Skills for Education and Employment
Successful Programme Outcome Case Studies
The Skills for Education and Employment (SEE)
programme provides language, literacy and
numeracy training to eligible job seekers, to help
them participate more effectively in training or in
the labour force. The programme is delivered
across Australia, from metropolitan and regional
areas, right through to remote communities.
Education and Employment provider, North Coast
TAFE, to address language, literacy and numeracy
barriers that could otherwise prevent the
trainees from completing the traineeships.
Training is delivered through face to face contact
or via distance or a combination of the two. The
programme is designed to be flexible and
achieves the best results when training is
targeted to the learners and job opportunities in
each location.
Skills for Education and Employment
Providers Partnering with Industry
SEE providers are collaborating with industry and
local employers to develop and deliver tailored
packages combining contextualised training, work
experience and job placements.
North Coast TAFE and Thiess Civil
Constructions – Construction Traineeships
Thiess Civil Constructions is the major contractor
for a large section of work on the Pacific Highway
between Frederickton and Eungai on the NSW
mid-north coast.
Thiess approached a local employment services
provider with a view to recruiting Indigenous
construction trainees. The employment services
provider then bought in the local Skills for
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North Coast TAFE took trainees through a ‘Skills
for Work and Training Trades’ course, funded
through Skills for Education and Employment.
After Skills for Education and Employment
training an intensive ten-week programme,
conducted at Kempsey campus by Thiess and on
site at the Pacific Highway upgrade, was
undertaken. The programme included training in
construction, safety and first aid, personal
development, fitness and health. Star National
Rugby League footballers also visited the clients,
which provided additional motivation throughout
their training.
After the completion of coursework, students
gained employment with Thiess on the Pacific
Highway project.
Completing the Skills for Work and Training
course is now a requirement for trainees.
Skills for Education and Employment provider, STEPS Group Australia, have collaborated
with RioTinto Alcan, to develop a project tailored to the needs of local Indigenous
community members, which improves literacy and numeracy while delivering relevant
workplace training.
STEPS Group Australia and RioTinto Alcan
RALPA Programme
STEPS Group Australia developed the “RALPA” – Yolngu for
‘get up and get moving, programme with RioTinto Alcan’s
Arnhem Learning Education Regional Training (ALERT) team.
RALPA training runs for eight-week intensive blocks, and
includes practical job skills development. Training consists
of a mixture of class time and real work related activities.
Trainees undertake training in areas such as manual
handling, Occupational Health and Safety, workplace
communication, customer expectations and health, fitness
and nutrition.
The STEPS Skills for Education and Employment trainer is
located onsite to facilitate the seamless integration of language, literacy
and numeracy training into the RALPA curriculum. The trainer facilitates
classroom and work place literacy and numeracy activities related to daily
topics such as, workplace safety, measurements, working in a tropical
climate, and filling out time sheets.
Trainees also tour local workplaces such as RioTinto Alcan sites, Gove
District Hospital and the Nhulunbuy Fire Station. Guest speakers, who
have included local businesses, the Department of Health, Westpac and
the Nhulunbuy Police, talk with trainees and give practical insights into
their business.
Following on from the initial eight weeks of practical job skills
development, the trainees undertake an exciting work placement
(supported by the ALERT team) for a further eight weeks with the
potential to lead to full time employment. Work placements, which have
included activities such as gardening at Gove Country Club and Gove
Peninsular Surf Lifesaving Club, occur at the ALERT facility, RioTinto Alcan
sites or local community organisations.
Skills for Education and Employment support continues as the trainees
move into work placements with RioTinto Alcan mine and Gumatj
Corporation. During the placement, trainees further their understanding of workplace documents,
workplace instructions, safety alerts and policies, plus communication and numerical requirements.
In 2014, ALERT has facilitated two RALPA groups, with trainees from the first RALPA now in supported work
placements.
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Skills for Education and Employment Providers are encouraged to deliver training
alongside, or in combination with, vocational training. This vocational training element
focusses on developing skills in demand in local labour markets.
