Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE

GOTAFE 2008 Educational Excellence Awards

2008 is the sixth year that GOTAFE has issued its Excellence Awards in recognition of outstanding individual or team achievement within the Institute.

Four Excellence Awards are granted each year:

Educational Excellence - Teacher /Trainer of the Year
Educational Excellence – Innovative Training
Service and Support Excellence – Process Improvement
Service and Support Excellence – Customer Service

These award categories and the selection criteria parallel those of the
Annual Victorian TAFE Awards. Staff members who win the 2008
GOTAFE Excellence Awards will automatically become the Institute’s
candidates for the Annual Victorian TAFE Awards in 2009.

Each category winner receives a framed certificate of recognition
awarded to them at the Institute Board's annual dinner in December
2008 plus $1,000 of dedicated staff development funding for 2008.

Congratulations to the following staff members who have won the
various categories of the 2008 GOTAFE Excellence Awards.

Educational Excellence - Teacher/Trainer of the Year Award

Kate Gillespie

Teacher - Rural Indigeneous Engagement Pilot

Kate's work with the Rural Indigenous Engagement Pilot clearly demonstrates her extraordinary talents as a teacher. Not even employed by GOTAFE when the program was approved, Kate quickly took on board the objectives of the program, developed an implementation plan, and then put her heart and soul into the recruitment of appropriate students.

Kate has demonstrated exemplary teaching and co-ordination skills in tailoring the program to suit individual student capabilities – with many students having significant and complex learning and personal needs. During the program, Kate managed to engage a diverse range of
stakeholders to support the program including working with various GOTAFE departments, indigenous organisations, government departments and mainstream businesses.

The legacies from her efforts are many. The library of e-learning tools that Kate created for this program will be used by future groups – both Koorie and mainstream. The public speaking experience she organised for her students has provided them with the skills and confidence to interact with their peers, business and community. As further evidence of Kate’s support for others, the guidance that she has provided to a fellow staff member has directly led to this person being offering continuing work within the Institute’s Primary Industries Division in 2009. Without question Kate has exhibited Educational Excellence in all aspects of her teacher and trainer role.

Educational Excellence - Innovative Training Award

Helen Ryan and Maria Ewart

Traineeship Certificate IV in Health (Nursing) project at Kerang Hospital

Helen Ryan and Maria Ewart have been the key players in developing and
delivering an innovative flexible delivery traineeship program for the Certificate IV in Health (Nursing). Challenged by the Director of Nursing at Kerang Hospital to do what other TAFE Institutes had said was impossible – Helen and Maria adapted the traineeship model into a flexible delivery format that reduced the usual classroom theoretical content, increased workforce participation and practice components, and provided onsite classroom facilitation for student support.

Following an inspection of the Hospital’s clinical facilities, the Nurses Board
Victoria granted approval for this training model, and to ensure compliance with AQTF quality mechanisms, all participating students underwent VETASSESS testing regarding their capability to complete the program. There are currently 15 students engaged in the program with the expectation that additional cohorts will commence in 2009.

This model is a significant step forward for the health sector in offering training via a more flexible mode. The strength of the model is that it can be rolled out across the sector at other regional and rural hospitals, and can be duplicated across a wide range of industries. It is a clear demonstration of how GOTAFE can innovatively respond to the needs of industry while at the same time ensuring quality outcomes for the students.

Service and Support Excellence - Process Improvement Award

Narelle Lowe

Employment Pathways Officer

In 2008 GOTAFE opened its Shepparton Technical Education Centre (TEC) which saw 77 students enrol across 8 different pre-apprenticeship programs. Narelle Lowe was appointed as the Employment Pathways Officer responsible for organising structured work placements for TEC students, monitoring their workplacement progress and developing their skills in application, interview and presentation techniques.

Since commencing in this role in January 2008, Narelle has created over 150 work placements for TEC students – with some student having three or four placements throughout the year. She has directly assisted seven students in gaining an apprenticeship, arranged two school-based
apprenticeships, with another eight apprenticeships pending at year’s end. In achieving these remarkable outcomes Narelle has developed an extensive network with the region’s small to medium traditional trade employers, strong links with local secondary schools, and personal bonds with the students and their parents she works with.

Possessing outstanding customer service skills and excellent administrative capabilities, Narelle has set a benchmark for other TECs of how to establish systems and networks to support structured workplacements,
how to increase student participation in tradition trade training, and in particular, how to develop young people so that they can be “work ready” when seeking their future employment prospects.

Service and Support Excellence - Customer Service Award

Multimedia Development Team - Craig Mathisen, Simon Jackson, Jordan Rheese, Rory Collins, Donna Collins, Olivia Black and Kelly Bolte

In 2008 the Multimedia Development Team has excelled in creating products that meet and exceed the expectations of their external and internal clients - and in doing has significantly contributed to enhancing the Institute's reputation.

The commercial products created for external clients provide innovative solutions, are at the leading edge of rich media technology, and have resulted in repeat business from major funding bodies such as the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development, as well as winning national and state-wide industry awards.

At the same time, the Multimedia Development Team has also shown exceptional customer service to internal clients having serviced in excess of 400 requests for educational, multimedia and promotional products during the year. With highly creative and innovative solutions, coupled with being highly responsive and professional, and with the aim and ability to always add value, the Multimedia Team exemplify superior customer service.