The gazette june 2015

June 2015Volume 6 No 5

Monthly Newsletter

THEGazetteEvent organiser is taking care of businessFor a local businesswoman, the Albany Classic Motor Event of the June long weekend was a valuable opportunity to capitalise on the skills and training she gained at Great Southern Institute of Technology.Amy Ledger, who holds

a Diploma of Events, has set up her own enterprise as a freelance event coordinator, and is relishing the challenges it brings as well as the thrill of being an integral part of major local festivities.Clearly having a passion

for the area of work she has chosen, Amy is building useful contacts and client networks while establishing her business, Southern Swan Events.Amy explained her

experience in event management and production was at the core of her business, which specialised in coordination

and planning services.Her clients include

corporate and community groups, and appearing on her growing portfolio are numerous fundraisers.For the Albany Classic,

she was employed as a festival coordinator, her responsibilities including coordinating market stall operators, food vendors and family entertainment.“I took expressions of

interest from the stall

holders, and organised the reservations and the local entertainment,” Amy said.“It takes many pairs of

hands to put such a large-scale event together and I am extremely proud to be one of them,” she said.“This is the third year

I’ve been involved with the Albany Classic,” she said, explaining in previous years, she had worked in a voluntary capacity.

Continued on page 2

Amy Ledger of Southern Swan Events is building an impressive business portfolio.

Great Southern Gazette – June 20152

To access this newsletter as a PDF by email or for a printed copy, phone 9892 8888.

Want to read The Gazette in another format?

From page 1As the mother of a toddler, Amy

also belongs to a local Mothers in Business group at the Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre, which expands her networks while she enjoys the support and fellowship of other business operators in a similar situation. She has also been a member of the

tourist organisation Skal International, and attended the Skal World Tourism Congress in South Korea in 2012.Amy said she appreciated the training

and encouragement she received as part of her diploma course, and the opportunities it offered to gain valuable

experience.“My study at the institute helped

me to get hands-on volunteer work, and being out there makes a big

difference,” Amy said.“I tried to work at an

event every week for interest and to build my skills,” she said.

As a business operator, she is now paid to work in her ideal career, and reaping the benefits of her studies.“I find events management and

tourism very enjoyable, and dealing with people in the community is very rewarding,” Amy said. “It’s a growing area and I’m glad I did

it.”

Event organiser is taking care of business

Dealing with people in the community is very rewarding.

BOOKSHOPCLEARANCE SALE• Files of every size• File dividers• Display files• Project files• Flat files

• CDs, DVDs and CD covers• Cardstock and cartridge paper

of every size• Pens and pencils• Batteries

Stock up on stationery essentials

Great Southern Gazette – June 2015 3

Curtin University Bachelor of Nursing students Samantha Cook and Caitlyn Cooper check the simulator’s vital signs.

Nursing lecturers Karen Robinson and Jodie Watkins take the simulator to its new temporary home in M Block.

‘Patient’ a virtue for nurses in trainingA group of Diploma of Nursing students at the institute recently practised their skills on the most patient of patients.Not demanding or

complaining, Sven lay on the bed while the students checked his vital signs, honed their injection techniques and intubated him.Sven is used to it, for ‘he’ is

a patient simulator which is normally kept at the Health Trade Training Centre based at North Albany Senior High School, next door to the Albany campus.On a recent afternoon,

Sven was wheeled in a hospital bed a short distance along Anson Road to his new temporary home in M Block at the institute.Accompanying Sven

were Nursing Lecturers Jodie Watkins and Karen Robinson, who admitted their timing for the task – as the school students left for the day – had been unfortunate.“They kept asking us ‘Is

that a dead body?’” Jodie laughed.Officially known as SimMan

3G, the simulator provides realistic training for the students, and Jodie said

staff needed special training to use it.“It’s very useful for

higher-level training – RN Semester 4s and upwards,” Jodie said.She said it had many

uses, for such tasks as checking vital signs, breath sounds and heart sounds, administering intravenous fluids and injections, and

emergency treatment such as for deteriorating patients.It also has interchangeable

genitals for students learning to catheterise males and females.Sven will be used at the

campus for several weeks before being taken on the trip back along Anson Road to the Health Trade Training Centre.


