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prime Your regional TAFE Great Southern Institute of Technology Magazine October 2015 Green alliance Pages 2-3 RTO Code: 2056 Employers smash stereotypes Pages 4-6
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Page 1: Prime sem 2 2015 web

prime

Your regional TAFE

Great Southern Institute of Technology Magazine October 2015

Green alliance

Pages 2-3

RTO Code: 2056

Employers smash stereotypes

Pages 4-6

Page 2: Prime sem 2 2015 web

Welcome to Prime for Semester 2, 2015. This is the fourth edition of our publication, designed to provide an insight into the diversity of our activities.

In this edition, we focus on some of our progressive local employers who have thought outside the square when taking on apprentices – and reaped the rewards with excellent workers.

Active Plumbing, de Jonge Mechanical Repairs and Fletcher International WA show they have no prejudice when it comes to giving people a fair go, placing greater emphasis on enthusiasm and attitude than on traditional practices.

We talk to former digital media student Jeff Cocking, who has made a breakthrough into the competitive world of digital gaming. People all over the world have bought Jeff’s game, which could turn out to be the first of many.

The institute’s lecturing staff travelling beyond the region to deliver training is the subject of our article detailing an alliance with Aboriginal cultural training organisation Terra Rosa.

And the Skills Development Centre’s partnerships with industries and businesses is reflected in its training programs for the environmental organisation Green Skills.

You will discover how Great Southern Institute of Technology can be of service to you, whether you are in business or industry, or a prospective student.

I hope you enjoy reading about our activities.

Chris JonesActing Managing Director

Welcome to Prime Green Army mustered for action Having built strong relationships with many businesses, organisations and major industry players in the Great Southern, the institute’s Skills Development Centre is frequently called upon to deliver specialised training.

Ranging from business skills to industrial tickets, this training can be tailored to any client’s specific needs.

One client with which the centre works closely is the community organisation and environmental technology proponent Green Skills.

Carrying out land restoration and rehabilitation, fauna and flora management, planting, weed control, and vital research, Green Skills is a multi-faceted association which also works to raise community awareness of sustainable practices.

Green Skills State Manager Diane Evers, who is based in Albany, said Green Skills was a not-for-profit organisation which had been in operation for 26 years.

It has been responsible for presenting the well-attended Sustainable Living Expo, in addition to numerous other programs, projects and events – and work safety is paramount for all activities.

To train its staff in vital safe work practices, Skills Development Centre Manager Jan Davidson described how Green Skills contracted the institute to deliver chemical handling, work health and safety, chainsaw operation and industrial white card training to its program participants.

Jan said these were members of a ‘Green Army’ task force carrying out various community projects while gaining experience and practical knowledge to open doors to employment.

The Albany Green Skills branch is one of three – the others are based in Denmark and Perth.

Diane explained the Green Army was a Federal Government initiative, for which Green Skills was contracted to deliver its programs.

“The Green Army is for unemployed youth, to get them working and teach them skills along the way,” Diane said.

The participants of two Green Armies were at a recent training session at the institute’s Albany campus, taking units from the Certificate III in Agriculture.

While learning about chemical spraying and weed control, they eagerly left the classroom to head into nearby bushland, where they

Gabe Mettam examines bush vegetation.

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Page 3: Prime sem 2 2015 web

The arrangement works very well, we’re very pleased to have TAFE there.

Green Army mustered for action

identified weeds and discussed appropriate and safe methods of eradication under the guidance of Horticulture Lecturer Bill Hollingworth and Green Skills Supervisor Sam Haell.

Bill, a nurseryman, is a well-recognised industry professional with experience spanning more than 30 years in commercial plant production, farm forestry, saltland vegetation, wetlands, Landcare projects, agriculture and natural resource management.

Having formerly been a registered training organisation in its own right, Diane said, Green Skills now contracted out this specialised area.

As a strong proponent of environmental sustainability, Great Southern Institute shares an ethos with Green Skills, and supports its projects and initiatives.

“The arrangement works very well, we’re very pleased to have TAFE there,” Diane said.

“All the staff members we work with are incredibly flexible and easy to deal with and they tailor everything to exactly what we need,” she said.

