developing innovative pre accredited courses to create new pathways for learners

Developing innovative pre accredited courses to create new pathways for

learners

Copywright Wendy Hiam 2011 2

Quotes to inspire actionEducation is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Nelson Mandela

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

Benjamin Franklin

He who opens a school door, closes a prison.

Victor Hugo

Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

Malcolm Forbes

It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.

Robert Green Ingersoll


Motivation

Why do people come to be part of their local

Neighbourhood Houses?


Why do people come to their Neighbourhood Houses?

• Personal Development (art/Yoga)• Professional development towards getting

a job (Skills development- Computer class)• Interaction with others/company• To give their children social opportunities

through child care/activities• To give back to the community through

Volunteering


What can we offer?

• Affordability• People and needs driven courses• Flexibility to create new options for our

community• Friendly inclusive and non-threatening

learning environments• Small class sizes for personal attention• What else to we have that is unique to us?


Fee for Service activities for Personal Development (not ACFE funded)

• Fitness classes such as Yoga & Strength Training • Art, painting and craft• E bay, digital photo management• Cooking workshops • Self development short courses (assertiveness)• Singing and Music• Any classes for people with a disability for social or

personal development• Children’s classes• Support Groups


Short List of your Fee for Service Classes

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ACFE LearnersACFE funded Learners are...

• Parents returning to work after raising children

• New Migrants or CALD learners building their employability skills

• Those wanting a career change

• Adults of varying abilities looking at employment possibilities

• Small business needing information courses

• People wanting to ‘up skill’ to obtain employment


List some of your ACFE funded classes

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What can Learn Local organizations do to meet

Learner needs?


Gather information-research the local area

Partner with other Houses and Organisations where possible

Look at what you already offer

Decide what would be easy to offer (Tutor and course proven)

Tweak’ existing units to become pathway or introductory courses


Think creatively about how to market the classes. e.g. social networking or joint brochures or flyersBrainstorm possible ‘taster’ classes with others to identify ‘link’ courses

Organise industry consultants to help with the A Frames so they are relevant and useful

Adapt accredited units to a base level and combine this ‘core’ with specific industry skills and knowledge


When researching for the Knox ACE Quality Pre accredited project information was derived from a variety of sources. These included Government web sites, University based research findings on Health and wellbeing, employment figures and information for the Knox area.

Research on employment options and pathways were collected on the industry and employment types we thought we could service through Pre accredited short courses or “tasters” of what it was like to work in the industry.

Research


Quality Pre Accredited Project 2010-Links to useful statistical information on employment opportunities in Victoria

www.annualreport.deewr.gov.au-2009 Department of Education, Employment and Workplace relations

www.workplace.gov.au General jobs information

www.lgjobs.com.au Local government jobs

www.workplace.gov.au Survey of Employers Recruitment experiences

http://joboutlook.gov.au Career & Job information

www.voced.edu.au VOCED is a free research database for technical and vocational education and training. It is international in scope and contains over 39,000 English language records many with links to full text documents. Below are links to related sites. www.ncver.edu.au The national Centre for Vocational Education Research & is Australia’s principal provider of research & statistics on Vocational education & Training

www.ibisworld.com.au Health and beauty Industry statistics

www.myfuture.edu.au Statistics on most industries including the skills requirements

http://www.annualreport.deewr.gov.au-2009/

http://www.workplace.gov.au/

http://www.lgjobs.com.au/

http://www.workplace.gov.au/

http://joboutlook.gov.au/

http://www.voced.edu.au/

http://www.ncver.edu.au/

http://www.ibisworld.com.au/

http://www.myfuture.edu.au/

Copywright Wendy Hiam 2011

Employment areas with good employment prospects included Community Services areas•Children’s Services•Aged care• Disability Work •Community Services workProspects remained good for Allied health and business industries such as•Medical administration•Reception•Office administration• Bookkeeping•PayrollHealth and Wellbeing industries which were expected to keep employing•Massage (including specialist areas like Reflexology and Sports Massage)•Naturopathy•Beauty and Hair dressing


What link can Pre accredited offer between levels of learning?

Pre accredited

• Basic industry skills and knowledge

• Employability Skills• Use of industry

‘consultants’ to develop taster or short courses to maintain ‘integrity’ of information

Accredited

• Nationally Recognized Training and qualifications

• Employment• Career enhancement

possibilities


Steps to creating pre accredited courses to meet local and industry needs

1. Understanding your local demographics

2. What industries are in your area and further away?

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http://www.veezzle.com/photo/449798/friends

http://www.veezzle.com/photo/501234/Gardening-4


3. Which industries are growing and likely to

need trained Staff in the near future?