From the MD’s Desk

StaffingOver the past month, we have had several announcements of staff movements within the institute, all of which mark a changing landscape for working, teaching and learning.First, I would like to

congratulate Justine Bradney on her appointment as Director Academic Leadership.With Justine’s extensive

and wide-ranging experience in teaching and the VET sector, her academic qualifications and her clearly demonstrated dedication to education, I am confident she will be a solid academic leader. As we work with tighter budgets and the implications of the new standards, Justine’s skills and expertise are a real asset to this institute, and I wish her all the best in her new position. Read more about Justine’s background on pages 6 and 7.Following the

announcement of my own retirement next month, it has been necessary to restructure the executive until a new managing director is appointed. As MD appointments are

made by the Public Sector Commissioner, it may be

several months before the incumbent takes office, so it is expected that the restructure will be effective at least until the end of the year.During this time,

Director Organisational Effectiveness Chris Jones will act in the Managing Director’s position, and Director Corporate Services Edward Armstrong will move into Chris’s directorate. Finance Manager Ken McKinnon will act as Director Corporate Services. I have made these

decisions in collaboration with Governing Council Chair Scott Leary and Deputy Chair Anne Stafford, who are as confident as I am that the institute will be managed most competently.I will address you for the

last time in my column next month, and I will say a final farewell at my morning tea on 22 July.Other staff leaving the

institute are Accounting Lecturer Jim Bolger and Human Resources Manager David Hansen.An afternoon tea for both

Jim and David will be held in George’s on Friday 26 June at 3pm. I invite all staff to farewell

Jim and David that day, as they have both been

hardworking and dedicated people, patiently and capably serving our students and staff for many years.

QIG and the Standards for RTOs 2015By the end of June, our institute must comply with the Standards for RTOs 2015. To position ourselves to achieve compliance in all areas, our Quality Implementation Group (QIG) will continue to support and help lecturing and administration staff, by being available to answer questions and provide guidance.I would like to thank all

staff for your perseverance with the implementation of the new standards and particularly thank the QIG members for taking on the mantle of responsibility.Although we must be

compliant from next week, the QIG will continue to work with sections to update our policies, procedures and work instructions and help with enquiries about the standards as we progress through the year.

That’s all the news for this month. If you are going away for the semester break, travel safely and enjoy your leave.I look forward to seeing

you again briefly at the start of Semester 2.

Until then, happy reading,Lidia


A group of women from Albany’s RAAFA Amity Village recently enjoyed a make-up session with the Diploma of Beauty Therapy students. Beauty Therapy Lecturer

Sarah Elliott said this gave the students valuable experience in using make-up appropriately on older

skin, such as when they are called upon to make up the ‘nanna of the bride’.Sarah said they were

assessed on the project, for applying age-relevant make-up and the advice they gave the women.“They had to take into

account the texture of the skin and apply make-up so

the skin appears fresh and has luminosity,” Sarah said.“This was a valuable

opportunity for the students, and the women all enjoyed it,” she said.“The women were very

excited and they went out to lunch afterwards – it was a great morale booster for them all.”

Seniors enjoy special treatment

The beauty therapy salon is a hive of activity for the RAAFA Amity Village residents.

Concentrating on her task is Chelsea Roth. Montana Dupuy works her magic.


