Shine Magazine Issue 1 Summer 2016

ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
Art
on the
North
Coast
05
CIVIL AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
14
designing a
destiny
20
INSPIRED BY A
mentor:
culinary success
28
big thinking for
small business
34
1
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
CONTENTS
WELCOME
Welcome to
shine
WELCOME
03
Welcome to
Shine
North Coast of NSW is a fast
T he
growing, diverse and increasingly
NEWS
FEATURES
05
14
22
Art on the
North Coast
12
20
Single
minded Sally
finds her true
vocation
26
Aboriginal
Learning
Circle gives
Paris a
flying start
36
Big thinking
for small
business
Shine is a new publication designed to
capture some of those stories, and to
share the privilege we feel in North
Coast TAFE to be part of them.
Published by North Coast TAFE.
All information and content accurate
at time of publication. The views and
opinions expressed by individuals in
this publication have been published
with their permission and do not
necessarily reflect the official policy
or position of TAFE NSW-North
Coast Institute.
Is the North
Coast ready
for the boom
in Chinese
tourism?
28
With its much envied lifestyle,
expanding businesses and eclectic mix
of talented people, it is home to
inspiring stories about communities,
businesses and people who shine at
what they do.
Designing a
Destiny: from
Diploma to
Degree
Civil - Get
ready for the
infrastructure
explosion
Inspired by a
Mentor:
Culinary
Success
sophisticated part of Australia.
© January 2016 TAFE NSW-North
Coast Institute
Copyright of this material is reserved
to the Crown in the right of the
State of New South Wales.
Reproduction or transmittal in
whole, or in part, of this material,
other than in accordance with the
provisions of the Copyright Act, is
prohibited without the written
permission of TAFE NSW-North
Coast Institute.
2
In this first edition, we celebrate the
North Coast’s contribution to the
nation’s much-touted
“With its much
infrastructure economy
envied lifestyle, the and explore what the
phrase ‘upgrading
North Coast of NSW simple
the Pacific Highway’
is home to inspiring actually represents to our
and our state. We
stories about people region
tell the story of the Pacific
who shine at what Highway upgrade through
the eyes of a civil
they do.”
construction apprentice
and uncover an Australian
innovation in civil construction training.
We also shine a light on the thriving
creative hubs on the North Coast and
showcase the extraordinary talents and
successes of local artists and designers.
TAFE NSW has worked with generation
after generation of creative Australians,
and, as you’ll see, that heritage is alive
in the North Coast of NSW.
3
With the North Coast growing in
popularity in domestic and international
tourism, we thought it would be a good
idea to highlight some of the challenges
and benchmarks of the tourism and
hospitality industry up and down the
coast. We also discover that Chinese
tourists are jumping into cars in their
thousands and travelling the 1,000
kilometre road trip that is the
Legendary Pacific Coast to sample
some of the best-kept secrets of
relaxed, regional Australia.
And talking about best-kept secrets,
the learning and career experiences of
two Aboriginal people on the North
Coast provide a unique insight into
how North Coast TAFE’s Aboriginal
Learning Circle is the quiet revolution
for engagement with education and
training among Aboriginal communities
in our region.
We hope you enjoy reading this first
edition of Shine - please let us know
your thoughts and feedback by email
to: shinemagazine@tafensw.edu.au
Elizabeth McGregor
Institute Director
TAFE NSW North Coast Institute
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE
ART
on the
NortH
Coast
Byron Bay artist’s record setting
journey inspired by nature
North Coast’s natural beauty
inspires thriving creative hubs
Local artist takes flight
4
5
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
Byron Bay artist’s
record setting journey
inspired by nature
BY SUE L APPEMAN
T
he majestic mountains and pristine
lochs of subarctic Scotland and the
subtropical rainforest and waterfalls of
the Byron Bay hinterland may at first
appear to have little in common.
Leif says studying graphic design at
Kingscliff TAFE had been the ideal
training ground to send him on his
artistic journey, exploring themes of
connectedness, the relevance of nature
and the psychedelic experience.
But for internationally-acclaimed artist
and creative director Leif Podhajsky a
fascination with the wild has taken
him from the NSW North Coast, where
he grew up, to Scotland where his
latest collaboration is making headlines.
“It really set the foundation in my
career as an artist and creative director,
not only in the technical know-how but
also from an ideas perspective,” Leif
says.
In October, one of the world’s most
prestigious whiskey makers,
Ballantine’s, announced a collaboration
with the London-based designer to
create three limited edition gift packs
ahead of Christmas 2015.
“My work is inspired by nature and
being able to surround myself in the
natural environment of the Kingscliff
area really helped me form a unique
view on where I wanted to take my
practice.”
Born and bred in Byron Bay and
returning regularly to reacquaint
himself with the local landscape he
loves so much, Leif similarly immersed
himself in the breathtaking Scottish
wilderness where the images for the
project started to form organically.
Graduating from North Coast TAFE in
2006 and after a stint as a graphic
designer, Leif quit his day job to launch
his creative career internationally.
The gorgeous, kaleidoscopic designs
mimic the fire and water used in the
whisky making process and provide an
abstract interpretation of Scotland’s
stunning natural landscapes.
His distinctive, sonically-inspired
designs and haunting photography
quickly became sought after by brands,
record labels and musicians including
Nike, Sony Music, Wired Magazine,
Warner Records, Of Monsters and Men,
Tame Impala, Foals, the Vines, Kelis
and Bonobo.
6
The success of the musicians he
collaborated with saw the CDs his
artwork adorned held up by iconic US
talk show hosts such as David
Letterman and Ellen DeGeneres.
Leif has also been featured in
Huffington Post, Harper’s Bazaar and
Marie Claire and has had acclaimed
exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne,
Berlin, Paris and London.
“North Coast TAFE really was the
perfect place to study, especially in the
creative industries,” Leif says.
“The staff have such a wealth of
knowledge in varying backgrounds and
a passion and openness to share and
help their students.
“I’m actually still friends with nearly all
my teachers to this day.”
97%*
7
of North Coast TAFE students were satisfied
with the quality of their trainers, support and
assessment in 2015.
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
North Coast’s natural
beauty inspires thriving
creative hubs
BY SUE L APPEMAN
S
earching for the ‘sublime’ could be
the mantra of many of the artists who
are drawn to the north coast of NSW.
The spectacular coastal stretch from
the Great Lakes to the Queensland
border and its scenic hinterland and
rural areas have always been a lure for
artists, designers, musicians, film
makers and photographers.
Many are enticed by the natural beauty
and laid back, alternative lifestyles of
the small towns and villages and stay
to become part of their supportive and
creative communities.
