study resources while she studies Certificate IV in Massage Therapy Practice. of Aboriginal students enrolled in health-related fields. This is expected to improve access to health services and raise the health standards of Aboriginal people.
For Jessikah, the scholarship has been a welcome boost to a year which already started out well as she moved into an area of study she has found stimulating. Continued on page 2
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GATE way to health scholarship From page 1 She said the remedial massage course, particularly learning about the musculoskeletal system, had been more interesting than she expected. “I’m really enjoying it, and I’m learning heaps,” Jessikah said. She explained much of the course so far had been
hands-on, the students practicing techniques on each other. While she completes her studies, Jessikah will continue to work her soothing hands on friends and family members and at community events in massage arenas organised by lecturer Christine Groves. Jessikah recognises that
massage therapists are in high demand for the feelgood service they provide. “People love massage because it’s so relaxing,” she said. As for the future, Jessikah is setting her sights on a Diploma of Remedial Massage for next year, after which she plans to specialise in sports massage, working with a sporting club.
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Our own high achiever rewarded In their last year at high school, most students have some idea of their direction for further education, vocational training or work. But Great Southern Institute of Technology portfolio support officer Jessica Johnston had her sights set firmly on achieving her personal and career goals well before she left. Jessica, who completed a school-based traineeship in Government last year, was determined to earn a Certificate of Excellence from the WA Curriculum Council for outstanding achievement in the WACE, and was delighted to hear in January that she had been successful. She explained the award recognised individual excellence at the end of secondary schooling. Earning such an award is an achievement of which Jessica is justifiably proud. “Last year I worked really hard at school, so when I found out I received the certificate I felt like I had achieved one of my goals, it made all the hard work worthwhile,” Jessica said. The achievement is all the greater as Jessica also completed a school-based traineeship, studying Certificate II in Government, employed by ATC Worksmart and hosted at the institute. Her excellent on-the-job performance during her traineeship gave Jessica a head start and she is now employed at Great Southern Institute of Technology as a portfolio support officer in Trades and Allied Industries. To receive her scholarship certificate, Jessica travelled to Perth’s Murdoch University and she liked what she saw. “It was very interesting seeing the uni life, and if I find myself needing to go there I look forward to the experience.” For the time being, though, Jessica is happy to build on her skills while working in a job she enjoys at the institute. “I love working at the institute, I enjoy the variety of work and the people are great to be around,” she said.
Jessica Johnston has been presented with a Certificate of Excellence from the WA Curriculum Council for her outstanding achievement in WACE. “Working at the institute was my first priority when I finished high school, and so far everything has worked out really well for me,” she said. “I achieved a personal goal with the Certificate of Excellence and now I have a great job, I feel really lucky as everything has gone so smoothly for me. “The traineeship was a fantastic opportunity and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in working in the Government sector.” Trades and Allied Industries portfolio manager Kathy Keay paid tribute to Jessica’s friendly approach and her capability for the duties of her position. Continued on page 11
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From the MD’s Desk We’re all back into the swing of things and knuckling down for what promises to be another productive year – it’s pleasing to see enrolments up on last year. Award Night We’re looking forward to this year’s Graduation Ceremony and Award Night on Thursday, 29 March at the Albany Entertainment Centre. This is always a big night for our institute, when we reward our highest-achieving students, celebrate with graduates and their families and acknowledge the winners of our staff awards. About 400 people will be there on the night, making this the biggest event on our calendar. Minister for Training and Workforce Development Peter Collier will join us this year and we hope he will have some big announcements for us. Working Together The first series of Working Together focus groups has been completed and data collated, and your invitation to join the second and third workshops on Role Definition and Organisation Cohesion has been emailed. Make sure you respond to the Survey Monkey to book your time for the next round of consultations. After the third round, priorities will be identified and further focus groups will be convened to make recommendations, which will be presented to the executive for endorsement and action. Executive review group In adapting a ‘no-tolerance’ policy for unacceptable staff behaviour, the institute has established an executive review group to investigate staff grievances. If you have an issue, you may approach