4. Can you develop classes which feed into and

support accredited classes?

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http://www.veezzle.com/photo/132542/Students-working


Steps to creating pre accredited courses to meet local and industry needs

1. Gain an understanding of your local demographics-Who are your learners and what do they want?

2. What are the industries in your area and further afield which are hiring Staff?

3. Which industries are growing and likely to need trained Staff in the near future?

4. If you offer Accredited Nationally Recognised Training can you develop classes which feed into and support these classes?

5. What do you currently offer which may be improved and adjusted to become a “Pathway” course for further learning?

6. What can we offer which is not covered at accredited level?


Possible Courses to be developed to meet the criteria:20 hours-Pre accredited level-leading to learning Pathway & Employment-Examples

Pre accredited course More pre accredited training, Accredited Training or employment

Medical Terminology Course +Customer Service, IT skills, Communication skills specific OHS Cert III in Business/IT or Job as a Medical Receptionist

Introduction to Massage+ Administration(Small business specific) Pathways to Allied Health-Personal Care Attendant/Physio or Podiatrist Assistant/own business

Administration/IT/Communication/OHS(Community House Volunteer Training) Community Education Administration Support. Including Vetrak /RTO compliance/Working with volunteers/training in Community House related policies and procedures Governance Course (for Committee of Management) Business Courses/meetings/ramifications and support (package to present to Council which would also include elements of sustainability) Allied Health Package (Reflexology/massage/aromatherapy/skin care) Certificate III and 4 Complementary and Alternative Health (HLT07)

Introduction to Horticulture, gardening short courses, admin (specific) Certificate IV in Horticulture or employment in a nursery or gardening based business


A selection of Pre accredited Courses developed in the Knox Houses using this process

• Introduction to Children’s Services (ESL supported)

• Introduction to Horticulture• Introduction to Diversional Activities• Short Course in Office Administration• Introduction to Alternative Therapies• Introduction to Training• Introduction to Working in Media/Film making


Steps to a new ACFE funded Pre accredited Course

1. Decide what would be suitable for your organization to offer and what you have existing resources to support

2. Using Accredited Course information (Training Packages for that industry) work out what are the most basic elements you can use to create a pre accredited pathway version

3. For example the Occupational Health and Safety Information is something Learners will have to know. This sort of information will form the base of your class

4. Then select the industry specific information which will improve their industry knowledge

5. Ensure you are embedding employability Skills into your course


Brainstorming Activity

1. Think of 2 classes running at pre accredited level

2. For each class think which job or Training would be the next step

3. Think creatively about how you can “package” individual pre accredited classes to become Introductory or pathway short courses including employability skills

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Table 1 Common elements of various listings of generic skills• Basic/fundamental Skills: such as literacy, numeracy, using technology• People-related skills: such as communication, interpersonal, teamwork, customer service skills• Conceptual/thinking skills: such as collecting and organising information, problem solving, planning and organising, learning-to-learn skills, thinking innovatively and creatively, systems thinking• Personal skills and attributes: such as being responsible, resourceful and flexible, being able to manage one’s own time, having self-esteem• Business skills: such as innovation skills, enterprise skills• Community skills: such as civic or citizenship knowledge and skills.(Gibb 2004) Source :Employability Skills from Frame work to practice- Australian Dept Science Education & Training

Employability Skills


Look at accredited course contents then take a step back to provide the pre accredited version

Certificate 1 in Vocational Preparation- include personal effectiveness, OHS , communication skills.

Certificate II in Health Support Services (and Medical Terminology)- Administrative information leading to work in the medical & Health Services- handling mail, customer service

Certificate II in Community Services Work- Units on working with others, networking, OHS, participate in the work environment, Providing first point of contact

Certificate II in Information technology- Units on managing computer software, files, technology specific information

Certificate IV Horticulture- Units on soil management, growing principles, managing OHS in this industrySee www.training.com.au for information on research, courses and other helpful information to give you inspiration and evidence to proceed on your chosen direction.

http://www.training.com.au/


Your new Pre accredited CourseCourse________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Possible Industry pathway/study____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Suitable information at this level to include?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Current and future trends

There is an increase in sustainability and ‘green’ related training with new jobs being created requiring green knowledge and skills

Sustainability is likely continue to be a hot topic into the near and more distant future as it permeates both Government agendas and public opinion. In response to this government based training organizations are offering Accredited Training to equip learners with the necessary requirements.

Courses in Environmental studies, Horticulture and Conservation were commonly linked to Sustainability and green knowledge. Other industries are making this knowledge a requirement so new course combinations are being offered joining sustainability to other qualifications in response to this industry need.


The examples below are Bachelors and Diplomas with double majors and certificate courses which are becoming more commonplace.

•Diploma of Hospitality or Tourism/Diploma in Sustainability•Diploma in Project Management/Diploma/ Sustainability•Diploma of Laboratory Technology/Diploma of Sustainability•Human resource Management/Diploma of Sustainability•Certificate IV in Renewable Energy

To move with the times, courses need to have current , valid and relevant sustainability knowledge .As organisations we can embed this into our pre accredited courses. Sustainability knowledge can be introduced in the introductory short courses in many formats. Maintaining this at the pre- accredited level helps the sector to keep up with industry trends and equips learners with the information they will need to enter an increasingly ‘green’ work force.

Innovative change at an accredited level


Trend in Stats- CALD Learners

Australia is becoming increasingly more diverse with new and existing migrants

with varying skill levels looking for training and employment opportunities.ACE can help people to develop

employability Skills and industry skills towards gainful employment through

supportive introductory courses


CALD Learners

Source http://www.adultliteracyresource.edu.au/WhatDoLearnersWant

Organizations are encouraged to “ Work from Learners strengths”- “look at what they can do rather

than what they can’t”

Study on NCVER website found enrolment in vocational education and training is strengthened in programs that:

•Provide clear pathways into employment•Provide language support•Acknowledge and address cultural issues•Have trainers who understand issues faced by trainees (cultural, language and settlement)•Acknowledge trainees' existing vocational skills•Include work experience in their training. (2004), Judith Miralles

Copywright Wendy Hiam 2011

Working with Partners makes us strongerA combined brainstorming session with other Houses or organisations in the same area can result in a stronger Cluster overall. If there are courses you both want to run perhaps you could offer a different version to others or at a different time so that you complement rather than compete with each other. It is better to have sufficient numbers to run one class rather than having to cancel both. Houses will know what each other are offering and can refer prospective students to others if they don't offer what the learner is looking for.

The A Frame documentation can be shared between the members of the partnership so no one has to ‘reinvent the wheel’ when it is their turn to run the class. Tutors may be able to run classes in different terms to other Houses to meet the needs of those living nearby who don’t wish to travel.

Houses tend to have areas of strength that they already do well so related ideas for courses should fall to those who will already have the Tutors and resources to offer the best alternative. 32


The Knox ACE Cluster journey from start to finish- what we chose to do

Gathered research information from reliable sources about demographics, jobs and job roles and the accredited courses which supported the outstanding employment areas

Gathered information about support groups , welfare based organisations, clubs and businesses which service the area.

As a Cluster formed an alliance to work together beginning with looking at what we offered already in accredited and pre accredited courses

Prioritised the information so that Houses were allocated training they were more likely to be able to support already

We then looked at classes we run pre accredited which could be ‘tweaked’ to become short courses leading to pathways in accredited training For exampleThai Cooking classes Course in Hospitality or Traineeship as a Chef

We tried to think creatively about how these classes could be marketed or packaged as individual short courses or what we called pre accredited ‘units’ to form short 20 hour courses

Copyright Wendy Hiam 2011 34

Brainstormed course ideas which would offer a ‘taster’ for the learner to try the industry and work out if this was what they wanted. The course was to offer the correct information but be structured to build learner confidence

We organized for people qualified in the relevant industry to help develop the course outline and ensure A Frame information was accurate and appropriate and did A Frame training for Tutors at the different Houses

Referred back to Nationally Recognised Training packages which we had on our scope and adapted units from different courses to create pre accredited courses for specific jobsDecided on combinations of core ‘units’ which can be relevant to a number of jobs can have ‘elective’ specialist units added depending on requirements and learner interests

Direct learners to other houses if they offer the next step in the process so that the learner remains within the supportive environment they are used to

Accumulated pathway information for learners and organised Staff who were Trained in Career guidance to be available for learners wanting more information

Set it up on a free Wiki website which is sustainable and promotes the Cluster as a whole ( shortcoursesinknox.org.au)

developing innovative pre accredited courses to create new pathways for learners

Documents

acfe learners acfe

service classes

introductory courses

fitness classes

affordability people

local neighbourhood

cald learners

personal attention