Annual Report 2007 - Department of Education and Communities ...

Appendix• Adult and Community Educationimplemented a Skilled Migrants Program toimprove employment outcomes• the Skillmax Program within NSW AMESwas delivered to 892 migrant jobseekers andunderemployed public service employeesfrom culturally and linguistically diversecommunities• TAFE NSW Institutes offered nine languagesother than English programs in Arabic,Chinese, French, German, Indonesian,Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish• TAFE NSW - Hunter, North Coast, NorthernSydney, South Western Sydney and SydneyInstitutes maintained provision of interpreterprograms including in emerging languages• TAFE NSW Institutes provide a range ofcounselling and learner support services,including 26 bilingual TAFE counsellors, tocater for the psychological, educational andsocial wellbeing of students• NSW AMES student material continued to bepublished in students’ first language.Challenges and future directions• The Department will continue to developresources to enhance the learning outcomesof refugee and humanitarian entrantstudents.• Resources developed under the YouthPartnerships with Arabic speaking andPacific communities will be distributed toschools and regions.• TAFE NSW Institutes will continue todevelop collaborative relationships with localindustry to build opportunities for on-the-jobtraining and assessment for employees fromlanguage backgrounds other than English.• Flexible learning options are being expandedto address the needs of migrants settling inremote communities.Outcome 3Staff have the knowledge and skills to deliverprograms and services which meet the needsof a linguistically and culturally diverse NSW.Achievements• Six new positions of Deputy Principal,Intensive English Centre (IEC) wereestablished.• A total of 614 new Anti-racism ContactOfficers (ARCO) were trained with 97% of allschools having a trained ARCO.• 1,320 teachers attended ESL InformationNetworks, conducted in eight regions.• 159 new ESL teachers attended the ESLOrientation Course, conducted in nineregions.• 188 teachers completed the Department’sPre-employment Program for OverseasTrained Teachers.• The Community Languages AllowanceScheme was received by 122 bilingualemployees, covering 32 languages.StrategiesA range of professional learning activitieswas provided for teachers of ESL students. Inschools these included:• ESL Orientation Program, for newlyappointed ESL teachers• ESL in the Mainstream course for 139mainstream and ESL teachers• four Teaching English to Speakers of OtherLanguages (TESOL) seminars conducted for197 teachers• stage 6 ESL HSC course training attendedby 69 teachers• ESL pedagogy action enquiry projectsconducted by 12 schools culminating ina conference to showcase the outcomesattended by 95 teachers.Additional professional learning activities tosupport staff to deliver programs and serviceswere conducted in the following:• intensive English programs• community languages education• anti-racism education• cultural diversity and community relations• learners from refugee communities• overseas trained teachers• use of interpreters• recognition of overseas qualifications.Specialist staff employed to deliver programsand services which meet the needs of aculturally and linguistically diverse NSWincluded:• six deputy principals appointed to lead andmanage IECs with significant numbers ofstudent enrolments• 20 regional Community Information Officerssupporting the development of partnershipswith culturally and linguistically diversecommunitiesNSW Department of Education and Training - Annual Report 2007 83