prime

Your regional TAFE

Great Southern Institute of Technology Magazine September 2014

Students build Albany 4WD Club’s new website

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Trainees a boost for dairy industry

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Welcome to Prime for Semester 2, 2014, whether you are an industry partner, an employer, a current student or someone considering taking a training course with us.

In this edition, we look at the value of tailored training programs which the Skills Development Centre delivers to industry and business within the State.

Automotive apprentice Kayla Stoney talks about her choice of vocation in a male-dominated workplace, Dairy Lecturer Jay Rowles discusses the benefits to farmers of taking on a trainee, and digital media students explain how they tackled the challenge of designing and producing a live website for a client.

We introduce you to the Teaching and Learning portfolio, which facilitates the delivery of vocational education and training in schools as well as professional development and higher qualifications for the institute’s own lecturers.

The institute’s latest e-book publication is the subject of an article detailing its significance for personal care workers and those about to embark on training or employment in the aged care arena.

I hope you enjoy reading about our people and our activities, and discover some of the ways Great Southern Institute of Technology can be of service to you as an employer or prospective student.

Happy reading,

Lidia Rozlapa

Managing Director/CEOGreat Southern Institute of Technology

Welcome to Prime Industry skills developmentGreat Southern Institute of Technology’s Skills Development Centre (SDC) provides a vital service to industrial and business operators for their efficiency, safety – and ultimately, profit – by delivering tailored training programs.

The industry group comprising agriculture, forestry and fishing forms the foundation of the region’s economy, and the SDC plays a vital role in supporting this sector, which is well demonstrated through the centre’s close relationship with the growers’ cooperative CBH Group.

Cropping accounts for considerably more than half of the total value of agricultural commodities produced in the region, and CBH Group handles the vast majority of the region’s grain, from its arrival at strategic receival points to storage and then to transport for processing or exporting from any of the cooperative’s four port terminals in WA – one of which is located in Albany.

While CBH Group provides a vital service to the region’s grain growers, CBH Group itself considers Great Southern Institute of Technology’s training to its staff as essential for the wellbeing and productivity of its workers.

This reliance on quality training has never been more important than over the past year, when record harvests demanded peak performance from workers while work health and safety governed all operations.

SDC Portfolio Manager Jan Davidson explained lecturers travelled to CBH Group’s centres in Esperance, Katanning and Albany to train staff, though sometimes training was carried out at the institute’s facilities.

“The service we provide to CBH is spread out geographically because

they work across the region,” Jan explained.

“Training is varied, as CBH has a strong commitment to maintaining the skills of all of its workforce,” she added.

“It includes courses such as working at heights, working in confined spaces, and forklift and fire warden training.”

High-risk courses such as front-end loader and skid-steer operation are other courses which enable CBH Group workers to move grain around safely and efficiently.

CBH Group Learning and Development Adviser Kris Morrow said the importance of training could not be overemphasised.

“Effective training of new and existing employees results in minimised on-the-job risk, saves time and money, and promotes good culture and public relations,” Kris said.

With comprehensive training programs, CBH Group ensures employees have the skills, knowledge and experience they need to complete work efficiently.

“Good quality training drives down costs, minimises waste, decreases errors and improves customer satisfaction,” Kris said.

Jan said the SDC’s relationship with CBH Group illustrated the institute’s ability to build the region’s capacity.

“CBH provides a vital service to farmers, who are part of the biggest employment group in the Great Southern,” Jan said.

“And as CBH is critically important to farmers, so the Skills

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Development Centre has become important to CBH.”

While training delivery to CBH Group is tailored to that company’s specific needs, Jan said different procedures were used for all clients, to determine their requirements taking into account their existing standards and procedures.

“We customise training to each organisation we work with,” she said.

According to Kris, this is one factor which works well for CBH.

“The SDC has helped the CBH Group in designing training modules specifically for our business,” he explained.

“The more relevant we can make our training to our business, the more efficient our business will be.”

“The win-win relationship that CBH and GSIT have has helped in the effective delivery of training,” Kris said.

Phone the Skills Development Centre on 9892 7504.

