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    Quarterly Reports

    Welcome to our Bendigo Kangan Institute (BKI) Quarter Four (Q4) report for the period 1 October to 31 December 2022. We continued to drive achievement of the core components of our 20>25 strategy execution. You can read about our progress throughout the report, as well as a couple of highlights through my report.

    As we neared the end of 2022, there was so much to celebrate again.

    Thanks to our students and staff right across Bendigo TAFE and Kangan Institute for their hard work this year. We wouldn’t be where we are without you. 

    Highlights

     

    • Having our re-registration confirmed for another 7 years and the  huge amount of work done for Quality 22.
    • Seeing how our “Northstar” transformation projects are transforming our organisation
    • Winning the Victorian Training Awards “2022 Large Training Provider” award, and the Australian Training Awards “2022 Large Training Provider” award.
    • Celebrating the success of our students: Desirae Kilduff, Franchesca Morrell and Madison Giordano, and our teacher Susan Shaw. Other students were recognised for excellence in the fields of fashion, building design and baking, while our students who competed in WorldSkills Australia won five gold medals and achieved numerous high placings.
    • Welcoming students to our new $6.8 million Trades and Skills Centre at Broadmeadows and opening the $2 million refurbishment of our Essendon Health Hub.
    • Launching the new Toyota ServiceTech Apprenticeship Program and completing the dedicated EV Lab at ACE.
    • Launching our Certificate IV in Cybersecurity at Cremorne.
    • Seeing students return for their first full year at our award winning $60 million revitalisation of our Bendigo  City campus.
    • Securing election commitments for a new BKI campus at Sunbury, $4 million for a new health and learning hub at Castlemaine and a new Tech School at the Broadmeadows campus. This is on top of progressing our Health and Community Centre of Excellence at Broadmeadows.
    • Importantly, seeing the increased engagement activities and events that we’ve had this year to help build a culture that is diverse and inclusive, and that reflects our vision to be a leading provider of quality vocational education and training. 

    In November, our Bendigo horticulture students used their skills and enthusiasm to help prepare the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens to be holiday ready with welldesigned summer gardens.

    In addition to supporting the local council Mount Alexander Shire, it was also a great rewarding experience for our students who put their learning into practice.

    After a 3.5-year hiatus, the Dog Lovers Show returned to Melbourne from 14 – 16 October at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The show created in 2013 celebrates dogs and educates, entertains, and informs. It also presents a unique opportunity to meet and connect with hundreds of beautiful dogs and thousands of dog owners and lovers.

    People who visited our stand had the opportunity to interact with the dogs, engage with our Food & Fibre teachers and learn more about our courses in Animal Care and Veterinary Nursing. Our canine friends Idaho the Labrador Retriever who is our Institute’s retired Guide Dog and Cira, a beautiful Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever were also the perfect hosts who helped pull the crowds in.

    In November, our Young Mums VCAL program celebrated 10 years of the program and the end of an era. The program will move into a new direction in 2023 with a more inclusive name and alignment to the Victorian

    Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) directions to change the course to VCE. The program will become

    VCE VM for Young Parents next year. Young Mums started in 2013 as a direct result of a community need in Bendigo with a high number of young mothers who did not finish Year 12. Bendigo TAFE offered the program to meet the community’s needs. Cindy Grant and Leanne Hamilton were the foundation teachers for Young Mums VCAL in 2013.

    Young Mums VCAL program is an educational program, it often delivers much more to the participants.  Not all students leave with their certificate completed but most do go with much higher career aspirations, better selfesteem, confidence, enduring friendships, and connections.

    The program finished on a high with the most successful year ever, and seven students completing their VCAL Senior studies and qualification (previously on average there would be around three completions each year). 

    All seven incredible young women were honoured with the Leanne Hamilton Award - named after Leanne Hamilton, a teacher at Bendigo TAFE for over 25 years, who passed away in 2019. An active contributor to many community groups, Leanne was loved and admired by all for her kindness, humility, creativity, fun, laughter, and giving nature. 