“They have become stimulating,
creative hubs of art and culture and
have a youthful vibe which attracts
major music festivals like Splendour in
the Grass and the Byron Bay Blues
Festival,” artist Sandra Guy says. The
alternative and sustainable lifestyle
draws creative people to the area.
“Together they have created dynamic
centres such as the Byron Bay Arts
and Industry Estate and networks such
as Arts Northern Rivers that promote
the wonderful work being created in
the Region.”
It took some time but Sandra, who is
also Head Teacher of Information
Technology and Creative Industries at
North Coast TAFE, eventually found the
‘sublime’ she was searching for.
With her artwork principally being
inspired by the wild, vast, awe inspiring
natural landscapes which embodied the
19th century Romantic movement, the
US-born, Sydney-raised painter at first
struggled to find inspiration in the rural
surroundings when she moved to the
Northern Rivers region eight years ago.
The working farms, grazing cattle and
bitumen roads she found during her
forays into the countryside held little
interest or power.
But like so many of the talented artists
who have made the north coast home,
Sandra eventually found what she was
looking for in the disparate, overlapping
landscapes and eclectic lifestyles of
the region.
“Over time, what was initially rejected
as subject matter became familiar,
inspiring, surprising, intriguing and,
contrary to previous thought, powerful
and often ‘sublime’,” Sandra says.
8
“Contemplation of these landscapes
led me to re-examine the aesthetic
notions of the Romantic painters,
separating the natural world into
categories, and to search for something
more parallel to my newly inspired
experiences of a predominately rural
landscape.”
Celebrated artists like realist Robyn
Sweaney, painter Michael Cusack and
two-time Archibald Prize winner William
Robinson are among those who have
also been inspired by the region’s many
natural and man made offerings.
With their teaching roster of renowned
artists, diverse and vocational courses
and successful former students - the
six North Coast TAFE campuses
offering creative programs are likewise
contributing to the creative culture in
their local areas.
“Our teachers are practising artists who
are very prominent in their individual
fields like painters Wendy Stokes and
Hobie Porter, Rochelle Summerfield
who creates unique and quirky collages,
ceramic artist Catherine Lane and
David Rousell, a hand blown glass
artist,” Sandra says.
“We have also produced a lot of
outstanding students including artists
Kasane Low, papermaker Heather
Matthew and London-based graphic
designer Leif Podhajsky.
“Several have moved interstate and
overseas to pursue highly successful
careers.”
Sandra recently showcased her journey
through the complexities of the
region’s landscapes in a collection of
oil paintings in her latest exhibition,
‘Two-thirds Sky: Searching for the
Sublime in the Northern Rivers’.
Her paintings, featuring prominent
road signs coupled with two-thirds
‘sublime’ sky, hint at the often prickly
juxtaposition of the natural and rural
environment typical of the area and
reflects the environmental tensions of
land use versus land preservation.
The sky, ominous and dominant above
a landscape jolted by humans, can be
seen as a warning of mankind’s
complacency about their surroundings.
“How I view the landscape of the
Northern Rivers is a very personal
experience,” Sandra says. “My depiction
of the landscape is not necessarily a
typical or comfortable one.
In its first 12 months, the MOAC
attracted more than 135,000 visitors,
doubling the gallery’s annual
attendance figures.
“Through my work I hope to elicit a
response generating the recognition
of a ‘sublime’ moment experienced,
and an appreciation for the beauty or
picturesque nature of the Northern
Rivers landscapes, but also the
promotion of thought about further
impact to this environment.
“The Margaret Olley Art Centre and
permanent exhibition has become an
enormous drawcard that has boosted
numbers at galleries in the area and
provided additional patronage for local
artists,” Sandra says.
“Ultimately these works reflect the
search for a fusion of contemporary
experience with Romantic notions.”
“There are several galleries from the
Byron Shire to the Gold Coast and
many of the art lovers who go to the
Olley exhibition are also visiting those
other attractions.”
Sandra’s exhibition was held at the
Tweed Regional Gallery, which is also
home to the new Margaret Olley Art
Centre (MOAC), a gloriously chaotic
recreation of her Sydney home described
by her friends as ‘sublimely cluttered’.
The permanent tribute to the Lismoreborn Olley has propelled the regional
gallery into the national spotlight and
created a mini tourism boom all of its
own. Busloads of art enthusiasts have
been making a pilgrimage to the
$4 million centre since it opened in
March 2014.
9
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
Local artist
takes flight
BY SUE L APPEMAN
erched high upon a handrail
P
overlooking Bondi Beach, the effigies
of 22 mutton birds were supposed to
weather dramatically to represent
the sad plight of the pollutionthreatened bird.
But what Coffs Harbour-based
sculptor Jeremy Sheehan, and his 100strong team of local and international
collaborators, did not foresee was the
compassion of the half a million
visitors to the annual Sculpture by the
Sea exhibition.
“People adopted the birds and turned
up each day to see how they had
weathered,” says the North Coast
TAFE Visual Arts teacher.
“They looked after the birds, making
sure they were okay and propping
them up if they fell.
“It was incredible. It really restored
our faith in humanity.
“The breakdown of the work was
supposed to be a metaphor for the
destruction of these birds by marine
pollution so, if anything, they probably
lasted too well.”
The overwhelming local reaction to
the Improbable Gluttony exhibition
prompted Jeremy to start thinking
about the migratory, rubbish-strewn
path of the birds.
The Trans Migration installation in the
2015 Sculpture by the Sea exhibition
had originated from a classroom
discussion a year earlier.
“We thought we needed to go further,
that there was a lot more to this
project,” Jeremy says.
A group of Mr Sheehan’s students at
North Coast TAFE in Coffs Harbour
wanted to bring attention to the
thousands of mutton birds that had
washed up on local beaches, killed by
plastic waste ingested during their
annual migration.
They modelled bird skeletons from
plastic refuse, adorned them with steel
wool and installed them at the base
of nearby Muttonbird Island so they
could degrade and reveal the plastic
within.
10
“We made up a new lot of wire frames
and sent them to 22 Pacific islands,
including Vanuatu, the Cook Islands
and Kiribati, where the mutton birds
land during their migration.
“Artists from those islands were invited
to create the body of the birds
themselves using local materials
meaningful to them.
“Some of the islands went to great
lengths to ensure the birds were
returned to us, passing them via boats
to other islands and facing challenges
to get them through immigration.
“The birds have so much spirit and
each has a story behind them.
“The people who make them put so
much work into them and, although
they look incredibly fragile, they stood
up to everything put at them from the
very stormy weather to playful kids.”
NCI TAFE Creative Arts Head Teacher
Phil Greed says the project was a
wonderful illustration of the value of
TAFE’s creative courses for the North
Coast community.
“Art and creativity can be a catalyst
for change, a very effective way of
communicating a message to people.