The Managing Director’s announcement of the position of Director Academic Leadership being awarded to Portfolio Manager Justine Bradney recognises her wide experience in education and the VET sector, and her high-level academic qualifications. These make Justine an ideal incumbent for the position, particularly in a time of transition for the institute.With the introduction of the Standards

for RTOs 2015, a major task for Justine this year has been to lead the Quality Implementation Group (QIG) on its mission to ensure compliance with the standards at all levels.This will continue as she joins the

directorate, though she will also take broad responsibility for the performance and professional development of the institute’s academic staff – and consequently, uphold the high quality of student training.It was a contract position at the prison

which brought Justine and her daughter Aili

from Brisbane to Albany in 2005.She had been lecturing at a TAFE college

in the Queensland city, and although the move was a major one, the pair had settled in to the south coast lifestyle when Justine joined the institute in 2006 as Principal Lecturer for Youth.Her Queensland teaching career had

been primarily in English as a second language (ESL).“I worked with 15 institutes across

Queensland, firstly in assessments and later in staff professional development,” Justine said.“This merged into literacy support

and I also worked for ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students).”Queensland was ahead of WA in changes

to the school leaving age, so as the State grappled with the implications of this, Justine’s experience was invaluable.

Continued on page 7

Director relishes new challenges

Director Academic Leadership Justine Bradney brings wide-ranging experience and high-level academic qualifications to her new role.


From page 6When the institute was restructured

in 2010, her youth role changed significantly, and Justine served as Principal Lecturer with responsibility for professional development for a short time until she became Portfolio Manager of Health Sciences and Community Services.In 2011, she moved to the

Communication and The Arts portfolio, which evolved into Teaching and Learning in 2014.Grasping opportunities when they arise

has characterised Justine’s career, though she has clearly made her own breaks through her dedication to academic development.She has two

Masters Degrees, in Education and Career Development, and will complete her third – a Master of Business through the University of Adelaide – at the end of this year.To this list, add Diplomas of

Sustainability, Training Design and Development, and Vocational Education, which she says are all particularly suited to the VET sector.For the finance and economics units

of her current Masters Degree, she will take a three-week intensive study tour in Europe next month. In Belgium, Switzerland and France, she will attend lectures on such subjects as business modelling and planning, venture capital, legal framework, and entrepreneurism. She will also visit the European

Commission and the World Trade Centre in Brussels and the United Nations Office in Geneva.In addition to all her academic

qualifications is the achievement of which Justine says she is most proud, and which was the hardest to get – her black belt in karate. Though she no longer practices the

martial art, it is a reminder of her five years in Japan in the 1990s, when she taught in regional and rural junior high schools and the prefecture’s education office.Justine, who took up the position of

Director Academic Leadership on 8 June, is relishing the opportunities it promises.“With the state economy as it is, the

VET sector is facing challenging times, and I am coming into the job at a time of realignment, which also creates challenges,” Justine said.But she sees the QIG

as one opportunity to revise academic policies and procedures in a

dramatic way and improve processes.“What I am looking forward to most

is working with staff right across the institute to develop collaborative networks,” she said.“I want to be approachable and make

work rewarding and enjoyable for people.”Plans are for the QIG – including

Justine – to move into the redeveloped Institute Learning Centre when it reopens at the start of 2016. But for the time being, she will remain in her usual office in C Block rather than move into the main administration block with the other directors.“My role is about lecturers and

teaching, so I’ll stay here until the end of the year to be accessible to them,” she said.

Director relishes new challenges

I want to be approachable and make work rewarding and enjoyable for people.


Juggling business and charityChildren in earthquake-devastated areas of Nepal are set to benefit from a student project carried out 8000 kilometres away, in Albany.For their unit Create innovation in a team

environment, the students of Lecturer Robin Thomson’s Certificate III in Business class were charged with sourcing and preparing a product or project, and marketing it.The group decided to produce and sell

juggling sacks for charity – and make it fun, not only for the students themselves, but also for the purchasers.Student Mark Licastro said the project had

been a collaborative one with the clothing production students. He said they had approached Clothing Production Lecturer Robyn Wills, whose students willingly produced hundreds of the pyramid-shaped sacks.The business students then filled each

sack with rice and finished them off by hand-sewing the last seam.Packaged in sets of three, they sold for $5

each or two packs for $8, and came with instructions.To market the product, the students named

the project Juggle for Nepal, then designed a poster and placed it strategically around the campus. They also started a Facebook page, with

reports of their progress and interesting posts, images and videos. They approached Media and Design Lecturer Michelle Frantom to design the Facebook banner, which they also incorporated into the poster. Continued on page 9

Certificate III in Business students Veronica Koster and Mark Licastro took part in a class project to hone their business skills.