any one of the directors or the HR manager, who will address your concern, maintaining strict confidentiality. At regular meetings, the executive review group will discuss and resolve these matters. If an issue relates to a director, I will step in and the director will be asked to withdraw from the review. This will ensure people unwilling to go to their direct supervisor or manager will have the opportunity to have their grievance dealt with and the matter recorded. It is important all staff work within the values of the organisation clearly outlined in the strategic plan: ‘We value our customers; partnerships and alliances; our people; innovation and creativity; ethical practice and cultural and social diversity.’ The usual grievance and substandard performance measures defined in the public sector guidelines are still in operation and must be strictly adhered to. This is a timely reminder that as public servants, we are there to serve the public and as such, our behaviour is observed by the community at large. Staff appointments We waved goodbye last week to David Hansen, who is on secondment to Pilbara Institute of Technology for a year. We send David and his wife Karen our best wishes for their time in Karratha. It gives me great pleasure to welcome Chris Zadkovich to the position of Human Resources Manager. Chris has extensive human resources and industrial relations experience in the public sector. As soon as the rubber hits the road, she will work on the strategic workforce development plan for 2013. Interviews have been carried out for the permanent position of portfolio manager with Health Sciences and Community Services, and for acting portfolio manager for Business and Creative Industries while Lee-Anne Smith is on long service leave. Once the breach period has concluded, I will notify all staff of the appointments. Until next month, happy reading, Lidia
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VET advocate aims for the top Gaining confidence and increased selfesteem through study is a common benefit reported by students of Great Southern Institute of Technology. The sense of achievement of a nationally recognised qualification as well as valuable skills for personal advancement is incalculable. Former Denmark student Brigid Morrigan, who enrolled in Certificate II in Music at the institute in 2007, has found doors to work and further study have been flung open before her, and she is now taking a BA at Edith Cowan University with a double major in Psychology and Counselling. “I love music – it gave me the confidence to get back into work and to study at university,” Brigid explained. After completing Certificate II, she went on to take Certificates III and IV full-time, and followed with a bridging course and the Diploma of Music in preparation for university. Apart from enjoying the benefits of her qualifications, Brigid said the institute had been good for her in many ways. “For years I was a mum, so when I went to the institute, the support was fantastic,” Brigid said. “The people around me were the best – they were excellent for my self-esteem and self-worth,” she added. “It opened my mind to becoming a counsellor,” she said. While taking the diploma, she applied for the degree at Edith Cowan, which she started externally, studying online. At the same time, she worked part-time in the Denmark campus office, as a music teacher and as a disability support worker for students of music and art. “The degree course isn’t easy, but at the end of the year, you feel you’ve really achieved something,” she said. Now in her second year, Brigid moved to Perth to study on-campus, though she
Former Denmark music student and lecturer Brigid Morrigan is studying for her BA at Edith Cowan University in Perth. Brigid has set her sights on a PhD before returning to the town to work as a counsellor. insists this is a temporary arrangement and she will be back in Denmark one day, among her friends and former colleagues at the institute. She also envisages working as a counsellor, a career for which she will be well qualified. In the meantime, she intends to follow her degree with an honours year and a PhD, a level of study for which she gained the impetus from her time at the institute. Brigid is a firm believer in the value of vocational education and training studies as a pathway to university. “If I hadn’t managed the diploma through the institute, I couldn’t aim that high,” Brigid said.
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Slippery customers put on the scales The journey from egg to dinner plate continues for several hundred rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), growing in the aquaculture tanks in the Environment and Primary Industries portfolio. Certificate III and Diploma of Aquaculture students recently managed a project to measure the weight and length of the fish to
select brood stock. Having arrived at the institute as eyed ova last July, the fish have graduated from the hatchery to tanks, where they been developing at a constant temperature of 16-17C. It will be another few months before trout in this batch are ready to eat.
Catching another victim.
A student rounds one up.
Left: Cheryl records data as Christian measures the length and Craig operates the scales.
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Lecturer Jay Rowles, who brought the trout to the institute last July.
Josh puts one back.
Showing off the catch.
Jay Rowles (top) and students go fishing.
