Hunter TAFE staff were at the forefront of a NSW Public Sector Industry Training (GTAN) seminar in Sydney recently.

 

The Business Management team from Hunter TAFE were invited to share their experiences of working with the Department of Human Services in 2015. Over a 7 month period Hunter TAFE collaborated with the Department to deliver a skills recognition program for staff employed in various offices across Australia including Medicare, Child Support and Centrelink.

 

The Department of Human Services purchased 800 places for frontline staff to complete the Certificate IV in Government (Service Delivery) and another 200 places for team leaders and managers to complete the Diploma of Government. These staff were already employed by the Department in specialised and challenging roles working with diverse communities in metropolitan, regional and remote areas.

 

The Department of Human Services has indicated that staff who had their skills formally recognised by Hunter TAFE have reported increased job satisfaction and a desire to undertake further studies.

 

To execute the program Hunter TAFE utilised ‘SkillsLocker’, a web based mobile application developed by TAFE NSW.

‘Skillslocker’ enabled employees to use a variety of devices, including their phone, tablet and computer to collect and present verified evidence of their on-the-job experience and training for recognition and assessment purposes.

 

Participants moved through an eight week cycle consisting of enrolment, an online project induction via Adobe Connect, engagement in the recognition process in ‘SkillsLocker’ and an exit interview with their assessor. The process concluded with participants receiving their testamur and transcript in various graduation events around Australia