Each pack of three sacks came with instructions.

https://www.facebook.com/jugglefornepal


From page 8 Their marketing did the trick, as they

quickly reached their sales targets. “Our starting goal was to make 50

sets of juggling sacks and make the charity $250,” Mark said.“But due to the popularity, we had to

make another 19 sets, and all have sold,” he said.Calculating profit from sales

and outlay was a vital part of the project, and Mark said the students would deposit more than $300 to the children’s charity Childfund International for use in Nepal.“We would like to thank Robyn

Wills and the team in the sewing department for their help and materials,” Mark said. “They turned bits of offcuts into very magnificent-looking juggling sacks,” he said.The students have been putting on

impromptu juggling performances around the Albany campus to drum up business, though they admit they have improved their technique since starting in mid-May.Mark said the group of seven

students were very happy with the project.“All in all it has been a complete

success,” he said.“But most importantly, we have

made a very small impact in what has been an absolute disaster in Nepal.”

Juggling business and charity

The posters and Facebook page incorporated a graphic created for the project.

Above: More than 200 juggling sacks were made and sold to support children living in earthquake-ravaged regions of Nepal.

Left: The students put up posters around the Albany campus, which helped them to exceed their original sales target.


For Aboriginal students of Production Horticulture at Great Southern Institute of Technology, the official opening of the Oyster Harbour fish traps during National Reconciliation Week was a proud moment.The students, with Lecturer Jim Vonk,

had played their part in the significant community project by erecting interpretive signs to inform visitors of the site’s history.The institute’s Aboriginal Programs

Manager Ron Grey said the project had been a collaborative one involving several agencies – including Lecturer Larry Blight’s Conservation and Land Management class, who had revegetated the areas

around the fish traps.Ron said the students’ participation was

valuable as it helped to hone their skills on a real-life project with cultural significance. The Oyster Harbour fish traps, which

mark the site of a traditional Noongar camping ground, are thought to be more than 7000 years old. The traps consist of enclosures of river

stones which fill with fish in high tide. As the tide recedes, the fish are trapped and easy to catch.The site, which is expected to be a

popular tourist attraction, is located at the end of Barameda Road in Kalgan Heights.

Student pride in cultural project

Above: Production Horticulture students Shane Ugle, Jacob Gibson and Reuben Ugle with signs they helped to install at the Kalgan fish traps site.Left: The Oyster Harbour Aboriginal fish traps.


In this month’s QIG article, we continue talking TAS with answers to frequently asked questions. QIG team members welcome specific queries – talk to Justine Bradney, Ruth McLean, Ray Tuckey, Caro Saunders, Kristine Deutschmann or Ann Molan.

Why are we using the term ‘training product’?

A: A training product means an AQF qualification, skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course or module. This is the preferred terminology and it is defined in the Standards for RTOs 2015.

Who is the intended audience for the Training and Assessment Strategy

(TAS)?A: Initially your portfolio manager will require a TAS. It should be written in such a way that any colleague could pick it up and understand how your course has been structured. Auditors will naturally want to see the TAS so that they get a picture of the client, the structure of the course, and how you went about designing it and for whom.

Who do I have to consult with?A: To provide training relevant to

employers and to maximise learners’ opportunities for employment, advancement or further education, your RTO must engage with relevant industry stakeholders to establish appropriate contexts, methods, resources and trainers and assessors to deliver training and to conduct assessment.Engaging with industry stakeholders

(such as employers) is critical to ensuring training and assessment is aligned to current methods, technology, products and performance expectations for the workplace tasks specified in the training package or VET-accredited course.Use the information gathered through the

engagement process to design strategies for training and assessment, and select suitable resources, trainers and assessors.

How often should the TAS be updated?A: Your TAS should not be static. It

needs to be regularly updated to take into

account changes in industry technology and techniques, legislation, and the training package itself, as well as the availability of resources within your RTO. The strategy must also be consistent with the advertising and other material you provide to prospective learners.