    On 5 October 2022 Bendigo Kangan Institute received a Certificate of Recognition for the support it provides to Defence Reservists. The award was accepted by Executive Director of Student Journey Transformation, Phill Murphy, in recognition of the support provided by Bendigo Kangan Institute to Defence Reservists during 2022. The annual award ceremony is conducted by Department of Defence Joint Services Support Division and is aimed at highlighting the benefits an employer also receives from the training and experience a Reservist gains while participating in military training, exercises or operational deployments.

    Geoff Hatcher, a Business Analyst in the Student Journey Transformation Project team located in Bendigo, nominated Bendigo Kangan Institute for the support he received this year. Geoff, a Major in the Army Reserve, is an Officer Commanding the 10th Combat Engineer Squadron located at Oakleigh. In his Officer Commanding role, Geoff is responsible for the development and delivery of Combat Engineer and all Corps training for the members of 10 Combat Engineer Squadron. Geoff said that “Bendigo Kangan Institute has been supportive of my Army Reserve commitments.

    My managers value the skills, experience and training I have received during my Army Reserve career. They recognise the value of analysis, planning and prioritisation skills as also relevant to my job at BKI. A more intangible benefit is the values, ethos and reputation being a member of the ADF entails. Integrity and confidence are highly valued in the private sector, however, are hard to measure.”

    Phill Murphy accepted the award and was pleased to have BKI represented at an event that draws such a wide range of senior representatives from across industry and the public sector.  

    Headspace Day was celebrated on 5 October at Bendigo city campus. Our much-loved Youth Space on the campus became the centre of action for the seven tips for healthy Headspace displays and activities organised by us in conjunction with Headspace, with their staff doing a brilliant job. The mindfulness and yoga activities proved to be a huge success with groups lining up to take part every 15 minutes. 

    Headspace Day is a National Day of Support for the mental health and wellbeing of all young Australian people. The theme of Headspace day 2022 was Pause. Reflect. Reconnect reminding young people and their families that it can be helpful to slow down and take time to do something positive for their mental health and wellbeing.

    The Transition & Work Education (TWED) Film festivals at Broadmeadows and Bendigo were a booming success as our talented students revealed their skills through short films. Both nights were attended by students, teachers, and other BKI staff, who were treated to around 10 short films at Broadmeadows and 8 at Bendigo. The films showcased had so much variety and provided a great insight into the studies our students undertake, and how they apply their learnings across their work placements and lives.  

    We participated in the inaugural Hume Tourism and Hospitality Expo at URBNSURF on Tuesday 15 November 2022, and one of the key attractions was our Skills and Jobs Centre bus with our team providing career and training advice. The expo was driven by the local businesses’ needs and was a collaborative project led by the Hume City Council in collaboration with URBNSURF and Three Blue Ducks.

    The expo was a great success with 120 jobseekers attending and 213 Tourism and Hospitality jobs available.

    Exhibitors expressed their willingness to participate in future Expos and their satisfaction with the expo included:

    “Great initiative, very well run and organised”; “A great environment to be part of, to expose the company and help others to get to know more about us”; “Wonderful, great to have a space to interview and offer jobs on the spot”; “Well organised and Hume staff were very helpful”. Further industry-focused jobs expo based on industry demand will be planned for 2023.

    On 23 November, the first Food & Fibre Plant Pop Up Shop was held at Charleston Road campus where our Certificate III in Horticulture students potted plants and were also on hand to provide expert planting advice along with their teachers. The trial run saw the sale of over 100 plants which collected $427.00, which will go towards purchasing Indigenous bush food plants for our horticulture students’ education.  

    In December, our Teaching Capability team partnered with Berry Street to pilot the delivery of a Trauma Informed Teaching Practices program for our teaching staff. The pilot involved 37 teachers with a blended learning and peer collaboration approach.  The program was offered as a suite of structured professional development activities- including consultation, strategies, and mentoring for TAFE leaders and teachers that addressed the following:

    •      understanding the impacts of trauma on student development and their ability to learn

    •      creating a supportive and trauma-informed positive educational environment

    •      bolstering student-teacher relationships

    •      instilling strengths-based practices across TAFE.