Horticulture Lecturer Bill Hollingworth (left) and Green Skills Supervisor Sam Haell (right) with Josh Rodger and Gabe Mettam.

For more information on tailored training courses through the institute’s Skills Development Centre,

phone 9892 7504.

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Page 4: Prime sem 2 2015 web

The stereotype of a trade apprentice as a young man is changing. There are now more females entering trades traditionally dominated by males, and mature-age apprentices are also increasing in number as people change career.

Behind every female or mature-aged apprentice is an employer who is prepared to think outside the square and give a keen person a fair go, irrespective of their gender or age.

Over the next three pages, three of these local employers discuss their open-minded stance on employment, for which the benefits extend not only to the employees and the business, but also to the wider community.

For Active Plumbing’s Domestic Operations Manager Clint Derrick, choosing the best apprentice has nothing to do with preconceptions.

He is influenced instead by someone who shows they are eager to learn and prepared to work hard.

Clint is impressed first by those who demonstrate a real desire to become a plumber, and he relies to a degree on his rapport with the plumbing lecturers at Great Southern Institute of Technology to identify them.

“Good people are hard to find, so one of our strategies is to find the right apprentice through the pre-

apprenticeship course at TAFE,” Clint explained.

“The lecturers recommend people who perform well and we encourage them to work with us for a day a week, or a week block, so we can get a feel for their attitude and see how they perform.”

It’s clearly a strategy that works.“Those I have found through the pre-

app course have been great,” he said, explaining one had been nicknamed ‘Mustard’ because he was so keen to achieve.“They’re not completely green when they get to us – and the lecturers do a

good job, they know what we expect.”That the company has taken on only

one female apprentice over the years is due not to any policy but to the low number of females wanting to become plumbers.

“I can’t see the difference,” Clint said.

“I would definitely taken on another who was doing well in the pre-app course – I wouldn’t think twice,” he said.

Machines and a maintenance crew now do the heavy lifting which was once involved in the job, so females are not precluded from performing the duties.

Clint also readily employs mature-age apprentices, one of whom – Murray Cameron – was a winner in Active’s in-house competition for apprentices from its branches in Perth, Albany, Bunbury and Geraldton.

Clint is a strong advocate of providing opportunities to anyone who shows effort and determination, and helping them to reap the rewards.

“Once they join us, it doesn’t matter who they are, they learn from quality tradespeople and enjoy the benefits of a good trade,” Clint said. “When they’re keen and excited, it’s a pleasure to take them – they’re an asset to our company.”

First-year apprentice Mark ‘Mustard’ Mantell, Manager Clint Derrick and second-year, mature-age apprentice Murray Cameron.

Feature continues on page 5

Progressive employers are reaping rewards

Active Plumbing

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Page 5: Prime sem 2 2015 web

Fletcher International WA

For workers at Fletcher International WA, moving from the high wages of the production areas to take a trade apprenticeship can impact on their finances.

But still good numbers of existing staff at one of the region’s largest employers apply for apprenticeships every year, recognising a trade qualification can set them up for life.

General Manager Greg Cross acknowledged the sacrifice, saying almost all of the company’s apprentices were taken from the current workforce. Some waited for up to two years for their chance and many were well above school-leaving age when they started.

“Our focus is on rewarding those who are loyal to the company,” Greg said.

A major advantage of training the company’s own staff is their familiarity with the equipment specific to the plant.

“Because of our specialised machinery, we need specialised tradespeople,” Greg explained.

“So taking apprentices from the existing workforce means they already have an understanding of the intricacies of the equipment, the cost of downtime and the importance of maintenance and breakdown prevention,” he said.

Over the past 17 years, almost since the company

opened, the Narrikup-based meat processor has trainedapprentices, including females and mature-aged people, in various trades including electrotechnology, engineering and plumbing.

The company’s policy of equal opportunity is clearly demonstrated in the selection of males and females of allages, and this extends to apprentices.

“Age is no barrier – some people are attracted to a trade a bit later in life simply because they haven’t had the opportunity before,” Greg said.

He said four apprentices over the past few years had been females and they had performed as well as the males.