Do I have to use the institute template?A: The short answer is ‘Yes’!

However if you wish to vary from the mandated template you will need to do a couple of things. First, ask your portfolio manager for guidance and approval. Next ensure your TAS will include all the same sections as the institute template. Because the TAS is a Quality Document, your version will need to be taken to Academic Board for endorsement. This process ensures our compliance with the standards and that enables us to retain our registration. The framework for the document was developed in consultation with trainers and assessors and was validated by external auditors.

Where is the template to be found?A: The template is kept on the institute’s intranet. To ensure compliance, it is

very important to ensure that only the most up-to-date template be used as this is a Quality Document.

Where can I get help with my TAS?A: Once a TAS has been drafted, ask

a principal pecturer, an advanced skills lecturer or an institute internal auditor to review it. It is recommended that you sit down with an employer and explain what we are proposing. Amend the document as required, based on this feedback. Having an employer or industry group validate the broad approach is another way of ensuring that our material is developed in consultation with industry.

The finer points of TAS creation


Winter warmer a welcome treatFor students and staff of the Albany campus, the hardest choice to make for lunch on a wintry day was whether to opt for the hot tomato bisque or spicy mulligatawny soup cooked by a group of Creative Catering students.Lecturer Mark Crabtree and the students

set up a table in the café foyer, where they sold their winter warmers with a freshly

made bread roll for $3 each. Having made the soups over recent

cooking sessions, students of both Tuesday and Wednesday groups presented their fare, which some customers enjoyed on both days.The Creative Catering course is funded by

the Department of Training and Workforce Development for people with disability.

Ashley Burton, Cookery Lecturer Mark Crabtree, Carer Steven Carpenter, Clancy Buckingham and Trevor Oborne prepare to feed the hungry hordes with their hot soup and freshly made bread rolls.

New facility takes shapeThe Mount Barker campus will move to a new home for the 2016 academic year.Work is progressing to install

classrooms, computer labs and offices on the first floor of the town’s Community Centre, which will result in a modern environment for teaching and learning.


As part of the carpentry component of their course, TryTech students built skateboard ramps under the guidance of Lecturer Steve

Cann. Once the ramps were finished, the group gathered to put them to the test with remote-controlled cars, which the lecturers had

deemed safer than letting the students loose with skateboards.The ramps will be donated

to community youth projects.

TryTech students watch as the remote-controlled cars make the leap between the ramps they built.

Smooth sailing in test of student handiwork

ARE YOU A LECTURER NEEDING SUPPORT?

Principal Lecturers are here to support you to deliver the best possible training experience for our students. We offer a range of workshop-based and ‘at-your-desk’ support including:• Help with validation and pre-audit preparation• Coaching and mentoring for new staff• Moodle support from beginner to advanced.

We are also able to set up individual and small-group sessions on any training or assessment-related topic.

Phone Ray on 9892 8831 or Ruth on 9892 8759


Reconciliation Action Plan 2014-2015

In launching its Reconciliation Action Plan last October, Great Southern Institute of Technology demonstrated its commitment to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people so that together, real benefits can be achieved for the wider community.To highlight Indigenous issues and track our progress as defined by the plan, The

Gazette publishes an article every month.The recent commemoration of Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week is an

appropriate time to talk about the background of these events.

National Reconciliation Week encourages a renewed focus on this important issue for all Australians. It raises awareness of the need for

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to work together to achieve fairness and provide equal opportunities for all without prejudice or injustice.On the Australian national calendar, Sorry

Day and National Reconciliation Week fall at the end of May each year.Sorry Day, which always falls on 26 May,

marks the anniversary of the Bringing Them Home report tabled in the Australian Parliament in 1997. The report detailed the massive impact of the mistreatment of Aboriginal people, including the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their homes, during the 20th century.This document led to a public apology by

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2008.The next day marks the start of National

Reconciliation Week, an event to focus public attention on the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.This is also the anniversary of the 1967

referendum, the result of which allowed Aboriginal people to be counted in the census and gave the Commonwealth the power to legislate for them.

