Feb
2012
450 MELBOURNE STUDENTS NEED OUR HELP
MEGT Group Training is working with Selmar Institute to find a solution to help 450 secondary students continue their Australian School-based Apprenticeship with Melbourne host employers.
MEGT is a quality endorsed Group Training Organisation that has been operating since 1982. The organisation works with schools around Australia, employing secondary school students, placing them with host employers in over 33 industries, overseeing the quality of appropriate vocational education and providing pastoral care.
MEGT is now contacting all schools and employers involved with Selmar Institute.
No commentsDec
2011
MEGT Annual Christmas decoration contest – Ringwood
Winners “Pink Pod 1″ from the Training & Assessment Team – Miranda McLean, Sue Ryan, Chloe Amato & Rhiannon Crawford-Haberlin.
A panel of 7 judges decided based on color, uniqueness, design & christmas spirit.
Dec
2011
Reggie Bolt – Ben Chifley Award winner in Forster
Ben Chifley Scholarships
The Ben Chifley Scholarships are awarded annually to NSW country based 1st year apprentices whose jobs are in jeopardy because of hardship.
Each Scholarship is valued at $5,000 for every year the recipient is completing their apprenticeship up to a maximum of $15,000.
There were ten scholarships awarded in 2011 and Reggie Bolt was one of the winner.
Nov
2011
Want to go into the draw to win a new iPhone 4s?
DEEWR is running a short online survey for apprentices and trainees
around Australia and would love your feedback.
The survey only takes 5 minutes to complete and all respondents will
go into the draw to win one of 7 brand new iPhone 4S!
There are also 33 $100 Coles Myer gift vouchers to be won.
Click on this link to fill out the survey and go into the draw
to win an incredible prize.
Nov
2011
Winner – Apprentice of the Year – Tasmania
Benjamin Standen a 22 year old apprentice at Lebrina Restaurant New Town, Tasmania, is studying his Certificate III Hospitality (Commercial cookery) through the MEGT Institute.
Ben has won the 2011 Tasmanian Training Awards as Apprentice of the Year.
‘When I was 16 years old I became a father, and studying full-time without a reliable income was not an option. This is why I chose to start an apprenticeship in commercial cookery and embraced my passion for food. The fact that I could undertake study through on the job training and assessment with MEGT Institute and work fulltime enabled me to support and fulfill my obligations to my family whilst gaining a qualification. I have not looked back since.’
During his apprenticeship, Ben attended the ‘Chef’s In the City’ program in Melbourne where he realised just how far his apprenticeship could take him. He also attended Symposia of Australian Gastronomy where he learned about the needs and views of others in the workplace and to understand the cultural and religious needs of customers.
In March 2010 Ben was invited to represent MEGT Institute in the Young Chef’s Cookery Competition held at the Taste of the Huon. The competition involved cooking four main course plates for four judges within an hour, using a mystery box of ingredients revealed ten minutes prior to the start of the competition. The tent was hot, the facilities inadequate and the 200 strong crowd daunting. ‘I won 1st place in my division (2nd year apprentice),’ explains Ben,’ impressing the judges and receiving a generous prize from the Huon Agricultural Group. However the knowledge and confidence I gained from the experience far outshone the money I received. Coming back to the Huon Valley where I grew up, seeing family and friends, and showing them what I had achieved and can achieve in my apprenticeship was remarkable.’
Vocational education delivered by MEGT Institute is entirely work-related, so the combination of Ben’s course and his work experience at Lebrina Restaurant has taught him the importance of effective communication as well as food skills.
‘Communication in the workplace is imperative not only to maintain our high standards of quality, consistency and customer service,’ explains Ben, ‘but also to deal with dietary requirements, allergies and intolerances. For example we have had customers enter the restaurant with dangerous allergies to fermented products (vinegar, wine, etc) or intolerance to sodium (highly present in salt) and if all staff are not aware of the conditions, the consequences can be deadly.
‘Two events which have tested my level of self-reliance, resilience, teamwork and communication skills were a Cooking Class and Lunch for Ports Australia and a Degustation Dinner held off site in a customer’s private residence.
