ET Australia Magazine Issue #3 February 2019

ET Australia’s annual student &

community magazine

#3 2019

MAGAZINE

Scotland to

the Coast

Meet the Teacher –

Graham Johnston

Past student

success

How Gina re-joined

the workforce

after an extended

time away

Gifted and

talented

Personalised support

focusing on students‘

unique abilities

ETASC Gives Egan

the Perfect Platform

to Pursue his

Creative Interests

Why online

learning

isn’t for all

students

And why in class

learning continues to

come out on top

Welcome to 2019

ET Australia provides students

with the skills to be successful

in employment and/or further

studies. Our adult training

college and independent

high school models provide

professional, supportive

and nurturing learning

environments.

Tony Mylan, CEO, ET Australia

ET Australia’s adult training college

has continued to grow its student

base and our reputation with

industry has continued to flourish.

We have expanded our industry

partnerships and this has led to an

increase in the number of direct

employment outcomes our adult

students have gained.

Recently the NSW Education

Standards Authority awarded ET

Australia Secondary College the

maximum five years’ of accreditation

to deliver the NSW Year 7 to Year

10 curriculum in the mandatory

key learning areas. Gaining the

maximum level of accreditation is an

achievement that our school staff are

rightly proud of.

In 2019 ET Australia Secondary

College (ETASC) is expanding again in

response to unprecedented demand

from parents and students who

want a place at ETASC. We will be

recruiting for extra teaching and

support staff to ensure that our very

successful staff to student ratio is

maintained.

Our Wyong campus has been given

a re-fresh with new office equipment

and furniture upgrade. Our Gosford

learning campus has been refurbished

and staff have been provided with

new workstations. Student amenities

and resources have also been

upgraded and expanded.

We are experiencing a period of

strong consolidation due to our

focus on business partnerships on

the Central Coast to deliver mutually

beneficial employment outcomes.

Please come and experience why our

students are achieving so highly.

ET Australia always

welcomes your feedback.

Please drop us a line at

email@etaustralia.com

Contents

ET Australia is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO ID 90084)

delivering Nationally Recognised Training qualifications.

Meet the Trainer: Michelle Burden

How Gina Re-Joined the Workforce

After an Extended Time Away:

Past Student Success

Why Online Learning Isn’t for all

Students

P10 The Value of Investing in

Quality Training

P12 Dana Shares her Experience

Studying Child Care at ET Australia

P14 From Scotland to the Central Coast:

Meet the Teacher - Graham Johnston

P16 ET Australia: Secondary College

Class of 2018 Graduation

P18 ETASC Gives Egan the Perfect

Platform to Pursue Creative

Interests

P20 ETASC 2018 Excursions

P22 Gifted and Talented: Personalised

Support Focusing on Students

Unique Abilities

On the Cover –

ET Australia Secondary College

Graduate Egan Thornycroft

ET Australia

Board of Directors

Paul Tonkin

Deputy

Chairman

& Public Officer

Partner & Lawyer –

Tonkin Drysdale

Partners

Tim Cullen

Treasurer

Graham McGuinness

Chairman

Managing Director

and Consultant –

Delgarah Pty Ltd

Michael North

Director

Tim Cornish

Director

Alan Williams

Director

and Chief

Technology

Officer –

One Blink

Update – 82% of ET Australia

Training College’s 2018 Aged Care

Graduates are now Employed.

There is huge demand for skilled aged care workers, with aged and

disability carer jobs predicted to have the largest jobs growth from now

until May 2022 according to the Federal Government*.

“But it’s not about identifying

growth industries, offering a course

and hoping your students will get

a job in that industry” said Cath

Roden, Training College Manager at

ET Australia Training College.

“There’s an entire wrap around

student service offering here at ET

Australia Training College that sees

us achieve high job outcomes and it

starts from the first time we speak to

a potential student” she said.

This service offering includes:

Candidate screening

To confirm potential students are the

right fit for the aged care industry

and to confirm that their career

aspirations are well matched to

course offerings.

