The many education and training programs offered at the Huon LINC encourage a philosophy of lifelong learning for regional communities.
Learning pathways to work:
Hobart College at the Huon LINC
You live in the Huon Valley: Geeveston, Dover, Cygnet, Huonville maybe. You want to take a low-risk step back into education or training. You don’t want to travel up to town. You don’t particularly like a school environment. You’d like a quiet place to learn and study. You have young children. You’d like to be well supported while you learn, and perhaps brush up on your literacy and numeracy skills as well as IT skills.
Well that’s just what the fifteen people enrolled in Hobart College at the Huon LINC have found.
- I already travel 20 km from Geeveston to get here. I really don’t want to go up to town to study. The subjects here are the same as at college, anyway.
- I messed around in Year 11. I really want to give it a go this year, and this is the right place for me.
- I left school at the end of Year 10. There’s no way I would go back now at 23. But I do want to get a decent job.
- I like the fact there’s a kitchen along the hall where we can make a snack for lunch.
- I was at college. Then I got pregnant, so moved back here. Now I’m doing some subjects at the Huon LINC and some open learning.
- I really didn’t like college. Too big. Too many people. I like it here. And I like the fact that half of our group are older women. They are really nice.
- I pick the kids up after school, and then we often come back for me to do a bit more work. They go to the library or the online access centre. James plays chess in the library and Cassie just sits and reads. It’s great.
Courses run four days a week from 8.45 – 2.30. Students undertake structured work placement in the Huon Valley or in Hobart.
VET courses are also offered from time to time by other registered training organisations such as Mission Australia who rent space at the Huon LINC, and take advantage of the set-up to use the online access centre for projects involving literacy and IT.
Learning pathways to work: TAFEConnect
Publicity at the Huon LINC, through school newsletters and through letterboxing in September 2006 resulted in fifteen people – five men, ten women – enrolling in the TAFEConnect course at the Huon LINC.
We were delighted with the numbers, says Jenny Seaton – TAFE Pathways Southern Team Leader. The environment at the HuonLINC and the mix of activities has helped us reach people in a rural community who we usually find it hard to make contact with.
I’ll get Christmas over, and then start thinking about attending TAFE next year, said one student.
Successful completion of the eight-week course gives students a Statement of Attainment for selected units from Certificate I and II in Business and a Senior First Aid Workplace II Certificate.
Learning pathways: Literacy support for young and old
Whether you are a parent wondering how to engage your children in early reading, or how to support their reading program at school, or an adult who would like to improve your literacy skills the Huon LINC has a program for you.
The State Library Branch has a suite of early literacy programs for pre-school children and their families.
- Storytime offers shared stories, rhymes and songs for preschoolers
- Reading Together is a structured family literacy program targeted at grandparents, carers, or parents of children aged 3-4.
- Rock and Rhyme offers 30 minutes of rhymes, music and fun for babies and toddlers aged 0-18 months.
Because of the synergies from co-location of services some Reading Together programs are offered by the TAFE literacy teacher. This allows her to engage with literacy issues that parents or carers may have.
Learning pathways to work:
TAFE Adult Literacy and Basic Education ALBE
TAFE Tasmania offers adult literacy support and is piloting an online program aimed at Huon LINC volunteer team and staff who want to be come literacy tutors. The coordinator is also able to take the opportunity to market other TAFE programs and services to her clients.
It’s great to be here, with the Library+Online in the same building, says Liz Webster, the TAFE Adult Literacy Community Coordinator for the Huon Valley. I organise 1-1 tutorials with volunteer tutors to assist adults improving literacy or numeracy skills. Often I am able to work with an apprentice or a trainee who would not be able to complete their course without help like this. I love the way I'm able to work here, and the successes I'm seeing. There are so many possibilities with a multi-purpose centre such as this.
Learning pathways at the Huon LINC:
Information technology
Calling all Silver Surfers. Are you over 50 learning to use a computer or would like to start? Want to know how to surf the internet?
Have fun with photos. Learn to download photos from your camera and attach them to emails. Learn how to use Publisher, Word or Excel in a fun and friendly environment.
You can do all of this and more at the Library+Online or just get started with computers through a free introductory training course.
Around 20 over fifties have taken part in Silver Surfers, with many then going on to enrol in follow-up activities appropriate to their needs.
The online access centre is always busy with courses being conducted, clients booking in for their own sessions or students who come to the Library+Online after school.
IT courses can attract mature age job seekers with no computer skills, some of whom go on to take Certificate II in IT or Certificate II in Business through TAFE. Because of strong ties with TAFE it’s easy to refer clients onto TAFE courses. Again we see that co-location is the key.
Recognising that it can be stressful finding the time to study, and learning study and research skills, the Huon LINC has established several learning circles to provide a supportive environment for students in the Huon Valley. For instance three students undertaking the Uni Preparation Program come to the LINC one morning a week in order to study and use the computers in the online access centre. It’s working well.
The Get Confident computer classes are great. The trainer speaks my language!!
- Online Access Centre learner
Learning pathways: Training for volunteers
A group of committed volunteers contribute to the delivery of learning and information services at the Huon LINC. Their roles include online access centre supervision, adult literacy tutoring, room setup, leading early literacy programs, arranging notice boards and displays and providing support for clients of the Magistrate’s Court. As well as the training they receive to carry out their tasks, several have entered other training programs delivered at the LINC. Many are now gaining recognised qualifications through their roles as volunteers.
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