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ET Australia Magazine Issue #4 January 2020

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<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>’s annual student &<br />

community magazine<br />

<strong>#4</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />

MAGAZINE<br />

Past<br />

Student<br />

Success<br />

Frances Trains<br />

With <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College<br />

and Pushes<br />

Through Adversity<br />

to Become a<br />

Qualified Aged<br />

Care Worker<br />

Creating<br />

Training<br />

Opportunities<br />

for Business<br />

Get To Know our BDM –<br />

Dana Mahia<br />

What is<br />

Learning<br />

Enrichment?<br />

And How Does<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Secondary<br />

College Provide<br />

Students With<br />

Tailored Learning<br />

Opportunities?<br />

Anxiety:<br />

A David and<br />

Goliath Battle<br />

for Students<br />

How Our Training<br />

College Supports<br />

Students Throughout<br />

Their Learning<br />

Summa-Lee Gains<br />

Employment Whilst<br />

Studying for Her<br />

Business Qualification


Welcome to <strong>2020</strong><br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> provides students<br />

with the skills to be successful<br />

in employment and/or further<br />

studies. Our adult training<br />

college and independent<br />

high school models provide<br />

professional, supportive<br />

and nurturing learning<br />

environments.<br />

Tony Mylan, CEO, <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>’s adult training<br />

college has expanded its scope<br />

of registration by adding<br />

disability qualifications to<br />

our suite of programs. Our<br />

reputation with industry has<br />

continued to flourish. We have<br />

once again expanded our<br />

industry partnerships and this<br />

has led to an increase in the<br />

number of direct employment<br />

outcomes our adult students<br />

have gained.<br />

In 2019 <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary<br />

College (<strong>ET</strong>ASC) reached its<br />

notional maximum number of<br />

enrolments. <strong>2020</strong> will be a year<br />

of building on the cumulative<br />

success we have shared with our<br />

students. We look forward to<br />

2021 when we will be able to<br />

outline more exciting plans to<br />

help more young people with<br />

their studies and employment.<br />

We have just completed a<br />

major IT upgrade at our Wyong<br />

campus and in Gosford for both<br />

the training college and the<br />

school. <strong>ET</strong>ASC now has an IT<br />

centre with 3D printers, a 3D<br />

scanner and new computers that<br />

provide the perfect platform to<br />

teach digital technologies as per<br />

the <strong>Australia</strong>n Curriculum.<br />

Our focus on building business<br />

partnerships on the Central<br />

Coast gives our students unique<br />

employment opportunities.<br />

Please come and experience<br />

why our students are achieving<br />

so highly.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> always welcomes<br />

your feedback.<br />

Please drop us a line at<br />

email@etaustralia.com.<br />

Contents<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO ID 90084)<br />

delivering Nationally Recognised Training qualifications.<br />

P3<br />

P4<br />

P6<br />

P8<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Creates a Framework to<br />

Support the National Reconciliation<br />

Movement<br />

Get to Know Our Business<br />

Development Manager: Dana Mahia<br />

Frances Trains With <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College and Pushes Through<br />

Adversity to Become a Qualified<br />

Aged Care Worker<br />

Anxiety: A David and Goliath Battle<br />

for Students<br />

P10 Don’t Let Age Be a Barrier to<br />

Changing Careers<br />

P13 Upcoming <strong>2020</strong><br />

Training Programs<br />

P14 <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College Class<br />

of 2019 Graduation<br />

P16 What is Learning Enrichment?<br />

P18 The Lowdown on <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Secondary College’s Gifted and<br />

Talented Program<br />

P20 <strong>ET</strong>ASC 2019 Excursions<br />

P22 Are You a Current Year 10 <strong>ET</strong>ASC<br />

Parent?<br />

P23 Enrolling Now for 2021<br />

12<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training<br />

College Business Graduate<br />

Summa-Lee Buchanan.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Board of Directors<br />

Paul Tonkin<br />

Deputy<br />

Chairman<br />

& Public Officer<br />

Partner & Lawyer –<br />

Tonkin Drysdale<br />

Partners<br />

Kath Hamilton<br />

Treasurer<br />

Partner &<br />

Accountant –<br />

Lavery Hamilton<br />

Graham McGuinness OAM<br />

Chairman<br />

Managing Director<br />

and Consultant –<br />

Delgarah Pty Ltd<br />

Michael North<br />

Director<br />

Tim Cornish<br />

Director<br />

Alan Williams<br />

Director<br />

Director<br />

and Chief<br />

Technology<br />

Officer –<br />

One Blink<br />

2


<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Creates a<br />

Framework to Support<br />

the National Reconciliation<br />

Movement<br />

In September 2019 <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

announced that Reconciliation<br />

<strong>Australia</strong> formally endorsed its<br />

Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan<br />

(RAP) for 2019 - <strong>2020</strong>.<br />

Reconciliation <strong>Australia</strong> is an<br />

independent, not-for-profit<br />

organisation whose vision is for<br />

a just, equitable and reconciled<br />

<strong>Australia</strong>. Their purpose is to<br />

inspire and enable all <strong>Australia</strong>ns to<br />

contribute to the reconciliation of the<br />

nation.<br />

A RAP is an annual document<br />

which provides a framework for<br />

organisations to support the<br />

national reconciliation movement.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>’s first annual RAP<br />

document, named the Reflect RAP,<br />

clearly sets out the steps <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

is going to take to prepare for<br />

reconciliation initiatives within the<br />

organisation in successive RAPs.<br />

Committing to a Reflect RAP allows<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> to spend time scoping<br />

and developing relationships with<br />

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander<br />

stakeholders, deciding on a vision<br />

for reconciliation and exploring<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>’s sphere of influence,<br />

before committing to specific actions<br />

or initiatives. This process will help<br />

to produce future RAPs that are<br />

meaningful, mutually beneficial and<br />

sustainable.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> is proud to be a part of<br />

the RAP community of over 1,000<br />

corporate, government, and notfor-profit<br />

organisations across the<br />

nation that have formally committed<br />

to reconciliation through the RAP<br />

program since its inception in 2006.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> has committed to raising<br />

awareness, building relationships,<br />

showing respect and providing<br />

opportunities for Aboriginal and/<br />

or Torres Strait Islander people. The<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> team are excited to see<br />

