TAFE
40K Foundation volunteer program in India where they lived with local families and filmed a documentary in Marenahalli Bande, a quarry community to the north of Bangalore. In 2011, our students and teachers travelled to Samoa to help rebuild a tsunami struck village as part of the GroundSwell volunteer program.
Leading practice
The institute delivers best practice in training by following our Going Global model. This ensures that our teachers are passionate and culturally aware, our facilities are continuously improved to achieve state-of-the-art industry standards and our students are fully supported to engage successfully in their training.
Some students face the dual learning challenge of improving their English while studying a vocational course, so customised individual support is provided, as required.
Our operational scale as a large metropolitan institute enables us to offer a wide range of vocational options and pathways leading to life-changing careers. For example, renowned Australian fashion designer Akira Isogawa was one of our international student graduates. Our alumni program is a growing network of famous industry people.
English language courses are provided through Sydney Institute of TAFE English Centre( SITEC). We also provide courses in Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, French, Japanese, Italian and Indonesian, recognising the importance of language capabilities in a global environment. We have a rich resource with more than 42 per cent of our students coming from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and many of our international students
comment on how much they appreciate the multicultural aspect of Sydney.
Staff capability
We are committed to developing expertise in our staff through our Workforce Development Framework to promote effective global citizenship. More than 170 staff engaged in our Beyond Intercultural Awareness program to extend their cultural knowledge. The program included training in using GlobeSmart software as an intercultural awareness tool and an Ask Me Anything session at a Turkish mosque. We also nurtured global skills by supporting teaching exchanges to Denmark, Singapore, UK and the US and enabling teachers to participate in international study tours.
Student needs
We evaluate student needs by listening to many sources and responding with customised courses and appropriate support. We constantly evaluate global market needs through high-level consultation with international governments and listen to feedback from education agents, Australian Education International( AEI), International Student Barometer and student surveys.
At institute level, our open-door approach provides an informal and responsive service to student needs. For example, we are cognisant of the inherent challenges faced by our international students who are living away from family in a new country. In response to this our dedicated international student co-ordinators assist these students to maximise both their educational and social experiences at the institute.
Student feedback constantly indicates the need for job-seeking assistance. Our experienced Career and Counselling Unit staff assist students to research local and international employment opportunities. Students can also use our free online job placement service Careers Connect with a database of more than 2200 employers.
Sydney Institute recognises the importance of evaluating community needs. In 2013 we will be implementing a new community engagement strategy through the appointment of multicultural engagement managers. Their role will be to strengthen relationships with local culturally and linguistically diverse( CALD) communities and assist community members to access vocational courses.
Our size and reputation enables us to influence organisations at home and abroad. We have built an international profile that has attracted local and international customers. A strong focus on globalisation prepares graduates to be able to work anywhere in the world. The International Training Provider of the Year award validates the success of our achievements in the global arena. ■
David Riordan is institute director, TAFE NSW-Sydney Institute. He has managed large training projects in Greece, Italy, China and the UAE.
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