THE LEARNING POWERHOUSE: Sustaining the Spark
Friday, 10 August 2007

Session details

Webcast Session

Partnerships & Entrepreneurships

Diverse Delivery Sustains the Spark

Workshop
Session 2

Christina Sykiotis
Head Teacher Music, TAFE NSW Hunter Institute

Les Hall
Teacher, TAFE NSW Hunter Institute

Jane Groeneveld
Head Teacher Music, TAFE NSW Hunter Institute

The Music Department at TAFE NSW Hunter Institute has a hands-on policy when it comes to satisfying Learning Outcomes and Competencies. We aim to have our students involved with community groups, and we liaise closely with our Industry partners and other Faculties. This provides great learning experiences for our students. Our partners have included Access and Equity at Hunter Institute’s Maitland Campus (running workshops for Aboriginal youth), New England Institute's Boggabilla campus (collecting musical equipment for at risk students), Outreach projects for at risk groups and currently Wesley Mission (running a song-writing workshop). Newcastle Music Week – a staff run student based project provides a multitude of networking and hands on experiences for all students. We also run projects simultaneously with other sections.

In this workshop we will discuss some of these relationships, how they developed and the challenges and rewards to be gained from developing these partnerships and relationships.

Going Offshore - please return to sender

Presentation
Session 2

David Riordan
Chief Executive Officer, DET International Business Office

Peter Holden
Business Development Manager DET International Business Office

Managing VET projects off-shore is often considered a high risk, low return exercise. This presentation aims to quantify the benefits to TAFE NSW of being involved in off-shore projects and illustrates both positive and negative aspects through a series of case studies.
The case studies indicate that the benefits include: for TAFE NSW the development and expansion of international networks, financial returns on investment, increased profile for TAFE NSW as a destination for study as an international student, partnerships with other NSW agencies and businesses which lead to local training opportunities, and partnerships with NSW higher education institutions. Teacher and managers gain an increased cultural awareness, improved project management skills, wider career and promotion opportunities, and a stronger affinity with students from different cultural backgrounds and opportunity to develop their teaching and learning pedagogy and explore innovations in education and training.

- Going Offshore - please return to sender

The Toowoomba International Student Exchange Scholarship (TISES) programme

Lead Presentation
Session 4

Daniel Abad
Busines Strategies, South Queensland Institute of TAFE

The Toowoomba International Student Exchange Scholarship (TISES) programme developed in 2000 -2001 as a partnership between the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE (SQIT), Downs Group Training (DGT), the Australian Culinary Federation (ACF) and the "Lycee Regional Hotelier et de Tourisme de Nice" on the French Riviera. The program enabled promising Toowoomba Cookery apprentices to further develop their skills and maximise their career opportunities in their chosen field. This paper will outline the project, the development of the partnership, the rewards and challenges of such an undertaking, and the future of the partnership.

- The Toowoomba International Student Exchange Scholarship (TISES) programme

Negotiating Intellectual Property in partnerships

Presentation
Session 5

Sam Meredith
Project Manager/Head Teacher TAFE NSW Riverina Institute

Dave Fischl
Partner, Hickons

The New England Institute has developed some partnerships with multimedia developers to co-develop eLearning resources. This has proved to be cost effective when the intellectual property and the commercial return is shared between NEI and the external developer - a novel concept in TAFE NSW. This presentation will outline a legal framework for TAFE NSW Institutes to partner with external providers such as multimedia developers and programmers to maximise benefits and outcomes for the partners. It will provide details of a Collaboration Agreement developed by DET Legal Services Unit and Hicksons for TAFE NSW New England Institute. This Agreement covers such issues as commercialisation of intellectual property - including licensing, royalties and pre-existing intellectual property.

- Negotiating Intellectual Property in Partnerships

Rural Partnerships: working for the NSWRFS

Presentation
Session 4

Peter Redman
Project Manager/Head Teacher TAFE NSW Riverina Institute

Faye Dorczak
Head Teacher, TAFE NSW Riverina Institute

Tania Brine
Strategic Services Officer, NSW Rural Fire Service

In 2000 staff from Cootamundra Campus responded to an enquiry from a staff member from the NSW RFS for training in Report Writing. Since then the relationship between TAFENSW Riverina Institute and the NSWRFS has developed into a strong partnership that includes Institute staff seconded to the NSWRFS to support their training needs and programs up to Diploma level as well as joint professional development functions. A specialized training unit for Management training in Emergency Services was set up by Cootamundra Campus to support the on-going client relationship. The presentation will outline the development of the relationship highlighting the challenges and rewards of the project.

- Rural Partnerships: working for the NSWRFS

Literacy and health: Effective partnerships in VET

Presentation
Session 5

Dr Stephen Black
Head Teacher ABE, TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute, Meadowbank College

Jann Dillon
Head Teacher TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute

This presentation reports on a current National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) study of partnerships involving language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) providers and various industry sectors. The focus in this paper is on the health sector in New South Wales. First, the presentation outlines recent policy directions in the adult literacy and numeracy field which include: a focus on cross-sectoral partnerships, whole-of-government approaches, integrated language, literacy and numeracy, and community-based provision. This is followed by an outline of the range of LLN/health partnership programs in NSW and a description of several of the key elements of these programs. The second part of the presentation features a case study of one effective program involving the General Education section at Blue Mountains TAFE in partnership with a community agency providing a drug and alcohol program for recovering clients.