what can be achieved in the next 12<br />

months and are looking forward to<br />

making a positive and meaningful<br />

impact in this space.<br />

The Reflect RAP is now available<br />

for you to view on our website<br />

www.etaustralia.com<br />

Reconciliation <strong>Australia</strong><br />

is an independent, notfor-profit<br />

organisation<br />

whose vision is for a<br />

just, equitable and<br />

reconciled <strong>Australia</strong>.<br />

3


Get to Know Our<br />

Business Development<br />

Manager: Dana Mahia<br />

Creating Beneficial Training Opportunities<br />

for Central Coast Businesses<br />

Moving to the Coast at a young age,<br />

younger than she can remember,<br />

Dana is definitely a product of the<br />

Coast, just without the title of ‘being<br />

born on the Coast’. “I completed my<br />

schooling on the Coast. When I was<br />

19 I met my now husband and moved<br />

away to the country for just under a<br />

year and brought him back with me.<br />

That was nine years ago now and we<br />

haven’t looked back since” Dana said.<br />

“I tend to call myself a well-travelled<br />

Coastie, because now I live on the<br />

northern part of the Coast, and travel<br />

to different parts every day”.<br />

Dana is the perfect example of<br />

what the Vocational Education<br />

and Training industry can do for<br />

those who don’t 100% know what<br />

they want to do straight out of<br />

high school. “I was brought up to<br />

understand the value of work, and<br />

coming straight out of high school I<br />

knew I had the drive to succeed and<br />

be independent, but I wasn’t really<br />

sure what I wanted to do”. Her drive<br />

to succeed and be independent led<br />

Dana to complete a Certificate III<br />

in Hairdressing apprenticeship after<br />

completing Year 11.<br />

In 2015, after a number of years<br />

of hairdressing, she slowly started<br />

developing a passion for helping<br />

people, which led her to complete<br />

a Diploma of Counselling whilst<br />

on maternity leave. “When I was<br />

hairdressing I was speaking to clients<br />

everyday and listening to their issues.<br />

I would occasionally offer advice where<br />

I felt it was appropriate. I would get<br />

customers coming back saying “hey I<br />

did what you said and it worked”. This<br />

made me feel amazing, knowing that<br />

I helped someone solve their issue”.<br />

Following this passion and idea of<br />

helping others, Dana moved into work<br />

as a course advisor at a private training<br />

college. The role focused on guiding<br />

students down a career pathway and<br />

helping them to achieve their career<br />

Dana presenting one of the many information<br />

sessions for <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College students.<br />

goals. “I really enjoyed my time as a<br />

course advisor, essentially you began<br />

working with a student who was a lot<br />

like me. They needed career direction<br />

and advice. After taking the time to<br />

understand what they were looking<br />

for in a job, I would then develop a<br />

career plan for the student inclusive of<br />

the course they needed to study to get<br />

the outcome they were after”.<br />

After her maternity leave contract<br />

finished early in 2016, Dana found<br />

an opportunity with The ORS Group,<br />

as an Employment Consultant. The<br />

4


It felt like it was<br />

the next step in my<br />

career, to shift into<br />

helping those who<br />

were doing it tough.<br />

Dana, representing <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training<br />

College at Gorokan High School.<br />

ORS Group were a trusted provider of<br />

employment programs for the disabled<br />

and those facing hardship. During<br />

her time with ORS she completed a<br />

Certificate IV in Employment Services,<br />

“it felt like it was the next step in my<br />

career, to shift into helping those who<br />

were doing it tough” she said. In 2017<br />

Dana was awarded The ORS Group’s<br />

Employment Consultant of the year<br />

for NSW and around the same time,<br />

was promoted to Senior Employment<br />

Consultant.<br />

Dana’s passion to want to help people<br />

succeed and be independent helped<br />

to land her the role of Business<br />

Development Manager with <strong>ET</strong><br />

<strong>Australia</strong> Training College. “When I<br />

first interviewed Dana, she had this<br />

really bubbly, positive attitude, but<br />

what resonated with me the most<br />

was the way Dana spoke about<br />

helping people”, <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training<br />

College Manager Cath Roden said.<br />

“If you think outside the square for a<br />

moment and put aside experience and<br />

expertise, and focus on an employee’s<br />

personality and drive when hiring,<br />

this is exactly what Dana had, a really<br />

positive personality with a drive to<br />

succeed. This, combined with extensive<br />

knowledge of the V<strong>ET</strong> industry, made<br />

Dana an ideal person for the role”.<br />

It’s this positive, welcoming personality<br />

of Dana’s that has made her become<br />

an important cog in the <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College machine.<br />

Dana’s primary responsibility in her<br />

role is to be the glue between <strong>ET</strong><br />

<strong>Australia</strong> Training College, the local<br />

business community and job service<br />

providers. “I meet with business<br />

owners to educate them on the<br />

benefits of hiring Trainees including<br />

the financial incentives on offer from<br />

government agencies. I help employers<br />

hire entry level staff through <strong>ET</strong><br />

<strong>Australia</strong> Training College’s recruitment<br />

process and I liaise with job providers,<br />

to keep them up to date on our in<br />

class training program timetable and<br />

traineeship vacancies so they can refer<br />

clients” she said.<br />

5<br />

“Right now, I’m really fortunate that<br />

I am in the position where I have the<br />

opportunity to support students and<br />

businesses by providing them with<br />

training solutions for future success which<br />

they may not have otherwise considered”.<br />

In <strong>2020</strong>, Dana is focused on creating<br />

more traineeship opportunities with<br />

businesses on the Coast, building<br />

awareness about <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training<br />

College and reinforcing the positive<br />

outcomes businesses can achieve<br />

through training and through hiring an<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College student.<br />

Dana, celebrating at the 2019<br />

Central Coast Training Awards<br />

with <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> colleagues<br />

Brittney (left) and Michelle.


Frances Trains With<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training<br />

College and Pushes<br />

Through Adversity to<br />

Become a Qualified<br />

Aged Care Worker<br />

Past Student Success<br />

At the start of 2019, Frances, a mother<br />

of four and grandmother of three,<br />

was working in the community sector<br />

as a cleaner. Whilst she loved her<br />

job, she wanted to better herself and<br />

secure employment opportunities for<br />

the future. That’s when she stumbled<br />

across an advertisement on Facebook<br />

for a CHC33015 Certificate III in<br />

Individual Support (Ageing) Program<br />

with <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College.<br />

Mary, Frances’<br />

aged care Trainer.<br />

To Frances, it looked like a great<br />

opportunity to gain a qualification<br />

that would enhance her skills at her<br />

current job, and give her opportunities<br />

long term, and keep her on the<br />

Central Coast, where she has called<br />

home since 1992.<br />

“I love it here, I have no intention of<br />

ever moving”.<br />

At 17, Frances became a mother<br />

6<br />

and unfortunately lived through<br />

additional traumatic experiences which<br />

contributed to her isolation in Western<br />

NSW. At 19, she had her second child<br />

and remained in the Narrabri area until<br />

she decided to make the brave move,<br />

with her two kids to the Central Coast.<br />

She was scared, she didn’t know a<br />

single soul, but as soon as she got<br />

to the Coast she knew it was the<br />

right choice. Her determination and<br />

her ability to push through adversity<br />

gave her the motivation to keep on<br />

‘plugging away’ and she was able<br />

to get a job as a gardener at a local<br />

public school.<br />

During the 1994 bushfires, which<br />

affected a large part of NSW, Frances<br />

suffered a bout of heatstroke. She<br />

went to the doctor only to discover<br />

she actually had Fibromyalgia (a<br />

condition that causes widespread<br />

pain and tenderness in the body) and<br />

arthritis in her back.


