On Friday 7 June, South West TAFE's Portland Campus celebrated the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (BECE) being offered to the first cohort of students through Deakin University's partnership with TAFEs in rural and regional areas.

Providing an accessible pathway for TAFE students through to higher education, the program uses an innovative model of blended delivery including state of the art video conferencing, face to face tutorials and an interactive online student hub which enables students to network and share ideas with their peers across the state.

This unique learning environment links students studying the course throughout Victoria, with immediate real time feedback from lecturing staff and one on one support from the relevant campus.

The celebrations also included Portland Children's Studies student Lisa Bentley being awarded a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education - Deakin at Your Doorstep (BECE-DAYD): Learning and Development Scholarship. Lisa studied her Certificate III and Diploma of Children's Studies in Warrnambool, and now can continue her tertiary studies in the childhood development field through the DAYD program, closer to her home in Dartmoor.

Lisa's motivation and commitment to study combined with her academic achievement and related work and community experience has been recognised through the awarding of this scholarship.

The scholarship is valued at $2,000 and is paid over three years of full time study (or part-time equivalent). The Scholarship aims to assist recipients with the financial costs of education.

South West TAFE’s new Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) was opened on Friday 7 June by Premier and member for South West Coast Denis Napthine, much to the delight of art students and teachers.

Drawing a crowd of over 100 people, guests were able to view the new facilities and the student and staff exhibition.
The CCA is located in the former South West TAFE Library and Bookshop - a heritage listed building which dates back to 1868, and was originally the Warrnambool Orderly Room and Residence.

The art department had spent the past six years at Deakin University’s Warrnambool campus, preceded by a further six years at the former Fletcher Jones site.
Staff and students are enthusiastic about being in the city centre close to other art spaces such as the Warrnambool Art Gallery, the F Project in Timor Street and Scope Galleries in Kelp Street.

Architecturally designed, this free-flowing open space caters for up to 200 students, pursuing areas of study including sculpture, painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, screen printing, fashion design and sewing. Features of the centre include a spray booth, kiln room, exposure room, dye room and an area to display student exhibitions.

The relocation to the city centre is also expected to strengthen South West TAFE’s relationship with local secondary students who regularly visit the art department to take part in art forums and curricular activities.

South West TAFE chief executive officer Peter Heilbuth said the relocation had been a positive experience.

“Our art students and staff add life and creativity to our campus and to our broader community,” Mr Heilbuth said.

Dr Napthine said the importance of arts and culture in south-west Victoria had been recognised in the Regional Strategic Plan for the Great South Coast region.
 “The need for arts and cultural experiences has been linked to younger people continuing to live in rural and regional areas,” he said.

“Young people are vital contributors to the productivity, vibrancy and identity of the south-west area.”

South West TAFE’s Library and Bookshop also underwent a facelift and was moved to a central on campus location, making it more accessible for staff and students.

The new design also provides library users with a flexible multi-purpose space, and is home to a large range of library services available at South West TAFE.

South West TAFE make-up students will have their skills showcased to the nation when a dance concert they are working on, is screened on Foxtel later in the year.

The Diploma of Specialist Make-Up Services’ students on-screen debut will occurred last weekend, when they applied tribal themed stage make-up and hair styles to dancers from Camperdown-based dance studio Kate’s Dance House for a fund-raising concert.

Kate’s Dance House performed at the Dance Cancer Initiative 2013 concert in South Morang (north-east of Melbourne) on June 1 and 2 in front of a live audience. The concert will be filmed and televised to an estimated 300,000 people.

This is the first year the Diploma of Specialist Make-Up Services has been offered at South West TAFE and teaches special effects, airbrushing and make-up application for runway and bridal shows, stage productions, television and movies and business units.

Teacher Jodi Leahy said participating in the concert was an amazing opportunity and provided the students with invaluable industry experience. The 16 students have been busily practicing their skills in class, trialing and selecting different looks for the tribal themed dance to be performed by the 25 south-west dancers.

The opportunity arose after Kate Meade, principal of Kate’s Dance House, invited Ms Leahy and her students to help backstage during Camperdown Theatre Company’s recent performance of Hairspray, which Ms Meade choreographed. She liked the South West TAFE students’ work and invited them to help at the Melbourne concert this weekend.

“I’m really excited for the students and the students are really excited as well. They’re absolutely pumped that their work will be on a TV show,” Ms Leahy said.

Ms Leahy said the weekends event was a prime example of the practical based learning that the TAFE Diploma offered, and real life experience could not be underestimated.

After the success of the Try A Career Day at South West TAFE’s Portland Campus, teacher’s from the Warrnambool and Sherwood Park Campuses were eager to follow suit.

Close to a thousand students spent two days at the Sherwood Park Campus, getting their hands on everything from robotics to horses. Some students saddled up for equine classes, others armed with power tools pulled things apart. Engines were opened, pipes cut, makeup applied and cooking ingredients spread out.

It’s one thing to have an idea about what you want to do with your life, it’s another to actually give it a go. This is the fifth year TAFE and South West Local Learning & Employment Network have staged the event, hoping to turn young minds to thinking about their future.

“The idea is to bring all year 9 students from the district — so that’s Warrnambool, Corangamite and Moyne - where they participate in three activities of an hour-and-a-half so they can experience a VET course,” organiser Paul Atack said.

“We would have close to 900 (students) over two days.”

The employment leader and former Warrnambool College Principal said career plans didn’t always come easily to 15-year-olds.