This project is a fine example of how
you can do that,” Phil says.
“This is about the synergy of education,
engagement with communities and
bringing attention to environmental
issues that are important.”
96%*
11
of North Coast TAFE students agreed that they
had developed the skills and knowledge that
they had expected from their training in 2015.
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
NEWS
SINGLE-MINDED SALLY
FINDS HER TRUE
VOCATION
BY TR ACE Y CHALLENOR
When Sally Avery happened
to see a small ad in her local
newspaper
about
scholarships for a nursing
course, she had a hunch it
could be the start of a
rewarding new vocation.
Although already working in
hospitality, Sally, a member
of Port Macquarie’s Biripi
Aboriginal Community,
envisaged a career that
would allow her to help
Aboriginal people, and
inspire her own four children
to reach their dreams.
“I think my kids motivated me to
embark on a nursing career because I
wanted better for them,” Sally says. “I
wanted to get a good job and be able
to provide for them. So I sat the test,
took part in the interview process and
was lucky enough to receive a position
in the course.”
Sally, 28, was one of seven – out of 50
original applicants – granted a New
South Wales Health funded scholarship
to complete a Diploma of Nursing at
North Coast TAFE’s Port Macquarie
Campus. Although convinced she was
on the right track after the first practical
placement revealed the scope of
enrolled nursing pathways, Sally knew
she would need herculean stamina to
go the distance.
Juggling studies with three young
children and pregnant with her fourth
child, Sally was also holding down a
hospitality job at the Panthers RSL
Club and volunteering weekly at Birpai
Aboriginal Land Council, imparting
healthy life skills to the youth group.
Just when it seemed like her schedule
couldn’t get any busier, Sally’s partner,
professional footballer Sam Wara, was
lured to France for six months on a
rugby union Super 14’s contract.
“Towards the end of the pregnancy I
couldn’t sleep anyway and with Sam
not being home I was quite lonely at
night, so I just studied the night away,”
laughs Sally. “My level of self-reliance
and resilience was certainly tested, but
it was empowering. You never know
how much you can achieve until you
really want something. It proves that
we can all accomplish anything we
wish.”
“My kids motivated
me to embark on a
nursing career,
because I wanted
better for them.”
True to her word, Sally was the epitome
of grace under pressure, capping off
her hectic year of study with a swag
of student awards and honours. The
nursing graduate received the two top
North Coast TAFE awards: Student of
the Year and Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Student of the Year; as
well as the North Coast TAFE Student
Recognition Award in the Community
Services and Health category. She was
then named NSW Training Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Student of
the Year for the North Coast Region.
“I was overwhelmed. I didn’t really think
that I deserved the awards,” Sally says.
“It was a little bit humbling I think.
I was happy enough just to get the
scholarship in the first place, but
choosing the nursing path has turned
out to be such a big thing in my life.”
health. We have a clinic as well as inpatient liaison with the Aboriginal
mental health patients,” Sally explains.
In another learning milestone, Sally has
completed the first year of a Bachelor
of Health Science (Mental Health)
through Charles Sturt University,
thanks to a scholarship from her
employer.
“I wouldn’t have ever been able to get
to university with all the kids and
everything if I hadn’t done that TAFE
course.”
“I’m really loving it,” says Sally, of her
new career. “Learning about mental
health helps with every aspect of your
life. This year, we’ve been learning
about how different traumas can affect
someone’s life over the long term,
which is particularly relevant to
Aboriginal people who still experience
the effects of transgenerational
trauma.”
Now living in Wyong on the New South
Wales Central Coast, Sally has a landed
fulltime traineeship with Central Coast
Local Health District
employed
as
an
“ I wouldn’t have
Aboriginal mental health
ever been able to
worker at Wyong
Hospital. “I’m getting
get to university
hands-on experience
with all the kids
every day in mental
North Coast TAFE’S
Sharen Marshall Head Teacher of
Health, Aged Care
and Nursing at the
Port Macquarie,
and everything if I K e m p s e y a n d
hadn’t done that W a u c h o p e
Campuses - believes
TAFE course.”
Sally’s success is
testament to her
dedication as a student. “It’s
outstanding that Sally was able to
pursue her course goal while juggling
such a big family commitment, a job
and volunteer work,” she says. “Sally is
a very mindful person who embraces
every opportunity. She’s resilient, very
personable, a real team player and
highly regarded by other teachers and
students here at TAFE.”
97%*
12
13
Sally says her desire to make a
difference in the community and
inspire her children - aged 11, six, five
and one – provide the impetus to keep
aiming high. “I had my daughter when
I was 16 and I was always told that I
would never amount to anything, so
it’s nice to have finally accomplished
something in my life,” Sally says. “I’d
like to think that I’ve showed my
daughter that you can make something
of yourself no matter what. She’s seen
how much hard work I put in and all
of the awards that resulted.”
Going forward, Sally has even bigger
dreams… hoping to work in a remote
Aboriginal community one day and,
down the track, secure a leadership
role to steer strategies that achieve
positive wellbeing for Aboriginal
people.
of North Coast TAFE students in 2015 would
recommend North Coast TAFE to others.
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE
CIVIL
GET READY
FOR THE
INFRASTRUCTURE
EXPLOSION
Building a legacy
Not your typical classroom
14
15
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
Building
a legacy
BY MAT T MULLENS
W hen Brad Stokley looks up from
his work on one of the country’s largest
infrastructure projects in a century, the
hair stands up on the back of his neck
as he considers the legacy he is helping
to create.
That’s when the North Coast TAFE
graduate and worker on the Pacific
Highway Upgrade thinks about telling
his children and grandchildren how he
helped build something great for
Australia.
“Every day when I come to work I look
at something huge that used to be
nothing and think ‘I helped build that’,”
Brad, a Stuarts Point local says.
“I worked on the whole southern
section and my Mum and family are
really proud because it is just so
important for everyone around here.
All the little towns around Macksville
will benefit which is great because it’s
such a nice place to live.”
But for Brad, the 25-year project to
deliver a four-lane divided road from
Hexham in NSW to the Queensland
border will also have another longlasting impact - an opportunity to set
himself up for a career in civil
construction.
Brad is one of the first graduates of an
innovative training partnership between
North Coast TAFE, labour hire company
Skilled/Waycon and construction giant
Lendlease that is opening doors for a
new generation of civil construction
workers by tackling an age old problem
in the industry: need experience to get
a job, but need a job to get experience.
“It’s very hard to get into the industry
if you’re new,” Lendlease Superintendent,
Damien O’Connor says. “The unique
machinery needed for constructing a
650-plus kilometre highway requires a
specific skill-set that can only really be
learned on the equipment itself.
