Community organisation wins national award
09/11/2007
The not-for-profit, community-owned Early Childhood Training and Resource Centre was presented with the prestigious Innovative Business Award at the Australian Government's 2007 Australian Training Awards, held last night in Hobart.
The Innovative Business Award, sponsored by the national training system's e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, recognises an organisation which has successfully demonstrated excellence in implementing information and communication technology (ICT) for the delivery of education and training programs.
The Early Childhood Training and Resource Centre, located in Warrawong in New South Wales, overcame a high quality field of finalists to be named Australia's most innovative training business.
The Innovative Business Award was presented by the Federal Minister for Vocational and Further Education, the Hon Andrew Robb AO MP, in recognition of the centre's pioneering strategies in working to overcome childcare industry skills shortages by using ICT in the delivery of a flexible vocational education and training childcare program.
The Early Childhood Training and Resource Centre, in conjunction with other members of the childcare industry, has developed flexible e-learning resources that complement existing nationally recognised education and training resources and practices.
Their initiatives have extended to include an online, interactive e-learning resource to help learners familiarise themselves with the operation of childcare centres, including examples of how to imbed operational policies, activity schedules, occupational health and safety, and the latest changes to legislative requirements into everyday work.
The centre has also developed an online pilot program that includes 'best practice' practical demonstrations of how to work with children, assessment and mentoring that works to engage childcare workers from regional and remote locations who would otherwise not have access to education and training.
This program has since gone on to enable learners from regional and remote areas gain qualifications and professional development in childcare, benefiting learners and children alike.
For more information on the 2007 Australian Training Awards visit:
