Kangan Batman to Community

Welcome to KB2C

Sonja King

Welcome to the second edition of KB2C - Kangan Batman to Community. We hope you found the first edition interesting and at all times we welcome your feedback.

This is a busy time of year for schools. Students are making decisions about their future and it can be a stressful and confusing time, not just for them but their parents as well!

The best thing to do is spend time researching your options - the internet is a great place to start. Attend open days wherever possible so you can talk to the teachers and the students already doing the courses you are interested in.

At Kangan Batman TAFE we don't hold Open Days because our Institute is open every day for people to visit. We are happy to arrange visits for schools which can be of a general nature, or which can focus on more specific areas if required.

We are also happy to visit your school for information or careers days and will be able to provide course booklets and handouts to assist students in their choices.

Within the next few weeks schools in the region will receive an information pack with our new “What next?” brochure, some posters and the Options brochure detailing courses available. If you haven't received your information pack by mid-September please contact the Customer Service Centre on 9279 2555.

Enjoy reading the second KB2C and remember to pass it on to people who may be interested.

Sonja King
Editor

Feature of the Month - Work for the Dole

From left, Jack Vuong, Work for the Dole Supervisor, and Prashphutita Greco, participant, of the Kangan Batman TAFE Web Design Project in Richmond.

Kangan Batman TAFE runs a variety of Work for the Dole Projects in the Inner East and Northwest of Melbourne. As with all Work for the Dole Projects, it combines meaningful work experience for job seekers with the opportunity for them to develop new skills, while providing a benefit to the community.

The variety of projects available range from the more tried and true, such as web design, administration and gardening, to the more innovative, such as a current project where job seekers are designing and creating clothes to be marketed under a new clothing label. These clothes are sold to the public with all profits benefiting local community organisations.

There is also a project where participants will work with a graphic artist to provide graphic design services to community groups who otherwise might not be able to develop logos, stationery and other ways to promote their organisations.

Kangan Batman's Work for the Dole team is always interested in developing new activities that meet the needs of job seekers, and they encourage Job Network Members to let them know what they see as good areas in which to run projects.

They work with a number of community organisations that administer the projects and many of them are looking for ideas for new projects they can run. Alternatively, Job Network Members who are not-for-profit can explore running projects in-house as a way to meet the needs of their clients. Job Network Members or other community organisations interested in running projects are encouraged to contact Kangan Batman Work for the Dole to discuss the possibilities.

For further information on Kangan Batman TAFE Work for the Dole projects please contact the Work for the Dole Office on 9425 5760 or e-mail wfd@kangan.edu.au Our website: www.kangan.edu.au/wfd

What's new?

• Applied learning assists VCAL students
• Retail students shine with window displays
• Education assessments available
• Information on childcare training
• Work for the Dole placements needed
• Writer assists youth tap into skills
• TAFE students give school a sporting hand

Events

Youthlink Engineering/Polymer Careers Forum
25 August, 6.30pm

Find out about the exciting and challenging careers in engineering and polymer (plastics) at an information session on 25 August at Kangan Batman TAFE.

Talk to local industry representatives and Kangan Batman staff, tour the engineering and polymer facilities and find out about job opportunities.

The forum commences at 6.30pm. For more information go to www.kangan.edu.au and click on the link to the seminar. Registrations to 9279 2429.

Adult Learners Week
6 September, 6.00pm

Have you been thinking about returning to study but are not sure where to start? Come along to a free information session for adults and hear from career counsellors, course advisors and successful adult learners who'll share their experiences.

The session is being held on Monday 6 September at the Broadmeadows campus from 6.00-7.30pm with a light supper afterwards. You need to RSVP to 9254 3310 for catering purposes.

(Check out the Profile section of this newsletter on one of Kangan Batman's successful adult learners.)

School tours now available
Ongoing

Being term three, schools will have students making course selections for 2005. Kangan Batman TAFE is always happy to arrange student tours so that students can see the areas they might like to learn about through VETIS programs or post school courses.

This provides them with the opportunity to meet the teachers and see classes in action. It is also a great opportunity to invite students to look at careers in areas they may not have considered, particularly in skill shortage areas such as manufacturing (engineering, polymer, furnishing), as all these areas look much more exciting when you see them in action.

Please contact Peter Smith, Coordinator of the Customer Service Centre to arrange tours of any of our campuses. Peter is contactable on 9279 2443 or by email to psmith@kangan.edu.au

Where are they now?

Eva Mazzei

This section gives a brief profile of a former student, why they chose the course they did and what they are doing now. This month, former bookkeeper Eva Mazzei worked from home in the family business, but decided she needed more challenge in her life. Eva decided a career helping people interested her and enrolled in the Certificate IV in Pathology Collection.

From someone who was terrified at having to speak in public, Eva became Kangan Batman TAFE's Gold Medal Award winner at the 2004 Graduation Awards for the Social and Applied Sciences group. She was also a finalist in the Community Services and Health Industry Training Board Awards under the Vocational Student category.

“Four months after graduating, I'm working in pathology collection at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Going back to education after 25 years was the best decision I've made. Now I will never stop learning. Our teachers taught us that health professionals need to overcome personal differences and work together to achieve a high standard of care. They were very dedicated and supportive. We could go to them anytime for help. Communication is vital for this job, you have to be able to put people at ease when taking blood, and I soon gained confidence with support from my teachers. Everything made sense, the skills we learnt in class all translated easily into the work environment.”

Course Vacancies

Kangan Batman TAFE offers short courses in automotive, business and finance management, computing, electrotechnology, fashion studies, first aid, furnishing, health, well-being and fitness, hospitality, house and garden, personal development, security and public safety, retail, transport and distribution, workplace safety and workplace training. Please click here for a list of courses.

Forklift and Workplace Operations
This course is designed to include the core skills and knowledge that a forklift and reach truck driver would require within the workplace. It includes areas such as occupational health and safety, manual handling, manually operated equipment, load placement and security and operating a forklift and reach truck. Please click here to access a pdf information sheet.

Want to know more?

This newsletter aims to provide you with direct links to the institute. We want to make your contact with Kangan Batman TAFE easy. For more information on anything in KB2C just contact the relevant department listed with each article.

We also welcome your feedback on this newsletter. Tell us what you would like to read about. Suggestions and contributions may be sent to the Editor: sking@kangan.edu.au

If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter please send an email to Victor Nguyen.

Writer: Sonja King
Editor: Sonja King
Design and layout: Victor Nguyen