Industry skills development

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For details on apprenticeships and traineeships at GSIT phone 9892 8888.

Bright spark fires on all cylinders

Automotive apprentice with de Jonge Mechanical repairs Kayla Stoney

Working in an environment traditionally dominated by males has not prevented teenage apprentice Kayla Stoney from finding her niche in an automotive workshop.

In fact, she has set her own bar so high that she has impressed her Great Southern Institute of Technology lecturers and her employer with her exemplary commitment, abilities and attitude to both her studies and her vocation.

Now a second-year apprentice taking the Certificate III in Automotive Mechanical Technology (Light Vehicle), Kayla clearly demonstrated her mettle by taking out the institute’s course award for best performance in her class in 2013.

Kayla recalled how her early influence of playing around her grandfather’s engine reconditioning workshop and the machinery sheds on her family’s South Stirling farm helped to sway her choices in high school, where she undertook automotive studies from Year 8 to Year 12.

“I’ve always loved pulling everything apart – but putting it back together is another thing,” she laughed.

She said she found satisfaction in all aspects of her trade, though major projects had a certain appeal.

“The thing I most enjoy is working on big jobs by myself and getting it right,” she said.

Completely undaunted by the raised eyebrows from some whose preconceptions of an apprentice mechanic are of a young male, Kayla said most people were supportive – even those initially surprised at her choice of career.

She explained she had taken the Certificate II course in Years 11 and 12 as part of a workplace learning program.

“In Year 11 I worked at Dowsett’s Automotive Services, and in Year 12 I went to de Jonge Mechanical Repairs,” Kayla explained.

“At the end of Year 12, Paul [de Jonge] took me on,” she said.

It was Kayla’s outstanding attitude and enthusiasm which impressed Paul when he offered her the apprenticeship.

“Kayla is fantastic, she has a great work ethic,” Paul said.

“She’s up to every task and nothing fazes her,” he added.“Even if things go wrong, she can work out what to do

next – she’s very capable.”Kayla said Paul’s encouragement and the excellent

support of her GSIT lecturers had been valuable as she progressed towards her trade qualification.

Automotive Lecturer Steve Szabo, who nominated Kayla for the course award at the end of 2013, said she always showed enthusiasm for any task.

“She just gets on with it, she wants to do it,” Steve said.“She is a real leader, and the guys don’t treat her any

differently,” he added.Kayla’s advice to others thinking of taking up an

apprenticeship is to give it a try.“Get experience first – find somewhere to work, ask

around,” she urged.With a further two years of her 3½-year apprenticeship

to serve, Kayla also plans to add specialised tickets such as air conditioning and LPG to her qualification.

For now, though, she is happily ensconced in a career she enjoys. A world of opportunities will be open to her once she has her qualification, but Kayla remains level-headed.

“I’ll just see where it takes me,” she said.

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For details on the student study support at GSIT phone 9892 8888.

To give students the best possible learning experience and help them to get the most out of their training, it is vital that lecturing staff themselves are highly trained.

At Great Southern Institute of Technology, professional development is encouraged for all lecturers, who are well supported to gain higher qualifications and advance their own training through a wide offering of tailored training programs.

The creation of the new portfolio Teaching and Learning at the start of 2014 demonstrates the institute’s commitment to students and lecturing staff, and embodies the ethos outlined in its strategic plan.

Staff are engaged in the planning process of the institute’s extensive professional development calendar and while some attend workshops and short training programs, others have chosen longer-term study bringing higher qualifications. Over the past two years, several lecturers have gained the Associate Degree in Vocational Education and Training through Charles Sturt University.

The advantages far outweigh the cost, and not only to the lecturers themselves and the institute’s students, as Portfolio Manager Teaching and Learning Justine Bradney explained.

“Ultimately, people in industry and business benefit from our investment in training for our lecturers,” Justine said.

She said numerous staff were undertaking language, literacy and numeracy training.

“It is important people who go into VET courses are not held back by concerns about literacy and numeracy,” Justine said.

She described how support was given through the Course in Underpinning Skills for Industry Qualifications (USIQ)

and the Course in Applied Vocational Study Skills (CAVSS).She said CAVSS taught literacy and numeracy skills

directly related to a training course.“CAVSS lecturers attend classes and help those needing

this support as they work through the material for the particular course they are enrolled in,” Justine said.