AMES – Aged Care Qualifications and Experience
AMES, a Skills for Education and Employment provider,
identified seven students of various ages and cultural
backgrounds who wanted to develop a career in aged care but
did not have the literacy skills to feel confident to enrol in
mainstream aged care courses.
AMES gave the students training in Certificate III in Aged Care,
while addressing their language, literacy and numeracy needs
through a dual qualified Skills for Education and Employment
teacher/trainer. The students also undertook extensive work
placement experience as a component of the course. While
visiting students on work experience, teachers are able to speak
with a range of industry professionals and obtain a better understanding of the needs of employers, which
feeds back into the ongoing development of courses.
All of the students gained employment in the aged care industry, with six securing employment during
their placement and the seventh shortly afterwards.
Hunter TAFE and The Salvation Army – Practical
Plumbing Skills
In 2013, Skills for Education and Employment provider Hunter
TAFE, partnered with The Salvation Army to deliver a Plumbing
Trade Taster Program. The course contextualised language,
literacy and numeracy training to the Plumbing Industry, an
identified skill shortage area within the Service Delivery Area.
Students worked with materials such as sheet metal and copper
pipe allowing them to develop skills in cutting and joining pipe.
They used silver solder before moving on to a more complex
project, bending and joining a number of pieces of copper pipe,
using several different joining techniques. The students helped
one another in the workshop, working as a team and learning as
a group.
From this class, four students obtained employment; another has gone onto a plumbing pre- apprenticeship
course at Hunter TAFE. All other class members moved onto studying for a Certificate II in Skills for Work and
Training.
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Skills for Education and Employment training can also form an important pathway for
migrants who have had some language training, including from the Adult Migrant English
Program, but whose English is still not good enough for them to successfully find
employment or take up further study.
TAFE NSW – Northern Sydney Institute – Commercial Cookery
Kesorn finished Year 12 in Thailand and ran her own fashion
business, producing clothing. She immigrated to Australia in
August 2011.
In her original Pre-Training Assessment with her Skills for
Education and Employment provider, TAFE NSW, Kesorn
expressed enthusiasm for either hospitality or fashion as a career,
but although her spoken English was quite good, she struggled
with literacy – especially spelling and grammar.
Kesorn joined the Language Stream of the Skills for Education and
Employment programme at Northern Beaches Campus in
February 2012. She completed both Certificate II and Certificate
III in Spoken and Written English and completed her 800 hours of
Skills for Education and Employment training in December 2013.
Kesorn went on to complete a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery at Northern Beaches Campus in June
2014. She says that the course provided her with ‘job opportunities everywhere’, and led to her getting a
part-time position in a Seafood restaurant at Balgowlah, Northern Sydney NSW.
Kesorn says that studying under the Skills for Education and Employment
programme helped her prepare for the demands of her Commercial
Cookery course
• it helped her grammar improve for her written work.
• classwork in the Skills for Education and Employment programme
included preparing a resume, which helped her get her current job.
• she gained better study skills.
• she was able to work independently in the Learning Centre at TAFE in
the Commercial Cookery course as a result of the study skills she
developed under the Skills for Education and Employment programme.
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Poor literacy, numeracy or language skills can result in people having a lack of confidence
in their capacity to survive in a classroom environment or a workplace. For many clients,
Skills for Education and Employment is an important source of general employability skills
training as well as a way of building their self-confidence and, as a result, their capacity to
take up employment or further training.
Hunter TAFE and Hunter Labour Force Solutions –
Metal Fabrication
In 2013, Hunter TAFE, in conjunction with Hunter Labour Force
Solutions, collaborated to fill a gap in training for young
disengaged males, who would otherwise not participate in
language, literacy and numeracy training. These young males
struggled with maintaining concentration in a classroom for a long
period.
To encourage participation, their Skills for Education and
Employment provider, Hunter TAFE, ensured that delivery was
broken up, with 25 per cent in the trade workshop, 25 per cent in
the computer room and 50 per cent in the classroom.