- Literacy and health: Effective partnerships in VET

Corporate relationship building

Presentation
Session 5

Francesca Saccaro
Director TAFE NSW National Business

Carl Thompson
Project Manager, Competency Development, Country Energy

Lara Blackwell
TAFE NSW, Country Energy Training Partnership Co-ordinator

TAFE NSW and Country Energy have implemented a major training initiative that involves the skill enhancement of over 2000 staff within Country Energy over the next two years. The focus of the initiative is to provide skill recognition and training in a range of skill areas. This presentation will outline the background to this project, what we have learned, and the challenges for TAFE NSW and Country Energy. We will present a model of partnership development and service delivery that addresses the needs of major clients, particularly in the areas of coordination, administration and contact

- Corporate relationship building

MyStory- a community approach to developing literacy, utilizing digital technology

Presentation
Session 4

David Grainger
Head Teacher, General Education, TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute

Paul McIver
Teacher, Digital Media, TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute

All of us have a story or three within us, but not necessarily the skills or the confidence to write/create a story. This presentation will discuss two literacy initiatives. MyStory, a community web space created to be a repository and publication space for people from all walks of life to write and share their own stories was established to encourage writing and to feed the needs of many ‘reluctant’ readers to find stories that they find ‘authentic’ and close to home. MyStory has worked to encourage literacy and already there is a flow on effect for the authors’ families and friends as they check out the stories that have been written by members of their family or friends. In addition a Volunteer Literacy Tutor Network is being developed to support the needs of clients and others who either express a need to develop their skills and/or wish to write stories. The network will also be available to industry and support agencies [eg libraries, CRS, Job Networks] as well as to community bodies. Both initiatives have overlaps and carry over beyond the walls of formal learning institutions that many will never enter.

- MyStory- a community approach to developing literacy, utilizing digital technology

Converging technologies and Industry partnership

Presentation
Session 5

Franco Salaun
Program Manager, TAFE NSW Business Arts &Information Technology Curriculum Centre

Technology convergence is an increasing phenomena particularly in the telecomunications and IT areas. Technicians working in these areas are increasingly using skills that cross theTelecomunication/IT training boundaries and training package rules. This presentation outlines the challenges for RTOs and Industry in providing and accessing industry relevant training to address the skill shortages in convergent skill areas through a case study of the development of the Halogen Academy and TAFE NSW partnership and the development of a model to address the issues. This partnership presents a winning solution that provides industry with current and relevant training and TAFE is resourced by industry to meet the training needs and gains commercial revenue.

- Converging technologies and Industry partnership

Automotive Partnership in Sydney's Heartland

Presentation
Session 1

Michael Cochrane
Head Teacher, Automotive TAFE NSW, Western Sydney Institute

Teachers in the Automotive Section at Blacktown College established a partnership with the Heartland Holden Group to meet the present and future staffing needs of Heartland Holden. The strategy developed involves training delivered at the College and on-site at the Heartland Holden Head Office and their dealerships across Western Sydney. TAFE teachers deliver a broad range of underpinning knowledge and skills to the students and this allows the industry trainer to concentrate on specific product knowledge in the workplace. Through this strategy, Heartland Holden can now beter match training with job requirements for each apprentice, apprentices now spend less time off the job, resulting in better productivity for the company and quicker skills acquisition by the apprentices and teachers report that a high standard of training outcomes is being achieved.Heartland Holden are now keen to provide a clear training pathway for each of their employees from entry level through to the Diploma of Automotive Technology.

In this presentation, the teachers will describe how this industry partnership was established, the current successful arrangements for training and assessment and how they have built on this success in other delivery areas. Time will be provided for discussion with participants, including how this model may apply to other sections and contexts

- Automotive Partnership in Sydney's Heartland

Malabugilmah: turning wastewater into resourcewater

Presentation
Session 5

Roy Hatfield
Institute Aboriginal Coordinator, North Coast Insitute

Alan Booter
Community Representative

Paul Hodson
Teacher, North Coast Institute

The North Coast Institute provided VET programs for a Malabugilmah Aboriginal community project located
on the Clarence Valley Way, 50 kms south of Tabulam. The project was to develop the village’s
recreation areas with recovered and resuscitated wetland areas and establish a state of the art waste
water treatment and re-use system to be installed, operated and maintained by the community. This
presentation will outline the process to achieving the multiple outcomes of this project. The process and approach involved significant consultation and resulted in delivery on the agreed flexible learning and assessment strategies to meet individual and group delivery and assessment opportunities. A high level of engagement was achieved by developing unique working partnership; valuing, respecting each other and committing to the long term. The project addressed environmental concerns, health issues; poor community facilities and limited educational and employment opportunities. Primarily the project created employment and skills development for the residents of Malabugilmah.

How do we best build our professional connectivity, currency and credibility in the changing VET climate?

Workshop
Session 4

Kevin Heyes
President, TAFE NSW Manager Association. Faculty Director Vocational Access, South Western Sydney institute

Helen Kam
TAFE NSW Managers Association, Northern Sydney Institute

The Aim of this workshop is to provide intersted participants with information about the objectives and current operation of the TAFE NSW Managers Association. Further to invite discussion on ways that the Association might improve its operation to better serve its memebrs interests, staff and students of TAFE in the changing VET climate.

What prioritites should we be adressing and how can we best make a difference in a sustaining way? How can we best address succession processes, and build more meaningful partnerships? What should we be doing and learning on the local, regional, national and international fronts? How can we influence funding, ethical and cultural change in a positive way? What expectations might we have for the Assocation by 2010?

THE LEARNING POWERHOUSE: Sustaining the Spark Friday, 10 August 2007

Session details

THE LEARNING POWERHOUSE: Sustaining the Spark
Friday, 10 August 2007