North Coast Institute, “best large training provider in NSW”, provides new training opportunities for community.

Thursday 9th September

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In the 2004 NSW Training Awards last night, TAFE NSW – North Coast Institute won the award for best large training provider, competing against TAFE NSW Institutes and other large training providers around the state.

Organised by the NSW Department of Education and Training, the awards judge aspects like vocational education practice, client and market focus, contribution to enterprise and community development and strategy and planning processes.

Six organisations were short-listed, and the three finalists were all TAFE NSW Institutes; the North Coast Institute, New England Institute, and Northern Sydney Institute. In accepting the Award, Neil Black, Institute Director thanked all of the hard-working teachers throughout the Institute and said that “people-focus was one of the secrets of our success.”

The judges said that they were impressed by how well the North Coast Institute was delivering training and education “on the ground, at a grass roots level” to the people who needed it the most.

Mr Black took the opportunity to add that the North Coast Institute is launching a new range of full and part-time courses aimed at helping to solve regional skills shortages and to further meet industry staffing needs.

Neil Black, Institute Director, said “The North Coast Institute has been successful in attracting further government funding that will enable the running of special short courses that address skills training and meet new or emerging needs of industry on the north coast.”

Mr Black said that the courses will suit unemployed young adults and mature aged unemployed people wanting to develop new skills to take advantage of current job opportunities on the North Coast. “Young adult and mature workers seeking new skills or a career change, as well recent or intending school leavers, will also benefit from the programs” Mr Black added. Most of these courses will start and be completed by the end of this year, but some courses run into 2005.

The courses will prepare learners for job opportunities in industries such as construction, metals and engineering, hospitality, aged care nursing, clothing production, horticulture, forestry, seafood processing, educational support, visual arts, digital media, waste management, hairdressing, conservation and land management, business, retail and customer service.

GETSKILLED COURSES

These are free to unemployed and disadvantaged members of the community, and assist unemployed people in obtaining the skills they need for employment, apprenticeships or traineeships in specific industry areas.

CONTRACTED TRAINING PROGRAMS

These are also free to some eligible members of the community and are targeted at local industries that have been identified as having a particular training need. For example, Organic Farming and Clothing Production.

BVET EMERGING PRIORITIES FUNDING

The NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training is funding short courses targeting industries with emerging priorities, for example, Bricklaying, Welding, Automotive, Hairdressing and Hospitality.

Mr Black also said that the North Coast Institute is running some extra courses to meet demand from customers. “There were a number of courses that had more applicants than places available earlier in the year, so we have managed to resource some extra courses in aged care, hospitality and others that will run between now and early 2005.

“I should also emphasise that now is the time for anyone planning study next year to get their applications in for our 2005 courses. The course Guide for 2005 has been released and is available at campuses. People can also log onto our website, browse the new course lists, and find out how they can study with the state’s number one large training provider.”

Applications for 2005 courses close on Oct 29. Anyone interested in applying for these courses or one of the courses in the course guide should contact their local campus, log onto www.nci.tafensw.edu.au, or telephone 131 601.