MEGT Melbourne people raise funds to buy textbooks for Indonesian children

People from across MEGT came together at our Melbourne City Campus for a sausage sizzle fund raising on a Thursday in early February to buy English language text books for primary school children in Indonesia.

Nicola Gray, Director of Studies of ABILITY English, Melbourne Campus, organised the fund raising. Nicola spent her recent annual holidays as a volunteer English teacher on tropical Gili Trawangan Isle, off Lombok’s shore, where she was concerned to learn that there was only one English language text book per class.

On her return, she approached MEGT CEO David Windridge to enquire about possible fundraising opportunities. David generously offered to match $ for $ all money raised by our people for the English language text books.

Held on a sunny afternoon on the balcony of our Melbourne campus, people came from all across MEGT, including Ability English, MEGT Institute, Workforce Planning, the Australian Apprenticeship Centre, Finance, IT and Facilities. This fundraising was something of a first: a social occasion at which all MEGT people could meet one another and exchange views.

Says Nicola Gray, “It was great both to raise funds for a very necessary educational cause, but also to be able to meet our colleagues to understand better the different departments and what they do.”

With MEGT matching the money raised by the get-together, sufficient funds were raised to provide the much needed 120 books.

Because international tourism is vital to Gili Trawangan’s economy, it is important to its children’s future to speak international languages, especially English. The text books will help ensure the children will, in time, secure worthwhile jobs.

The students and  teachers of Gili Trawangan’s primary school have sent a message thanking Nicola and MEGT for their books.

MEGT Institute visit Sydney Children’s Hospital

Creating jobs and linking with community – a long term plan

On Thursday 1 December, the The Hon Peter Hall MLC, Minister for Higher Education and Skills, Minister responsible for the Teaching Profession handed the keys to a new sustainable house at Selandra Rise in Clyde North to a third year apprentice and cut the ribbon launching MEGT’s Greenhouse project.

The house is one of six affordable homes built under a year-long partnership between MEGT, a not-for-profit organisation and one of Australia’s largest employers of apprentices, Stockland and Porter Davis Homes.

“What could be more fitting to mark the completion of this fantastic affordable housing project
than to be handing the keys to one of the people involved in its construction,” Mr Hall said.

Mr Hall praised the involvement of MEGT, Stockland and Porter Davis Homes, saying the project had resulted in employment for 15 trainees and apprentices in roles as varied as finance, real estate, building and construction.

The project also sets a benchmark for affordable environmental advances in housing construction for the future.

“The Victorian Coalition Government through Skills Victoria provided $100,000 in innovation funding to MEGT to build sustainable and affordable housing and to stimulate ongoing employment within the building and construction industry,” Mr Hall said.

“Each of the houses has been built according to environmental best practice through the use of solar hot water, recycled water for gardens, and the fit-out of smart wiring.

In 2010, MEGT partnered with Stocklands and Porter Davis Homes to pilot a model that would generate employment opportunities for apprentices and trainees. This model needed to be able to be scaled up or down to suit different geographic regions.

Six houses were purchased in Clyde North, Victoria on the Selandra Rise Estate. Learning from the problems of infrastructure and services disconnection faced by some other satellite estates, Stocklands planned the Selandra Rise project with community needs in mind. This was exactly the mindset that was synergistic with MEGT’s plans to create sustainable job opportunities for young people in regions right around Australia.

Fifteen apprentices and trainees have been employed by MEGT and placed with KPMG, Middendorp Electrics, Stocklands and Porter Davis Homes; with more trainees still to be employed for the real estate and financial services businesses connected to the Estate. It is the wide range of skills that makes this project scalable.

Estate building projects cycle tradespeople from house to house. That means only a handful of tradespeople are needed in building a large number of houses. It is when you combine all the industries involved in an estate, that employment for locals becomes sustainable after the houses have been built. While initial apprenticeships and traineeships come from the architects through to analysts, finance organisations and real estate agents, landscapers and the traditional building and construction companies; there are even more opportunities when the Estate is populated by retailers, libraries, sports facilities and schools. The sale of the houses in December 2011 will not therefore be the end of the employment opportunities for the community.

MEGT also assisted one of its apprentices, Michael Belli, in purchasing his first home from the estate.

In December, the project partners will sit down together and talk about the way forward. What were the learnings? What could we do better? Where should we take the model next? It’s important to Australian communities and to the Building and Construction industry that these types of schemes don’t stop with one estate and one region. It’s partnerships that will make them happen.

MEGT would like to acknowledge funding assistance from SkillsVic towards the success of this project.

Innovative building project lands apprentice a house

Minister for Higher Education and Skills Peter Hall will this morning hand the keys to a new sustainable house at Selandra Rise in Clyde North to a third year apprentice who helped build it.

The house is one of six affordable homes built under a year-long partnership between MEGT, a not-for-profit organisation and one of Australia’s largest employers of apprentices, Stockland and Porter Davis Homes.

“What could be more fitting to mark the completion of this fantastic affordable housing project than to be handing the keys to one of the people involved in its construction,” Mr Hall said.

“I congratulate Michael Belli on the purchase of his new home. Michael should feel especially proud to have had a hand in this project and the opportunity to demonstrate the future in affordable sustainable home construction.”