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Cheese maker turns full circle It’s well documented that people move into exciting careers after studying at Great Southern Institute of Technology. For cheese makers Ross and Dallas Lewis, what started with a short course through the Skills Development Centre grew into a vocation. The couple are now in their eighth year of running a growing family business and have more than 100 medals – and the title of 2010 Champion Cheese from Dairy Australia for their Crem Dalblu – under their belt. Now the cheese wheel has gone full circle, and Ross is on the other side of the classroom, teaching short courses in cheese making through the Skills Development Centre. Ross explained the couple, with one of their two sons and a daughter-in-law, took the one-day course in 2000, and developed a taste for the technique as well as the camembert they produced. The couple then took an intensive short course at the Dairy and Food Technology Training Centre at Melbourne’s Monash University, and in 2004, they set up Denmark Farmhouse Cheese on Scotsdale Road in Denmark, on the same property as their Ducketts Mill Wines. A European cheese maker Ross met while setting up the venture guided him to the right equipment for the
Ross Lewis of Denmark Farmhouse Cheese started his love of cheese making with a short course at Great Southern Institute of Technology. purpose-built factory, and on a trip to Europe, Ross inveigled several cheese makers into sharing their traditional recipes. The milk for their handmade artisan cheese comes from a local farm. It is pasteurised before being made into one of more than 40 varieties of cheese. “We have the widest range of hand-made cheese in WA,” Ross said. In the sterile cheese
room, stainless steel vats, moulds of many shapes and sizes and a traditional Dutch cheese press wait to be called into service. After curds and whey are separated, the protein-rich whey is pumped out (to be transferred to the vineyard, where it works its magic on the Ducketts Mill vines), leaving behind the curds to be processed according to the recipe. Continued on next page
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Cheese maker turns full circle From previous page The cheese is placed into moulds and pressed into shape before being stored in one of the three cool rooms – one each for soft, hard and blue varieties – to mature under precise conditions of temperature and humidity. “Between 500 and 750 cheeses are maturing at any one time,” Ross explained.
Production is skilfully controlled so the cheeses, which take varying times for maturation, are just at the right degree of ripeness for sale as the last batch is used up. For the courses he runs at Great Southern Institute, Ross provides all the necessary equipment, cultures and milk, and participants take home the finished product at the end of the day. “We give them contacts and tell them where they can buy the cultures and equipment,” Ross said. “Then they can go away and make their own, and they can phone at any stage if they have problems,” he said.
Now working with their sons Matt and Ben, the Lewises are clearly relishing their business as well as the accolades it brings. Their annual 15-tonne production is sold through the busy shop at the front of the factory, where many thousands of visitors every year taste and buy the cheese to take home, or to enjoy on the premises with Duckett’s Mill wines, or with the fudges, gelati, preserves and chutneys the factory also produces. For more information on cheese making oneday courses through Great Southern Institute of Technology’s Skills Development Centre, phone 9892 7504.
Spotlight on...
Tim Riessen
Position: Principal Lecturer Campus: Albany Star sign N/A. Favourite food: My wife’s lasagne. First car: Vauxhall Viva. Sporting team: Not a big sports fan, but probably Wildcats. Hobbies: Music – listening and doing. Which three famous people would you take onto your desert island for a year, and why?: Hmm… Too many to choose just three. Favourite book or author: Enjoyed reading Alistair McLean growing up. Favourite music: Most stuff, fairly eclectic. I hate...: Doing these 10 Qs thingies. I love...: That this is the last Q.
Great Southern Gazette
10 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 Disability Liaison Officer and Learning Support staff.
In-class assistants Fowzy Salasa and Cherry Pearce with Disability Liaison Officer Wendy Macliver. For many years, Wendy Macliver has been providing invaluable information and advice to people with disability or learning difficulties, liaising with institute lecturers and other staff to ensure accessibility for all. Wendy, who works in the role from Monday to Thursday, provides support across all campuses. She coordinates individualised learning support for students with disability and medical conditions, including people with learning disability and mental health issues, and works with community agencies to establish training opportunities at the institute for people with disability. Wendy’s services include: • Individual orientation to the institute
• Assistance with parking or access to facilities • Assistance with enrolment • Alternative formats for written materials including texts, such as electronic formats and large print • Alternative assessment arrangements such as extra time, note taker support, and an oral or alternative assessment • Individual learning support such as a note taker, tutor or in-class assistant • Specialised and ergonomic equipment (height-adjustable tables, adaptive computer technology) • Liaison with institute staff • Referral to other support services. Continued on next page
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From previous page In addition, Wendy helps staff with: • Including the needs of people with disabilities in policies and practices • Designing for universal access • Locating specialised and ergonomic furniture, equipment and computer technology • Inclusive teaching and assessment strategies • Putting learning material into alternative formats such as electronic or large print • Arranging learning support for students • Providing information on disability or medical conditions • Referral to other agencies and resources
Staff may refer a student to the Disability Liaison Officer to discuss their support needs. All enquiries are confidential. In addition, Wendy prepares the institute’s Disability Action and Inclusion Plan and chairs the Access and Inclusion Planning Committee. In-class assistants Cherry Pearce and Fowzy Salasa help people with disability and learning difficulties while they are undertaking training at the institute. Over the years, hundreds of people have received the institute’s quality training facilitated by Wendy and her in-class assistants. Phone Wendy on 9892 8741.