Continued on page 15

Annual events support reconciliation

National Reconciliation Week highlights the need for all Australians to work together without prejudice.


From page 14More than 90 per cent of

Australians voted in that referendum, a landmark event in Australian history.The last day of National

Reconciliation Week, 3 June is the anniversary of the 1992 High Court Mabo decision, recognising native title in Australian common law.

The theme for 2015 was ‘It’s time to change it up’, highlighting the need for all Australians to overcome racism, remedy injustice and address the disadvantages faced by Australia’s Indigenous peoples.The week’s events foster

a celebration of the growing and vibrant cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including art, dance, music, writing and community involvement. These are capturing the attention and imagination of people

around the nation and the world, and having a greater impact than ever before.Acknowledging the

events of the past allows us to prepare for a shared future, reminding people and governments of the positive changes we all need to make to enable us to perform better at work, in education and socially.In the pursuit of

reconciliation, it is important to acknowledge and protect the rights of Indigenous peoples to bring dignity and enrichment to all Australians.

Annual events support reconciliation

Access All Areaswith Wendy Macliver

To ensure our duty of care for the safety and welfare of all our students, and in particular those students under 18 years of age, we are developing guidelines and procedures relating to the engagement of in-class support workers employed by external agencies. Local agencies have been requested to

sign a ‘Support Worker Agreement’ which will be effective from the start of Semester 2 and requires the agency to:1. Advise Great Southern Institute

of Technology’s Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) beforehand if a client will be accompanied to classes at the institute by a support worker employed by the agency. 2. Ensure that support workers

employed by the agency, and accompanying clients to classes at the institute, hold a current satisfactory National Police Certificate or WA

Department of Education National Police History Check, and a current Working with Children Check.3. Complete a Support Worker Form

for each student supported which clearly outlines the role and responsibilities of the support worker, the lecturer and the student.Great Southern Institute of Technology

will have a responsibility to:1. Provide the agency and

student with the Support Worker Form outlining the support worker’s roles and responsibilities, student responsibilities and trainer/assessor responsibilities.2. Provide the support worker with

Safety and Health Visitor Guidelines.Please contact the DLO if you have any

queries regarding these arrangements or support arrangements in general for students in your classes.

New protocols for support workers


Group gears up with industry supportFive local automotive repair companies have shown real support for up-and-coming mechanics by donating six automatic transmissions for teaching VET in Schools students at the institute.In the automotive

workshop, the youngsters set about stripping down the transmissions and reassembling them under the guidance of Lecturer Ray Closel.Ray said the students

were an enthusiastic group who were putting into practice the theory they had learnt in the classroom.“It’s excellent having real

equipment for them to work on,” Ray said.“We are very grateful to

the businesses for their generosity and support of our students.”

Absorbed in their work are Dakota Green and Skye Howden.

Kane Mackenzie and Reilon Clark have fun while learning.

Emerson Cummins-Green and Darcey Butterly take their transmission apart.


Noongar people describe the seasons differently to European people as they believe the land has its own rhythms.Local Menang people have

traditionally acknowledged six seasons.

Birak – December to January.Bunuru – February to March.Djeran – April to MayMakuru – June to JulyDjilba – August to SeptemberKambarang – October to November

This month, The Gazette continues a series of articles on the characteristics of each Noongar season with the fourth season of the year – Makuru.

Makuru

The coldest and wettest time of the year, Makuru is characterised by strong winds, warm days and cold nights, and occasional snow on the Stirling and Porongurup peaks.Traditionally, the Noongar people would

travel inland from the coastal areas to more sheltered land.So the focus of their hunting changed

from the sea and estuaries to the rivers, for black bream and mulloway washed down from the higher country, and to the land, where yongas (kangaroos) and koomals (possums) were in abundance.

These animals were hunted for their warm skins as well as for their nutritious red meat.Swans, in their moulting season, were

unable to fly, so these also made good prey.Fire was significant in Makuru. Not only

was it relied upon for warmth and cooking, but it was also valued for hunting and driving game, for signalling, and as a gathering place for company and comfort.The blue flowers of the Leschenaultia and

the scarlet banksia at the start of Makuru were followed by the whites of the weeping peppermint later in the season.