“On top of that, industry health and
safety regulations are as stringent as
you can get. Essentially, employers and
fellow crew members must have
16
absolute trust in your skills,
temperament and commitment to
safety – that’s non-negotiable.”
These issues aren’t something that can
be addressed in a typical classroom.
Fortunately, under the TAFE, Skilled/
Waycon and Lendlease training
partnership, the classroom is a 23
kilometre section of the highway
upgrade from Nambucca Heads to
Urunga and the students are involved
in completing earthworks, concreting
and constructing bridges, culverts and
drainage lines.
All this is possible because North Coast
TAFE trainees are treated like Lendlease
employees. They work onsite and TAFE
brings the training to them.
North Coast TAFE Resources and
Infrastructure Program Manager Andy
Irvine says the onsite focus is the key
reason behind the program’s success.
“Industry are strong on the need for the
practical nous you get from learning on
the job,” Andy says, “so they naturally
gravitate to either people with
experience or those they train in-house.”
“That’s why our model works. Trainees
are taught theory in demountables onsite, but also have exposure to the
rigours of a full-scale project. They not
only learn how to complete tasks, they
also learn why specific approaches are
used over others, particularly in terms
of safety and efficiency. In this way the
two learning methods complement and
reinforce each other.
“Onsite training also provides the least
disruption for Lendlease, with trainees
being kept away from their jobs for a
minimal amount of time. We have twelve
students currently placed and we expect
the vast majority of them to retain their
positions when they graduate.”
Andy says it’s important to recognise
that infrastructure projects of the scale
of the Pacific Highway Upgrade
provided rare opportunities to set up
people, communities and entire
industries for the future.
“Projects of this scale don’t come along
too often,” Andy says. “Training
organisations, governments and
builders have an obligation to use them
to provide long-lasting economic
benefits locally and nationally; to think
to the future and develop our national
skills base as much as we can.
“There is also the chance to lift
communities. Jobs mean so much more
than just employment. They provide a
source of self-esteem and a sense of
accomplishment. Jobs help young
people recognise the importance of
structure and routine. And, with
projects like this, people get to be part
of something so much bigger than
themselves.
opened up, albeit on a more personal
level. Having secured a full-time job with
Lendlease, he is now looking to the next
phase of his career – one that seemed
out of reach just 18 months ago.
“I want to stay working for Lendlease
for as long as I can. After the Upgrade
is finished I will move on to work
on other Lendlease projects. I also want
to keep studying and building on what
I have done so I can be a foreman
one day.”
“By helping more people get their foot
in the door of civil construction, we
believe the program is an industry
benchmark for training in the sector.”
With a Certificate III in Civil Construction
in his pocket, Brad feels the same way
about the opportunities the project has
17
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
Not your
typical classroom
Sydney Harbour Bridge. The
T he
Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric
Scheme. The Adelaide to Darwin Railway.
These iconic nation-building projects
helped define Australia.
They represented our growing
independence and industriousness and,
in their time, each thrust our country
onto the world stage.
The civil construction sector was the
industry principally responsible for these
towering achievements and it continues
to play a similarly vital role today. It lays
the foundations for our nation’s future
by building roads, railways, airports,
tunnels and dams. The industry also
provides employment for more than
70,000 workers – around seven per cent
of Australia’s building and construction
workforce.
BY MAT T MULLENS
But for those wanting to be a part of it
all, civil construction is a notoriously
tough nut to crack.
As North Coast TAFE Resources and
Infrastructure Program Manager Andy
Irvine explains: “Civil construction sites
are not your typical workplaces, even
among construction sites.”
So you’re left with an industry where
skilled workers pretty much exclusively
fill vacancies and newcomers face that
incredibly frustrating and all too common
problem: need experience to get a job;
need a job to get experience.
So what do you do when there just aren’t
enough spots to go round? “North Coast
TAFE, in partnership with All Excavations
training, created a discrete workplace,
the Terranora Walls Road Quarry,” Andy
says.
“It has access to all the plant machinery
and tools found on civil construction
projects, such as excavators, loaders,
trucks and pumps. It’s also run by one
of the most experienced, broadly-skilled
and passionate set of trainers assembled
on the East Coast.
“To keep it as authentic as possible, we’ve
built ‘classrooms’ from modified shipping
containers that sit onsite, just as you
would find similar offices on mines and
construction projects. Any work that
trainees complete in these relates directly
to the day-to-day jobs they undertake
in the quarry itself.”
All these aspects ensure the quarry has
a genuine worksite feel from the moment
trainees put a steel-cap on the dirt. Andy
says it is also run like a legitimate
construction job.
“WHS standards are sky-high. There are
steadfast knock-on and knock-off times,
and trainees work as a team. It’s not a
matter of finish your tasks and go home.
The job’s not done until the last member
of the crew is – just like real-life.”
Meanwhile, just next door is the largest
roadworks project undertaken on the
East Coast this century: the Pacific
Highway upgrade.
But, perhaps most importantly, trainees
don’t leave with just a piece of paper.
Just like a real job they walk away with
the core skills, values, work ethic and
team-focus found in a job-hardened civil
construction worker. And a solid foot in
the door of an industry that’s responsible
for the nation’s infrastructure future.
“For example, they are filled with unusual,
often unique machinery and that requires
on-site training to master. To make it even
harder, employers are traditionally
sceptical about offsite training because
they don’t believe it provides the practical
nous you get from learning on the job.”
“Civil construction
sites are not your
typical work places,
even among
construction sites.”
18
NC TAFE offers 600+ courses to 50,000+
students over 16 state of the art campuses.
19
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
NEWS
DESIGNING A DESTINY:
FROM DIPLOMA
TO DEGREE
Design) at Charles Sturt University, the
TAFE qualifications cutting 12 months
off the degree.
“It will cut a whole year off my HECS
fees which is great,” says 22-year-old
Merinda.
“I’m enjoying uni, but I absolutely loved
the way of learning at TAFE. It was so
hands-on; the teachers were amazing.
BY TR ACE Y CHALLENOR
Merinda Ramage is on track
to achieve her dream, turning
her life-long love of art into
a career in graphic design.
“I’ve always wanted to do something
creative – that’s who I am. When I learned
more about graphic design, I couldn’t
believe that you could get paid for doing
something you love,” Merinda says.
After leaving school in Year 11, Merinda
completed a Certificate III and IV in
Tertiary Preparation at Taree TAFE
Campus, achieving an outstanding
tertiary entrance score equivalent to
an ATAR of 97.6. That paved the way
for a Certificate IV and Diploma of
Graphic Design at Port Macquarie
TAFE Campus.
The talented student won numerous
design awards, and after finishing her
diploma, was accepted into a Bachelor
of Creative Arts and, Design (Graphic
“They would give us a detailed brief
based on the type of graphic design
projects they were doing with clients.