“USIQ provides extra time and specialised teaching for students to assist them to gain industry-relevant qualifications; students must be enrolled in a vocational course to access it,” she added.

“It’s not just about our students, though; our trainers have to learn.

“Students accessing USIQ typically grapple with linguistic, cultural or social issues, and this specialised teaching demands specialised training for lecturers.”

Lecturer professional development brings wide-ranging benefits for GSIT’s students, many of whom have their first contact with the institute while they are still at school.

Again, it is the Teaching and Learning portfolio which liaises closely with high schools to ensure young people get the best possible start to the most appropriate training.

“We work closely with the region’s high schools and we don’t take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, we work with models that suit the schools and their students,” Justine said.

“We have many different ways of working with them, and we will continue to look at creative ways to support them as they change their WACE,” she added.

Education starts before classCertificate IV in Preparation for Nursing student Sefora Apostol gets help in the classroom from CAVSS Lecturer Lizzie Bigwood. Lizzie is one of a team of CAVSS lecturers providing one-on-one help and study skills tips to students.

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For details on the e-book or health science courses at GSIT phone 9892 8888.

Personal care gets the iTouchUsing technology in teaching brings lessons to life, makes information more accessible and engages students in learning.

Following this year’s launch of a vibrant e-book in Apple’s iBook format for the iPad, aged care students at Great Southern Institute of Technology have been reaping the benefits of this absorbing medium.

The book, Personal Care Support for Direct Care Workers, is an interactive educational resource for aged care trainers, students and industry workers.

Following the institute’s first – and well-received – e-book Wool Handling in 2013, Health Sciences and Community Services Portfolio Manager Donna Blight recognised the potential for using the format to assist in teaching other subjects.

“The new book is proving valuable for aged care students, but it is also ideal for anyone carrying out personal care tasks through their work in the health arena,” Donna said.

Aged Care Lecturers Bev Alexander and Len Radcliffe collaborated on the written content of the e-book, and GSIT Photographer Lauchlan Gillett produced video and still images which illustrate the clearly defined instruction in the text.

Bev said the book provided personal care givers with essential knowledge to care for the elderly and disabled in our community.

“It demonstrates best-practice skills and techniques which enable workers to safely and confidently attend to many of the necessary tasks,” Bev said.

Combining practical, industry-standard information with clear presentation and intuitive navigation and bookmarking, Personal Care Support for Direct Care Workers has a pragmatic style and media-rich format.

“Workers must have an understanding of the needs of elderly people, including their social and emotional needs,” Bev said.

“The e-book has been a hit with our own students for its modern presentation, versatility and clear, step-by-step instruction,” she said.

It can be used by students reinforcing class work or learning independently at home, and in the workplace as a refresher before carrying out a task.

Donna said keeping information up to date to reflect current industry practice was vital, so the e-book could be re-published as necessary, and purchasers could download updates easily and free of charge.

She said other TAFE institutes, residential and day care facilities and health professionals were among those who had downloaded the e-book, which is available through the iTunes store for $29.99.

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For details on media and design courses at GSIT phone 9892 8888.

Tackling live projects for external clients is a true test of students’ capabilities once they enter the workforce.

For two design and media students, the opportunity to produce a website for the Albany 4WD Club was a valuable project which tested their knowledge, innovation and tenacity.

When Albany 4WD Club Secretary Alan Clancy approached Media and Design Lecturer Paul Kelly with the prospect of the web design project, diploma students Jen Gillett and Michael Dolphin were eager to take it on.

Jen explained she was taking the Diploma of Graphic Design and Michael was studying for the Diploma of Interactive Digital Media, which meant they took responsibility for their own area of specialisation, each of which complemented the other for this particular project.

“I have been working on the design side – the part that people see and which creates the initial impression of the site,” Jen said.

“Michael is taking care of the functional side, the part that make it all work,” she said.

Alan said the brief was simply to produce a website, and he was happy to relay ideas from members and listen to suggestions from the students.