Engaging class tuition

Which sees students learn through

interactive learning experiences and

scenarios, simulation-based training

and in class discussions with a focus

on real industry applications.

On the job learning

Prior to the half way point of

training, students are on site in

aged care facilities with their trainer,

applying theories learnt in class.

Job placement

ET Australia organises suitable

facilities for students to complete

the required 120 hours of mandated

work placement which is necessary

to complete the course.

“We have found the right formula

and linkages between students

and aged care employers in 2018.

The interactive learning both in

the classroom and on site in aged

care facilities gives our students the

understanding from day one of their

training here at ET Australia what the

expectations of employers will be”

said Cath Roden.

We have found the

right formula and

linkages between

students and aged care

employers in 2018

*Source: https://docs.jobs.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/australianjobs2018snapshot_1.pdf

Our April 2018 aged care class celebrating all being

offered positions in aged care facilities

Meet the

Trainer:

Michelle Burden

Making a difference by taking an interest

in her students

Happy-go-lucky Michelle Burden grew

up on the Central Coast where she

now lives with her husband, three

children and two dogs – a Whippet

and a Weimaraner.

Throughout her schooling Michelle felt

she was never very good academically,

but she definitely excelled when it

came to sports. Her favourites were

tennis, softball and running.

After finishing her schooling Michelle

completed a TAFE course to become

qualified as an Enrolled Nurse. She

then began her career working for

NSW Ambulance as an Ambulance

Officer. This was just the beginning

of her career in the health industry

where she has been now for over

thirty years.

After getting married and having a

family, Michelle continued her

working career in a local nursing

home as a team leader and low care

co coordinator. She continued in this

role for the next seventeen years.

In addition to these roles she has

also worked in a number of other

positions in the health industry.

Michelle worked as a practice nurse

for a local doctor’s surgery for three

years and also in a customer service

role for an organisation who supplied

mobility aids. Michelle has also had

experience working as a funeral

arranger.

Michelle’s most recent role was as a

case manager for a community care

organisation here on the Central Coast.

She was working in this role when she

first heard of a position at ET Australia

that interested her. This position

required a Certificate IV in Training

and Assessment qualification, which

Michelle didn’t have, so she researched

and sourced information regarding the

training to find out what it would entail

for her to complete it. After careful

consideration she decided to go ahead

and complete the course online with

the encouragement and support from

her former work colleagues. Once

she finished a portion of the online

qualification, Michelle applied for

the position at ET Australia and was

successful in securing the role.

Training her students on how to assist clients with medication

Students celebrating

Michelle’s return from

holidays

I really enjoy seeing

my students get

involved in their

studies.

In October 2016, Michelle began her

job as a Trainer and Assessor at ET

Australia. On her first day she was

extremely nervous. She constantly

worried about the message she

was sending to others through

her body language and nonverbal

communication. Michelle thought a

lot about how animated she was as

a person, worrying how this would

translate to a teaching environment.

But she eventually realised it actually

worked in her favour and was probably

one of her best assets.

Michelle believes others would

describe her as being a perfectionist,

and she certainly pays attention to

details when it comes to her work.

But the thing she loves best about her

job is being around people. She loves

being social and talking with others,

especially when it comes to supporting

other people. She also really enjoys

seeing her students getting involved in

their studies and wanting to give back

through care for the frail and elderly.

The part of Michelle’s job she finds

most interesting is when she watches

relevant YouTube videos with her

students – especially ones that make

them all laugh and cry. One of these

videos that really stands out in her

memory is one which involves a man

who has Parkinson’s and is dancing

with a walker. By the end of the video

he walks without his walker, singing

and even dancing.

Michelle believes we can all make a

difference in somebody’s life, no matter

how small that difference may seem.