“I was told I would be in a wheelchair<br />

by the age of 45”.<br />

Frances wasn’t about to let this stop<br />

her after everything she had been<br />

through to get where she was.<br />

“Bugger that I said – No way!”<br />

Now, Frances is almost ten years past<br />

the predicted “wheelchair years” and<br />

absolutely loving life.<br />

With her new found lease on life,<br />

Frances started looking to the future<br />

but didn’t necessarily want to leave<br />

her current job.<br />

“When I started reading about the<br />

course, it just seemed to be the right<br />

fit for me at the time”.<br />

Frances attended an aged care<br />

information session at <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College in Gosford to find<br />

out more about the program. She<br />

was terrified, because she had not<br />

completed any study since high<br />

school and her previous attempts to<br />

update her skills had not worked out<br />

for her. Because of this, she wanted<br />

to enrol with a Registered Training<br />

Organisation she knew would be able<br />

to support her in the classroom. She<br />

needed to know that she could say “I<br />

need help”, and actually get it.<br />

With her previous medical history,<br />

Frances was worried that she wouldn’t<br />

be able to meet the physical demands<br />

of the aged care industry, but after<br />

talking to staff, she realised that the<br />

work would be no more physical than<br />

her current cleaning role, which she<br />

handled capably.<br />

After the information session, Frances<br />

said everything just fell into place.<br />

“The smaller class sizes appealed to<br />

me because I knew the trainer would<br />

be able to give me the support I<br />

needed”.<br />

“If I didn’t have the support from<br />

my trainer, I would have pulled<br />

out ten times over. I wouldn’t have<br />

made it. It’s not just the work,<br />

its circumstances that took place<br />

throughout the course that set me off<br />

track. But Mary (one of <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College’s Aged Care Trainers)<br />

doesn’t let you walk away easily”.<br />

After the first block of practical work<br />

placement in a facility, Frances came<br />

back to class with a fresh perspective<br />

and a solid determination to complete<br />

the program.<br />

“During work placement, I was able<br />

to make connections with residents<br />

who knew the same people I grew up<br />

with in my home town. I met a lady<br />

who would have been cotton chipping<br />

the same time as me! Aged care is<br />

my passion, it has set me up for the<br />

future”.<br />

When asked why people considering<br />

doing this qualification, should choose<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College, Frances<br />

said “I’ve had friends who have<br />

studied with other providers that offer<br />

really short aged care courses, and I<br />

can see that they aren’t at the level I<br />

am at with my knowledge and skills.<br />

With <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College,<br />

you aren’t getting a watered down or<br />

condensed version of the qualification.<br />

It’s not a walk in the park because you<br />

are getting taught the proper way to<br />

do things, and that means that you<br />

know what you’re doing when you’re<br />

done. You are job ready”.<br />

Frances went on to say that her newly<br />

gained skills have made her better at<br />

her job. Her boss from Clean N Care<br />

has even commended her for the<br />

changes she has made.<br />

“What I took in most was the<br />

empowerment and personal care<br />

given to the client. I learned that I can<br />

do more than what I thought. I’ve<br />

always known I have a lot to give but<br />

this course magnified that. I know I<br />

can do something now that I have<br />

never done before, even if I don’t feel<br />

confident at first”.<br />

“This course has given me<br />

empowerment. Now I’ve got a real<br />

qualification and it’s given me the<br />

confidence to study even more<br />

through work, I know I can do it now<br />

because I’ve done this”.<br />

Frances proved to be an exceptional<br />

student, by completing all thirteen<br />

competencies and the required work<br />

placement hours, without any course<br />

extensions needed.<br />

7<br />

Frances, happy with her decision to<br />

become an aged care worker .<br />

I was told I would be in<br />

a wheelchair by the age<br />

of 45.<br />

Aged and Disabled Care<br />

Industry Overview*<br />

$1,265<br />

Weekly Pay<br />

Very strong<br />

Future Growth<br />

Lower unemloyment<br />

Future Growth<br />

175,800 workers<br />

Future Growth<br />

Lower skill<br />

Future Growth<br />

33% Full-time<br />

Full-Time Share<br />

43 hours<br />

Average full-time<br />

47 years<br />

Average age<br />

80% female<br />

Gender Share<br />

*References: https://joboutlook.gov.au/<br />

Occupation?search=Career&code=4231


Anxiety: A David<br />

and Goliath Battle<br />

for Students<br />

By Lauren Ede, one of <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College’s Training Officers.<br />

“Anxiety is the most common mental<br />

health condition in <strong>Australia</strong>. On<br />

average, one in four people (one in<br />

three women and one in five men) will<br />

experience anxiety at some stage in<br />

their life” 1 .<br />

At <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College, we<br />

have, in the past, enrolled students<br />

who have been diagnosed with an<br />

actual ‘Anxiety Disorder’. But what we<br />

have found more common amongst<br />

people enquiring about courses, are<br />

feelings of anxiousness.<br />

This differs from an anxiety disorder,<br />

as the anxious person often has the<br />

ability to control their ‘worry’ through<br />

certain management techniques. For<br />

people with an anxiety disorder, this<br />

feeling doesn’t go away.<br />

It’s OK to be anxious<br />

when studying<br />

There are many reasons people<br />

consider returning to study. Whether<br />

it is for financial reasons in order<br />

to return to work, upskilling for a<br />

promotion or for self-development,<br />

the decision to take on an extra<br />

activity in your life can become very<br />

stressful. Stress can make us jump<br />

straight to that ‘worst case scenario’<br />

and the cycle of anxiousness begins.<br />

As a Training Officer for <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College, I estimate that<br />