Mr Hall praised the involvement of MEGT, Stockland and Porter Davis Homes, saying the project had resulted in employment for 15 trainees and apprentices in roles as varied as finance, real estate, building and construction.

The project also sets a benchmark for affordable environmental advances in housing construction for the future.

“The Victorian Coalition Government through Skills Victoria provided $100,000 in innovation funding to MEGT to build sustainable and affordable housing and to stimulate ongoing employment within the building and construction industry,” Mr Hall said.

“Each of the houses has been built according to environmental best practice through the use of solar hot water, recycled water for gardens, and the fit-out of smart wiring.

“The Victorian Government continues to support the development of new skills through the Victorian Training Guarantee and it has been a phenomenally successful driver for promoting skills development in Victoria.

“Under the guarantee the Victorian Government has provided subsidised training to record numbers of Victorians to help them acquire the skills they need to secure employment or to improve their current skills base,” Mr Hall said.

MEGT Institute Graduation 2011 (Adelaide)

Winner – 2011 MEGT Group Training Employer of the Year

Prue Leighton, Field Officer MEGT Group Training and Kym Hall, Melbourne Zoo

Recognised as a high quality learning environment, Melbourne Zoo, part of Zoos Victoria, tries to provide as many opportunities it can for entry level horticulture apprentices to learn about the wide variety of plants and plantings that only they can provide.

This would not be possible without the assistance of MEGT Group Training, who rotates the lucky apprentices to other host employers after their year with Melbourne Zoo. It means they receive continuity of employment so they can complete their apprenticeship.

Kym Hall, Melbourne Zoo’s Nursery Manager, accepted the Award at the MEGT Graduation on Tuesday 15th November. “Zoos Victoria has a long relationship with MEGT and is pleased with the service it receives from Prue Leighton and the high standard of their apprentices,” said Mr Hall.

The experience with Melbourne Zoo presents some unique challenges. 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.

This is an experience of a lifetime. The apprentices are trained by professionals with world class knowledge and ideas for gardens and habitats. The apprentices get to work on exciting projects, for example, Mark Dobbie, their most recent apprentice and one who has been kept on for an additional year, was involved from start to finish in the new habitat for the new baboon display.

“I was involved in the earthworks, landscaping, irrigation systems and plantings,’ 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.’ Although the baboons’ enthusiasm for some of the trees has been excessive – to the extent they have ring-barked them, it is a life lesson in problem solving Mark will take with him in the future.

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.

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

Business links with school

A local business has joined forces with Pakenham Secondary College [and MEGT Group Training] to provide on-the-job training and job opportunities for local students.

Pakenham Secondary College student, Keith Newling, has started a school-based apprenticeship arrangement at Middy’s Pakenham branch, enabling him to comibine his Year II VACaL studies with accredited training and on-the-job experience.

Keith had been working at electrical supplier Middy’s on a casual basis, but was excited about the opportunity to sign up as a school-based apprentice under the pilot scheme.  [MEGT Group Training employs Keith and has placed him with Middy’s.]

“It’s a great opportunity for me to develop new skills and to learn about all aspects of running a business,” Keith said.

Middy’s Pakenham brand manager, Derek Page, said the trial program offered benefits to both local students and the business.

“As a business based in a country town, we like to employ local people,” Mr Page said. “This program gives us the opportunity to support our local students and schools, and get young people involved in meaningful training.”

Middy’s will set up trial placements at its Warragul and Bairnsdale branches following the successful implementation of the Pakenham program.

[Prue Leighton, Industry Employment Consultant with MEGT Group Training has been working closely with the school, Middy’s and students to establish around 10 regional placements for 2012.]

Story courtesy Pakenham Star
Thursday 1 September 2011

Congratulations Maria on your paid internship in a child care centre

Maria Maryaretha from Indonesia,  successfully completed her Diploma of Children’s Services at MEGT Institute (Sydney Campus) in February 2010. Since then Maria has had her OTV (Occupational Training Visa) approved and accepted and is now currently employed full time at the Montessori Academy Childcare Centre as a childcare worker.

Why did you decide to study in Australia?
I love Australia being a cultural country with so many open minded people with a lot of freedom. I am very grateful to be living in such an accepting country with so many opportunities.

How did you hear about MEGT Institute?
I heard from friends that studied at MEGT Melbourne that had such great ideas and specifically I loved that it was a specialist Child care college. Not many places had such a great reputation and also offered children’s services.

What was the best part of your course?
The best part of the course was the interaction with other students. I had the best trainers that were so experienced and had so much knowledge about the industry.

What is the best part of your job?
Interacting with the children is the best part of my job. I love teaching the children things and seeing them start to learn on their own it makes you feel confident you are making a difference and being successful in your industry. I eventually want to open up my own child care centre in Indonesia and bring back all the skills I learnt from MEGT Institute.

What did you learn at MEGT Institute?
MEGT was the classroom environment, the work placement really helps you to understand the theory I learnt in class. The different nationalities in the course made it really fun and helped me improve my English. MEGT assisted me in achieving my goals as they were helpful throughout the process and structured everything. I have already recommended MEGT Institute after my great experience there. All the lessons and theories were so useful and helped me find a full time job, it got me exactly to where I want be. The teachers were fantastic and I was continually updated on regulations and I am extremely confident in knowing that I am a good teacher after all my studies at MEGT Institute.