Contextualised language, literacy and numeracy training in the
metal fabrication trades area reinforced the practical components of the programme.
Four students gained employment and two continued to study with Hunter TAFE with the additional
support of the Skills for Education and Employment programme.
Canberra Institute of Technology – Foundation Skills Combined with Vocational Courses
Skills for Education and Employment providers can
organise course delivery to suit students who may
have previously had bad experiences in traditional
classroom learning environments. This can include
using small classes, flexible hours, and having
practical, hands-on activities inside and outside of
the classroom.
Brendan joined the Skills for Education and
Employment programme in March 2013, receiving
training through Canberra Institute of Technology.
He had been a shearer and roustabout for most of
his working life and had managed to avoid most
reading and writing tasks in his day-to-day life.
Brendan proved himself quietly determined,
intelligent and focused but had never been able to
read and write successfully. Despite feeling
completely overwhelmed at times, Brendan
consistently attended class and worked very hard to
develop his skills, both in class and at home.
Brendan found the small classes; individual attention
and supportive teachers suited his learning style.
Slowly and steadily his foundation skills, and of equal
importance, his confidence, grew.
Brendan continued to study in Skills for Education
and Employment during the day, but also enrolled in
a Certificate II Welding course at Canberra Institute
Prior to his enrolment in Skills for Education and
of Technology Fyshwick in the evening. Canberra
Employment, Brendan’s lack of reading and writing Institute of Technology ensured Brendan was able to
skills were holding him back. He took the very brave combine his studies and he progressed from strength
step to come back to 'school' and give it another go. to strength, acing his assessments and stunning his
teachers with his hands-on welding abilities.
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Skills for Education and Employment providers can also tailor training to meet the needs
of participants who want to improve specific skills in order to study for vocational or
higher level qualification. As with vocational skills, Skills for Education and Employment
is often one-step in a pathway to achieve this goal.
TasTAFE – Improving Numeracy and Employability Skills for
Further Study
Mason and Michael applied for places in an Electro Technology course, but
were unsuccessful due to shortfalls in their numeracy skills. Both were keen
to improve this area, as well as their writing skills, to assist with the study
required in the Electro Technology course.
Skills for Education and Employment provider, TasTAFE, supported Mason
and Michael to focus their learning on mathematics specifically tailored to
the electro technology area. The Electro Technology programme assisted by
providing problems and learning activities designed to engage Mason and
Michael in the area ahead of them re-enrolling in the course.
In addition to the numeracy and writing training, both young men were involved in activities to increase their
‘employability skills’. These activities included projects such as coffee making, bicycle renovation and running a
market day. By tailoring each project, Mason and Michael increased their teamwork, initiative, and problem
solving and communication skills.
Mason and Michael enjoyed the variety provided by the Skills for Education and Employment programme,
having been able to spend two training days working on algebra, basic numeracy and writing and two days on
employability skill related activities.
Both students have since gained a place in the next Electro Technology course.
NORTEC Ltd – Improving Numeracy Skills for Further Study
A Pre-Training Assessment identified that Selina had almost completed a
Certificate III in Horticulture and had no difficulty with reading and writing but
had a major deficit in numeracy skills.
Through much teacher and student dialogue, a plan was developed to
completely reassess Selina’s perception that maths was difficult; to be open to
learning; and to enjoy the journey. During the first three months with Skills for
Education and Employment provider NORTEC Ltd, Selina identified a longerterm goal to become a soil scientist, which emerged from her interest in soil. To
do this she needed to get into university to study science.
NORTEC helped Selina prepare for the ‘Pathway to Success’ course offered by Southern Cross University. This
course magnified the importance of developing sound numeracy skills.
Selina structured her preparation for university course, scheduling the maths unit for the second term to allow
more time to consolidate numeracy. During this time, she also received support in interpreting and responding
to essay questions and structuring, drafting and editing responses.
After eleven months in the Skills for Education and Employment programme, Selina not only built her selfesteem and confidence, she also completed the Pathway to Success course with sufficiently high grades to be
accepted into the undergraduate science degree at Southern Cross University.
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