    In partnership with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), our Skills & Jobs Centre hosted two Try a Trade Days in October at our Broadmeadows and Bendigo City campuses. Female participants rolled up their sleeves to learn new trade skills. Both events proved to be a resounding success with presentations made by Wendy Schwedes, Manager Placements Apprenticeships and Employment, Skills and Jobs Centre and Anieke Skaiaa, Apprenticeship Support Officer.

    Courteney Munn, Careers for Women in Trades Project Officer, AMWU was thrilled with the event, ‘Thank you all so much for all your amazing work in organising the Try a Trade Day at Broadmeadows! The day itself was great! Feedback was extremely positive. Described as “welcoming and inclusive,” “fantastic atmosphere” and “great facilitators.” Our Skills and Jobs Centres are continuing to offer free career advice and support for participants’ career pathway. 

    In October, our fashion lead educator Vicki Nicola joined Margie Woods from VIKTORIA & WOODS in a documentary showcasing our unique collaboration at our Textile and Fashion Hub in Cremorne.

    Created by Australian Fashion Council and supported by Creative Victoria, this documentary explores the rise of local fashion manufacturing in Melbourne, the skills in demand and the opportunities of tomorrow. You can watch the documentary here.

    Students completing the Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural) held their annual exhibition from 14 to 24 November at Bendigo City campus. The exhibition showcased designs created by the students who worked incredibly hard all year. The exhibition captured the essence of their skills, expertise, and innovation, and also included award-winning designs by students John Quinlan and Aaron Arbuckle who were recognised at the 2022 Design Matters National Student Design Awards (see separate story).

    Our vocational English language students visiting our campus library in Bendigo identified some difficulties they faced finding materials, so they worked with the local library team to seek ways to improve accessibility for visitors with limited reading ability or who came from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

    The 25 students helped design a new visitor map for the library unveiled in December. The new map improves users’ experience and makes it more accessible for members of the local community. Students identified specific areas of the library that needed to be included in the new map and marked the locations on a large architectural outline of the library. Signage will also be placed on the walls of the library, including symbols for those requiring assistance with reading.

    The opportunity to collaborate with Bendigo Library has provided students with vital practical experience within an Australian work environment, while contributing to a meaningful project to support others in the community.

    Progress continued on the SJTP transformation journey through Q4, in preparation for our significant Go Live event in January 2023. One of the elements of the program is to replace paper-based enrolment applications with an online capability.

    Releases throughout November (and to be released in January) include Short Courses, Corrections, VETDSS, Attendance, Results and Revenue Recognitions amongst others. Early functional benefits of JR Plus include:

    •      Commercial Invoicing: Majority of Commercial invoices can now be processed through JR Plus Smart Fees which means that invoices can be paid in half the time

    •      Quicker Enrolment process with the integration of Debit Success Part Payment Plan

    •      Courses can now be created directly in JR Plus – including creating a curriculum library within the system to avoid accessing a third-party database

    •      We have improved our communication with students – previously up to 10 individual welcome emails were sent to students which has been reduced to one with all the required welcome information

    •      We have automated the withdrawal process for students which provides significant time savings for our recruitment and enrolment team.

    On 11 October, glamour and glitter adorned the Melbourne Pavilion as our talented students revealed more than 80 looks at our annual runway show, Fashion Devotion. The collections paraded were stunning and the attention to detail as well as the high standard of craftsmanship commended by attendees. Students showcased timeless outfits across six segments inspired by the ancient world, and also included the highly anticipated RECLAIMED LOVE segment featuring an upcycled collection from our long-running circular fashion program delivered in collaboration with Red Cross Shops. The program challenged students to create new designs using donated garments and materials from Red Cross Shops.

    It was a show-stopping night as the line-up also featured the works of students pursuing VET Delivered to Secondary Students (VETDSS) programs, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) projects completed by Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Merchandising students and an exclusive Signature Collections segment showcasing works by recent graduates from the Advanced Diploma of Fashion Design and Merchandising. The talents of our hospitality students were also on display as the caterers for the night. It was a night to remember as our students, educators along with our hospitality team got together to bring a spectacular event for fashion lovers, trendsetters, industry, family, and friends alike.