‘On the 28th October 2010 Ports Australia commissioned Lebrina Restaurant to conduct a cookery class and serve lunch to 18 of its staff from all over Australia. I was heavily involved in the class, and was required to not only demonstrate my cookery skills in front of the customers but also to discuss the techniques being used. Even though I was nervous, the class was a great success, and some of the Ports Australia group came back to the restaurant the following evening for dinner.
On the 16th April 2011 Lebrina Restaurant held a degustation dinner involving seven courses at a private residence for a client and 15 of their guests. Going into an unknown kitchen at 5pm to serve dinner at 7pm was challenging and stressful. To move seven courses of prepared ingredients, as well as crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils and a myriad of other items to the venue took perfect communication and organisation, and were key to the dinner’s success.
‘Through both the Cookery class and the offsite Degustation dinner I found in myself a level of leadership I did not realise I possessed. The leadership gained through the daily work in my apprenticeship, I will take with me through my entire career, whether it be in Hospitality or otherwise.’
Ben fits in his passion for food with the joy and responsibility of raising his daughter, Kate. ‘Working in an Apprenticeship with on the job training has given me the flexibility to do that,’ he says.
My message to other apprentices, and those interested in an apprenticeship is clear; don’t hold back, work hard everyday both at work and outside of it. If you are passionate about what you want, and work hard everyday to get it, you will. Your apprenticeship can take you there.
Nov
2011
Illawarra community recognition
Ian Nicholls has made his mark on the Illawarra community and has achieved local recognition. He has been presented with the Rotary Vocational Service Award
The Award recognises Ian’s commitment to vocational education and training the the community through his co-ordination of the Illawarra Mercury Apprenticeship Drive. The Drive achieved more than 500 placements of locals into jobs. Ian’s role was as the Illawarra Industry Apprenticeship Project Officer.
MEGT is proud of the community involvement of its staff and their dedication to improving employment options for others.
Oct
2011
He’s an award winner and the zoo wants to keep him there
From left Kerri Mewett from Kangan Institute, Mark Dobbie - the apprentice and Prue Leighton from MEGT
Recognised as a high quality learning environment, Melbourne Zoo, part of Zoos Victoria, normally provides opportunities for a select number of entry level horticulture apprentices to learn about the wide variety of plants and plantings that only they can provide.
But they are determined not to let one particular horticulture apprentice get away.
Mark Dobbie is employed by MEGT (Australia) for the duration of his apprenticeship and is being trained by Kangan Institute, where he won the Outstanding Achievement Award for 2nd Year Apprentice (Horticulture).
This award winning second year apprentice is so good; he should soon complete what is normally a three year qualification in Parks and Gardens. This is possible due to Kangan Institute Horticulture Department’s flexible training and assessment policy and the government’s competency based completion program.
Mark knew about apprenticeships even when he was at school. His grandpa started his career as an apprentice flight mechanic and worked on the old TAA Airlines. There was no way Mark was going to sit behind another school desk after he finished secondary school. He knew that he could get straight into work and do on-the-job training with an apprenticeship – and he knew he wanted to work outdoors.
What he loves the most is seeing something he started from the ground up (in every sense of the word) and that takes shape over three to six months.
“I was involved in the earthworks, landscaping, irrigation systems and plantings for the brand new baboon display,’ explains Mark.
‘It’s really great to overhear the public compliment it. And it’s wonderful to see how primates that had been on concrete, now have soil underfoot and plants around them.’ This has had its challenges though. The baboons’ enthusiasm for some of the trees has been excessive – to the extent they have ring-barked them.
And there are other unique challenges Mark is facing with Melbourne Zoo. Plants can be trampled by the enthusiastic public; or annihilated by hungry possums. When you work in an animal enclosure, most of the animals need to be segregated – even a tortoise can give a nip. Irrigations systems have to be set up on the outside of an enclosure because primates are pretty good at disassembling it – hey just like Leggo! And there are the challenges of trying to replicate the environments of other countries and regions, but with plants that will tolerate a Melbourne climate.
