Achieve With the VTS Approach to Training Through Non-Traditional Learning
In the language of the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people, the name “Karratha” means “soft earth” or “good country”. Karratha may be surrounded by a 2.5-billion-year-old landscape, but it’s population is just around 22,000 and growing! With the current skills shortage, finding skilled workers in the remoter areas of Australia can be even harder. We believe that non-traditional learning provides alternatives for attracting, training and retaining workers.
It is in Karratha, that VTS is very excited to now be expanding our training service and we are doubly excited to announce that Debbie Johnson has agreed to join the VTS team. Debbie will be our local VTS representative in Karratha. “I’m really excited to have Debbie onboard and I’m confident she will make a positive impact delivering our programs in Karratha and elsewhere around the Pilbara,” said Matt Dowd, VTS Managing Director.
Debbie has been living in the area for the past 10 years and has worked extensively within the Aboriginal community as well as with at-risk youth and the disadvantaged.
She is a literacy and numeracy specialist having had over 15 years of experience within the TAFE and not-for-profit sectors where she has worked with both youths and adults alike who are struggling with literacy and numeracy. “A good approach to teaching literacy to adults is viewing the student as a user of language rather than a learner of language,” Debbie says.
Traineeships as an Alternative to Traditional Learning
Debbie also has experience within the hospitality, community services, business administration and aged care sectors. It is her experience within the hospitality industry which will benefit her students the most as she leads the training and assessment of the Certificates I and II in Leadership with a hospitality focus. This is where VTS is able to deliver high quality hospitality training that is purpose-built for developing core job-ready skills. At VTS, our job-ready training programs are designed to encourage disengaged Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth back to education and training.
Debbie’s experience has given her a great awareness and understanding of the challenges that many community members face in Karratha. “I’m thrilled to be joining the team and I am looking forward to the challenges and providing a quality service to the people of the Karratha region,” said Debbie.
A form of non-traditional learning, Debbie has a passion for workplace-based traineeships where, in her capacity as a mentor, she has seen the training benefits of students learning within the workplace as opposed to block release training. This is where students spend periods of time away from their workplace to study for their qualification. “If you can train students in the workplace, you have more control over what the student learns which means being able to train them in how you do things in your business,” Debbie says. She also believes workplace-based traineeships increase employee loyalty and retention. “Studies have shown that having a learning culture within your business can increase employee retention greatly,” she says.
The Benefits of Modern Education in School-Based Traineeships
On top of this, VTS also supports school-based traineeships (SBT). An SBT provides a flexible employment pathway that creates a first job opportunity and also builds individual skills and capability while providing a recruitment pool of efficient and eager workers. Approximately 30% of all traineeships that VTS supports in WA are SBT’s, which puts us at the forefront of Registered Training Organisations delivering workplace training. Our highly experienced trainers and assessors deliver this training in an appropriate and supportive manner to young people. SBT’s will form a critical component of retaining young people in the Pilbara because they provide a clear job pathway that allows young people to develop and grow a career without having to leave the region.
The Certificate I and II in Leadership courses are run on a per team basis. Please contact Debbie on 0472 907 010 or Debbie.johnson@vts-training.com.au if you’d like further information about these programs.