JOB READY at Bendigo TAFE Bendigo TAFE runs English classes for approximately 190 students, 118 of them are AMEP enrolments.

Job Ready program: focussed on students in level 2. EPP program model (kind of) Teacher familiar with vocational preparation/ESL trained, plus one casual teacher Small class: started with 8 AMES students, 2 profile. Characteristics of students: a very mixed bunch! 2 Karen men in their 40s: community worker and farm worker/porter 2 European women with professional qualifications; childcare and aged care nurse/carer 2 young Karen men ( early 20s): exit secondary school, farm worker 2 Sudanese young men: exit school/working in meat factory. 2 Filipino siblings: exit school.

Used units from 21625VIC Certificate 1 in Vocational Preparation (now superseded.) VBK 137 Personal Effectiveness VBK 139 Orientation to Work VBSBCMN106A Follow work place safety procedures VBH724 Workplace skills VBH722 Career Planning VBN500 Practical Placement 4 students also undertook White Card Construction Induction training.

What was covered in classes? Personal skills/experience/interest inventories General OHS Work place expectations Work experience follow up, including journal completion Resume writing Portfolio development Role play /discussion of various common workplace situations Visits to many community agencies/businesses: Conservation Volunteers work site, Bendigo Animal Welfare, On Track employment services, Bendigo Bank, Blood Bank, tour of All Seasons hospitality venue. Speakers from the community: City of Greater Bendigo, Bendigo Volunteer Resource Centre.

Work Experience. On Thursdays, one day a week. 2 men at Market Garden 2 women at All Seasons (while waiting for police and WWC) 1 young man with builder 1 young man with painter and decorator 1 young man with BRIT Library 1 young man at local supermarket. Work Experience for 40 hours

Outcomes. *2 women at hospitality venue received offers of training and employment from there, but students applied for and took other work, 1 at an aged care facility, the other in retail (on line application done during class time) *1 Karen man took work at local chicken processing factory before Job Ready had finished. *1 Karen man returned to CSWE at BRIT. *1 young Karen man was selected into an electrical pre-apprenticeship course and has nearly completed this now. *1 Karen young man did not complete his work experience, but is now working full time. *1 Filipino young man gave up very soon into the work experience and despite encouragement to return, has not been seen since. *1 young Sudanese man completed successfully his work experience, but has not returned to class. 4 in work, 1 in vocational studies, 1 in English studies, 2 MIA.

What the students said: Students who got to the end were enthusiastic in their praise of the program. They spread the word about the program so that many students now know about it and want to do it. Raises the question of how to do it better? What the employers said: Commented on enthusiasm and hard working attitudes of students. Commented on need for further speaking skill development for a couple of students. Have said would participate again in future program.

What worked well: *Great to be able to focus on what the students actually wanted to do: get employment, hands –on activities, active learning. *Frequent visits to work experience employers to check how things were going by BRIT staff. * Gradually passing over the responsibility to students for transport and phoning employer. What didn’t work well: *No extra staffing available in terms of professional careers counsellors or pathways advisors. Our own staff did this work. *Timing interfered with other classes and made them difficult to run. Implications for the rest of the teaching program. What we learnt: * Get your police check and WWC paperwork started asap. * Use your contacts for host businesses; people very willing to help. * Include some generic VET units such as First Aid and Food Hygiene. These units would set them up for a broader range of work opportunities. *Perhaps have a criteria for entry re speaking skills.

Suggestions for DIAC program designers: In the country, we can’t always follow the model exactly. We don’t have a big enough pool of students to have a group who all want to study the same vocational area at the same time. Extra expenses in catering for small groups. Eg, level 2 became 2 groups. We can’t really afford to run programs like this except if all the group wants to do it. Host businesses can’t all do work experience at the same time,to fit a model. Need to organise work experiences when it suits employers; limited pool of employers and many training organisations who want to place students.