TAFE Courses for Career Enhancement

Sometimes it is not an easy job to see how you can further your career while still doing the job that you are doing. Therefore you may find benefit in looking at what TAFE courses may be able to offer you. TAFE courses are vocational courses that allow you to get real hands on experience while you are learning, which can provide you with new skills and much improved career prospects.

Australia has a large number of practical industries with a huge number of people working in them. Sometimes it is difficult to give on the job training in order to help someone develop their skills, but a TAFE course will allow you to develop your skills and get hands on experience that you can then use to enhance your current job and also improve your chances of getting a promotion.

TAFE courses cover many different areas and a few examples will be highlighted here, but note that this is not in any way meant to an exhaustive list so if you do a practical hands on job and you would like to get some extra training to improve and enhance your skill set, then look up TAFE courses and see what is on offer that could help you.

Farming is a big industry in Australia and so there are many TAFE courses that can assist you in developing your farming skills. One course that you could take would be in animal husbandry in which you would learn about the livestock that you are rearing and also more practical aspects of how to handle them, how to check them for health issues and diseases and also some of the methods that are used to treat them as well.

If your farming is plant based that there are still plenty of options as you can learn about irrigation, crop rotation and also hydroponics. TAFE courses can give you a hands on learning experience so that you can understand the effects of how you choose to grow your crops.

Healthcare is an industry that every country needs. While the highly specialist roles require degrees and several years working in the health system, other roles, such as carers for the elderly, do not require long intense courses of study. Instead these roles are far more suited to short courses of hands on practical experience while learning. TAFE courses for elderly care have to main components in that they consider both mental and physical elements of growing older and how they may affect someone. You will also learn about health and safety in the care environment.

Many people visit Australia each year and they will make use of the hospitality industry. Therefore there are TAFE courses that will teach you all of the basics that you will need to know in order to work in a professional kitchen. If you decide that you wish to progress further then you can take more specialised courses that will allow you to progress in your chosen role.

Department gets new name, Child Care Aware

The department formerly known as Child Care Resource and Referral has changed its name to Child Care Aware® of Minnesota – Northeast. Since opening its doors more than 25 years ago, the statewide system of agencies has served more than 60,000 parents seeking quality child care and more than 100,000 child care professionals seeking professional development. Locally, the department provides services to seventeen counties of Northeastern Minnesota, including the counties in Region 7E: Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine.

 

“Last year, our parent organization, the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, officially changed its name to Child Care Aware® of America as part of a national effort to create a strong, recognizable, national brand associated with child care expertise,” says Wendy Walburg, Child Care Aware District Director. “Our branch has followed suit with the name change, and so far, we love it. The new name accurately reflects our leadership position in the child care profession, and it further aligns our organization’s commitment and expertise in offering quality services to all our constituents – families, providers, and communities.” Walburg explains.

 

With more than half of Minnesota’s children spending some portion of their day in child care and over 13,000 licensed/regulated care facilities operating in the state, child care is a key component of Minnesota’s economic, social, and educational picture. Mounting research suggests the early years represent a time of profound brain growth and development for children. Growing numbers of parents and policymakers understand the need to connect children with well-trained caregivers and high-quality programs to stimulate learning. Child Care Aware® of Minnesota is leading this conversation by helping families find the type of quality child care their children need to grow and supporting the professional growth of child care professionals.

 

“Altogether, Child Care Aware® works hard to enrich communities by fostering the healthy growth of children and the professional growth of child care providers,” Walburg says. “Our partnership with Pine Technical College is mutually-beneficial since many students seeking child care are referred to us for services; plus, we refer providers seeking advanced training to PTC for the early childhood development program,” Walburg adds.

Kruse selected for Chief Human Resources Officer position at PTC

Pine Technical College announces Amy Kruse will assume the post of Chief Human Resources Officer/Director of Human Resources.

 

“We are very pleased to have Amy; she will drive our human resource activities going forward as we continue to grow and expand,” says PTC President Robert Musgrove, Ph.D. “Her experience and background in human resources, combined with her knowledge of our organization and the broader higher education landscape in Minnesota will support our commitment in serving all our varied constituents. We know Amy will be an excellent hallmark for service and responsibility,” Musgrove adds.

 

Kruse will oversee recruitment and hiring, employee onboarding, performance management, affirmative action, benefits management, and shared services initiatives. Kruse transitions into the new role from her current position at PTC as Human Resources Generalist, a position she has held since 2010. Previously, Kruse worked for nearly six years in Human Resources at Advantage Management Corporation in Eagan, Minn. Kruse holds a B.A. in communications from the Univ. of Minnesota and is active in the Society for Human Resource Management. Throughout these roles, Kruse has lived and worked throughout the state, covering a broad spectrum of business- and human resource-related activity at both strategic and operational levels.

 

“I am excited and proud to have been selected for this leadership position,” Kruse says. Having been at PTC for a few years, I am impressed with the way we operate, and I’m delighted to help further recruit and advance the workforce at PTC. After all, it’s the people within PTC who are at the very core of our college’s success, and everyone employed at the college — all our faculty and staff — touches the lives of students who will be the next leaders of our generation,” Kruse adds.

Scholarship funds available for low-income workers

The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) grant for low-income workers, administered by the Employment and Training Center (ETC) at Pine Technical College, still has significant funding available to support about 50 students choosing to pursue training in either the healthcare or manufacturing industry. With $99,348 originally awarded in August, 2012, the program’s goals include the provision of training and job placement services for 64 low-income individuals in the healthcare and manufacturing industries.

“We are proud that at the start of the Spring, 2013 semester, the program has been successful so far in the fact that we’ve served about 15 students,” says Tony Gantenbein, Executive Director of the Employment and Training Center. “Today, it’s more important than ever to support our regional economy in workforce development, and the training this program provides leads directly to jobs that offer livable wages with opportunities for advancement,” Gantenbein adds.

The MJSP grant program runs through February, 2014, and eligible applicants may still apply. Courses supported through the program include a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course, which is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions as a nursing assistant in a long-term care facilities or hospitals, and an Introduction to Manufacturing and Welding course, which is designed to provide knowledge of welding principles and safety considerations in a manufacturing environment with a focus on developing the basics of wire feed, tungsten inert gas (TIG), gas metal arc (MIG), and shielded welding metal arc (Stick) welding (SMAW). Credentials gained from both courses are approved by industry associations and the state.

“Entry-level CNAs earn as much as $15 per hour, and entry-level welding and manufacturing workers earn as much as $18 per hour, and both courses and training options lead to jobs that really make a difference,” Gantenbein says. “We are very proud of not only our history of making training accessible for workers in our region, but also for providing trained workers that meet the needs of area employers as well,” Gantenbein adds.

The grant is made available through the MJSP, a state program that works strategically with businesses and educational institutions to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities, and keep high-quality jobs in the state. The MJSP’s training grants are used to offset training-related expenses incurred by business, industry and educational institutions necessary to meet current and future workforce needs.