about 80% of students who inquire<br />

about courses have experienced some<br />

form of anxiety relating to returning<br />

to study. In many cases, their<br />

anxiousness subsides after attending<br />

one of our course information<br />

sessions, which provides all the<br />

specific details of the course. It’s also<br />

a chance to meet the Trainer and staff<br />

they will be working with during the<br />

course, and an opportunity to see<br />

other potential students who are in<br />

the same boat as them.<br />

“I can’t do this”, “I get anxious<br />

meeting new people”, “What if I<br />

don’t remember how to study!?” are<br />

all examples of the negative self-talk<br />

students have experienced when<br />

thinking of starting a course.<br />

If this sounds like your inner voice, the<br />

Beyond Blue Website 2 provides a list<br />

of strategies people can use to try and<br />

manage their anxiety 3 .<br />

Small acts of bravery<br />

“The way through anxiety is by<br />

learning that what you fear isn’t likely<br />

to happen – and if it does, you’ll be<br />

able to cope with it” 3 .<br />

At <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College, we<br />

encourage people to take that act of<br />

8<br />

bravery and come in to see us. We will<br />

be able to give you all the information<br />

needed to make an informed decision<br />

about whether or not returning to<br />

study is the right option for you at<br />

the time.<br />

As a small Registered Training<br />

Organisation, we have the benefit<br />

of being able to cater our training<br />

to support each student individually.<br />

We keep class sizes small and offer<br />

additional support to students to<br />

assist them to navigate their way<br />

through the training, both in and out<br />

of class.<br />

We also encourage a supportive<br />

and respectful atmosphere amongst


students and have strict policies<br />

relating to bullying and equal<br />

opportunity for all. Students become<br />

at ease from very early on in their<br />

training courses and form friendships<br />

that continue long after they have<br />

received their qualification.<br />

Our supportive<br />

environment will change<br />

your approach to<br />

learning<br />

From my experience as a Training<br />

Officer, I have witnessed the way a<br />

flexible training style and supportive<br />

learning environment has changed the<br />

lives of our students. With each day of<br />

the course, the anxiousness subsides<br />

and their confidence in their own<br />

abilities builds.<br />

I have also been able to witness the<br />

crippling effect of self-sabotage when<br />

students don’t have the strategies or<br />

support to combat negative self-talk<br />

or anxiousness.<br />

Behaviour is said to be self-sabotaging<br />

when it creates problems in our life and<br />

interferes with long-standing goals. 4<br />

Overcoming anxiousness<br />

about learning –<br />

Amanda’s example<br />

Amanda*, a former CHC33015<br />

Certificate III in Individual Support<br />

(Ageing) student, struggled with<br />

motivation. Constant absences and<br />

procrastination during the latter half<br />

of her aged care course sent her on<br />

a destructive path that could<br />

potentially derail her chances of<br />

completing the qualification.<br />

Through open discussion and the offer<br />

of genuine, non-judgemental support<br />

from <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College<br />

staff, we were able to ascertain<br />

the reasons behind Amanda’s<br />

absences. She determined that her<br />

own negative self-talk had made<br />

her subconsciously self-sabotage. In<br />

addition, the anxiousness regarding<br />

changes to her life and responsibilities<br />

upon completion meant Amanda was<br />

literally afraid to succeed.<br />

As a result of these discussions,<br />

we were able to create a catch-up<br />

plan for her missed practical hours.<br />

Through constant encouragement<br />

from <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College<br />

staff to combat that negative self-talk,<br />

she completed her aged care course.<br />

Amanda is now working in the aged<br />

care industry and is extremely proud<br />

of herself. An outcome that may not<br />

have occurred if we had not given her<br />

the support she needed.<br />

We hope that more educational<br />

institutions foster the idea of<br />

individualising training, and taking<br />

mental health more seriously.<br />

If you are considering returning to<br />

study, and anxiety is the giant in your<br />

‘David and Goliath Battle’, be the<br />

David.<br />

References:<br />

1 www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety<br />

2 www.beyondblue.org.au<br />

3 www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/<br />

treatments-for-anxiety/anxiety-managementstrategies<br />

4 https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/<br />

self-sabotage<br />

*Student name changed to protect privacy.<br />

You’re not alone when studying at<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College.<br />

9


Don’t Let Age<br />

Be a Barrier to<br />

Changing Careers<br />

7 Tips for Finding<br />

Employment Over 50<br />

Age Discrimination, whilst illegal, is still<br />

apparent as an obstacle across certain<br />

industries for many older <strong>Australia</strong>ns<br />

seeking employment, or returning to<br />

the workforce today.<br />

At <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College, we<br />

have found that employers appreciate<br />

the stability and experience of hiring a<br />

mature aged employee and the benefits<br />

it can bring to their organisation.<br />

Through feedback gained from<br />

the employers of our graduating<br />

students, older employees are very<br />

dedicated and loyal to their employer.<br />

Older <strong>Australia</strong>n’s have the benefit<br />

of life experience and can bring a<br />

level of maturity to the role that a<br />

younger person may not have had the<br />

opportunity to gain.<br />

Enquiries from potential students at<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College, aged<br />

over 50, have highlighted that their<br />

main concern when it comes to<br />

undertaking study, is the employment<br />

prospects for them upon completion.<br />

Many have commented they feel they<br />

are ‘past their prime’ in the eyes of<br />

employers and feel they would be<br />

overlooked for younger applicants<br />

simply due to their age.<br />

At <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College,<br />

students in the over 50s age bracket<br />

have enjoyed great success both during<br />

and after completing our courses.<br />

Such is the case with Joanne, who<br />

commenced a CHC33015 Certificate III<br />

in Individual Support (Ageing) program<br />

while in her early 60s. Joanne came out<br />

of retirement to re-enter the workforce<br />

and complete this course. After<br />

completion, she successfully gained<br />

employment with a local aged<br />

care facility and in her new role has<br />

been able to maintain a great work/life<br />

balance.<br />

Some of <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College’s aged care students gaining<br />

practical tips from their trainer Michelle (far left).<br />

Audrey, an <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College<br />

CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual<br />

Support (Ageing) graduate, also<br />

commenced the course in her early 60s.<br />

Whilst her main focus was employment,<br />

her personal circumstances greatly<br />

benefited from the skills she acquired<br />

during the program. Audrey successfully<br />

completed the program and was spoilt<br />

for choice when she was offered<br />

multiple positions upon receipt of<br />

her certificate. She ultimately<br />

10


chose a position with a large <strong>Australia</strong>n<br />

company delivering home care services,<br />

aged care and retirement living on the<br />

Central Coast.<br />

7 Tips for Finding Employment Over 50<br />

In the last 2 years, just under 19% of<br />

the students who gained employment<br />

after completing full qualifications<br />

across Business, Aged Care and Early<br />

Childhood Education qualifications with<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College (excluding<br />

traineeship programs), were aged 50<br />

and over.<br />

When interviewing potential students<br />

for our courses, we find that older<br />

students often haven’t considered the<br />

transferable skills they have acquired<br />

during previous employment or<br />

through life experience in general.<br />

More often than not, older students<br />

have a clearer idea of their intentions<br />

for studying and the impact this<br />

will have on their lives, meaning<br />

are more likely to keep themselves<br />

motivated during the course, are able<br />

to prioritize tasks, have excellent time<br />

management and can successfully<br />

navigate challenges that often occur<br />

when learning a new skill.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College also<br />

offers further support in addition to<br />

the quality training from our industry<br />

experienced Trainers and Assessors.<br />

We have recognised the need to<br />

support students with resumés, cover<br />

letters, interview techniques and work<br />

placement in order to gain industryrelevant<br />

experience. <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College has access to employer<br />