This is a theme she uses a lot in her

teaching and learning practice. She

believes the key to this is all about

taking an interest in other people. It

brings a smile to her face to remember

a particular instance where she helped

one of her students to believe in

herself. This mature-aged student

had said she was going to withdraw

from the program, but Michelle

could see she really didn’t want to

leave the course and that there were

probably some other personal issues

at play instead. The student ended up

continuing her studies and went on

to complete them successfully. At the

end of the course the student broke

down and sobbed, telling Michelle she

had never finished anything in her life

and here she was now holding her

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual

Support. This was one of Michelle’s

greatest lessons in life, and an example

she often uses in class; that sometimes

all people need is to have someone

else believe in them.

Michelle would like people to

know that ET Australia has a great

learning environment that provides

different learning opportunities and

supports for the learner from start to

finish. Students are often supported

beyond their studies too. Throughout

their learning, students are mentored

and supported in all aspects of their

educational journey and in areas of

personal development too.

When Michelle is not working as a

trainer at ET Australia, she enjoys

taking her dogs for a nice walk along

the beach, so they can get some

exercise together.

For anyone thinking about becoming

a trainer, Michelle would tell you that

all you need to do is have passion

along with the industry experience

and believe in everything you do, and

you will never have any regrets.

How Gina Re-Joined

the Workforce

After an Extended

Time Away

Past Student Success

I was born in Newport in South Wales

and my memories of growing up were

good ones. My sisters and I went to

Crindau Primary School, which was

a fun time. I especially enjoyed St

David’s Day (Welsh Eisteddfod) when

the school enjoyed singing the Welsh

national anthem and making Welsh

dishes such as cakes and rarebit. I

learnt to play the guitar, sang in the

choir and enjoyed going to the local

stadium to watch the rugby.

My parents were big on education

and even though I had balance issues,

encouraged me to always attend school.

After school, I went on to pursue a

career with the Royal London Insurance

Company which I enjoyed very much.

I am now married to Mark who is a

chartered accountant and we have

been married for 25 years. We met

each other for the first time on a train

while I was on a working holiday from

the UK and on my way to work at the

Chatswood CES Job Centre. Once I

returned to Wales Mark visited me

and my family and then stayed on

to work in Wales while we travelled

around Europe. We married in

Wales and afterwards immigrated

to Australia.

When I came to Australia, Mark

and I set up home in Woy Woy and

started life as a married couple. We

both found employment in Sydney. I

worked for MLC Insurance for a

Gina (far right) pictured with her family

number of years and enjoyed working

as part of a fabulous team. I was sad

to leave when I had our son Jack

but was lucky enough to be a stay

at home Mum and went on to have

our daughter Katie. While Jack and

Katie attended school, I spent a lot of

time helping at their school, assisting

with raising funds for the school and

helping out in the classrooms.

Mark and I joined the Woy Woy

Stroke Recovery Club, a not-for-profit

volunteer group which introduced me

to a wonderful group of members.

I worked as volunteer Secretary and

enjoyed the position very much.

Speakers joined us at our meetings

to update the members with the

latest information on stroke. Recently

a couple of us travelled to Sydney

and enjoyed afternoon tea with the

delightful Governor Mr. Hurley and his

wife as part of National Stroke Week.

N ow that Jack and Katie are busy with

their lives, I decided I wanted to return

to the workforce after twenty-one

years. With the encouragement of my

family I knew I would have to go back

to College to update my skills. I had

heard positive things about

ET Australia, so I called up to see if

they could help me after so long out

of the workforce.

I went along to the enrolment day,

had an interview and to my delight

ET Australia called me to confirm

I would be able to enrol in the

BSB30115 Certificate III in Business

course for three months at their

Wyong premises. On my first day I

met a lot of wonderful students and

Dione (ET Trainer & Assessor).

Honestly, there were a lot of times at

first where I wondered how I would

pass (there had been a couple of small

technological changes in twenty-one

years!) I even said to Dione, ‘I think I

am in the wrong class. I am fifty-two

and perhaps I have left it too long to

retrain.’ Dione was always supportive,

and it didn’t matter how many times

I called her for help, she was always

kind and respectful (even when I

told her she might as well be talking

French to me). She gave me some

great advice and told me I would need

to do a lot of homework.

