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Good news for quality training

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In a sector plagued by bad news, Cire Training would like to share some positive news. From January 2017, Victoria’s training and TAFE system is being overhauled through Skills First.

“Skills First – our new approach to training and TAFE – will ensure public funds are spent effectively, and that students get real training that led to real jobs” Gayle Tierney, Minister for Training and Skills

Built on the Andrews Labour Government’s commitment to the training and TAFE system, Skills First offers real training for real jobs, through:

  • High quality training that students and industry can trust
  • The opportunity to develop the required skills– and the skills employers want – for jobs today and tomorrow
  • A real voice for industry in training
  • Funding for learners who need additional support to engage with, and succeed, in education and training
  • Access to targeted, relevant training for students in regional areas

With the introduction of Skills First, Victoria – the Education State – is leading the nation to ensure quality in vocational and educational training.  Students, industry and the community can have renewed confidence in government-funded training. This new approach to funded training is designed to make sure that public funds are spent effectively, and that students get the training they need to secure a job.

Cire Training is one of over 300 quality training providers who have been offered contracts to deliver government-funded training in 2017. Contracts were offered following a rigorous selection process where providers had to show evidence of their ability to deliver quality training. Providers also had to prove their strong organisational capability and clearly demonstrate their financial viability.

Cire Training, which offers accredited, pre-accredited and workskills courses from campuses located in Yarra Junction and Mount Evelyn, has proven its ability to deliver quality community-based adult education and training in the Yarra Valley and Outer Eastern Suburbs.

Cire Training is working closely with other local Learn Locals and Swinburne University to provide industry taster programs for the community. These programs will support the local community to identify possible career paths and opportunities for training. If you are unsure about which training program is right for you, consider participating in a taster program.

Not sure about where you want to work? Not a problem, Cire Training can help you plan your career, develop a resume and apply for a job. We have a range of pre-accredited programs to support your journey.

Cire Training offer accredited courses in Early Childhood Education and Care, Education Support, Horticulture, Individual Support and Leadership and Management. If you are thinking about a career in one of these fields, Cire Training can help you get there.

To find out more about the courses offered by Cire Training, visit our website or call 1300 835 235

Where will the projected job growth be in our region by 2020?

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Every year the Department of Employment publishes an employment projection for the next four years in regards to industry, occupation, skill level and region. These projections can be used to guide the future labour market. Of course, as with all projections, they are subject to a degree of variation.

The Employment Outlook to November 2020 provides an overview of the employment outlook across industries, occupations, states and territories, and regions forecast to 2020.

It is anticipated that in the next four years to November 2020, total employment in Australia will increase by 989,700 jobs – nearly one million positions in round numbers. Most new jobs created between now and 2020 will require tertiary qualifications. Of the one million new jobs projected, almost half will require certificate or diploma level qualifications.

So, how does the employment projection look for Melbourne’s Outer East?

For the Melbourne Outer East region, the number of people employed is expected to rise to 294,900 by November 2020 for all industries comparing to the November 2015 trend of 268,200. This is a projected employment growth of 26,600.

Melbourne outer east total

Where will the new jobs be?

Top six industries that will see growth in our region are:

  • Health Care and Social Assistance
  • Construction
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
  • Accommodation and Food Services
  • Education and Training
  • Retail Trade

Melbourne outer east graph

Health Care and Social Assistance has been the primary provider of new jobs in the Australian labour market since the 1990s. Over the next five years, employment in the industry is projected to increase by 250,200 (or 16.4 per cent). Factors contributing to this strong projected growth include the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Australia’s ageing population, and increasing demand for childcare and home based care services. Employment growth in this industry is likely to favour part-time and female workers.

Cire Training offers a  CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support, which can give you the skills required to confidently support people in living in their own home or a care facility. Cire Training also offers courses in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) at a Certificate III level and a diploma level. Both of these courses provide the skills to care for and support the development of young children from infancy through to 12 years of age. A diploma in this field can lead to management and development roles.

Construction industry employment is projected to grow by 87,000 (or 8.3 per cent) over the five years to November 2020. A strong rise in residential building construction and low interest rates has supported the growth in this industry.

Cire Training offers a White Card course CPCCOHS1001A Work Safely in the Construction Industry, a general construction induction course, which ensures that anyone entering a worksite are Worksafe approved.

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services employment is expected to increase by 151,200 (or 14.8 per cent) over the five years to November 2020, the second largest increase of any industry. The high growth rate reflects the growing demand for qualified and highly educated individuals.