networks with employers who regularly<br />

call to ask us for job-ready students to<br />

fill their employment vacancies.<br />

So whilst we all agree that it can be<br />

difficult to find employment when<br />

considered a ‘mature age’ person,<br />

it is also equally true, that more and<br />

more employers are looking for the<br />

reliability and experience which mature<br />

age workers can bring, as the quicker<br />

an employee becomes productive, the<br />

quicker the business can operate more<br />

successfully.<br />

Update your skills<br />

Recent qualifications will show that<br />

you have updated your knowledge<br />

of an industry, or show that you<br />

have gained recent skills in a new<br />

industry.<br />

Make your resume ‘ageless’<br />

Adding your age or birth date to<br />

your resume gives an employer<br />

the opportunity to pass over your<br />

application due to your age.<br />

Cover letters<br />

Yes. You must write a cover letter<br />

for every application as it allows<br />

you to expand on your experience.<br />

Although this can be taxing on your<br />

time and patience, it’s what will<br />

make the difference between your<br />

application and someone who is<br />

only relying on their resume.<br />

Personal presentation<br />

This one is timeless. First<br />

impressions last, so make sure you<br />

are putting your best foot forward<br />

when you get the opportunity to<br />

meet an employer face to face.<br />

Know your skills and abilities<br />

Many people don’t realise they<br />

have a variety of skills gained<br />

11<br />

through their previous<br />

employment, or through their life<br />

experience. Work with what you<br />

have and treat them as assets.<br />

Some examples may be; time<br />

management, interpersonal skills,<br />

teamwork, personal motivation and<br />

initiative etc.<br />

Familiarise yourself with<br />

current technology that may be<br />

involved in the industry<br />

If you haven’t got the skills needed<br />

to do the basics in the industry you<br />

are looking for work in, educate<br />

yourself. There are many courses<br />

available in basic computer training<br />

and <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College<br />

offers one-on-one training also.<br />

See the <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> website for<br />

further details.<br />

Be persistent<br />

Don’t give up if you get a few<br />

knockbacks. An employer may<br />

receive hundreds of applications<br />

for one advertised position, and<br />

there simply isn’t time to respond<br />

to them all. If you find you are<br />

constantly receiving rejection emails,<br />

look over your cover letters and<br />

resumé with someone and fine<br />

tune them.<br />

Some of our aged care students enjoying<br />

problem solving in a group setting.


Summa-Lee Gains<br />

Employment While<br />

Studying for Her<br />

Business Qualification<br />

Past Student Success<br />

Noticing a skills gap in her current<br />

experience, Summa-Lee sought out<br />

the opportunity to close the gap with<br />

professional development, in the form<br />

of a BSB30115 Certificate III in Business<br />

from <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training College.<br />

“I was currently employed, but<br />

really wanted to focus on gaining<br />

administration type skills, and via<br />

Google I found <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Training<br />

College were offering a nationally<br />

recognised business course that<br />

finished in June 2019 at their Wyong<br />

campus which was a great fit for me<br />

location wise” Summa-Lee said about<br />

her decision to train with <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Training College.<br />

When asked to recall some parts of<br />

the course she really found beneficial,<br />

Summa-Lee said “I really enjoyed the<br />

ability to focus on and fine tune my<br />

general business skills especially around<br />

email writing, and the opportunity<br />

to practice resolving customer<br />

complaints in a work setting was a<br />

great way to learn. I found it terrific<br />

that the Certificate III in Business course<br />

taught the fundamentals of using the<br />

Microsoft office software suite and<br />

how all the suite applications work<br />

together in a business environment.<br />

On a personal level, organisational<br />

skills was a big takeaway from the<br />

course. Just learning little tips and tricks<br />

that I have now implemented in my<br />

personal life and at work, for example<br />

using Microsoft Outlook at home<br />

and at work to organise my tasks,<br />

appointments and to do lists.”<br />

During the course, a number of jobs<br />

were offered to students, with Summa-<br />

Lee putting her hand up to go for an<br />

interview with Coastwide Eye Surgery,<br />

located in the Platinum Building at<br />

Erina. After reviewing candidates, they<br />

employed Summa-Lee on a casual<br />

basis in April of 2019, while she was<br />

still completing her business course.<br />

This turned into permanent part time<br />

employment in September 2019.<br />

Summa-Lee is now employed as a receptionist at<br />

Coastwide Eye Surgery, Erina, NSW.<br />

I really enjoyed the<br />

ability to focus on and<br />

fine tune my general<br />

business skills.<br />

12


Upcoming <strong>2020</strong><br />

Training Programs<br />

Enquire now to apply for any of the <strong>2020</strong> programs below:<br />

Program Code<br />

and Name<br />

Next Classroom<br />

Start Date<br />

End<br />

Date<br />

Classroom<br />

Days<br />

Time<br />

Location<br />

Additional<br />

Delivery Modes<br />

Individual Support (Ageing)<br />

CHC33015 Certificate III<br />

in Individual Support 10 February 9 June Mon, Tue, Wed<br />

CHC33015 Certificate III<br />

in Individual Support 18 March 17 September Wed, Thurs<br />

CHC33015 Certificate III<br />

in Individual Support 1 April 29 July Wed, Thurs, Fri<br />

CHC33015 Certificate III<br />

in Individual Support 22 June 14 October Mon, Tue, Wed<br />

CHC33015 Certificate III<br />

in Individual Support 12 August 11 December Wed, Thurs, Fri<br />

CHC33015 Certificate III<br />

in Individual Support 13 October 29 April 2021 Tue, Wed<br />

CHC43015 Certificate IV<br />

in Ageing Support<br />

Individual Support (Disability)<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

Woodport<br />

Aged Care<br />

Young Parents<br />

Hub, Wyong<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>,<br />

Gosford<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>,<br />

Gosford<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>,<br />

Gosford<br />

Young Parents<br />

Hub, Wyong<br />

Start this course today. Call <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> on 4323 1233 or email training@etaustralia.com<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

CHC33015 – Certificate III in<br />

Individual Support (Disability)<br />

Business<br />

Start this course today. Call <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> on 4323 1233 or email training@etaustralia.com<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

BSB10115 Certificate I<br />

in Business<br />

BSB20115 Certificate II<br />

in Business<br />

Start these courses today. Call <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> on 4323 1233 or email training@etaustralia.com<br />

BSB30115 Certificate III<br />

in Business 17 February 1 June Mon, Tues, Wed<br />

BSB30115 Certificate III<br />

in Business 15 June 1 December Mon, Tues<br />

BSB30415 Certificate III<br />

in Business Administration<br />

BSB40415 Certificate IV<br />

in Business Administration<br />

Leadership and Management<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

Young Parents<br />

Hub, Wyong<br />

Young Parents<br />

Hub, Wyong<br />

Start these courses today. Call <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> on 4323 1233 or email training@etaustralia.com<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship/<br />

Self Paced<br />

Traineeship /<br />

Self paced<br />

BSB42015 Certificate IV<br />

in Leadership and Management<br />

Early Childhood<br />

Start this course today. Call <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> on 4323 1233 or email training@etaustralia.com<br />

Traineeship /<br />

Self paced<br />

CHC30113 Certificate III in Early<br />

Childhood Education and Care 2 March 14 December Monday<br />

CHC50113 Diploma of<br />

Early Childhood Education and Care<br />

CHCPRT001<br />

Child Protection Training<br />

9:00am to<br />

2:30pm<br />

Young Parents<br />

Hub, Wyong<br />

Start these courses today. Call <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> on 4323 1233 or email training@etaustralia.com<br />

Traineeship /<br />

Self paced<br />

Traineeship /<br />

Self paced<br />

Traineeship /<br />

Self Paced<br />

Subsidised training places available (subsidised by the NSW Government), eligibility criteria applies.<br />

*Actual end date may vary depending on completion of required mandated work placement hours. Units of competency from within<br />

each of these qualifications are available individually or can be grouped to meet a specific need.<br />

Call <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> today on 4323 1233<br />

or email us at training@etaustralia.com to apply.