I found the computer difficult at

first, but it was so great to get back

out there again. At the end of the

course, I was thrilled to pass and get

every unit signed off. Dione opened

up my world and the digital world

blew me away with how much there

was to learn. I couldn’t wait to get

back to class each day to learn more.

Dione was always happy and smiling

and never made me feel silly when I

asked questions.

I started applying for any job

vacancies in administration - full

time and part time – once I’d

finished studying. I knew it wouldn’t

be easy as I had been out of the

workforce for twenty-one years and

at the age of thirty had also been

diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. I

applied for job vacancies and put my

diagnosis on the applications and

never heard anything back. I decided

to apply for jobs using the same

resume but deleting the diagnosis

out. I got a number of interviews

then, only to find when I got there

I never left the front reception area.

One person even said to me, ‘Is this

some kind of joke?’ Determined

not to give up I kept trying with my

fabulous family’s support.

I was invited to attend a forum at

Central Coast Disability Network at

Erina. On that day I met a number of

wonderful and supportive people, one

of whom worked at Fairhaven at Point

Clare. We chatted, and I gave him

my e-mail address in the hope a job

vacancy may arise.

Gina now works as a receptionist at Fairhaven

I couldn’t wait to get

back to class each day

to learn more.

To my delight I did hear from

Fairhaven again and I applied for a

front desk receptionist job. I got an

interview and the Cerebral Palsy was

never a factor. It was all about my

ability to do the job required of me.

After the interview, I got a call back

asking me to become part of their

team.

Fairhaven is a joy to work for. They

are always supportive, respectful

and most of all SEE ME and not my

disability.

ET Australia: thank you for supporting

me 100%.

Dione: thanks for opening up my

world, and always supporting me but

at the same time having some fun.

Fairhaven: thank you for your

continued support.

Why Online

Learning Isn’t for

all Students

Advances in technology has seen

online learning grow in popularity,

with many institutions now offering

courses and training delivered via

online platforms. Of course, online

learning has some obvious advantages.

Training can be completed wherever

you are, the tuition fees are often

cheaper, and you can study when it

suits you – allowing you to fit your

study commitments around your work

and family life.

Though it might be appealing to study

online, the flexibility of learning in this

way does come at a cost. Even though

the popularity of online learning is

increasing, there’s still a whole range

of reasons why traditional in-class

learning continues to come out on top.

Online learning

requires excellent time

management skills

Studying online means you have

control over when and where you

study. Whether you want to study at

home, on your lunch break, at the

library or on-the-go – it’s completely

up to you. While you’ll have plenty of

flexibility, it doesn’t necessarily mean it

will lead to productivity.

Without dedicated class time and

structured lessons, many people

struggle to keep up with their online

studies. Especially if you’re someone

who gets easily distracted. Studying at

home is accompanied by family noise

and constant interruptions that can

distract you from your studies or break

your concentration. While getting to

a class can seem like an effort, once

you’re there you’re set up to learn.

Your phone is turned off, there’s no

housework to do and you’re unlikely

to be interrupted by a friend or family

member half-way through your lesson.

The Online College Students report

in the US showed that online

students are under far more stress

than students studying in traditional

formats as well (source: learninghouse.

com). Students studying online

typically have a lot of demands

on their time, with 70 percent of

undergraduate students and 80

percent of graduate students in the

same study working full or part time.

It’s easy to see that carving out

dedicated study time is easier when

your classes are scheduled for you

and the environment is conducive to

learning.

It can be hard to

maintain your

motivation

Some research shows dropout rates

are higher for online students and they

are also unlikely to perform as well

academically as face-to-face learners

(source: eric.ed.gov).

Online learners need to be selfmotivated

and self-directed. Not only

do you need to be able to set your own

study schedule, you also need to be

able to stay on top of your workload

too. Academic performance may not

be as high for online learners due to a

lack of interaction with teachers during

study. Without in-person feedback it

can be difficult to complete work to an

appropriate standard.