Our own high achiever rewarded From page 3 “She’s conscientious, hard working and very well organised – and always eager to take on new tasks,” Kathy said. “Jessica handles a variety of issues at the front desk with an aptitude far beyond her years,” she said. “She has a lovely manner, she is calm and focused and her attention to detail is impressive.” With such glowing praise and her Certificate of Excellence gracing her résumé, Jessica is clearly on the road to a rewarding and prosperous future.
Applications close Friday 11 May at 5pm Go to www.dtwd.wa.gov.au/trainingawards for more information and application forms
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Access All Areas with Wendy
Macliver
Study Skills drop-in sessions Like some help with your class work or assessments? Then drop in to the Study Skills sessions in F5 in the library. The study skills lecturers can help you with spelling and grammar, writing essays or reports, referencing, maths problems,
computing skills, taking notes, giving presentations and much more! Any student enrolled at the institute can come along to these sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-3pm. Bring along whatever you need some help with. See you there.
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Lecturer sets sights on City prize We are used to applauding the efforts of up-and-coming artists from our student population, but the recent achievement of one of our lecturers is also cause for great excitement in our Communication and The Arts portfolio. Beth Kirkland, lecturer and coordinator of Visual Arts, has been named among the 30 finalists in the prestigious annual City of Albany Art Prize. Beth’s oil on canvas, titled Great Southern Institute of Technology Visual Arts ‘Butterfly on Broadway’, lecturer and coordinator Beth Kirkland is among the will be exhibited with the other Art Prize entries at the finalists in the $25,000 City of Albany Art Prize. Albany Town Hall from April 1-22. Opening hours are making it a popular well worth a visit – there from 10.30am-4.30pm. exhibition for locals and is a wide variety of work The $25,000 prize for the visitors over Easter. included,” Beth said. winning artwork attracts Beth said she was very The winner of the City of hundreds of entries from pleased to be selected. Albany Art Prize will be artists all around Australia, “The exhibition will be announced on 31 March.
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Great Southern Gazette
Safety is everybody’s business they are likely to be inexperienced, immature, and eager to please, leading them to disregard safety Safety First procedures. Risks factors for students: With Rick Muller • Physical maturity: Small people and young students Everybody has a role to play when it may be at risk of manual comes to student safety handling injury due to their lack Directors and managers of strength. Muscles are not fully With hundreds of young people entering developed until the age of 25. vocational education and training, • Lack of experience: Students directors of state training agencies must may be unfamiliar with the tasks ensure that safety is an integral part of they are required to perform and the curriculum. misjudge weight, distance or degree Directors and managers must integrate of difficulty. They may not pace OHS into the campus structure, themselves appropriately to the processes and culture, and directors task taking on too much, leading to integrate OHS into the institute’s plans muscle strains. and budgets. • Emotional maturity: To many Supervisors and lecturers students safety is not a priority. They Supervisors and lecturers must ‘sell’ often display risk-taking attitudes safety by communicating OHS messages or encourage others in risk-taking in ways that are specifically tailored to behaviour. Students and young students. workers crave autonomy which For example, use safety stories that might lead them to take short cuts or engage, and are relevant to, issues do things their own way. They also specifically affecting the students. might rush their work to show off to Lecturers must lead by example and not friends or please their instructor. tolerate any lapse in safety by students. • Students may say they understand Students when they do not due to lack of Students need to know that their confidence, fear of speaking up safety is paramount in any project and (especially if they’ve already asked should be encouraged to watch each for help), or worry about asking a other’s back where safety is concerned. ‘dumb question’. Students must report hazards, incidents, In the past 10 years, Australian near misses, injuries and illness. companies and public sector They should be encouraged to ask organisations have recognised the questions about working safely and important of OHS. Business and industry receive feedback about their OHS and now sending a clear message that performance. training providers need to improve in this What’s different about students? area. Students entering into vocational Institute graduates must not only have education will be exposed to the same the technical knowledge, but also must hazards as adult workers; however know how to work safely.