This is due not only to the quality of their on-the-job training, but also to the support they receive from their lecturers at Great Southern Institute of Technology.

“Feedback from all our apprentices has been exceptional, and our communication with the institute is excellent,” Greg said.

He advises other business operators to be open-minded about apprentices.

“It’s a training investment all businesses should consider,” Greg said.

Apprentice boilermaker Ben Moulton, General Manager Greg Cross, electrical apprentice Racheal Cross and plumbing and gasfitting apprentice Steven Warrington.

Feature continues on page 6

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Page 6: Prime sem 2 2015 web

Over the past 20 years of running his own automotive workshop, Paul de Jonge has always employed apprentices.

In his experience, it is mostly young men who look at making their way in the trade.

But when Kayla Stoney attended de Jonge Mechanical Repairs on a work placement from high school as a 17-year-old, Paul was so impressed with her enthusiasm for the trade and her competence in every task, he offered her an apprenticeship.

His reward for being open-minded about people he employs is having a first-class staff member who is repaying his investment with excellent work and attitude, and an intention to stay on once she gains her trade certificate.

Paul is a firm believer in helping young people to enter a trade, which can be the making of them.

“It’s a tough time for those between 17 and 20,” Paul said.

“They’re getting their licence and finding their way in the world, so they need to be given opportunities,” he said.

Paul provides work experience for up to three high school students each semester, giving them a taste of a career as a mechanic.

“If they’re not ready for an apprenticeship, I advise them to do the pre-apprenticeship course at TAFE and get more experience,” Paul said.

He enjoys a good rapport with the institute’s lecturers, who nominated

Kayla for a course award for best performance in her class two years ago.

Their teaching upholds the high standard of his apprentices, Paul said.

“I’ve employed seven or eight apprentices over 20 years, and most of them have been fantastic,” he said.

“It’s a very positive experience taking people from school and seeing how they mature and turn into good tradespeople.”

He said he would not hesitate to employ more females if they

displayed keenness and aptitude, as Kayla had.

Paul’s customers initially showed surprise at a teenage girl working on their vehicle, but they were supportive and having gained their trust, Kayla no longer raises eyebrows.

“Having Kayla here has been all positive,” Paul said.

“She is the first female apprentice we’ve had, but there’s no reason not to employ others, because with modern equipment, there’s no heavy lifting in the job any more.”

Apprentice mechanic Kayla Stoney with Paul de Jonge.

The Department of Training and Workforce Development is offering scholarships for women in non-traditional trades. Up to 100 scholarships are available in 2016.

Applications close on 31 October.See the Great Southern Institute of Technology website or phone 9892 8888.

de Jonge Mechanical Repairs

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Page 7: Prime sem 2 2015 web

When Jeff Cocking enrolled in the Diploma of Interactive Digital Media at Great Southern Institute of Technology in August last year, he was keen to hone his skills in digital gaming. But he did not expect that within a year, people all over the world would be buying his first game.

Jeff made the breakthrough into the competitive digital gaming market when his lively strategy game Defend the Highlands was picked up by renowned UK company Kiss.

And just a few weeks after its release in July, it has been bought by about 300 people as far away as the UK and US, all pitting their wits against crafty characters created by the budding Albany developer.

Jeff’s offbeat sense of humour and meticulous attention to detail come to the fore in the game, in which players unlock objects for attack, defence and fuel, and earn currency.

Defend the Highlands is set in Scotland, where the locals fight off invaders from England, Wales and Ireland using fearsome weapons such as haggis, porridge bowls, golf clubs, cheese wheels and turnips.

The enemies must destroy the fuel supplies – the oat fields for making porridge – while attacking the Scots with a terrifying arsenal including teapots and potatoes, and give a wide berth to the vomiting Scotsmen at the whisky bars. In the second half of the 20 levels of increasing difficulty, the Scots take the battle to their enemies in England, where settings include subway stations and landmarks such as Stonehenge and Buckingham Palace.

Leading the band of Scotsmen is the fearsome Alfredo – a Scotsman with a Latin name being part of the satire.

Jeff said the game took five to six hours in story mode, and there was plenty of replay value in skirmish mode.

He explained the first three months after the game went on the market were in the ‘early access’ phase.