In a classroom environment, teachers

take their cues from students’ verbal

and non-verbal interactions (source:

Sage Journals, journals.sagepub.com). In

an online environment, communication

is quite different. Responses to

questions are not always immediate

and you can be left for days waiting on

feedback or advice. Plus, online learning

issues can arise as teachers are less able

to track your progress or follow-up on

how you’re getting on.

There’s a lack of student

services for online

students

Online students are often left in the

dark when it comes to student services

(source: edsurge.com). Facilities like

onsite childcare (at our Young Parents

Hub campus), study hubs complete

with laptops, internet, printers and

Wi-Fi are all available to students who

choose in class training programs.

While not always directly related to

their studies, having access to student

services can make a real difference to

the likelihood of a student completing

their studies – especially if their

course goes for a number of years.

What happens when online students

need support? It might be available

but it’s usually difficult to find out

about, not to mention problematic to

utilise from a remote location.

Libraries, study hubs and course

specific facilities all help to make

on-campus learning easier. Online

students are expected to make

use of their own equipment or

visit public libraries for access to

extra resources. Career advice,

work placement assistance and

resume support services, all of

which are available at ET Australia,

help students to make use of their

studies.

Social isolation can be

an issue

Less social interaction and feelings

of isolation can create a lack of

satisfaction with online learning

(source: Science Direct Journal,

sciencedirect.com). Online learning

allows for little in-person contact

with your teachers and fellow

students – most often, none at

all. While you might be able to chat

virtually with people from all over

the world, there’ll be no real-world

interaction with the people you’re

studying with.

Your classmates often become your

support network when studying.

Having someone to study with and

talk about the courses you’re taking

can help to keep you motivated.

When you’re struggling with your

learning, interaction with your peers

or teachers can help get you back on

track. Students have shown they value

the greater engagement provided by

discussions that take place face-toface,

rather than via a screen (source:

National Center for Biotechnology

Information).

Creating a social circle of like-minded

individuals who are all studying in the

same area is often the basis for lifelong

friendships too. It’s how you create

networks for future job opportunities

and keep up-to-date on changes in

your career field.

Technology issues can

halt your learning

If you’re going to use online learning,

you need to be tech savvy because

you’ll be forever at the mercy of

technology.

Online learning platforms can be tricky

to learn, with each education provider

using programs that are custom

designed for their needs (you’ll need

to learn how to use it before you can

even get started on your studies). You

will be dependent on the internet and

technology for all your learning needs,

including submitting assignments and

completing exams. Those who are not

technically savvy will find it can be a

steep learning curve.

But even if you are technologically

proficient, you will still be susceptible

to technology issues that are beyond

your control. Network connections,

browser compatibility issues and

WiFi connection problems can halt

your learning at any time, with little

warning, and online course providers

are not always sympathetic to these

problems.

The Value of

Investing in

Quality Training

Completing further education and training is a

great way to broaden your career options. But

if you’re not investing in training that’s high in

quality, you may be left with nothing more than

a certificate at the end of your studies.

When it comes to studying there’s a

range of options you can choose from.

There’s university degrees, Vocational

Education and Training (VET) courses

and online programs varying in length

and qualification level. It’s important

to consider your individual needs and

your career goals when making your

decision.

Training that leads to

employment

If you want to increase your

qualifications and your job prospects,

VET is the ideal solution. VET offers

formal qualifications along with

practical on-the-job experience in your

chosen profession. It offers a faster,

more cost-effective way to complete a

qualification and enter the workforce.

According to the National Student

Outcomes Survey 86.1% of those

surveyed were employed or enrolled in

further training after completing their

VET studies (source: ncver.edu.au).

University degrees typically take three

to four years to complete and many of

them don’t include work placements

or practical components. Fees for VET

courses are usually lower than fees for

university courses too. VET courses vary

in length and are much more practical

in design. Certificates I–IV typically

take from a few months to two years

to complete. Diploma courses typically

take one or two years and Advanced

Diplomas take between eighteen

months to two years, meaning you can

get out into the workforce faster.