Mark has some fundamental advice for other young people. He says that being employed through MEGT Group Training provides him with job security. ‘The Group Training experience is a good one, knowing that if you’re in a business that doesn’t have enough work, we can be moved to a different host employer. And if you’re working with a small company, you’ve got the security of a bigger company like MEGT behind you.’ When Prue Leighton makes her regular site visits she checks he is safe in the workplace, that he is being released for training at Kangan Institute and that he is doing work that genuinely contributes to his skills competencies. Like Mark, Prue says this is the best job in the world.
Jul
2011
Trainees honoured with youth awards
Griffith’s apprentices and trainees have been honoured in a special award ceremony.
Sonia Rinaldo, Area Manager for MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centre, has been actively involved in the Griffith Rotary Club for many years and has extended her support for employment initiatives in the region through her involvement in the Rotary East Youth Training Awards to recognise the efforts of a host of the city’s up-and-coming employees.
“The awards encourage and hopefully help them (the recipients) see a clear career path and what training does for them so they continue (with their studies),” Rotary’s Denis Conroy said.
More than 150 people turned out for the awards ceremony where the winners of the nine categories were announced.
The categories covered everything from school-based traineeships to Indigenous youth, as well as apprentices who have either just started out or nearly completed their apprenticeships.
Mr Conroy said the quality of trainees this year was again impressive and the judges were full of praise for the applicants.
“The judges [including Ms Rinaldo] were looking for those who were keen and passionate about their work, who had very defined goals about what they wanted to achieve and what they understood about the businesses they were involved in,” he said.
The winners on the night came from a huge range of industries, including hospitality, automotive mechanical engineering, environmental health, information technology and transport and logistics.
Australian Apprenticeships are an Australian government initiative.
Click below to read the article:
Jul
2011
Well done Bron!
As a community-based organisation, receiving accolades for our service from our local community is pretty special to us.
In Shepparton, Victoria, Bron Veal, a Customer Service Officer with the local MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centre, has been chosen for the annual Customer Excellence Award for the Powercore 3SR Shepparton Chamber of Commerce Awards.
The Gala Presentation Dinner is on Friday 21st October 2011.
Well done Bron! We’re proud of you.
Jul
2011
Orientation Session
On July 4th 2011, the MEGT Institute team welcomed the new intake to the Term 3 “O” Week Program
consisted of three days being:
Monday: Orientation Session
Tuesday and Wednesday: Employable skills courses such as RSA, RGC, First Aid and Anaphylaxis
Day one (Monday) was planned to provide the new students with a feel of the “campus way of life” through an interactive Orientation Session.
The day started early where they received a warm welcome from Tony Patterson – Campus Manager followed by a “meet and greet”
introduction to each member of the MEGT administrative, academic and marketing team.
Following the staff members introduction, the new students were able to get to know a bit more about the MEGT Student Council.
Represented by Patricia Nathan, they were talked through the Student Council vision, mission and values.
Upon returning from the morning break, the students were invited to play an ice breaker where they had to introduce themselves
and perform timed tasks such as going to reception and bringing the Campus Manager to the room to recite a funny poem together!
Services available for students, campus facilities and Policies and Procedures sessions were delivered throughout the day by Luci Vicente – Students Services Officer.
After a well deserved lunch break, the students were divided into two teams and surprised by the announcement of a fun team building “Policies and Procedures Quiz Session” where the winner team would be presented by a mystery prize.
The quiz session was interactive and educational; the students demonstrated commitment and team work to answer the questions and both teams had close results but unfortunately only one could be the winner of a $20 academic voucher.
To conclude the Orientation Session, the students were then divided into two faculty groups:
The Business & Hospitality group; represented by the Academic Program Coordinator Marike Janavicus and the Children Services group; represented by the Work Placement Coordinator Carmel Williams.
During the academic breakdown the students were able to know a bit more about their course of choice and each student received a complimentary Starter Pack consisting of one pencil case, one MEGT personalised hoddie which will definitely be very useful during Sydney’s chilli winter!
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- O week