    At a sold-out show on 13 October, BKI fashion student Aaron Costa showcased a sustainable collection for the Melbourne Fashion Week Student Collections Runway show where he joined a line-up of 23 emerging designers representing various fashion schools. Currently enrolled in the Advanced Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Merchandising at Cremorne, Aaron was excited to feature his designs.

    “The Student Runway is a way for me to showcase not only my work but my dedication to my work, to an audience of people who no doubt would never have seen it if not for this opportunity,” Aaron said.

    Titled Mahogany, Aaron’s three-look collection reflected themes from old English hunting and fishing culture.  Beyond its visual themes, the

    collection was designed and produced with sustainability at the forefront. Being eco-friendly comes somewhat naturally for Aaron, with sustainability a long-standing practice within his family. 

    In early October, we partnered with community services organisation Banksia Gardens, who serve staff and students quality barista-made coffee and freshly made food at our Broadmeadows campus. The cafe is available from Monday to Thursday in Building D.

    Hats off to our creative student Nicole Cumberland who won first place in the Millinery  Australia Student Design Awards in October. Nicole caught up with Hat Academy to discuss  her winning design.

    To continue building on our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and connections to land, our Indigenous Education Centre, Marketing, and Facilities teams collaborated to purchase Indigenous artwork from talented traditional owners and students which are featured across our campuses. The artworks in the form of Dreamtime stories are an essential part of the Indigenous culture. Dreamtime stories of creation are handed down through storytelling, paintings, song, and dance – making it easy for even the very young to learn and share. This tradition continues to keep their culture thriving and we are proud to play a small part in helping keep our Indigenous communities’ culture and heritage alive by supporting these brilliant artists.

    Many pieces are already on display across our campuses showcasing a rich cultural outlook, including the reception area at Buildings A, J, W, C (Library), and H, at Broadmeadows campus - wrapped by a Wurundjeri artwork purchased from Wurundjeri traditional owner Aunty Dorothy Lovett; The Yorta Yorta painting displayed at the reception at Echuca Campus was purchased from our art student Phil Bell; and Charleston Road displaying the works of the Dja Dja Wurrung traditional owner Jida Gulpilil.

    We took our hats off to our teachers World Teachers Day on 28 October to show our appreciation for their contribution to their students and our organisation. We also heard from Will Dalgliesh and Marina McGrath at the World Teachers’ Day Webinar on 28 October: Greening the VET Sector.

    Educators Will Dalgliesh, Agriculture Teacher and Marina McGrath, Fashion Teacher helped facilitate the online session, and Marina presented on Sustainable Fashion Education and Will on Education of Sustainable Development organised by the VET Development Centre (VDC).

    Bendigo TAFE building design students John Quinlan and Aaron Arbuckle won three awards between them at the 2022 Design Matters National Student Design Awards. John was recognised in two categories – Best Response to a Design Brief by Building Design Student and Best Digital Presentation, while Aaron received the Best Response to a Design Brief by Building Design Student (Commendation) award. Jon and Aaron study the Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural) with us. It is the second year in a row that Bendigo TAFE students have won these awards.

    John said sustainability and Indigenous culture were key inspirations behind his design.  “I chose locally sourced materials that achieved a high degree of sustainability and resonated with the natural environment and the surrounding historical buildings,” John said.

    “I also wanted to incorporate a structural, foundational element that paid tribute to the traditional landowners, demonstrated through the Indigenous sandstone columns. This idea was prompted by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s use of concrete blocks in The Ennis House, United States.”

    John said the supportive learning environment at Bendigo TAFE was a key factor in his success. “I thank my teachers Brian Stratford, Sonia Vescovi, Ange McLean and Mick Fry who were strong mentors that encouraged growth and creative ideas, and have helped me work through challenges,” he said. 

    “Our class was an amazing group that supported one another, always made each other laugh, and made for the best company you could hope for in a tertiary school environment.” 

    In November, Annie Tiso Executive Director, Campus Transformation was invited by the Property Council of Australia to close their 2022 Girls in Property event.

    The Girls in Property program raises awareness amongst high school students about the raft of career paths the property industry offers, encouraging greater female participation in the property industry. The event began in 2017 and was created to help Years 9 and 10 students learn about the diverse range of property careers they could consider. 

