December 2011 e-newsletter
In this issue:
South Australia wins five National Training Awards
TAFE SA scooped five awards at the 2011 Australian Training Awards held in Brisbane on Friday, 25 November.
South Australian award recipients include:
- South Australia’s TAFE SA Regional was named Large Training Provider of the Year
- Vanessa Corbell, who trained at the TAFE SA Adelaide North Institute, was named the Vocational Student of the Year
- Dr Lewis Vaughan at TAFE SA Adelaide North Institute won the Silver Prize as runner up for best VET Teacher in Australia
- Murray Bridge Veterinary Clinic was named Small Business of the Year with TAFE SA Adelaide North Institute as their training partner
- Alexander Nikielski was named runner up for Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year. Alexander studies at St Patricks College and TAFE SA Adelaide North Institute is the training provider.
South Australia had ten finalists in this year’s national awards, which is a significant representation of our State.
Through our Skills for All reforms the State Government is committed to increasing the proportion of South Australians with higher level qualifications.
Professor Peter Langridge named 2011 South Australia’s Scientist of the Year
One of the State’s leading scientists, Professor Peter Langridge from the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, has been named South Australia’s 2011 Scientist of the Year.
These awards celebrate the successes of our scientists, showcasing their world-class work and highlighting the contributions they make to science and research, locally, nationally and internationally.
Professor Langridge is the Chief Executive Officer for the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, which plays a key role in driving innovative applications of the plant genomics technology, critical to ensuring global food security.
Australia is regarded as the world leader in this technology due to the work Professor Langridge does. He also provides support and advice to many programs in the developed and developing world, aimed at improving the speed and sophistication of cereal breeding programs.
More information at www.scienceawards.sa.gov.au
$6.4m skills training boost across SA regions
More than 8800 South Australians from 17 regions across the State will undertake training and skills development, worth $6.4 million, through a State Government employment program South Australia Works.
South Australia Works links people with skills and jobs, to industry and employers across the state. They work in partnership with local government and industry to identify and plan for the challenges in improving workforce participation in their communities.
They also increase the ability of local communities to respond effectively and quickly to changes in skills needs and employment opportunities. This flexibility, strong partnerships and local ownership of solutions make the Working Regions program unique.
The program supports the State Government’s commitment to increase participation in learning, training and work, as well as boosting the skills and qualifications of South Australians to meet current and future skills needs.
Indigenous employment on the rise
An Aboriginal Employment Industry Champions Network was established in mid-2010 to drive industry led and owned Aboriginal Employment and Training initiatives. It is supported by seven ‘clusters’ in retail, community services, energy and water, professional services, sport and recreation, advanced manufacturing and hospitality.
Through the Advanced Manufacturing Industry Cluster alone, 69 Aboriginal people will have training opportunities in Certificate II qualifications, including engineering, electrotechnology and sustainable energy. A Retail Industry Cluster project recently had 22 graduates who will go on to work in the retail sector.
The Industry Clusters are one of many State Government initiatives to halve the gap in employment outcomes between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people by 2018. To achieve this, an additional 520 Aboriginal people need to gain and sustain employment each year. All projects include a commitment from employers for sustainable jobs, mentoring, support for participants and cultural competency training for employers.
Become a Skills for All provider
The application process to apply to become a Skills for All provider has now opened and training providers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
A list of successful training providers will be published in April 2012 and will be regularly updated.
Subsidised Training List released
The Subsidised Training List is now also available to training providers seeking to deliver training which will be eligible for subsidy from 1 July 2012.
The list includes more than 1300 selected qualifications, from national training packages and accredited courses deemed to meet the diverse and growing skill needs of individuals and industry.
For more information about becoming a Skills for All provider or about the Subsidised Training list, please visit the Skills for All website.
Helping South Australians capitalise on online opportunities
Families, students and businesses in the Willunga area were among the first in Australia to benefit from faster internet speeds under the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Students will benefit through practical classes delivered via high speed broadband between Willunga High School and TAFE SA.
Willunga had the highest rate of people registering interest to connect to the NBN of 92 per cent - compared to the other four mainland release sites. More than 140 households and businesses have been connected to the NBN as part of a trial since June, and the State Government has supported two programs to equip local people with the skills to take advantage of new opportunities arising from the NBN.
The people of Willunga are driving their own charge into the digital future with a program for small business, which was run by the Willunga Business & Tourism Association and the Southern Success Business Enterprise Centre, with a State Government contribution of $20,000.
Retail Indigenous Training Program wins award
The Regional Indigenous Training Program won the Department of Trade and Economic Development (DTED) Innovation Award at the Advantage SA Regional Awards held recently.
The awards provide an opportunity to celebrate and promote the achievements of groups and organisations that have made a significant contribution to regional South Australia. The Innovation Award recognises those who have introduced new or significantly improved goods or services and/or implemented new or significantly improved processes in the region.
The Regional Indigenous Training Program provides training, work experience opportunities and clear employment pathways into the mining industry for Indigenous people residing in the Far North Region of South Australia.
The program is delivered at Mount Willoughby Station, which is located 151 km north of Coober Pedy and is an Aboriginal owned and operated station of the traditional owner group Antikarinya.
Laureate International Universities to open new international university in Adelaide
South Australia will become home to a fourth university with the State Government granting approval for Laureate Education Asia to establish a private Australian University in Adelaide.
Adelaide was chosen by Laureate International Universities over other states as the location for the University, with a proposed name of Torrens University Australia.
The new institution is only the third private university in Australia. It will deliver academic programs to Australian and international students and will begin classes in 2013.
Laureate universities offer hundreds of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs in fields including architecture, art, business, culinary arts, design, education, engineering, health sciences, hospitality management, information technology, law and medicine.