It was definitely good to do that year
of vocational training and get that oneon-one feedback from people in the
industry.”
Throughout the certificate and diploma
courses, Merinda had the opportunity
to design posters, magazines, logos,
branding, packaging, clothing and an
array of related merchandise.
“I was able to utilise industry-standard
computer design programs including
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and
InDesign, as well as experiment with
illustration on graphics tablets in order
to digitalise my own hand drawn
designs,” Merinda says.
“To gain that year of work experience
before starting university, gave me so
much confidence and I was able to
apply the practical skills I had learned.
It really convinced me that this is the
industry I want to join in the future.”
Merinda’s successful TAFE journey
reflects latest research showing that
diploma graduates have the winning
edge in a competitive employment
market.
“The graphic design industry is
competitive,” Merinda explains.
“Hopefully by the end of next year
when I’m going for jobs, it’s going to
look a lot better to employers having
both the degree and the portfolio that
I’ve been building since I’ve been at
TAFE.
“I’m really glad that I took this pathway
with my studies.”
Around 85 per cent of students who
complete a diploma are employed
within six months of finishing their
course, and are earning an average
fulltime salary of $63,500, according
to the 2014 Graduate Outcomes Survey
by the National Centre for Vocational
Education Research.
But it’s the diploma to degree pathway
reaping rewards for students like
Merinda, the vocational experience
from TAFE providing the perfect
foundation for higher degree studies.
Not only did the diploma help Merinda
qualify for her degree course, it led to
an invaluable 12-month position as
assistant to the graphic designer and
multimedia desktop publisher for
TAFEnow, North Coast TAFE’s online
channel.
“Turning a lifelong
love of art into a
career in
graphic design.”
87%**
20
21
of North Coast TAFE graduates were employed
or in further study after their training in 2015.
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE
TOURISM
ON THE
NORTH COAST
Is the North Coast ready for the
boom in Chinese tourism?
22
23
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
Is the North Coast
ready for the boom in
Chinese tourism?
BY MAT T MULLENS
he red dragon has landed. Drawn by
T
the North Coast’s spectacular coastlines
and lush river valley hinterlands; attracted
by its vibrant wildlife and diverse fauna;
and captivated by its sumptuous produce
and laid-back lifestyle, the long-predicted
boom in Chinese tourism has hit
the region.
This boom in Chinese tourists is no
accident. It didn’t happen overnight. The
seeds were planted more than 15 years
ago when, in 1999, Australia became one
of the first Western countries to be granted
Approved Destination Status by
the Chinese Government. This gave
Australia the official green light to
target mainland China as a source of
international tourists.
Flash forward to 2016: China is now the
country’s most valuable tourism export
market, worth up to $13 billion to the
economy according to Tourism Australia.
The world’s most populous nation is also
the main source of visitors to New South
Wales, with around half a million visiting
last year.
In the early days, inbound Chinese
concentrated in Sydney, Brisbane and
Melbourne; for no reason other than that’s
where they landed. But this initial
penchant for our state capitals is slowly
being replaced by a desire for a more
authentic Australian experience. This
experience
encompasses
our
breathtaking natural scenery and unique
wildlife, rather than gigantic bridges and
odd-shaped opera houses. Chinese
tourists are becoming more adventurous,
keen to travel further afield and take the
road less travelled.
According to Cameron Arnold – co-chair
of the North Coast Destination Network,
the region’s premier tourism body – it’s
this change in preference from fast-paced
urban to relaxed, regional Australia that
is driving the influx of visitors from China
to the North Coast. Although, he says,
they’re doing a pretty good job at driving
themselves.
“From what I’ve seen Chinese tourists
stand out in their willingness to jump in
a hire car or van with the whole family
and see the real Australia,” Cameron says.
“This is great for the North Coast, because
we have the country’s best road trip – the
1,000km stretch between the Gold Coast
and Sydney is a perfect fit.
“It’s an exciting time for the region, and
it’s up to us to make the most of Chinese
visitors who are no longer interested in
big city shopping; people who want a
more nature-based experience.
“They’re after natural beauty and wildlife, fresh
air and open spaces. They want to meet
people in regional and rural towns. See how
‘salt of the earth’ Australians live. In particular,
they want to see and sample local produce.
24
Food is something that most Chinese
tourists see as a central part of their ideal
holiday experience. To me those things
typify the North Coast.”
The North Coast Destination Network
has recognised the region is perfectly
placed – and paced – to meet this change
in perspective, and duly responded by
recently making Chinese tourists a key
focus in their marketing campaigns.
But one of the biggest challenges in
looking to capture this market of
unprecedented promise is addressing
the cultural divide. While Chinese tourists
are looking for an authentic experience,
they still want certain cultural practices
of their own to be respected. Some of
the region’s businesses are already on
the front foot in this respect.
Big4 Sunshine South West Rocks uses a
website developed by its parent company,
Big4, that is written entirely in Mandarin.
And we’re not talking about a clumsy
Google Translate patch-up job. A Chinese
copywriter was contracted to develop
text that specifically met the linguistic
nuances of their target market.
Park owner Tony Mayne says the goal is
to develop materials written by the
market, for the market: one that would
reflect exactly what Chinese tourists need
and want.
“It’s an emerging market, we understand
its size and potential and we’re trying to
be first to market in this way,” Tony says.
But Tony also sees getting visitors to his
park as only half the challenge. Equally
important is to ensure they have an
unforgettable experience once they
arrive. For this he is overseeing the
development of translated in-house
collateral, such as maps of local
attractions, eateries and where to get
supplies.
“We can get them down here, but there
also has to be a significant amount of
in-house collateral, which is what we are
starting to develop,” Tony says.
“For example, all of our team members
have audio translator apps on their
mobile phones. The apps translate audio
or text from English to other languages
and vice-versa.”
As a member of the local South West
Rocks Chamber of Commerce and the
executive committee of the Macleay
Valley Tourism Association, Tony says
he’s also working to encourage
other businesses to develop similar
collateral.
“Competition for the Asian market is
intense in Australia – everyone is trying to
get on the bandwagon.
“From what I’ve seen, Chinese tourists
want free, independent travel through
natural environments. They’ve got
enough cities at home. This gives our
region a natural advantage.
“So we can certainly give them a grass
roots experience – that’s our bread and
butter – but by educating ourselves
about their cultural nuances, we can put
the little things in place, particularly in
customer service areas, that will separate
us from the competition.
“The first tourists coming through now
are the early adopters. It’s vital that – as
a region – we impress them with our
understanding of their culture so they
go back home and talk about us. Things
like language, social norms, respect and
group hierarchies are important. This will
help us develop a reputation as the go-to
destination for their compatriots.”
