Staff Spotlight – Sai Kommineni
Expanded course offerings are helping attract teachers as well as students.
It if wasn’t for GOTAFE’s IT expansion into Seymour, Sai Kommineni may not have found his passion for teaching.
After joining a new cohort of Certificate III in Information Technology (ICT30120) students at the Wallis Street Campus this year, Sai has been impressed with the dedication of the group thus far.
“This is a new role for me as well, just like them doing the course here,” Sai said.
“I really feel like we’ve got a really good batch (of students) at Seymour, they’re really enthusiastic.”
Based in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, Sai can already see great things happening in the Seymour region when it comes to IT.
“Getting them to have an interest in IT and (help) them to understand how it works in the real world, it’s so fulfilling for me and seeing them enthusiastic makes my day so far,” Sai said.
“It’s really a good role and you wouldn’t get this sort of satisfaction when you work in corporate, I believe.
“I like Seymour and I’m still doing part time only so Monday and Tuesday on site, so I’m still living (in Melbourne).
“Once I get more opportunities here (I think) I’d be happy to move to Seymour.”
Many of his class have shifted to studying at Seymour because it offers them less travel, saving on costs and eventually providing greater workplace relevance for local businesses once they attain their qualification.
“I believe that this will encourage more of the people in Seymour to come here instead because (people) may think that it is a block for them when there is a long bit of distance, because it’s going to take a lot of time out of their day,” Sai said.
“When they have access to the education here itself it’s going to encourage an increase in students and help IT (in Seymour) grow.”