This is a vital time when people who play the game are invited to give feedback, allowing the developer to iron out any bugs and make suggested improvements.

He has responded to players’ suggestions and learnt from the experience.

“It’s a cut above where it was before,” Jeff said.

On 6 November, though, the game goes to ‘full release’, when the marketing push really starts. Then Jeff will judge the gamers’ reception of the finished product by the volume of sales.

The sales will also determine whether he will proceed with his planned sequel, in which the Scots travel the globe in helium airships shaped like giant bagpipes, building haggis factories to feed themselves and encountering cultural stereotypes in far-flung places.

“A sequel relies on the popularity of the original, so I want to see where it is going before I dive too far into it,” Jeff said.

Proving his ongoing proclivity for the ridiculous – and an enduring fondness for Scottish satire – Jeff said he was now working on another action game featuring protagonist Ronald McScotland, a Jamaican in a kilt of Rasta colours.

“The Scottish Aeronautics and Space Administration is attacked by a mysterious evil organisation, and Ronald and his best friend Meredith go on a quest to track down and defeat this secret organisation,” Jeff explained.

“It’s another silly, light-hearted game, which is the best way to go for an independent developer,” he said.

With the experience from the first project under his belt, Jeff expects future forays into the gaming market to run smoother.

“I know what I need to plan for as I go,” he said.The institute’s Design and Media Lecturer Paul Kelly said

having the game published had been a huge result for Jeff.“It’s a really positive outcome – a first for this institute,

and I suspect it might also be a first for Albany,” Paul said. “I’m proud of him and in awe of what he has achieved –

it’s a testament to his hard work.”The game trailer is on Jeff’s website at kiltedcamel.

com and Defend the Highlands is available for purchase through the popular gaming site Steam.

Gamedevelopermeans business

For more information on digital media courses at Great Southern Institute of Technology, phone 9892 8795.

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Page 8: Prime sem 2 2015 web

While most of Great Southern Institute of Technology’s business is conducted within the region, some courses are delivered in distant parts of Western Australia, in other States and even offshore.

These are often under an auspice agreement, where an organisation’s own qualified lecturers deliver the institute’s courses under the guidance of staff based in the Great Southern.

A recent agreement which will further expand the institute’s reach – and give remote Aboriginal people qualifications to recognise their skills – was with Terra Rosa Consulting, a company which delivers a suite of Indigenous services and cultural training for Traditional Owner groups.

The collaborative project will start next month, when the institute’s Principal Lecturer Ray Tuckey travels to Fremantle to deliver

the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to a group of Terra Rosa Consulting staff.

Once qualified, these people will then deliver a range of courses to Aboriginal mining company employees in remote areas of the Pilbara and Kimberley.

While delivering these courses, which include the Certificate III in Aboriginal Sites Work and Certificate III in Indigenous Land Management, the staff will be supported by the institute’s Conservation and Land Management Lecturer Leah Goodrem.

Leah, who was instrumental in bringing the arrangement to fruition through her industry networks, will make the trip from Albany periodically and deliver training alongside Terra Rosa staff.

Leah said she was looking forward to seeing the Aboriginal people in the north-west recognised for the skills and knowledge passed on to them by previous generations.

“It’s different up there as all training is done in the field, and we will be working with anthropologists and archaeologists,” Leah said.

“All the Terra Rosa people have worked with Indigenous people and they encourage Aboriginal Elders to pass on their skills – it’s more family oriented,” she said.

“It’s exciting for us because we will have the privilege of sharing their knowledge.”

Primary Industries Manager Neil Binning said the agreement positioned the institute as a strong, state-wide industry player in the delivery of conservation and land management courses. “The remoteness of Terra Rosa’s clients makes it an exciting challenge,” Neil said.  

For more information on Primary Industries courses at Great

Southern Institute of Technology, phone 9892 8888.

Trainer heads up to North WestPrimary Industries Manager Neil Binning, Lecturer Leah Goodrem and Principal Lecturer Ray Tuckey are keenly anticipating the delivery of training in remote areas of the Pilbara and Kimberley.

Your regional TAFE

FREECALL 1800 675 781www.gsit.wa.edu.au


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