<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Secondary<br />

College Class of<br />

2019 Graduation<br />

Year 10 Students Celebrate Their<br />

Achievements Among Friends and Family.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College<br />

Year 10 students celebrated their<br />

achievements at the annual College<br />

Year 10 graduation ceremony held<br />

on Friday the 13th of December 2019<br />

in the Show Room of The Mingara<br />

Recreation Club.<br />

Students, parents, teachers and<br />

distinguished guests celebrated students<br />

completing Year 10 and achieving their<br />

Record of School Achievement (RoSA)<br />

with a three course dinner, speeches by<br />

teachers and students, and dancing late<br />

into the night.<br />

Students were presented with their<br />

College graduate certificates and high<br />

achievers were recognised for their<br />

achievements throughout the year with<br />

individual and subject awards.<br />

Year 10 <strong>ET</strong>ASC students<br />

celebrating their<br />

achievements with<br />

family and loved ones.<br />

Congratulations to all Year 10 2019 graduates and<br />

special thanks to those who volunteered at the<br />

school throughout 2019.<br />

14


Gavi Duncan, from the Darkinjung<br />

Local Aboriginal Land Council,<br />

formally and warmly welcomed<br />

us to country.<br />

Congratulations to our<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College<br />

2019 award winners:<br />

Award Winners<br />

First place in Geography - Taren LeBreton<br />

First place in History - William MacKillop<br />

First place in Science - Natalie Denniss<br />

First place in Mathematics – Sebastian Keir<br />

First place in PDHPE - Mikayla Murray (not present)<br />

First place in English - Mikayla Murray (not present)<br />

Luke Wilson<br />

Congratulations to Luke Wilson on being awarded<br />

the Principal’s Award which recognises high standards<br />

of overall achievement, attitude, academic progress<br />

and involvement in the school community.<br />

15


What is<br />

Learning<br />

Enrichment?<br />

And How Does <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College (<strong>ET</strong>ASC)<br />

