Our Business - Growth and DiversificationThe Millennium <strong>Institute</strong> at Westmead Children’s Hospitalwas the worthy recipient of new garden, courtesy of RydeCollege landscape construction students.During National Cerebral Palsy Week, <strong>Northern</strong> BeachesCollege teacher consultants and hairdressing teachersparticipated in a program on Women’s Health and Wellbeingat Forestville, sponsored by the Spastic Centre.the event attracted over 180 people from across <strong>NSW</strong>.Former Ryde College student and winner of the McWilliamsSommelier Student of the Year (based on 2003–2004results), Alex Trevisan, spoke to the audience about hisrewarding experience at <strong>TAFE</strong> <strong>NSW</strong> and his subsequentcareer.Hornsby College’s Graphic Design Section worked withHornsby Council to design an anti-litter promotional posterfor use on community waste bins.<strong>Northern</strong> <strong>Sydney</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> became an important element ofthe local community partnership for the Ryde, Hunters Hilland Kuring-gai region, which was launched in <strong>2006</strong> at theEden Gardens and Garden Centre. This project aims to growcollaborative arrangements between employers, <strong>TAFE</strong> andVET students.Celebrating a twenty-five yearassociation between ManlyArt Gallery and Museum and<strong>Northern</strong> Beaches College,fine arts, digital arts anddesign students showcasedtheir talents just as theircontemporaries did when theprestigious partnership firststarted in 1981. The ‘Catch25’ Exhibition was the first experience as an exhibitor formany students.‘School to <strong>TAFE</strong>’ events were held at North <strong>Sydney</strong>, Hornsby,Meadowbank, <strong>Northern</strong> Beaches and Hornsby College tointroduce school students, parents and members of thelocal community to the many options available at <strong>TAFE</strong><strong>NSW</strong>. Promoted throughout the northern region of <strong>Sydney</strong>,event visitors were invited to speak with teaching staff andtour NSI’s specialist training facilities and venues.Through its Hornsby College, NSI was the venue for theLucien Bernhard Exhibition.In November <strong>Northern</strong> Beaches College hosted its annualBear Cottage fundraising dinner to benefit the Bear Cottagechildren’s hospice in Manly. Bear Cottage is <strong>NSW</strong>’s onlychildren’s hospice and offers both respite and palliative careto children with life limiting illnesses and their families.Promotional InitiativesThroughout <strong>2006</strong>, NSI sponsored a selection of industryevents, including the Innovation Lecture and Exposition(<strong>Sydney</strong> and Melbourne), Tourism Training Australia’sNational Conference, and the <strong>Institute</strong> was co-<strong>NSW</strong> sponsorat the <strong>2006</strong> Pearcey Foundation Award.The exhibition delivered a comprehensive retrospective ofthe work of renowned graphic designer Lucien Bernhard.The exhibition was made possible through the efforts ofthe Goethe <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>Sydney</strong> and Hornsby College’s graphicdesign teaching section.In November <strong>2006</strong>, North <strong>Sydney</strong>’s Digital Media staffapplied their specialist skills to produce and coordinate theinaugural New Media Student Showcase at the <strong>2006</strong> <strong>TAFE</strong>Director’s Association National Conference (November). TheShowcase profiled highlights of 150 digital media, screenand web design entries from across Australia’s 55 <strong>TAFE</strong>institutes and colleges.In March <strong>2006</strong>, NSI was one of four institutes to coordinatethe inaugural <strong>TAFE</strong> <strong>NSW</strong> Information Day for CareersCounsellors and Year Coordinators. Held at Ultimo College,20 <strong>TAFE</strong> <strong>NSW</strong> - <strong>Northern</strong> <strong>Sydney</strong> <strong>Institute</strong>
Our Intellectual Capital — Creating andSharing KnowledgeNSI is committed to acquiring, organising and sharingknowledge assets to enable us to realise our vision.We continue to develop a knowledge-sharing culture in linewith the strategic directions of the <strong>Institute</strong> by encouragingand supporting the collection and sharing of tacit and explicitknowledge across NSI spaces, developing and continuouslyimproving our systems and processes, and recognising andpromoting staff achievement though a mix of fact-to-faceand online processes and systems.Systems Development and WebsiteImprovementSharePoint 2000 software was upgraded to SharePoint Portal2003, which involved the review and transfer of data fromover 400 teaching and administrative SharePoint websites.17 sharepoint websites were specifically created to supportthe new <strong>Institute</strong> strategic-team structure, implemented inearly <strong>2006</strong>, and allowing the new teams to capture andshare strategic knowledge.NSI websites were created, redesigned and developedaccording to market and business needs. These include:<strong>Sydney</strong> Coffee AcademyInternational StudentsThe online collaboration tool has enabled the <strong>Institute</strong> toimprove performance through:• the improved management and access to documentation,including searching functionality• the effective management of lists including contacts,events, announcements, tasks and linksNSI Excellence Awards• the creation and administration of online surveys• efficiencies in meetings, including tools that allow onlinediscussions of topics and documents.Counselling and CareersNSI implemented significant enhancements to its courseprofile, budgeting and activity planning system (SPOT) toreflect the new business-line structure and the inclusionof a module for the capture of course information forboth online and print publication. This module ensuresaccuracy, consistency and quality of course informationdata throughout the <strong>Institute</strong>.<strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> <strong>2006</strong> 21