“Before this arose, club members discussed what they wanted,” Alan said.

“We already had a website but it wasn’t working, we had no control over it and it was out of date,” he said.

Since their first briefing in March, the students have met with Alan every fortnight to discuss progress, source information and access images taken by the members. They have also corresponded frequently by email.

Jen explained they had to determine first who the site was to be used by.

“It is aimed at two groups – club members and the community,” Jen said.

Jen and Michael then worked together on the project, incorporating members’ photographs and ideas, and even modernised the club’s existing logo to complement the tones and image of the new site.

They acknowledged Paul’s valuable guidance which had rescued them on occasion.

Michael said he would now be working on a content management system tailored for the site, a task which would take most of the rest of the year. This would then be followed by training sessions for people editing the site until they were confident.

“Until that is done, we will make any changes for them,” he said.

The new site emphasises the spectacular coastal scenery accessible by 4WD vehicles, which Jen said was a major point of difference between Albany and other 4WD clubs.

Once the site was finished and tested, Alan met the students and gave the final product the thumbs up.

He said the pair had responded to the brief and the project had been exemplary. He would also recommend other sporting and social clubs to work with the institute’s students on similar projects.

“It was a very straightforward process,” Alan said, clearly delighted at the finished product.

“It’s been great – magic,” he said.

Fast track to new site

Jen Gillett, Paul Kelly, Michael Dolphin and

Alan Clancy admire the website the students

produced for the Albany 4WD Club.

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For details on dairy traineeships phone GSIT on 9892 8888.

Specialised training for their staff brings direct financial benefits to dairy farmers who recognise that running a tight ship reduces waste, concentrates effort and streamlines productivity.

Many dairy farmers in the southern half of Western Australia have recognised that employing trainees is another way of increasing profitability and sustainability.

Great Southern Institute of Technology Dairy Lecturer Jay Rowles said the trainees themselves also reaped the rewards.

“It keeps them focused and gives them a qualification at the end of their studies,” Jay said.

“They build wealth and enjoy a good lifestyle,” he said.“For the trainee living on the farm, they get paid while

they learn, work flexible hours and don’t have to pay rent.”To support and assess these trainees, Jay regularly

travels to more than 160 farms from North Dandalup in the Peel District to Albany on the south coast – where he is based at the main campus of GSIT.

As the State’s only facilitator of dairy industry training, Jay works closely with the National Centre for Dairy Education Australia (NCDEA), the training arm of the Australia-wide industry body Dairy Australia.

Jay’s foray into agriculture was the result of a natural career progression from another area of expertise – aquaculture.

With a BSc in Aquaculture from Curtin University, Jay headed for Queensland, where he worked on prawn and rock oyster farms for three years.

The offer of a position at an oyster farm brought him to Albany, and he later changed tack when offered a job on a dairy farm.

Loving the outdoor life, Jay at first kept the dairy job when securing his part-time position at the institute as a lecturer in aquaculture and agriculture.

Travelling two days a week to support trainees demanded Jay give up his farm job when the institute signed an agreement with the NCDEA to deliver its training in WA three years ago.

This has become more manageable since the institute’s greater emphasis on technology. While online contact is easier and therefore more frequent, face-to-face visits are fewer and for essential purposes such as student assessment.

“I support trainees taking qualifications from Certificate II to Certificate IV,” Jay said.

Highlights of his career were in 2012 and 2014, when his protégés were named Trainee of the Year in the institute’s annual awards. One of those went on to become a semi-finalist in the State Training Awards.

At the same time, Jay has bolstered his own CV with a Diploma of Agriculture and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.

Jay envisages a bright future for the dairy industry in WA.

He predicts there will be fewer dairy farms in the coming years, but those which survive will be much bigger.

“It won’t be uncommon for dairy workers to be milking 3000 cows,” he said.

He also believes investment in training is as important as more tangible investments in technology and innovation for dairy farmers.

“Skilled workers will be essential if farms do become heavily commercialised,” Jay said.

“It’s important we focus on training future generations,” he said.

Bright future in the pipeline

Phone 9892 8888 or FREECALL 1800 675 781www.gsit.wa.edu.au