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Scholarships in tune with music makers
Great Southern Institute of Technology music lecturers Tony King (left) and Susan Clarke (right) with scholarship winners Andrea Fisher and Carol Peachey. Two Denmark music students have received a boost to their studies with $500 each towards course fees and resources at Great Southern Institute of Technology. Carol Peachey and Andrea Fisher were recent recipients of a scholarship awarded by the former Denmark Music Foundation. On winding up operations in 2010, the foundation committed a proportion of its remaining funds to music education in the town, and pledged $1000 a year for the ensuing 10 years to be shared by two Great Southern Institute of Technology music students. Presenting the 2012 scholarships at the Denmark campus, the institute’s Communication and The Arts portfolio
manager Justine Bradney paid tribute to the members of the former Denmark Music Foundation for their foresight and generosity in committing to the scholarships to benefit the institute’s music students and to promote music in the town. Justine also congratulated the scholarship winners, who are both well known on the Denmark music scene. Guitarist and keyboard player Carol is part of the duo Young and Peachey, who played at the Brave New Works festival at the weekend and Andrea, vocalist and guitarist with the Outback Gypsies, will perform at the institute’s award night at the Albany Entertainment Centre on 29 March. Carol said she was excited about winning the
scholarship. “I can recommend the music course to anyone interested in developing their creative talents,” she said. “Thanks to the foundation and to the institute for making the scholarship possible.” Echoing her thanks, Andrea said she was grateful for the opportunity the scholarship brought. “My aim is to give back to the community through music – I’d particularly like to work with children,” Andrea said. Justine thanked music lecturers Tony King, Susan Clarke, Mark Gretton and Terry Dodd for their dedication to nurturing the talent of local musicians and providing a first-class environment for promotion of the subject.
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Tour reveals local treasures
Tourism students recently hosted CSWE students on a tour of Albany in an intradepartmental collaboration with student learning supported across two portfolios.
Tourism students, under the guidance of Cathy Glen, recently provided the Certificate in Spoken and Written English (CSWE) students with several wonderful opportunities to explore some of the sights of Albany. Students were taken to The Gap, the wind farm, Mt Clarence, Middleton Beach and Lake Seppings. We learned about the
history of each area and heard some fascinating facts about some of the areas we drive through regularly. Students particularly liked the whispering wall at the memorial on Mt Clarence. At Lake Seppings we met a turtle carer and two lucky students had the opportunity to release two young longnecked turtles into the wild. The Tourism students
were assessed on their tour guiding skills whilst the English students developed their listening and speaking skills. Thank you to Cathy Glen and Tourism students Larissa Higgins, Chloe Kinnear, Nancy Harrison, Sandra Graham and Christine Fudge. Jill Buchanan and Karine David
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HR News With Paula Pattinson
Welcome to the HR news section. We would like to publish milestone birthdays and service in each issue from now on. We’ll get permission from those with birthdays before publishing just in case you prefer not to acknowledge it, although the ability to milk any birthday benefits once every 10 years should be allowed . As this is the first time we’re publishing this info, we thought we should acknowledge those special birthdays that have happened so far this year: Employee Name Lynn Smith Dianne Franzinelli Christina Debellis Edward Armstrong Warren Sloss
Age 50 40 50 40 50
The institute would also like to recognise everyone’s hard work by issuing milestone service year certificates for every five years completed. This month we would like to congratulate the following staff members: Employee Name Peter Slebos McLean, Ruth Robert Cristinelli Sally Burling Neil Binning Peter Young Phyllis Mancini Jennifer Eatt Carolyn Burt Michelle Frantom
Milestone (years) 10 5 5 5 30 25 15 5 10 5
We calculate the years of service based on how long they’ve accrued long service leave, including any service that may have
been transferred from their employment at another agency. Super Choice The introduction of Choice of Superannuation Fund (Choice) is a priority reform initiative of the State Government and will occur on 30 March. This initiative will give most Western Australian public sector employees the right to choose the superannuation fund into which their employer Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions are paid. Choice does not apply to members of defined benefit schemes such as Gold State Super, the Pension Scheme and the FESA fund. If you haven’t heard much about those schemes before and don’t make fortnightly contributions to a defined benefit scheme, you are likely to be a WestState or GESB Super member. WestState and GESB Super are the institute’s default accumulation funds into which your 9 per cent Super Guarantee is paid by the institute. Staff who are members of WestState or GESB Super are now eligible to have the 9 per cent paid into another fund of their choice. Please check your payslip details in ESS if you are unsure which scheme you belong to – the name of your super scheme will be under the Benefits heading (or the Deductions heading if you’re adding topups). Information material and the Standard Choice Form have now been posted to the intranet and can be accessed by entering ‘super choice’ in the search box of our intranet. If you would like any HR info or tips included in the next issue, contact HR.