This growing sensitivity to the Chinese way
of life is also being reflected in regional
training programs. Cameron says he has
already taken part in workshops specifically
designed to help businesses bridge the
cultural gap between our two countries.
It is also apparent in the Vocational Education
and Training sector. North Coast TAFE Head
of Hospitality Gillian Bruce says cultural training
has been absorbed into a range of programs,
such as aviation, events management,
hospitality, cookery and travel consultancy.
25
“It’s vital that as markets change, we
adapt our skills and knowledge,” Gillian
says. “Aspects such as religion, food and
legal systems - visa regulations and
passport requirements, for example – can
vary vastly from country to country and
particularly between the East and West.
“These can really affect whether someone
enjoys their holiday or not, so in tourism
and hospitality-based industries it’s
important that we research and profile
markets extensively and undertake
training that will help us become more
capable of meeting their needs.
“The rise in the Asian market is
fundamentally changing the tourism and
hospitality industry and we’re seeing
employers up and down the North Coast
looking specifically for people who have
the skills and expertise in these areas.”
But amidst all this change one thing
remains the same.
“The underlying factor is really good oldfashioned customer service,” Tony says.
“They may be coming from different
home countries when compared to 20
years ago, but tourists by and large want
the same thing: respectful, courteous and
knowledgeable service.”
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
NEWS
aboriginal
LEARNING CIRCLE
GIVES paris a
flying start
Every school leaver deserves a
future full of choices and
opportunities, and for many
Aboriginal people it’s important
to have education options that
affirm cultural values and
perspectives. Culturally safe
courses can be a valuable step
towards
employment
opportunities.
BY TR ACE Y CHALLENOR
Customised training and support options
for Aboriginal people and communities
is the key focus of a suite of services that
embrace Aboriginal cultures, celebrate
diversity and provide solutions for
Aboriginal people, communities and
employers.
Services known as Aboriginal Learning
Circle - North Coast TAFE can be a
springboard to success for many
students, including 30 year old Paris
Robinson of Tweed Heads.
Aboriginal education specialists work
with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
teaching teams to provide customised
vocational education and training and
workplace development that is culturally
appropriate
and
above
all, supportive.
So when Paris completed a Certificate
IV and Diploma in Community Services
at North Coast TAFE – Murwillumbah,
she relished the support she received
from Aboriginal teachers on her
learning journey.
“It’s a dream come
true to come this far,”
Paris says. “Studying
at TAFE broadened
my horizons.”
26
“I hadn’t been to TAFE before and I really
loved the experience,” Paris says. “The
Indigenous staff members were great.
You could always talk to them and relate
to them, because being Indigenous
themselves, they’re aware of certain
things. You just find it much easier to
express what’s going on and you know
that they’ll do their best to help you.”
Paris revelled in her TAFE studies, her
first practical placement with community
services organisation New Horizons
leaving no doubt she was on the right
career path.
“My placement just cemented my passion
for the field of community services,” Paris
explains. “It convinced me that I wanted
to help Indigenous people in their
communities.”
After completing her certificate, Paris
achieved distinctions in her diploma
studies, and was ultimately rewarded
with TAFE NSW’s Gili Award for
Academic Excellence.
Since leaving TAFE, Paris has gone from
strength to strength. She’s now employed
as a trainee case manager with Tweed
Shire Council’s Community Options
Program (COPS) and is studying for a
degree in social welfare. She was recently
named Young Achiever of the Year at a
NSW conference for Aboriginal People
in local government.
Director of Aboriginal Learning Circle –
North Coast TAFE, Heather McGregor
says graduates like Paris Robinson
epitomise the success of the Aboriginal
Learning Circle - North Coast TAFE.
“So it’s not just about addressing
disadvantage. It’s acknowledging that
Aboriginal approaches to teaching and
learning can be equally as important and
effective as other methods.”
“It’s wonderful to see students like Paris
achieving their goals,” Heather says.
“Aboriginal Learning Circle is all about
practical outcomes. The first thing we
ask when designing any course is: who
is it going to make a difference to and
how?
And at the end of the learning journey,
staff proudly stand beside students and
celebrate their achievements.
“We don’t want to just provide Aboriginal
people with another certificate that takes
them nowhere.
“That’s the key to Aboriginal Learning
Circle: training that leads to a definite
outcome for Aboriginal people. That is
either a job, another course or, in some
cases, a community or cultural outcome.”
Each course delivered through Aboriginal
Learning Circle - North Coast TAFE is
designed with Aboriginal students in
mind.
We value having Aboriginal people
involved in delivering our programs and
including an Aboriginal perspective on
subject matter.
“We have graduations at the end of every
program,” Heather explains. “You get a
lot of hugs and emotion amongst
students and their teachers. Real
relationships are established that
continue long after the course.”
Paris is one graduate who has become
a shining role model to others in her
community, her wisdom and contagious
positivity inspiring everyone she meets.
“I’m inspired by just having a heartbeat,”
Paris says.
“Anyone can make change; anyone can
do one little thing to help one person.
They say if you smile at one person, that
smile is going to travel … I don’t think it’s
too hard to help people and create
change and it only takes one person to
do that.”
“It’s a dream come true to come this far,”
Paris says. “Studying at TAFE broadened
my horizons. It taught me to think about
things in more depth. Because I’m
working in community services, I think
about why people are where they are in
life and I try to assist them to change, to
better themselves.”
Paris aspires to become an Indigenous
Community Development Officer or
Community Capacity Building Officer,
but says her primary goal is to be a
positive role model for her young son.
“My main goal was to gain a good job,
have a good house and a nice car so that
my son can see - as he grows up – that
education is the pathway to rewarding
work and success in life,” Paris says.
27
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE
INSPIRED
BY A
MENTOR
CULINARY
SUCCESS
Young chef tastes success after
Masters Apprenticeship
Master stirs culinary passion in
chefs of the future
28
29
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
YOUNG CHEF TAKES
SUCCESS AFTER MASTER’S
APPRENTICESHIP
BY TR ACE Y CHALLENOR
Passionate about food and a
stickler for perfection, newlyqualified chef Michelle
Roderick is already showing
her flair in the competitive
hospitality world just a year
after graduating from North
Coast TAFE – Kingscliff
Campus.
Michelle, 25, is a commis chef at the
busy Twin Towns Clubs and Resorts at
Tweed Heads, gaining invaluable
experience in several of the club’s
dining venues, and running the kitchen
at the popular tapas bar, Horizons.
“I didn’t think that a year after my
apprenticeship I’d be running one of
the restaurants at Twin Towns,” Michelle
says.