Provide Students With Tailored Learning Opportunities?<br />

The Learning Enrichment (LE) team<br />

at <strong>ET</strong>ASC deliver additional learning<br />

opportunities to students who might<br />

fall through the cracks in large school<br />

settings. Learning Enrichment’s<br />

objective is to support all students to<br />

develop independence and responsibility<br />

for their own learning. To achieve this,<br />

<strong>ET</strong>ASC Learning Enrichment teachers<br />

provide an encouraging and caring<br />

learning environment, targeting specific<br />

literacy and numeracy proficiencies and<br />

teaching students the skills they need to<br />

succeed.<br />

Learning Enrichment at <strong>ET</strong>ASC is datadriven.<br />

At the beginning of the school<br />

Alyshia (right), helping students learn with the<br />

Quicksmart Literacy program.<br />

undertake a series of standardised<br />

year or upon enrolment, students<br />

tests. These standardised tests provide<br />

diagnostic data which, along with<br />

teacher observations and referrals, help<br />

determine the learning needs of each<br />

individual. Learning Enrichment teachers<br />

use a collaborative approach so that<br />

students themselves and their parents/<br />

carers are involved in planning students’<br />

short and long-term learning goals.<br />

To ensure that all students receive the<br />

assistance they need to thrive, <strong>ET</strong>ASC<br />

employs a Multi-Tiered System of<br />

Support. This is a three-tier hierarchical<br />

model that enables Learning<br />

Enrichment teachers to systematically<br />

meet the learning needs progress<br />

frequently to determine if the<br />

interventions in place are working for<br />

that student.<br />

“Tier 1 of this model is support within<br />

the classroom; this typically suits<br />

about 80% of students. In Tier 1, the<br />

class is taught using strategies that<br />

research has shown to be effective.<br />

All students are assessed frequently to<br />

determine who is and isn’t responding<br />

to this approach. Here, students may<br />

receive targeted teacher or teacher<br />

assistant support and may be placed<br />

into smaller groups. If Tier 1 is not<br />

meeting the needs of a student, they<br />

will receive additional support in Tier 2.<br />

Approximately 15% to 20% of students<br />

benefit from this level of intervention.<br />

Tier 2 can involve small group learning<br />

programs and or consolidation of<br />

course content. Students who have<br />

difficulties progressing in the previous<br />

instructional tiers receive intensive,<br />

individualised instruction in Tier 3”,<br />

Alyshia said, one of the <strong>ET</strong>ASC Learning<br />

Enrichment teachers on staff.<br />

<strong>ET</strong>ASC’s five Learning Enrichment<br />

teachers work with the students in a<br />

number of ways; in the classroom team<br />

teaching, in small groups, afterschool<br />

tutoring and working with individuals.<br />

Learning Enrichment offers strategies,<br />

resources and evidence-based programs<br />

to support all students to access the<br />

16


Melanie ( left), guiding students<br />

through a Macqlit learning session.<br />

QuickSmart Numeracy<br />

helped with algebra<br />

because I’m now better<br />

with multiplication and<br />

division.<br />

Chris, Year 10<br />

curriculum. The primary focus of<br />

Learning Enrichment is to improve<br />

the students’ literacy and numeracy<br />

proficiencies. The programs used at<br />

<strong>ET</strong>ASC to support literacy include<br />

Macquarie University’s MacqLit reading<br />

intervention program and the University<br />

of New England’s QuickSmart Literacy<br />

program. The University of New<br />

England’s QuickSmart Numeracy<br />

program is used to support students’<br />

understanding and recall of basic<br />

number facts, numeracy language and<br />

problem-solving skills.<br />

One student who has benefited<br />

immensely from Learning Enrichment is<br />

Chris, who started at <strong>ET</strong>ASC in Year 7,<br />

2017. Chris completed the QuickSmart<br />

Literacy program in Year 7 and the<br />

QuickSmart Numeracy program in<br />

Year 8. Throughout Year 9 he chose<br />

to attend <strong>ET</strong>ASC’s free Mathematics<br />

after school tutoring to consolidate<br />

his understanding of new concepts.<br />

“Before QuickSmart Literacy I had<br />

trouble with spelling and sequencing<br />

my ideas, now I can gather ideas and<br />

put them on paper independently.<br />

QuickSmart Numeracy helped with<br />

algebra because I’m now better with<br />

multiplication and division.,” said Chris.<br />

Hayley, another student who started<br />

at <strong>ET</strong>ASC in Year 7 in 2017, was<br />

also identified by the LE team as<br />

needing some extra help with her<br />

basic numeracy skills. Hayley began<br />

QuickSmart Numeracy in Year 7 and<br />

completed the program half-way<br />

through Year 9. Hayley is now more<br />

self-reliant in class and only attends<br />

after school Mathematics tutoring<br />

when she is having difficulties with new<br />

content. “At my old school, I did not<br />

feel like I could keep up with the Maths<br />

work. Maths was really tough because<br />

I didn’t have enough support. Coming<br />

to <strong>ET</strong>ASC and completing QuickSmart<br />

helped me gain confidence in my<br />

Maths ability and improved my basic<br />

skills,” she said.<br />

“It’s not a case of fail first and<br />

then intervene; we take a proactive<br />

approach. <strong>ET</strong>ASC students, like Chris<br />

17<br />

and Hayley, are identified early through<br />

diagnostic testing, classroom teacher<br />

referrals and Learning Enrichment class<br />

observations. The LE team then<br />

collaborate with other teachers, the<br />

student, their parents/carers to develop<br />

an individual learning plan,” said Alyshia.<br />

To ensure all students can achieve at<br />

<strong>ET</strong>ASC this year, all new Year 7 students<br />

will undergo additional testing called<br />

YARC (York Assessment for Reading<br />

Comprehension), which provides the<br />

LE team a thorough understanding<br />

of a student’s word recognition and<br />

comprehension skills. This year the LE<br />

team have three full time and two part<br />

time staff who enhance the already<br />

positive outcomes the team is achieving<br />

with <strong>ET</strong>ASC students.<br />

Sophie (left), supporting an <strong>ET</strong>ASC<br />

student in Mathematics class.


The Lowdown on<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary<br />

College’s Gifted and<br />

Talented Program<br />

What is it and What do Students at <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Secondary College (<strong>ET</strong>ASC) get out of it?<br />

Did you know gifted and talented<br />

children make up about 10% of the<br />

student population in <strong>Australia</strong>?* Did<br />

you also know that in 2019, <strong>ET</strong>ASC<br />

exceeded this national benchmark<br />

with just under 20% of its student<br />

population identified as gifted and<br />

talented?<br />

“When we first started <strong>ET</strong>ASC, we<br />

always had the idea of creating and<br />

implementing a gifted and talented<br />

program (GAT) for students on the<br />

Coast who wanted to focus on<br />

expanding their academic talents<br />

without distractions” Lachlan Scott, <strong>ET</strong><br />

<strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College Assistant<br />

Principal said. “What’s great to see<br />

is some students are now coming to<br />

<strong>ET</strong>ASC to take up the opportunity to<br />

expand their academic ability via our<br />

program”.<br />

Gifted and talented students have<br />

specific learning needs that may<br />

require positive adjustments to the<br />

pace, level and content of the New<br />

South Wales Education Standards<br />

Authority (NESA) high school<br />

curriculum. Generally, gifted and<br />

talented students demonstrate the<br />

following characteristics:<br />

• The capacity to learn at faster rates.<br />

• The capacity to find and solve<br />

problems.<br />

• The capacity to make connections<br />

and manipulate abstract ideas.<br />

For <strong>ET</strong>ASC gifted and talented<br />

students, their curriculum is adjusted<br />

to include:<br />

• Differentiation: modifying the<br />

pace, level and content of teaching,<br />

learning and assessment activities.<br />

• Acceleration: promoting students to a<br />

level of study beyond their age group.<br />

• Curriculum Compacting: assessing<br />

a student’s current level of learning<br />

and addressing aspects of the<br />

curriculum they have not yet<br />

mastered.<br />

*References: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-22/how-to-tell-if-you-have-a-gifted-child-explainer/10393244<br />