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Quality document updates The following quality documents have been added, reviewed and updated on the intranet: New: CSRD025 CSRD026 POSP020
Corporate Governance Management Group Terms of Reference Corporate Governance Steering Committee Terms of Reference Use of Recording Devices Policy
Newly added: HR027 Workforce Plan 2009-2012 QFAS0111 Dual Enrolments Form QFCS0162 SPIRe Form Reviewed: POSP010 Quality Documents Policy/Procedure Includes substantial changes POCS049 Subject/Class Resource Fees Policy Trainee section included QFAS0104 Staff Induction Checklist and Sign Off Form Minor update to remove references to Student Diary QFCS0102 Prescription Glasses Refund Form Area for bank account details for refund to be deposited included. If you come across any quality document that contains out-of-date information, please let Caro Saunders (ext 8742) know. Caro is busily updating the logos on all the Quality Documents, but if you need a document to be updated quickly, she will be happy to oblige.
Don’t miss the chance to trial ebooks The library is currently participating in a trial of EBSCOhost ebooks that will run during Term 1. This has been organised by the LRSN, a network of all the state training provider libraries in WA. The choice of books on offer is only a generic selection for the purpose of testing the platform, and should the library decide to purchase, books will be selected on an individual basis by each institute. A link to the ebooks can
be found on the library webpage or you can click here. No login is required for the trial access. You are encouraged to have a look at this site – the library would welcome your feedback. Gartner Core Research – keep up to date on any IT-related issues. Gartner Core Research provides current information relating to all technology aspects of IT in a business environment. A sector-wide
subscription has been taken out by the Department of Training and Workforce Development. The library webpage provides a link to Gartner Core Research, or you can click here. A login is required for access, and staff can log in with a TDS IMS-created login, the same as used for UE, ASRI and the lecturer portal. Students can log in with their IMS login and password as used for the student portal.
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Debunking common energy myths Part 2 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: When lighting and equipment is turned on, or powers up from standby modes, there is a current surge. The energy consumed during this current surge is so large that leaving your equipment in normal operating mode wastes less energy than turning it off or using power management features. Reality: Start-up current surges are of very short duration and at most they consume a few seconds of average running time energy. Whenever your lighting or equipment is not being used for more than a few minutes it makes sense to turn it off or switch to a lower power setting. Myth: Power managing equipment in winter means it will generate less heat in the office and the heating system will need to run longer. Reality: True, but it is far more efficient, cheaper and more environmentally sound to heat your building with a purpose-built heating system than have inefficiently operating office equipment leak heat into the workplace. In fact, most commercial office buildings use much more energy for cooling than for heating and power management of equipment can reduce the need for cooling considerably. This means that turning off lighting and equipment can save energy in two ways – directly,
Seeds of Sustainability with
Neil Augustson and by reducing the need for air conditioning. Myth: Turning off or power managing computers and printers causes network problems. Reality: Major network software suppliers say that if networks have been properly set up there should be no problem with turning off or power managing computers and printers in the network. If you are installing or upgrading a network, you can save energy by making effective power management capacity a mandatory condition of the contract. While servers need to be left on, they don’t need their screens on after hours to assist processing. This article is reproduced with permission of Monash University.