“I get to do all my own tapas specials,
which includes two mains and two
“To learn so many different techniques
in food gastronomy from world-leading
chefs was an absolutely amazing
experience,” Michelle says.
desserts… I pretty much have free run
to do what I want in the kitchen.
“I love everything about the industry,
even the stress, believe it or not,”
Michelle reveals.
“Being able to present something that
customers are enjoying is rewarding:
you’ve taken it from start to finish, and
you’re giving the customer that
ultimate food experience.”
For two-and-a-half years, Michelle
attended North Coast TAFE one day
a week to complete her Certificate III
Commercial Cookery Trade while
spending four days working as an
apprentice chef at Twin Towns.
Michelle became skilled in everything
from cake decorating to butchery
techniques, and found an inspirational
mentor in Kingscliff Campus
commercial cookery teacher Garry
Smith - an award-winning former
international chef.
“Garry’s absolutely exceptional; an
awesome teacher – I couldn’t have
asked for more,” Michelle says.
“He’s a very traditional chef, so to learn
that classical European style and how
to do everything by hand without
always using machines was invaluable.
“For example, when we make a cake,
normally we make it with an electric
mixer. Garry taught us how to make it
using the basic ingredients, using a
“I learned so much about cheese, about
wine, everything that is a key
component of what we do in the
cheffing industry.”
whisk instead of a mixer and getting
it to that point where you can create
something a lot better quality rather
than using something that’s standard
and makes things faster.
“Garry also encouraged me to go into
competitions and go further than most
students would. He just pushed me to
go beyond the limits and to keep
progressing. That’s what makes him an
excellent teacher.”
Michelle has also excelled in the Nestlé
Golden Chef’s Hat Awards, placing
third in New South Wales in 2014 and
second in Queensland in 2015.
Now living her dream as a qualified
chef, Michelle is in no doubt North
Coast TAFE gave her the skills she
needed to make a successful entrée
into the hospitality industry.
“I’d recommend the course to any
With Garry’s encouragement, Michelle students in the Tweed Valley and south
entered the annual Fonterra Proud to of that area,” Michelle says.
be a Chef Mentorship program in her
“All of the teachers in
final TAFE year, and was
the commercial
one of the 31 talented
cookery course are
apprentice chefs from
exceptional – they
across Australia and
work together to
New Zealand chosen to
attend four days of “Ongoing support make the experience
master classes in
after completing worthwhile.
Melbourne.
the course.”
“Garry still phones
me to let me know
about master classes
and competitions he
thinks would benefit
my career. He still takes the time to
mentor, even though I’ve now left
TAFE.”
As for future goals, Michelle is
completing a food and beverage
management certificate in her spare
time and aims to one day manage a
restaurant or hotel venue.
“There are so many different paths you
can take in hospitality from the starting
point of being a chef. I want to climb
the ranks by learning from my executive
chef. I’m just letting it take me where
it’s going to take me. I’m striving to
get to the top but I don’t have a time
limit on when I get there.”
“A year after
completing an
apprenticeship, I’m
running one of the
restaurants in
Twin Towns.”
95%*
30
31
of North Coast TAFE students were satisfied
with their overall training in 2015.
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
master stirs culinary
passion in chefs of
the future
As commercial cookery teacher in
Tourism, Hospitality and Events at
North Coast TAFE-Kingscliff, Garry
combines a love of teaching with years
of industry experience including
executive chef posts at top hotels in
London, Scotland and Sydney.
BY TR ACE Y CHALLENOR
Garry is also the current world
champion salon culinaire Master Chef,
a prestigious industry ranking conferred
on chefs who have exceptional culinary
arts knowledge.
After 30 years as a teacher,
celebrated chef Garry Smith
has
produced
an
extraordinary culinary legacy,
training generations of
hospitality industry staff for
careers in Melbourne, London
and New South Wales.
“I don’t think there would be a
restaurant in the north coast region
that would not have one of my students
employed in them,” Garry says.
“We’re now up to fourth and fifth
generations, so I’m now teaching the
apprentices employed by students I
first taught 15 years ago.
“Some former students own their own
restaurants; they’ve moved to
Melbourne. I still keep in touch with
them and meet them every so often.”
With credentials like these, it is little
wonder Garry’s students are rising to
the top – the master chef teaching
everything from knife technique,
butchery skills and menu planning to
desserts, sauces and pastries, and
finessing crocodile and emu.
“Of course they also learn all of the
theory as well: how to coach other
cooks, culinary etiquette, codes of
practice and how to manage staff.
“The hospitality industry is one of the
largest employers on the New South
Wales north coast, so we certainly feel
like we are laying the foundation for
the chefs of the future here at Kingscliff
TAFE,” Garry says.
One of those rising chefs is apprentice
Michelle Roderick, who impressed
North Coast TAFE teachers with her
potential as soon as she began her
Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.
hospitality really have to have a love
of food and a love of the industry, and
I saw all of that in Michelle.”
Michelle was just exemplary in the
“kitchen,” Garry says.
“She’s one of the best chef students
I’ve trained. She was polite, she was
always on campus when required and
she spent so much time trying to help
other students as well.”
Garry says that whether students are
training to be a baker or wine producer,
they need nerves of steel to cope with
the often pressure-cooker environment
of a busy restaurant or café.
“Because hospitality is a demanding
industry and the hours can be erratic,
you need to have real discipline and
commitment.
“We’ll always have cooks
that can cook, but
people who excel in
Garry says Michelle proved her allround capabilities during a gruelling
assessment project held at Kingscliff
TAFE’s Caldera Restaurant.
“Michelle had to write and fully cost a
three-course dinner menu and run the
kitchen using other students as her
brigade. We stood in the background,”
he explains.
“She catered for 70 people that night,
including her employers and Twin
Towns colleagues.
“Michelle’s restaurant was extremely
successful. She’s a very calm young
lady. She didn’t get stressed or
overawed by what was demanded of
her, which is a good trait for a cook to
have.”
“Working in
the hospitality
industry needs
real discipline
and commitment.”
Michelle is one of
three students Garry
has taught in recent
years who have made
the finals of the
Fonterra Proud to be
a Chef mentorship
program, further
cementing both his
and Kingscliff TAFE’s
reputation as a leader
in hospitality training.
Even though Michelle is now forging
her own path, Garry still encourages
his former protégé to enter master
classes and other competitions to add
new techniques to her resume.
“It’s very rewarding to see students
like Michelle following their dreams
after they’ve studied commercial
cookery at North Coast TAFE,” Garry
says.
“I can see Michelle definitely running
her own establishment. I have absolute
confidence: she has the common
sense, she has ability, she has the drive
– the world’s her oyster.”
“We are laying the
foundation for the
chefs of the future here
at Kingscliff TAFE.”
NC TAFE has the widest range of subsidised
courses in NSW with flexible delivery and
supportive services offering more options.
