Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE

Victorian Training Awards 2009

2009 Finalists

Victorian Client Services/Support Excellence - Narelle Lowe

In January 2008 GOTAFE established a new Shepparton Technical Education Centre (TEC). The TEC provides Year 10, 11 and 12 students job-ready skills and genuine workplace training, allowing them to fast-track their way to a trade qualification and quickly progress to a career.

Employment Pathways Officer, Narelle Lowe, has been a valuable asset for the Shepparton TEC, providing support for all TEC students and employers in the Goulburn Valley and surrounding areas. She has been the key to matching individual students with prospective employers and then supporting the transition of young people from full time education and training to full time employment.

Students graduating from the Shepparton TEC exit with a senior or intermediate VCAL (which is equivalent of VCE) and a Certificate II in the trade area of their choice. The Certificate II is designed to provide students with up to 12 months advanced standing against an apprenticeship.

Where possible, the Institute delivers these programs in partnership with regional Secondary Schools, with the schools providing the necessary literacy, numeracy and personal development subjects and GOTAFE providing the technical subjects and workplace training opportunities. Where such an arrangement is not possible, GOTAFE delivers the entire program.

Victorian Client Services/Support Excellence - GOTAFE Multimedia Team

The GOTAFE Multimedia Development Team is committed to excellence in the delivery of Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs and services for students, employers and industry on projects at a national, state and local level.

The Multimedia Team achieves this through the development of marketing and learning resources for the Institute and the development of educational, training and promotional products for businesses and industry. Whether internal or external, the products created by the Multimedia Team provide innovative solutions for customers that have consistently exceeded client expectation.

Two pertinent examples in demonstrating the team's commitment to excellence in the delivery of VET are the development of externally funded projects, with a focus on education and employment outcomes. Both projects won Australian Industry Awards in 2008. This is recognition of the high standard of customer service, process and product development.

Victorian Training Initiative of the Year - Helen Ryan and Maria Ewart

In 2008 Kerang District Health was experiencing significant difficulties attracting and retaining nursing staff. This skill shortage, coupled with increasing workplace pressures meant that the Hospital was at serious risk of not being able to meet patient medical needs.

Compounding these issues further was the fact that Kerang and surrounding areas have a signifi cant ageing population which is having an impact on health services and creating the demand for more qualifi ed and skilled nursing staff. In realising the seriousness of the matter, Kerang District Health Director of Nursing Margaret Kendrick approached GOTAFE to discuss a potential solution.

GOTAFE Nursing Manager, Helen Ryan, and Industry Sales Consultant, Maria Ewart, developed a customised model of training to meet the specific needs of the Hospital using a flexible delivery model and traineeships which was presented to and approved by the Victorian Nurses Board. Flexible delivery of nursing training and qualifications is radical for this industry where nursing education has always been delivered via traditional educational methods, ie class room based/face-to-face delivery with student placement (work placement). This flexible delivery model has the potential to revolutionize education and training in the nursing sector.

The flexible Certificate IV in Nursing model provides a potential solution to nursing skills shortages via the provision of an holistic recruitment, training and employment model, and ensures that students are more highly skilled and experienced than their class room trained counterparts.