“You might not be specific but you’ll have some ideas,” he said.

For the full story visit: The Standard

Or to explore South West TAFE’s diverse range of courses go to: Study Areas

South West TAFE was proud to once-again host the annual 2013 Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) south west region Sausage King Competition on Thursday May 16 in Endeavours Restaurant.

Judges that included staff from South West TAFE’s Meat Training Australia and other departments across the institute, have learnt not to have breakfast. While they do shifts and don’t judge the entire number of entries, they still have to sample on average up to 60 different sausage varieties. And while judges do have the option of spitting out the samples, few do, so as to savour the entire taste experience.

More than 120 of the region’s best sausages and small goods were this year submitted for tasting in the competition’s 11 categories, which ranged from traditional, lamb, pork and poultry sausages to ham on and off the bone, kabana and of course, bacon!

Mark Hardy, from AMIC, said entries in the competition continued to grow as butchers realised the marketing power of success in the competition. Previous category winners have gone on to double the sales of their quality produce.

The meat was judged on its cooked and uncooked appearance, aroma, texture, flavour and the description provided by the butcher. Winners of each category will move through to the Victorian titles. Each state winner will then go on to compete at national level.

WINNERS

Traditional 1st: What’s for Dinner, Geelong, BBQ submitted by Damien

Pork 1st: GD & JI Stabb, Anglesea, Traditional Pork submitted by Gordon Stabb

Poultry 1st: Benno’s Meating Place, Barwon Heads, Chicken, Cheese & Asparagus submitted by Bradley Bennett

Lamb 1st: Warrnambool Country Meats, Warrnambool, Lamb, Honey & Rosemary submitted by David Wiese

Continental 1st: Norfolk Butcher, Warrnambool, Italian Pork submitted by Bill & Adam Gee

Gourmet 1st: There were four equal first in this category:

• Sheehans Meats, Port Fairy, Herb & Garlic Beef submitted by Nick Sheehan
• Hamilton City Meats, Hamilton, Red Wine & Cheese submitted by Jamie Cotton
• Farm Foods, Geelong,Prok & Duck submitted by Nick Kerr
• Heritage Meats, Geelong, Red Wine, Cheese & Garlic submitted by Cliff Dalgliesh

Ham on Bone 1st: Brendan Bouchiers, Mortlake, submitted by Brendan Bouchier

Ham off Bone 1st: Heritage Meats, Geelong, Traditional submitted by Cliff Dalgliesh

Bacon 1st: Goodall’s Quality Meats, Geelong, Short Cut Rindless submitted by John Goodall

Strasbourg 1st: Benno’s Meating Place, Traditional submitted by Bradley Bennett

Kabana 1st: Goodall’s Quality Meats, Geelong, Traditional submitted by John Goodall

About 100 Year 9 students converged on South West Institute of TAFE’s Portland Campus for the “Try a Career” morning.
Students from Bayview College, Heywood and District Secondary College and the Portland Secondary College Reengagement Program were asked to select three different industries to experience on the day through half-hour interactive sessions delivered by South West TAFE staff and industry representatives.

The activities were capped off with a half-hour careers information session and a shared lunch.

Glenelg and Southern Grampians Local Learning and Employment Network partnership broker Cathryn Walder said the day was aimed at promoting the exploration of career options and industry choices and allowing students to become familiar with a TAFE learning environment.
Ms Walder said it also enabled the students to get some real life career experience before they begin their search for casual or part-time work later this year or next year.

South West TAFE celebrated World Plumbing Day on Friday 8 March at the Warrnambool Campus. Plumbers, apprentices and industry representatives gathered to recognise the plumbing industry in the South West region and to raise awareness of plumbing conditions in third-world countries where basics such as clean flowing water and sewerage systems are lacking. “This event really helps you appreciate the efforts of our regions’ plumbers and highlights why quality training is so essential,” said Lyle Kelson, Team Leader of Plumbing at South West TAFE.

This was the first time South West TAFE has been involved in World Plumbing Day and we hope to continue supporting the day for years to come.

South West TAFE’s beauty department is welcoming in the new year with a new course in Specialist Makeup and a new teacher.
This is the first year the Diploma of Specialist Make Up will be running from South West TAFE, making it an ideal opportunity for people wanting to further their makeup and beauty training.
Samii Salisbury, South West TAFE’s newest beauty teacher says the most amazing aspect of the Diploma of Makeup Services is that it touches on every facet of the industry.
“Whether you want to work in television or film, catwalk or photography, theatre or special effects, the Diploma has it all,” she said.
Samii brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience having worked for Napoleon Perdis. 
Samii started her career as a makeup artist at one of its stores, then went on to managing a flagship store, and then became a trainer at the Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy. 
“I’m really excited to come on board and be able to share my skills and knowledge with our new Diploma students,” Samii said. 
Samii also has extensive experience in her own freelancing business in areas such as bridal hair and makeup, creative photo shoots and has two feature films under her belt.
Samii says her career highlight was getting chosen from the Napoleon Perdis Victorian employees to join the Napoleon Perdis creative team at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2012 in Sydney.
The Diploma will teach students basic hair components as well as up styling, bridal, special occasion, catwalk and photography makeup, special effects, injury simulation, theatre and period hair and makeup.
As well as the practical side, students will learn about the business side of things, budgeting, OH&S, and how to run your own successful freelancing business.
Throughout the course students will complete industry training, with the opportunity to take part in many local fashion shows, projects and theatre productions including Hairspray at the Camperdown Theatre in April.