32
33
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
“I would highly recommend the
Certificate II, III and IV courses
as well as the Diploma in Retail
management course … [to] develop
the competencies needed to excel
in the retail world.”
…
e
s
oo
h
c
u
o
y
h
t
a
p
r
e
v
e
t
a
Wh
!
y
wa
e
h
t
ll
a
u
o
y
h
t
wi
e
’r
e
w
Thomas Flowers
Certificate IV and Diploma in Retail Management
High School
TAFE at School
If you’re a student in Year 11 or 12, you
can take up TAFE-delivered vocational
education and training (TVET) and gain
nationally recognised qualifications
as part of your HSC.
Certificate I and II
Aimed at building foundation skills
and preparing you for further study or
work in an industry area of your choice.
Entry-level qualification to work
in a range of related industries.
Graduate Diploma
or Bachelor Degree
A TAFENSW Higher Education
qualification such as a Graduate
Diploma or Bachelor Degree will give
you all the benefits of university study.
+ Industry ready practical skills
TAFE qualifications are known for.
Certificate III and IV
These courses build expertise and
capability in your chosen industry area.
(May involve undertaking an
apprenticeship or traineeship.)
university
Recognition of
Prior Learning (RPL)
and Credit Transfer
Have the skills and knowledge
that you have gained previously
in work, study and life recognised.
This may reduce your study time
and course fees.
34
Industry ready
qua lifications
Required qualifications to work
in a range of related industries.
Diploma and
Advanced Diploma
Higher level qualifications will develop
specialised knowledge and expertise
in an industry area. Build on existing
knowledge, work experience
or a career at management or
para-professional levels.
35
TAFE 2 University
Did you know that a TAFE NSW
Certificate IV or Diploma could give
you up to 50% advanced standing
in a university degree?
Get practical ‘job ready’ skills and
then gain entry to a university at
an advanced stage.
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE
SINESS
BUchallenges
and
opportunities
Big thinking for small business
36
37
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
FEATURE STORY
Big thinking
for small business
BY SUE L APPEMAN
T he laid back, small town lifestyle of
the North Coast of NSW is about to
face one of its biggest challenges yet
– it’s about to boom.
It won’t be just any boom but a huge
jobs boom with the population boom
that naturally follows.
From sea and tree changers to
financially-stretched Sydney-siders
escaping the hyper-ridiculous housing
market, the Grafton to Coffs Harbour
region will need to find almost 10,000
skilled and unskilled workers over the
next five years.
A Department of Employment report
recently predicted job growth of 13.2
per cent for the region.
For the Richmond to Tweed area, one
of the fastest growing regions in NSW,
the forecast is for 6000 new jobs over
the same five-year period.
Such rapid growth brings a number of
challenges and opportunities for the
‘engine room’ of these regions - the
small business sector.
Like much of regional NSW, small
businesses on the North Coast employ
the majority of locals.
and liquor staff, TAFE took it on,
massaged it and got some great
trainers in.
But, also like much of regional NSW,
they are faced with a skills shortage
that will only be exasperated by jobs
growth.
“The feedback from staff was so good
we are now putting every one of our
270 staff members through this
important safety course, from the
casual check out operators to
management.”
For Hastings Co-op CEO Allan Gordon,
building a partnership with the local
North Coast TAFE campuses around
Port Macquarie has been critical to
ensuring his highly valued staff can be
retained and new staff trained.
Working together they have developed
a range of innovative workplace
training courses that cover everything
from mystery shopping to how to
respond during an armed robbery.
“We have had an association with TAFE
going on 18 months and the intention
from the outset was to provide a level
of training to staff we’ve never had
before,” Allan says.
“When we asked for an armed hold up
course for our high risk service station
38
The Co-op, which will celebrate its
100th year in operation in 2016, has 13
businesses in the Hastings area
covering supermarkets, bottle shops,
service stations, bulk fuel, hardware,
rural supplies, and department stores.
“TAFE has been very flexible,
accommodating and cost effective,
tailoring courses to our specific
requirements,” Allan says.
“Recently we asked for a sales course
but we didn’t want a theory course.
“We wanted a hands on, in-store
training program for department store
staff so they could enhance their
customer service skills.
“That course will be ready for us early
in the new year. That is how flexible
TAFE has been for us.”
TAFE has also set up a Moodle – an
online study platform – specifically for
Hastings Co-op staff with core modules
essential for the business.
“Staff are able to log on and run
through the courses when it is
convenient,” Allan says.
“When we need to develop a new
course, the response from TAFE is
immediate.
“TAFE has been very in tune with what
we are trying to achieve and they
understand that the more we can
partner together the better outcome
there is for both parties.”
‘’We get an instant return on our
investment in training as you can see
the changes very quickly in our staff.
For current North Coast TAFE student
and salon owner Sandra Lane keeping
up with the latest cutting-edge
techniques and products and most
up-to-date health and safety training
is vital for her budding beauty therapy
business.
A ‘mid-life crisis’ saw her toss in a fulltime job in the medical sector after 25
years to find a new, more familyfriendly career.
“It is the best thing I ever did,” Sandra
says.
“I started a beauty therapy course and
absolutely loved it so went on to do
the Diploma in Salon Management.
“I’ve already started my own business
while I am still studying, my income
has doubled in the last year and I can
fit my work around my family.
“I have got a salon at home and
everything I learnt at TAFE, I
implemented in my salon from council
inspections, to best practice and the
latest health and safety regulations.”
Coast TAFE Kingscliff/Wollongbar
Campus, says the Salon Management
and other business courses focus on
the unique conditions facing North
Coast small business owners.
“Often they rely on the tourist market
which brings different challenges such
as staffing,” Carol says.
“We also focus heavily on marketing
via social media which, for our
hairdressing and beauty students, is
very beneficial.
“We show them how to design flyers
and advertising to use on Facebook
and Instagram which is very successful
for a lot of these types of businesses
with very little outlay.
“Some business owners are sending
all their staff to business courses like
Salon Management and their
businesses are growing from it.”
Carol Robinson, Sandra’s Head Teacher
in the Business Faculty at the North
39
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
Our north coast locations
kingscliff
murwillumbah
wollongbar
lismore
ballina
casino
bundjalung
yaegl
maclean
grafton
gumbaynggirr
coffs harbour
education campus
coffs harbour
macksville
dunghutti
KEMPSEY
port macquarie
wauchope
Biripi
taree
worimi
great lakes
*Source: North Coast TAFE’s Learner Engagement Survey 2015.
**Source: The Social Research Centre 2015, Australian vocational education and training
statistics: government-funded student outcomes: 2015 TAFE NSW - North Coast
ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2016
Institute report, The Social Research Centre, Melbourne.