BCAL and TAFE Gippsland finalists for training awards

BASS Coast Adult Learning (BCAL) and TAFE Gippsland are finalists in the Victorian Training Awards, recognising excellence in the vocational education and training sector, with winners to be announced at a gala ceremony in Melbourne on Friday August 18.

Wonthaggi-based BCAL is a finalist in the ‘Community Training Provider of the Year’ category.

BCAL partners with community organisations and local businesses in the development and delivery of a diverse range of courses. 

While it has provided accredited training since the 1990s, its course offerings have increased significantly since 2016.

Kate McNish delivers salon-assisted hairdresser training, with her students benefiting from industry work placements with Wonthaggi, Grantville or Phillip Island businesses, something that leads into Certificate III and apprenticeship opportunities.

She said BCAL provides a welcoming environment allowing people to gain skills and build confidence locally, with some using that as a platform to launch into work, while others elect to pursue further study elsewhere.

“We are here to deliver, and we have listened to what the community needs,” Kate said of the small Registered Training Organisation’s growing profile.

The centre runs a ‘Capacity Building Program’ for NDIS participants.

“That’s cooking, life skills, games and art classes,” Kate said, adding the students are about to hold an exhibition of their artworks.

Migrants can become more involved in the community, boosting their social and employment opportunities through BCAL’s ‘Adult Migrant English Program’.

Mon Eager outlined how that program has benefited her.

“I started in the Adult Migrant English Program in 2020 and during that time I also volunteered at the BCAL office for three months and then I applied to work at BCAL as an Administration and

Compliance Officer,” she said, pleased to still be a part of the centre’s enthusiastic team.

BCAL also provides First Aid training and skills needed to meet OHS requirements.

Kate said BCAL has a strong connection with Bass Coast 

College, having some of its students in IT, horticultural and hairdressing classes.

TAFE Gippsland is in the running to win the ‘Large Training Provider of the Year’ category.

The organisation has a presence in several Gippsland towns including its Leongatha Campus.

The ‘Large Training Provider of the Year’ category recognises Registered Training Organisations offering a range of training products and services that demonstrate excellence in all aspects of vocational education and training. 

TAFE Gippsland’s CEO Laura Macpherson said being named a finalist was a great achievement for an organisation that had been through considerable transition. 

“We believe that TAFE Gippsland is a shining example of what can be achieved when transformation is planned, genuine and purposeful,” Laura said. 

“We are being judged on how we ensure TAFE Gippsland is providing high quality vocational education and training, how we are meeting student and industry needs, our business management, and how we deliver innovation and excellence in training.”