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Communication strategy for focus groups The following is the proposed Regional campuses Working Together – Shaping Regional staff consultations our Future communication will be scheduled. strategy for all staff. A monthly item will be Focus group topics published in The Gazette to • Inspirational Leadership ensure all staff are kept up-to• Role Definition date. Staff will be informed of • Organisation Cohesion the numbers of focus groups Focus groups on each initiative and generally 1. Get consensus on the where each group is up to. issues (and raise any Staff will not be progressively additional issues). informed of the content of 2. Prioritise issues. SHAPING OUR FUTURE each focus group’s findings 3. Confirm prioritised issues. as it is not ideal to have future 4. Email all participants detailing the focus groups influenced with preconceived findings. ideas or for staff to get a perception that Note: Participants must be aware that particular issues will be addressed in a these are not yet recommendations for the particular way before recommendations corporate executive. These will be finalised have actually been identified for the at the completion of a number of focus corporate executive. groups per development initiative. Monthly reports will be presented to the On completion of all focus groups (per Corporate Governance Management Group. development initiative) it is proposed to: This group will be informed progressively 1. Revisit individual focus group results. of details of the outcomes, priorities and 2. Identify consensus of recommendations recommendations as they emerge. for the corporate executive. Any members of staff who are unable to 3. Prepare recommendations and forward to attend focus groups are invited to contact the executive officer. Project Officer Gail Hastie by phone on 4. Notify all staff (via email and in The 9892 7555 or by email Gazette) of these recommendations. gail.hastie@gsinstitute.wa.edu.au.
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Getting started: 1. Go to www.gsinstitute.wa.edu.au (or scan QR code) 2. Click on the ‘gslive’ link and go to ‘Login’ 3. Enter your username (06 followed by your student number) and password (DDMMYYYY) 4. When logged in change your password by clicking on ‘Personal Details’, then ‘Change Password’
Your email address will be your user name followed by @gslive.wa.edu.au
gslive
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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 our series is the Logistics Training Council.
The Logistics Training Council provides high-level strategic advice and leadership on vocational education and training priorities in relation to the workforce development needs of the transport, logistics and wholesaling industries in Western Australia. Logistics Training Council Role The Logistics Training Council is one of 10 Training Councils funded by the Department of Training and Workforce Development to fulfil the following roles: • Provide a leadership role in promoting the training industry, including partnerships between industry and the training sector. • Provide high-level strategic information and advice to the State Training Board on the training needs and priorities of industry in Western Australia. • Formulate market intelligence on skills supply and demand, in particular, current or emerging skills shortages. • Provide a valuable contribution towards the preparation of the State Training Profile and the State’s Vocational and Education Training System funding priorities.
Key Logistics Training Council Activities: • Consulting with all stakeholders including industry, training organisations and government to provide quality advice and information on training and related matters. • Engaging with industry to gather intelligence for the development of the Environmental Scan and Workforce Development Plan. • Coordinating the establishment and variation of traineeships and apprenticeships. Other Activities: The Logistics Training Council provides high-level, strategic and innovative advice to the State Government on training needs and priorities for public funding as follows: • Developing workforce development strategies and action plans to guide the development of a skilled workforce. • Establish effective working relationships with relevant national industry skills councils to represent Western Australian interests in the development and review of training packages. • Promoting industry take-up of training, including new training initiatives and new and existing worker traineeships. • Supporting vocational education and training in schools to align with local employment opportunities. Continued on next page
See full list of industry training councils on next page
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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 From previous page • Building relationships and brokering training solutions for industry with registered training organisations. • Promoting careers and career pathways in all sectors. Logistics Training Council Board The Board of Management provides strategic direction to the activities of the organisation. It comprises high-profile industry sector leaders who are committed to supporting the Logistics Training Council in all training and workforce development issues. The Logistics Training Council has also established high-level strategic Industry Working Groups which deal with sector-specific matters on a needs and priority basis. If you believe your experience and background will assist the Logistics Training Council in moving the industry forward, please contact us and join one of our groups.
Cycle Instead
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Bikeweek 2012 18 - 25 March
l i a m e e h t r e w Ans y a d y r e v e z i qu k e e w e k i B g n i dur r u o y r o f 2 1 0 2 a N I W o t e c n cha ! r e h c u o v 0 2 $
www.transport.wa.gov.au/bikeweek