    This year’s event was a massive success with many women leaders in property providing their time and sharing their expertise.  Annie had a very interactive

    session with attendees and challenged them with lots of questions, and to consider TAFE education for their future careers. She also spoke about the multiple pathways into property-related careers that TAFE offers.

    Regional VCAL students had an action-packed final two weeks of term with the opportunity to immerse themselves in some fantastic VET Taster programs. Bendigo TAFE Youth Worker Russell Voigt organised activities with community partners Drive Smart including a free driving lesson, art gallery visits, healthy eating and nutritional advice with Bendigo Community Health Services and creating some new art for the Youth Space.

    Trans Awareness Week ran from 13 to 19 November - and on 16 November was celebrated with a powerful Minus 18 speaker Nix who shared their story with over 130+ staff and students in a virtual conversation. Nix’s enthusiasm was infectious and energising and attendees found the session insightful and inspiring and took away a learning or two from their story. On the day our Student Support team also hosted morning teas for students at our Bendigo City and Broadmeadows campuses to support awareness and encourage them to become good allies.

    We also ran an education campaign for the week, to show support and recognise Trans and Non-Binary people and to acknowledge that they use different ways of defining themselves and can follow on by defining ourselves in our email signatures. For example, use she/her or they/them or he/him or he/they. Our staff were also encouraged to visit the Minus 18 website and other resources to learn more about why pronouns matter.

    Certificate III of Motorsport Technology students from our

    Automotive Centre of Excellence took part in the Red Bull Billy Cart Race, held in Melbourne on 3 December. The race challenged teams to create a gravity-powered vehicle that can fly downhill quicker than any other. Competitors build a racing machine, take it to the top of a hill, and let gravity do its thing. It’s not just about the quickest finisher though – teams are also awarded points for presentation and the build of their carts.

    Our students created a custom craft to race at the event as part of their course. Built from old bicycles and discarded parts from actual racing cars, the “Kangan Institute Flyer” took off on the day, providing great fun for our students and the audience 

    At the WorldSkills International General Assembly in December, several Australians were recognised for their contribution to skills excellence both in their country and on the international stage. Grant Petch, Project Manager Automotive was recognised for his outstanding contribution to skills excellence and to the WorldSkills program both in Australia and with WorldSkills International.

    Grant will be formally acknowledged for his remarkable support to skills excellence and the WorldSkills program early in 2023 at Parliament House in Canberra.  Grant is thrilled with this recognition and says, “After all these years working as a volunteer for WorldSkills nationally and internationally, it is very humbling and feels great to be acknowledged on an international platform.”

    We now look ahead to the National Championships and Skill Show to be held in Melbourne in August 2023 - a great opportunity to showcase and demonstrate our skills. 

    On 8 December, aspiring writers and editors studying at Bendigo TAFE launched their annual anthology, Painted Words 2022. Painted Words showcases the writing and editing talents of certificate IV and diploma students. The 424-page book contains a selection of fiction and nonfiction works, including horror stories, medieval adventure stories, and tales of travel and exploration and is available to borrow at Bendigo City Campus Library.

    Now in its 18th year, the anthology is an annual project by Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing students at Bendigo TAFE. The course has published more than 1.8 million words authored by close to four hundred emerging central-Victorian writers in Painted Words.  

     

    In December, Certificate IV Professional Writing and Editing student Maddox Quinn whose story ‘I Called Your Name’ was shortlisted for the 2023 Joanne Burns Microlit Award. The story will also be published in the Play anthology due to be released by Spineless Wonders in April 2023.

    Maddox has also has three stories published in Bendigo TAFE’s Painted Words 2022 anthology.

    Thanks to our Accessibility Support team, we will now have door signs that are inclusive – including room numbers in braille, correct height positioning, the recognition of Left Hand/Right Hand (LH/RH) accessible, and inclusive toilet signage for both staff and students. The new signs will be installed across our metro campuses to be completed by end of January 2023.

    The changes will roll out across Metro and Regional campuses. 

    Our facilities team at Charleston Road campus have the gardens ready for summer. With help from the regional ground contractor Jim’s Mowing, the team has replanted daisies for a pop of colour, natives to attract birds and wildlife, and trees to provide some much-welcome shade.