The Banksia Coccinea

Kangaroos, prized for their skins and meat, were fat and ready for hunting.

The red flowers of the Banksia Coccinea marked the start of the season.


SeedsOF SUSTAINABILITY

Twenty Education Support students learnt a lot about recycling, sustainability and excursion planning on their visit to the Albany Waste and Resource Education (AWARE) Centre at the Albany Tip on Tuesday 19 May. Cleanaway Education

Officer Bradley Waldron gave an informative talk about what currently goes into our landfill. Many useful resources such as plastic, steel and aluminium, which are ‘locked up’ in landfill, could easily be recycled if we took more care in disposing of them. Bradley showed us

samples of products made from recycled materials. ‘Mod Wood’ is a building product made from recycled plastic and sawdust. Another

interesting product is eWood made from recycled ink cartridges. Education on what can be

put into our recycle bins was enlightening – no lids, soft plastics or silver-lined UHT cartons. Only what is on the sticker

(see page 19) may go in recycle bins. Not all plastic is recyclable – only hard plastics with the numbers 1, 2 3 and 5.This was followed by a

discussion on what students and schools could do to ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’. Zero waste lunches are becoming popular in schools, as is signing up to the WasteWise Schools Program.A pioneer in recycling,

Albany started its Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)

Centre 11 years ago. The MRF currently

processes 10-15 tonnes of product a day collected from kerb-side recycle wheelie bins, which includes 6.5 tonnes of paper products a day – the equivalent of saving 30,000 trees a year. Students were taken on a

tour of the MRF Centre and saw the machinery which processes our recycling, though the trammel – a large tumbler which sorts the rubbish prior to hand sorting of the bottles and cans – was not in operation. An interesting product

generated by the MRF is glass that is crushed on site. This sand-like material is

currently stockpiled and may be used for road production in the future.

Continued on page 19

Students get the tip on recyclingSustainability is on the curriculum for a group of Education Support students.

http://www.wasteauthority.wa.gov.au/programs/waste-wise-schools/

http://www.wasteauthority.wa.gov.au/programs/waste-wise-schools/


Cleanaway’s Bradley Waldron shows the group the crushed glass and explains its potential.

From page 18There is also an opportunity

for this product to be used in landscaping projects such as decorative mulch and in decorative concrete products for driveways and paving.Students also browsed the

‘Fossicker’s Tip Shop’ and saw the e-waste and bulk cardboard disposal areas. All students left educated and enlightened about what they could do to help minimise waste. We hope they will return with school groups in the future. Feedback from the students a

week later was that they had all been more thoughtful about what went into their recycling bins. They have also been challenged to a ‘zero waste lunch day’, with prizes for those who brought no waste. This excursion was embedded

into the units CHCEDS017 Contribute to the health and safety of students, and CHCEDS004 Contribute to organisation and management of classroom or centre.

– Rebecca Lovitt

Only what is on the sticker may go into recycle bins.

The tip on recycling

Top: The group browses Fossickers.

Above: Viewing the possibilities of crushed glass.

Left: Recycled glass used in decorative concrete.


HR NewsWith Paula Pattinson

Positions Advertised• Campus Clerical Assistant Katanning – successful applicant was Sandra Farrell• Lecturer Allied Health – successful applicant was Christie Collis• Director Academic Leadership – successful applicant was Justine Bradney• Lecturer Metal Fabrication – applications closed 20 May, selection process not

yet finalised• Customer Service Officer (job share) – applications closed 21 May, selection

process not yet finalised• Casual Lecturers Skills Development Centre – applications closed 28 May,

selection process not yet finalised• Internal EOI ASL1 and ASL2 Lecturers – applications closed 29 May, selection

process not yet finalised• Lecturer Rural Operations – applications closed 8 June, selection process not

yet finalised• Manager Human Resources – applications closed 8 June, selection process

not yet finalised• Internal EOI Relief Business Systems Officer – successful applicant was

Debbie Williams.

