ACBC Monthly Newsletter – October 2020

TERM 4 | ISSUE 8
11 October 2020

We are very proud of our students who have completed Term 3 and are looking forward to seeing them back in Term 4. When I look back at our year to date, I am reminded of all the growth I have seen as our students have gone after their career and study goals. There have been challenges along the way but seeing so many students achieve remarkable things makes it all worthwhile.

It was a pleasure to welcome prospective students and trainees to our Virtual Open Day on September 19th. Our guests had the opportunity to learn about their study, training and career options. Thank you to all who joined us online and our staff and students who assisted on the day.

We have been pleased to introduce training to prevent COVID-19 transmission and improve workplace safety. The Australian Government released the FEE-FREE training for eligible persons with the support of the NSW Department of Education and Training. This provides access for employers, their employees and other individuals to the latest guidelines and skills in relation to the prevention and control of bacteria and other infectious diseases and safe work environments.

Year 12 students have now completed their school and are now getting ready for HSC exams which commence on October 20th. Although the economic conditions have been challenging, now is the time to gain new skills that employers will need now and well into the future. Vocational education and training fills the skills gap and boosts economic prospects. One example that shows the importance of VET is Germany, in which over 60% of the population choose vocational education and training over university. This approach has enabled them to remain an economic powerhouse that excels in innovation, trade and technology.

We introduced online learning several years ago and now it has become even more relevant for people wanting to gain new skills and maintain flexibility to work around other commitments. It’s not well known that to access benefits from Centrelink, students must study an approved course at an approved education provider to access Youth Allowance, Austudy, or Pensioner Education Supplement. ACBC is an approved education provider for this. Online students may also be eligible for support if they complete their Diploma courses within 12 months based on 75% of the full-time face-to-face study load.

Another development we are looking forward to in the next year is offering the CHC52015 Diploma of Community Services. Community services enable people to positively shape society. Communities across Australia are increasingly growing and becoming more diverse. So the call for strong community services has never been louder. At the same time, Australia has a skills shortage in this field, so skilled professionals are highly sought after.

To view the rest of the October 2020 Newsletter, click here