Cire Training offers a BSB51915 Diploma of Leadership and Management which is best suited to individuals who are engaged to manage the work of others or to add value to or review management practices. Typically people in these roles will have considerable experience in their respective industries or vocational areas and combine an informed perspective of specific work requirements with their managerial approaches.

Accommodation and Food Services industry employment is projected to grow by 12.0 per cent, or 98,800, which is attributed to an improved domestic tourism trade and historically low interest rates.

Cire Training offers Workskills courses in SITHFAB002 Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and equivalent SITXFSA101 Use Hygiene Practices for Food Safety for those wishing to enter the Food Services industry.

Education and Training employment is projected to increase by 121,700 (or 13.0 per cent), with the strong growth being attributed to above average growth in the school aged population, improving strength in the international education sector as a result of the lower Australian dollar, and continuing growth in part-time workers and non-teaching staff.

Cire Training offers a CHC402013 Certificate IV in Education Support, which enables an individual to work within the education system, supporting educational professionals and playing an active role in helping others to learn.

If any of these courses or careers appeals to you, contact one of our Cire Training team today!

Graphs and information supplied by Department of Employment

Getting Work Ready tips – writing a resumé

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Resumé writing can be hard so Cire training have put together some tips to help you make that important first impression.

Contact details
Make sure your name and contact details are included and most importantly your phone number and email address. Please remember to use a professional email address. If you don’t have one it only takes a few minutes to create a new one, jsmith88@hotmail.com is far more appealing than fordlover88@hotmail.com.

Lay out
Keep it simple and streamlined. Refrain from using colour, and if you decide to use dot points keep the same theme throughout your resume, using a bold text for headings is also a good idea. It is also a good idea to Google resume examples so you can get some ideas before you start. Remember to keep it simplistic, don’t get carried away with trends and busy designs, these resume types distract and look unprofessional.

Key strengths
A number of specific short statements listed as dot points outlining your key strengths. For example;

  • High-level computer skills including Microsoft Office, MYOB, Outlook

Employment history
List your professional working history starting from the most current position you hold or have held. We recommend listing them as follows; Job title, employer, and dates. Dot points are a good way to include a short list of position responsibilities and any achievements you accomplished whilst in that role.

School leavers and people re-entering the workforce after a lengthy absence with limited or no paid employment to list, could consider including work experience positions, volunteer position and any school leadership roles or club activities. If you have been the primary guardian of a child or a carer for a family member you can list the daily weekly tasks that you were responsible for. These tasks can include;

  • Meal planning and preparation
  • Transport
  • Finance administration including managing the the home budget
  • General home administration and management

Education and Training
Start with your highest qualification first. It’s a good idea to list it in the same format as your employment history; qualification, institute/provider, dates. Remember to include education and training that is relevant to the position you are applying for. If you were thinking of applying for an administration position the relevance of including a life guard qualification that you gained ten years previous would be questionable unless of course the administration position was within an aquatic centre. Include in-house training, university, TAFE, RTO and industry courses completed.

Hobbies and interests
The jury is out on whether to include hobbies and interests on your resume or not, we think if brief and thoughtfully completed, it is a way of helping you stand out from the crowd and makes you a real person to the reader. Just be mindful of what you include as some hobbies and interests may be viewed as offensive or inappropriate by the reader and therefore could impact on your chance of gaining the position or being shortlisted.

Referees
References/referees come at the end of your resumé. Include the referee’s name, phone number and whether it is a professional or personal referee. I would include two professional and one personal referee. A new trend of simply adding a sentence: “Referees details available upon request” has become common.

Above all make sure your referees are aware that you have included them in your resume and that you are actively applying for positions, it is a common courtesy that many people forget to do.

Length
Two pages; try and keep your resume to two pages in length.

Important note
Always send a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria of the job advertisement and position description (if one is available). By including a cover letter and writing your resume using the above tips your success rate for being shortlisted will be greater. Stay tuned for our next Getting Work Ready Tips on interview techniques.

Resume writing is just one of the topics covered in Cire’s Getting Work Ready short course. From cover letters to interview techniques this training is highly recommended if your goal is to re-enter the workforce. This course is currently only $25 so now is the perfect time to enrol, click here to learn more.

For a limited time you could be eligible for funding

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Are you interested in returning to study, but can’t afford the full fee? Well there is good news. Cire Training, being a Learn Local organisation, is offering funding for eligible individuals commencing courses before 31 December 2016. If you previously have been ineligible to access Victorian Training Guarantee (VTG) funding, the Victorian Government has granted a limited time exemption to criteria for some individuals.