    In October, an additional and critical security add-on, ‘Protective Markings,’ was applied to all emails and all Office 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and OneDrive across BKI. These protective labels will help us to protect our data and how we share information internally and externally. The new protocol will help us understand the privacy and protection levels required so that sensitive data in emails and attachments are compliant with BKI privacy and data protection regulations. 

    Our Records Management Project team has been rolling out the implementation of a compliant Records Management solution for BKI, working with teams and using Sharepoint as the tool. During Q4, the project team ran multiple workshops with teams to provide solutions to the way business areas worked to ensure they deliver a fit for purpose team site and secure records management approach across the organisation. 

    As part of the BKI Wide Area Network (WAN) Refresh Project, our Broadmeadows, Bendigo City, Charleston Road, and Docklands campuses were upgraded with high-speed WAN links i.e., from the current 0.2 Gbps to 10 Gbps dual WAN speeds and with a 1 Gbps connection link at Essendon.

    The benefits of this work include improved connectivity and user experience, and a quicker network for sharing and accessing information. 

    On 10 November we honoured and acknowledged 41 of our colleagues who completed 20+ years’ service with us. We were also delighted to celebrate our reward and recognition winners – our KanBe Stars for the year as well as our Teachers of the Year; Sean Bathman (Kangan Institute) and Breanna Giddings (Bendigo TAFE). The event was hosted by Michelle Johnston, Chief People Culture and Strategy Officer, and featured speeches by CEO Sally Curtain, and Janelle Arena, Chief Industry Engagement and Education Delivery Officer.

    On the night, we also formally launched the Phill Murphy PSM Award for Leadership and Innovation. This award recognises staff who have stepped up and stepped out to demonstrate subject matter expertise and leadership. The award also acknowledges innovation to provide better outcomes for both students and industry by creating strong and enduring partnerships with industry and the wider community. Frank Paciocco, Automotive teacher was the first recipient of this award for his work with myCar which he has been managing since 2012. There were initially just 15 students on average, and we now have over 75 students per year enrolled with most students successfully completing their studies.

    The awards themselves and the joy of gathering again and meeting so many people from across our campuses and portfolios were a highlight for everyone who attended.

    We congratulated and celebrated 30 BKI teachers and lead educators who completed their Educator Passport in November 2022. By demonstrating VET currency BKI’s teachers drive quality education and training to levels that meet industry and community expectations. You can see the list of teachers and lead educators here. See who they are here. Our Teaching Capability team goes above and beyond to engage and develop our teachers with their tailored approach to ongoing professional development, and we acknowledge them as well as our teachers and lead educators.

    In mid-October, we called for expressions of interest from people eager to be part of our Culture Champions cohort. A Culture Champion is anyone who acts and advocates to help create and support our KanBe Culture. Champions will be involved in a range of culture initiatives, and support planning for the implementation of the 2022 People Matter Survey actions. Culture Champions will be at the forefront of positive change for BKI. 

    We raised awareness around mental health and wellbeing in

    October. The theme this year for Mental Health Month was ‘Building Resilience: Communities and Connections’. Throughout the month, a series of online wellbeing sessions were offered to all staff focussing on wellbeing at BKI including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) awareness session to know all about our provider Assure and further understand the services available. All sessions were run by a psychologist and capped at a maximum of 100 participants. 

    Donna Reis, Learning and Teaching Specialist, Quality 22 is also an extraordinary artist and has taken her love for her fur babies up to the next level. Each year leading up to Christmas, every weekend Donna paints her front fence with images of the neighbourhood dogs. People in her suburb flock to her fence to catch a glimpse of their pets or to request that their fur babies are featured.

    Donna usually begins painting in November, continues well into January due to the volume of requests that come in. “Painting with acrylics requires a full paint cover over in the new year and usually needs two to three coats, that’s my least favourite part! When my kids were teenagers, they thought it was hugely embarrassing and were always annoyed by how long it would take me to paint over - sometimes as late as March.” says Donna.