Elissa (bottom left), providing guidance and<br />

support to the Mathematics Ability Group.<br />

18


Gifted and Talented<br />

Program Background<br />

<strong>ET</strong>ASC’s gifted and talented program<br />

started in February 2018. Identified<br />

students are given a one hour session<br />

per week to focus on their individual<br />

learning need with gifted and talented<br />

teachers, Jaclyn and Elissa. “We<br />

limit GAT sessions to one per week<br />

complimenting core, in class learning”<br />

said Elissa.<br />

Jaclyn has a Masters Degree in<br />

Special Education, has attained her<br />

Bachelors of Fine Art and Secondary<br />

Education and has a Certificate of<br />

Gifted Education. While Elissa has a<br />

double Degree in Secondary Teaching<br />

and Science, and has recently taught<br />

overseas learning how other countries<br />

nurture their gifted and talented<br />

students.<br />

Student Outcomes<br />

With the introduction of the GAT<br />

program at <strong>ET</strong>ASC, students can push<br />

themselves further academically by<br />

entering academic competitions,<br />

which allows them to compete against<br />

other gifted and talented students<br />

across the country.<br />

Elissa (top) instructing students in the<br />

Year 8 Mathematics Ability group.<br />

Elissa (right) helping Darcy with<br />

her Engineering challenge.<br />

Darcy – Year 8<br />

Darcy sees Elissa once per week in<br />

the Mathematics Ability Group. This<br />

group extends upon the core course<br />

content Darcy is currently learning in<br />

Mathematics class by applying her<br />

core learning to real life scenarios.<br />

Being a part of the Mathematics<br />

Ability Group provides Darcy<br />

Montana (middle), working with<br />

Elissa (top) on her novella.<br />

Montana – Year 9<br />

Montana is a part of the Creative<br />

Writing Group and works with<br />

Elissa once per week. Like Darcy,<br />

Montana is also presented with<br />

the opportunity to gain an<br />

understanding of the core course<br />

content taught in Year 10 English<br />

the opportunity to gain an<br />

understanding of the core course<br />

content taught in Year 9 and 10<br />

Mathematics classes. This extends<br />

and tests Darcy’s Mathematical<br />

abilities in a safe and supportive<br />

environment with Elissa.<br />

In 2019, Darcy competed in an<br />

Engineering Design Challenge<br />

and the <strong>Australia</strong>n Mathematics<br />

Competition.<br />

When asked about what she<br />

enjoys the most from the gifted<br />

and talented program, Darcy said<br />

“Even though I’m only in Year 8,<br />

I really like how I’m allowed to<br />

start looking at Year 9 and 10<br />

class work. It kind of feels like it<br />

won’t be such a shock when I start<br />

looking at Year 9 and 10 Maths<br />

problems in the next few years”.<br />

class in a safe and supportive<br />

environment.<br />

In 2019, Montana focused on<br />

developing an eight thousand word<br />

novella to be submitted into the<br />

<strong>2020</strong> Somerset Storyfest writing<br />

competition. Montana was also<br />

invited to present her creative writing<br />

work at the Central Coast Council<br />

Seniors Festival in 2019 and submitted<br />

creative pieces into the Write 4<br />

Fun – Poetry, Short Story and Arts<br />

Competition for <strong>Australia</strong>n Schools.<br />

“Being able to enter competitions<br />

and see how my creative writing<br />

stacks up against other students<br />

across the country gives me an<br />

understanding of the level I need to<br />

get to, to be the best” Montana said.<br />

What New Opportunities<br />

Are There for Students<br />

This Year<br />

“We want to expand the opportunities<br />

our students have to enter<br />

competitions as we believe this<br />

gives them an insight into the<br />

academic benchmarks they need to<br />

be at, to be considered among the<br />

top students in the country for their<br />

identified talent” Elissa said.<br />

“This year, students will have the<br />

opportunity to enter Youth 4 Youth, a<br />

Central Coast Council leadership and<br />

skills development program. Students<br />

will also enter the UN Youth <strong>Australia</strong><br />

debating competition. We are<br />

expanding our focus and supporting<br />

students to enter monthly and annual<br />

photographic competitions put on by<br />

<strong>Australia</strong>n Photography” she said.<br />

19


<strong>ET</strong>ASC 2019 Excursions<br />

Central Coast field surveys<br />

In Term 3, <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College<br />

Year 9 and 10 students visited various<br />

locations on the Central Coast as part<br />

of the study of Geography and Science<br />

subjects. This excursion provided all<br />

students the opportunity to use the skills<br />

taught in class to collect data samples<br />

and conduct fieldwork.<br />

Students travelled by bus to Gosford<br />

Waterfront, Erina Creek, Terrigal Lagoon<br />

Luna Park<br />

In Term 3, Year 9 and 10 students<br />

visited Luna Park in Sydney where they<br />

were given the opportunity to ‘Learn<br />

as They Ride’. Luna Park provided<br />

an ideal environment for practising<br />

mathematical skills and doing<br />

mathematical calculations.<br />

Students completed a variety of tasks<br />

related to the Maths curriculum,<br />

assisting students to develop a deeper<br />

understanding of the concepts taught<br />

in the classroom and see mathematics<br />

as part of everyday life.<br />

Topics covered on the day included<br />

Financial Mathematics, Algebra,<br />

Rates and Ratios, Measurement,<br />

Trigonometry and Statistics.<br />

and Wamberal Beach to conduct water<br />

quality testing.<br />

Students also focused on completing<br />

a field survey of Wamberal Beach,<br />

examining the beach ecosystem, effects<br />

of erosion caused by previous storms,<br />

coastal processes and management<br />

strategies to restore and protect<br />

beach ecology.<br />

20<br />

Mountain<br />

biking<br />

In Term 2, 3 and 4, <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

Secondary College Year 9 and 10<br />

students were invited to participate<br />

in a Mountain Bike Skills course.<br />

Students were trained in the safe<br />

use of mountain bikes and had the<br />

opportunity to practice riding on<br />

service trails, fire trails, and single<br />

tracks on Kincumba Mountain to<br />

become proficient in the handling<br />

of bikes on different types of<br />

terrain.<br />

In addition to riding, students<br />

were taught to respect the bush<br />

environment, native fauna and<br />

other road/park users.


Zoosnooz<br />

In Term 4, <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary<br />

College Year 9 and 10 students<br />

enjoyed attending the Zoosnooz<br />

overnight stay at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.<br />

Students had exclusive access to the<br />

zoo after the general public had left.<br />

They participated in workshops related<br />

to sustainability, examined ecosystems,<br />

and examined the key characteristics<br />

of a variety of unique flora and fauna.<br />

Students also completed a high ropes<br />

course after their workshops and<br />

explored the zoo exhibits in groups.<br />

Sydney Living<br />

Museum<br />

In Term 3, <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College Year 7 students visited the Sydney<br />

Living Museum where they were given the opportunity to conduct a historical<br />

investigation into the impact of the British colonisation of <strong>Australia</strong> by<br />

examining historical sources and perspectives.<br />

Students practised historical archaeology, analysed a range of archival sources,<br />

handled artefacts from the archaeological collection at the museum and used<br />

them to answer a series of inquiry questions from their History class.<br />

21


Are You a<br />

Current Year 10<br />

<strong>ET</strong>ASC Parent?<br />

Mark Your Calendar to Attend Your Child’s<br />

Pathway Plan Meeting in Term 3 and Term 4.<br />

Pathway plans are an essential<br />

ingredient for student success in any<br />

modern high school environment.<br />

At <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College we<br />

place a huge emphasis on ensuring<br />

your child has the best opportunity<br />

to graduate Year 10 with a defined<br />

education and/or career path when<br />

they leave <strong>ET</strong>ASC.<br />

We do this through our student<br />

pathway planning process. If a student<br />

started at <strong>ET</strong>ASC in Year 7 and<br />

completed Year 10, they would have<br />

had three pathway planning sessions<br />

with career staff including the:<br />

• Principal and CEO of <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>.<br />

• <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College<br />

Student Development Coordinator.<br />

These sessions support students to<br />

think about and convey what they<br />

would like to do once they have<br />

finished Year 10.<br />

Parents of students in Year 10 will have<br />

the opportunity to attend their child’s<br />

final pathway plan meeting, held in<br />

Term 3 and 4.<br />

All <strong>ET</strong>ASC staff members mentioned<br />

above will be in attendance to review<br />

the goals set out by the student in<br />

their pathway plan process and ask<br />

questions about what extra services<br />

or support your child needs to achieve<br />

these goals in their final year of<br />

schooling at <strong>ET</strong>ASC.<br />

Year 10 is a pivotal year in a child’s<br />

education and it’s important that you,<br />

the parent, are included in this<br />

22<br />

process to understand the direction<br />

your child is going in after they have<br />

finished Year 10.<br />

We look forward to meeting you at<br />

your child’s pathway plan meeting<br />

to discuss what else we can do to<br />

support your child achieve their future<br />

education and career goals.


Enrolling Now for<br />

2021 and Beyond<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College is an independent Year<br />

7 to 10 high school which equips students with the literacy<br />

and numeracy skills to be successful in employment and/or<br />

future study by delivering the mainstream curriculum in a<br />

safe and supportive learning environment.<br />

Now is the time to book your tour of the school for your<br />

child to attend <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College in 2021.<br />

With over 94% of graduates engaging in further studies or a career,<br />

you can be confident <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> Secondary College will equip your child<br />

with the skills to be successful in ongoing studies and employment.<br />

Book your tour at:<br />

etaustralia.com/secondary-college<br />

Click on ‘Enrol Today’.<br />

The excursions,<br />

the tutoring,<br />

everything is<br />

included in the<br />

school fee.<br />

Parents of Chris, Year 10


<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is produced by <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

in collaboration with Mars Design.<br />

A special thanks to all those who contributed to this issue of <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>, especially<br />

Coastwide Surgery for allowing <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> to photograph Summa-Lee during office hours.<br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> is comprised of an adult Training College (RTO ID 90084) and Independent Year 7 to 10 Secondary College.<br />

The primary focus of <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> is to provide students with the skills to be successful in employment and/or further study.<br />

Contact Mars Design:<br />

enquiries@marsdesign.com.au<br />

@ www.marsdesign.com.au<br />

Contact <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

(02) 4323 1233 @ email@etaustralia.com<br />

Follow <strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

<strong>ET</strong> <strong>Australia</strong><br />

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