If you are trying to access funding for training using the VTG Funding, there is usually a number of eligibility criteria you are required to meet. Two of those criteria are;

Upskilling: Individuals over the age of 20 may only enrol in a course that is at a higher qualification level than the highest qualification held at the time of the scheduled commencement of training);

For example, Rachael has a Certificate IV in Disability and has been working in the sector for a number of years. She is now thinking of a career change to early childhood education and wishes to do Certificate III in Early Childhood and Education and Care but she cannot get the Victorian funding since she already attained a Certificate IV qualification, which is above Certificate III level.

Two in a lifetime: Individuals may only commence a maximum of two government subsidised courses at the same level within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) in their lifetime.

For example, John enrolled in Certificate III in Aged Care accessing Victorian government funding and withdrew after a couple of months. He then enrolled in Certificate III in Business Administration again accessing the funding. He withdrew from that course as well after a few months before completing. Now he cannot enrol in any Certificate III level courses accessing the funding in his lifetime based on the eligibility requirements of the funding.

If you were unable to access funding because of any of the above requirements, Cire Training may grant an Eligibility Exemption to the ‘upskilling’ and/or ’two at level in a lifetime’ eligibility requirements for up to 15% of their Victorian Training Guarantee course commencing before 31 December 2016.

Speak to us TODAY and see if we can help you to meet the eligibility exemptions and therefore pay less to access our high quality training to achieve your goals.

Notwithstanding the above, Students are required to undertake Cire Training’s Pre-Training Review. All other eligibility requirements remain in place and are required to be met by students. Cire Training will offer guidance on the best training to undertake to improve job outcomes and complement previous training undertaken. In providing exemptions, preference will be given to training that meets identified skills shortages and localised labour market needs.

To find out more about Cire Training courses click here.

The best way to get the job is to get the qualification

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Choosing a career and getting an education is the first step to finding that perfect job. Georgia Brown a former Cire student in Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (above centre) made a decision to postpone her teaching degree in order to take some time and reevaluate her career choice. Having aspirations to become a teacher Georgia looked into other educational career options.

“I have always had an interest in educating others and the thought of being there in the beginning, when a child starts their learning journey really appealed to me.” Georgia

Making the decision to make the change came easy after that. Enrolling at Cire Training was the first step to achieving her career goal. The advice and support given by her trainer Anja Laukart (above left) provided her with the skills and confidence required to go out and successfully gain employment in the industry. A valuable part of the qualification is the work placement. A Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care requires 180 hours of work placement. This component of the course gave Georgia real life hands on experience which ultimately led to her successfully gaining a permanent position at Community Kids Early Education Centre in Chirnside Park.

“I have been lucky enough to have been offered permanent work through practical placement, which has been incredibly rewarding. I was able to walk into my placement with the appropriate knowledge and skills needed for the job with the added bonus of already knowing my manager and peers. This made the process much easier.” Georgia

Georgia’s career goal is to obtain her Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and maybe even go further and someday be a centre manager, who knows? But for now she is working in an industry she loves and by the sounds of it she is doing really well.

“Georgia is naturally at ease in this role. She works really well with the children, her peers and the families. Overall she is a great addition to the team and is very passionate when it comes to working with children.” Sarah (above right) – Centre Manager and Bec (not photographed) – Educational Leader

We thought it would be appropriate to complete this good news story with a final comment from Georgia.

“As a whole I thoroughly enjoyed my course and the result of getting a job I love has made the experience absolutely wonderful.”

If you have enjoyed this article and would like to know more about the industry, courses and career options click here or call 1300 835 235.

Cire would like to thank Sarah and Bec for allowing us to visit Georgia’s workplace to conduct this interview.

A career that won’t feel like work

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Find the right career and it won’t feel like work at all

Mark Twain once said “The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.”  Ben Di Battista has achieved this.

Ben is 21 years old, he lives in Wandin and is so grateful for having managed to complete his Horticulture apprenticeship at the National Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda.  Upon completing it, his dream had come true, where his passion for horticulture had become his job.  The variety from one day to the next is what kept him energised and excited.

Today he continues to be involved in guiding and teaching work experience students and enjoys it so much that he is now studying with Cire in order to obtain his Certificate IV in Small Business Management in the hope that one day he will own his own nursery.

Cire Training encourages people just like Ben to turn their passion into a job.  Horticulture is an appropriate skill set to have in today’s economy.  It would create stability for future employment as food sustainability is growing in importance on a global scale.  Knowing how to manage a garden to not only be sustainable but to also produce food is a highly valued skill.