New staffA warm welcome is extended to the following new or recommencing staff:• Wendy Jackson, Casual Café Counterhand• Kevin Gellatly, Casual Lecturer Shearing• Joseph Marchei, Casual Lecturer SDC• Penelope Williams, Casual In-Class Mentor• Sandra Farrell, Campus Clerical Assistant, Katanning• Jillian Lisson, Casual Lecturer Massage• Ann Proudfoot, Casual Lecturer Fee for Service.

Staff exiting• Stephanie Lindesay, Librarian, ceased 29 MayWe wish you every success in your future endeavours, Stephanie, and thank you

for all your hard work at GSIT.

Email [email protected]

Do you have an idea for an article in The Gazette?


Safety First

With Rick Muller

In the past 10 years, Australian companies and public sector organisations have recognised the important of work health and safety (WHS).Business and industry players are

now sending a clear message that training providers need to improve in this area. Institute graduates must not only have

the technical knowledge, but they also must know how to work safely. Directors and ManagersWith hundreds of young people entering vocational training, State Training Providers must ensure safety is an integral part of the curriculum. WHS must be integrated into the structure, process and culture, as well as in plans and budgets.Supervisors and LecturersSupervisors and Lecturers must sell safety by communicating WHS messages in ways specifically tailored to students, such as by using safety stories which engage students and are relevant to issues affecting them. Lecturers must lead by example and not tolerate any student lapse in safety. StudentsStudents need to know that their safety is paramount in any project and they should be encouraged to watch each other’s back where safety is concerned. They must report hazards, incidents, near misses, injuries and illness, and should be encouraged to ask questions about working safely and receive feedback about their WHS performance.

Everyone plays a role in student safety

What’s different about students?Students entering into vocational education will be exposed to the same hazards as adult workers, but they are likely to be inexperienced, immature, and eager to please, leading them to disregard safety procedures. Risks factors for students:• Physical maturitySmall people and young students may be at risk of manual handling injury due to their lack of strength. Muscles are not fully developed until the age of 25.• Lack of experienceStudents may be unfamiliar with the

tasks they are required to perform and misjudge weight, distance or degree of difficulty. They may not pace themselves appropriately for the task and take on too much, leading to muscle strains.• Emotional maturityTo many students, safety is not a

priority. They often display risk-taking attitudes or encourage others in risk-taking behaviour. Students and young workers crave autonomy which might lead them to take short cuts or do things their own way. They also might rush their work to show off to friends or please their instructor. • Students may say they understand

when they do not, due to:- lack of confidence- fear of speaking up (especially if

they’ve already asked for help)- worry about asking a ‘dumb

question’.


This column courtesy of Great Southern Population Health. For more information, phone 9842 7500 (Albany)

or 9821 6287 (Katanning).

Unlike packaged food, café and restaurant food does not have to carry nutritional information. This means that choosing the healthier options may not be obvious, or easy. Most restaurants

are open to making healthier alternatives, all you need to do is ask the right questions and make a few simple changes.

Don't skip mealsPlan your day in advance and don’t skip meals just because you’re eating out that evening.If you avoid eating

you will be hungrier and more likely to overindulge.

Ask questions and make requests• How is the dish

prepared? • What are the main

ingredients? • Can you swap fries

for a salad or roast potatoes?

• Can the dressing be on the side?

Watch your portion size• Order from the menu

instead of the buffet.• Order an entrée size

meal or share a main with a friend.

• Fill up on side orders of salad and

vegetables.• Eat your food slowly

and when you feel full, stop!

• Ask to get your leftovers boxed up to enjoy the next day.

Better choicesPizza – Thin crust

vegetarian over thick-crust meat loversPasta – Entrée size

and a tomato sauce instead of creamy saucePub food – Fish or

chicken over enormous steaksAsian – Stir-fry and

plain rice over deep-fried dishes.

Eat well when dining out

Eating in restaurants can be healthy as well as delicious.

Documents

The gazette june 2015