Not only can you get out into the

workforce faster, you might actually

earn more money with a VET

qualification too. The average full-time

income for a VET graduate is $50,000,

whereas the graduate salary for

students completing a bachelor degree

is $56,000 (source: vet.nsw.gov.au).

Your VET course will broaden your

skills in a specialised area and give

you the practical experience you’ll

need for the workplace. Traineeships

and apprenticeships also offer you

the opportunity to work and get

paid while you are studying for a

qualification at the same time. ET

Australia Training College specialises in

the delivery of a variety or VET courses

from Certificate I to Diploma levels.

Skills for some of

the fastest-growing

occupations in Australia

Why not train for the jobs of the future?

The industries predicted to have the

greatest jobs growth in the next few

years include healthcare, information and

communication technology, education,

hospitality, retail and the personal service

and care industry.

Quality VET courses offer the skills

people need for these careers, and

many of the other fastest-growing

occupations in Australia. Don’t

just take our word for it, though.

According to NCVER research,

these ten occupations linked to VET

qualifications (listed in order of need)

are projected to grow by 2022:

• Aged and disabled carers – 77,400

extra jobs

• Child carers – 25,800 extra jobs

• Sales assistants - 24,900 extra jobs

• General clerks – 22 200 extra jobs

• Education aides – 21,900 extra jobs

• Truck drivers – 16,200 extra jobs

• Kitchen hands – 13,400 extra jobs

• Nursing support and personal care

workers – 13,200 extra jobs

• Welfare support workers – 11,600

extra jobs

• Electricians – 11,000 extra jobs

While completing a shorter course

might seem more attractive, you need

to consider the quality of the education

a shorter course provides. Unduly short

training can be problematic if you don’t

understand the course structure and

the qualification you’ll receive after

completion (source: asqa.gov.au). The

duration and type of course content

and work placement are important

elements to consider if you’re looking

at enrolling in a shorter course. Find

out the qualifications required for the

occupation you are seeking and make

sure you’re completing a course that

will offer what you need.

The quality of the teaching staff is

important too. Choose a training

provider who provides industry trained

and experienced teachers. This gives

the Australian Skills Quality Authority

(ASQA). ASQA regulates courses and

training providers to ensure nationally

approved quality standards are met.

You can find a factsheet on how to

choose a training education provider

from their website. ET Australia is an

ASQA approved RTO.

ET Australia is an approved Smart

and Skilled training provider. Smart

and Skilled is an initiative of the NSW

Government and it is helping people

in NSW get the skills they need to

find a job and advance their careers.

Approved training providers must

adhere to guidelines and policies,

implement standard fee arrangements

and deliver quality training. Under this

inititiative eligible students may be

If employment is your focus, or you’re

looking to make a career change, it

makes sense to study for an occupation

that will be in high demand in the

future. At ET Australia we have training

programs available in aged care which

can provide pathways into nursing

support, personal care and childcare

which can lead to higher level university

studies. Our training programs focus

on skills shortages to maximise student

outcomes.

The importance of quality

training

According to the National Student

Outcomes Survey, 87.3% of people

were satisfied with the overall quality of

their VET training.

When selecting the ideal course and

study provider, you need to make

informed choices about training that

will best meet your needs. Whether

your goal is to seek employment, be

promoted or change careers, you need

to choose a course and a training

provider who can assist you with your

individual goals. At ET Australia prior

to enrolling any student we ensure that

the training program on offer matches

the career aspirations of the applicant.

you the best opportunity to learn and

complete your training and assists you

in achieving your goals too.

Selecting the right VET

provider

When enrolling in a VET course, it’s

important to select the right provider.

There’s a wide variety of VET courses

and providers to choose from, all with

different resources provided, course

durations and delivered qualifications.

To ensure you enrol in a high-quality

course, make sure your provider is a

Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

They also need to be registered with

entitled to Government subsidies to

help pay for their training.

Of course, you need to consider

location, fees and study mode when

choosing a VET provider. ET Australia

offers payment plans and scholarships

are available to assist with fee payment.

ET Australia Magazine Issue #3 February 2019

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ET Australia Magazine Issue #3 February 2019

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