As stated by P. Wise’s research in 2014 titled Grow Your Own– The potential value and impacts of residential and community food gardening, Australia’s high rate of urbanisation means that most people experience a significant disconnect between their food production and consumption. Over several decades, suburban gardens have ceased to be major sites of food production and Australians reportedly have a declining understanding and appreciation of how their food is grown. Recent years have seen a renewed interest in the quality, provenance, freshness and price of food, driving a companion interest in Australians growing their own food at home or in community gardens.

Cire Training offers industry qualifications across Horticulture, Animal Studies, Early Childhood Education and Care, for further details on courses starting in semester 2 click here.

In the vegetable garden

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As the seasons change from summer to autumn, it’s time to think ahead to what winter vegetables you’d like to harvest in the coming months to add to your dinner menu. Now is the perfect time to get to it and start planning, preparing and planting your vegetable gardens for this coming winter.

There are a number of winter harvest vegetables that can be planted from mid-February and into March. Plants such as garlic cloves, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, leek, winter cabbage and Brussels sprouts can be planted as seedlings now in order for them to have time to mature.

Now Brussels sprouts may not be everyone’s idea of the go to vegetable, but even children (who at times are rather fussy eaters) have learnt to love Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts can be steamed, pan fried with a drizzle of olive oil with lashings of freshly ground black pepper and a handful of diced bacon thrown in for good measure. Resulting in a delicious home grown side dish that even the sceptics will grow to love.  If the Brussels sprouts can be a family dinner winner why not try growing them this year in the garden and add them to your winter menu.

Although this summer hasn’t been a scorcher; in many areas it has been a dry summer period with low rain fall. The soil could possibly benefit from some additional nutrients; for example chook or horse manure, click here for the ABC Gardening Australia Fact Sheet on manure nutrients. Paddock horse manure can be added to the vegetable garden beds and perhaps a bit of compost. Adding back to the soil doesn’t need to cost a fortune nor require man-made chemicals. Horse or chook manure is often seen for sale on the side of the road by some enterprising young person costing around 2 or 3 dollars per bag. Why not pick up a few bags next time you’re out and about, and combine well using a fork or spade with the soil? Don’t forget to water in the manure afterwards to make sure it mixes well together.

Planning ahead is the key to success in the vegetable patch. Some winter vegetables can take from 12 weeks to 20 weeks to fully develop. By planting some varieties over the next few weeks hopefully this will ensure that by mid-June and into July you should have some vegetables ready to harvest for the table.

If you are thinking about sowing seeds this coming weekend, you could consider using a small bench top greenhouse or seed tray (purchased or home made), this video will help you get started. Sowing seeds this way helps offer additional protection from weather extremes and makes thinning out the developed seedlings prior to planting easier at bench level rather than bending or crouching down in the garden itself. I would recommend this method particularly if you plan on sowing seeds rather than planting out seedlings.

So whether you have a backyard entirely dedicated to a vegetable garden, have a small plot in a community garden or perhaps you have a few pots out on your verandah, no matter the size or shape of your vegetable garden why not start planning, preparing and planting out your space this weekend in readiness for a bumper winter harvest in the coming cooler months.

If you would like to take your interest in gardening further and make a career out of it? Why not enrol in our Certificate II in Horticulture – AHC20410. This course is the first step to getting a job in horticulture, click here for further details.

Study tips to help you succeed…

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Study tips

It’s a big step to make the decision to get back into study when you haven’t studied in a while… it can be overwhelming.

It can make you start to doubt yourself and question whether it’s all worthwhile, but we can assure you that it is.

You may experience challenges and have some fears about studying again, but there are many ways to overcome them. The key is to be organised so here are some tips to help you successfully gain the qualification of your choice.

1. Make the Time
You need to make time to study, add it to your schedule. Allow this time to focus on your study.

2. Schedule Everything
Include school dates in your appointment/diary including when assignments are due. If using electronic devices schedule reminders to ensure deadline and commitments are met.

3. Make Your Situation Known
Discuss at the start of the course any barriers you may have to completing the qualification. Come up with a plan to achieve your goal with your trainer.

4. Use the Buddy System
Study buddies are a great idea, because you’re accountable to someone other than yourself. They can also give you someone to discuss what has been covered in class.

5. Make Study Time a Family Event
Make a time where everyone is doing their homework. You can lead by example and show them how important it is to study.

We hope these tips are helpful and remember trainers are here to assist so if there are any road blocks that need addressing, talk to your trainer who will be happy to assist you.

For further information on UYCH Community College Nationally recognised training courses click here.