    One year Donna painted her postie being chased by the dogs and it ended up in the Australia Post staff newsletter. She usually paints dogs but sometimes cats too. Last year she even tried her hand at painting the kids in her street. Now in its 5th year, Donna’s talent has reached the Dulux paint brand this year who are hoping to run their marketing campaign by using their One Coat brand paint to paint over her fence in January and show how well their paint covers everything!

    In December, we welcomed over 600 staff at our end of year lunch events at Broadmeadows, Charleston Road and Docklands campuses to celebrate our successful year. We shared thank you chocolates our new lanyards and pins that celebrater both our wins at the Victorian Training Awards (VTA) and Australian Training Awards (ATA) for Large Training Provider of the Year. This year, the arrival of Santa and his helpers made the events even more special, and it was a joy to see staff reconnecting over the impressive spreads organised. Our Corrections team also caught up at separate events organised locally. 

    Our last Town Hall for 2022 was held on 13 December at Charleston Road campus. There were over 540 participants (online/on-campus) who joined the celebration of 2022. We welcomed special guests Board Chair Marg O’Rourke, Board member Anne Brosnan and Australian Training Awards finalist and Victorian Training Awards winner for Koorie Student of the Year, Desirae Kilduff.

    At the Town Hall, we also farewelled Executive Director Student Journey Transformation Project Phill Murphy PSM as he headed off on his well-deserved retirement. Our Town Halls are a key opportunity to share information with our people and acknowledge great results and achievements. 

    In October, we acknowledged our teacher Mark Torpy’s immense contribution to the Quality 22 Packaging Changes project.  One of our major achievements, the project this year gathered a band of over 20 experts to uplift our courseware to ensure it supports compliance and a positive learner experience. Setting us up for future innovative development. When we talk about this team it is hard to ignore the impact of our teachers such as Mark Torpy who moved into the team from a teaching role, to become a Learning and Teaching Specialist then a Lead within just a few months. A testament to Mark’s abilities and the great opportunities offered at BKI. 

    On 18 November CEO Sally Curtain, Board Chair Marg O’Rourke, and Chief Industry Engagement and Education Delivery Officer Janelle Arena, attended the Australian Training Awards in Adelaide. They were also on had to accept the Gold Award as the Australian Large Training Provider of the Year.

    The night also recognised Kangan Institute’s Vocational English teacher, Susan Shaw, who won the Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice Award. Susan is a dedicated vocational teacher with a passion for teaching English to migrants and refugees and building strong links with the community to help students gain confidence in job seeking.

    Also attending the event were our student finalists Victorian Koorie Student of the Year Desirae Kilduff and Franchesca Morrell Victorian Trainee of the Year. 

    In a first for Bendigo Kangan Institute, Charleston Road campus will be getting 638 Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to run the campus on solar power, making the campus more energy efficient.

    The solar panel installation began on 28 November. The environmental impact of the installation on two buildings at Charleston Rd is equivalent to offsetting approximately 481 tons of harmful carbon dioxide annually and over its expected lifetime the system will offset a significant amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to planting 91,108 trees or avoiding 10,142 long haul flights.

    Along with the substantial environmental benefits, the fiscal impact is notable with an estimated 25% saving on the campus’s annual electricity spend.

    This project is an exciting and valuable contribution to BKI’s commitment to renewable energy and emissions reduction and the objectives outlined in the BKI Environmental Sustainability Plan 2021-2030. Plans are underway for other campuses to go solar next year.

    In November, the CEO magazine reached out to CEO

    Sally Curtain for an exclusive executive interview for the

    December digital edition of the magazine. In the interview, Sally emphasised the work we do to ensure students and partners are always at the centre of what we do.

    You can access the feature here, then click on ‘More’ under the ‘Inspire’ section, then ‘Next’.

    On 14 December, we were proud that Docklands was chosen as the venue for the announcement that Victoria had signed up to the Commonwealth Free TAFE Agreement. On the day Ministers Gayle Tierney State Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, and Minister for Agriculture, and Brendan O’Connor, Federal Minister for Skills and Training, Cabinet Minister, and Member for Gorton were on site to launch the twelve month agreement which will include the Australian Government investing more than $250 million to support the delivery of around 55,000 Free TAFE courses across the state in 2023, including associated student support services and a new TAFE Technology Fund.