Hello everyone,

I have been very privileged recently to visit several TAFEs and I am continually impressed by the quality, the enthusiasm, and the professionalism of TAFE teachers.

I was recently at Kingscliff TAFE where I was presenting on behalf of The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence , a recognition plaque for their Building & Construction course. Kingscliff TAFE has achieved Three Gold Stars which is the highest level they’re able to achieve under The Institute’s industry recognition scheme.

Whilst I was at there I visited the Hairdressing School, and unlike many TAFEs, Kingscliff High School is on the same campus. This provides an early opportunity for students from the High School to get connected with the opportunities that exist in Vocational Education.

The Hairdressing School was a buzz, with students being supervised but carrying out Hairdressing Styles on both mannequins with wigs and some reluctant boyfriends who had agreed to enter into the spirit of receiving a new hairstyle or in some cases a different colour!

I spoke with the Head of School, Betty Rensink and, as I often do, tried to ask intelligent questions: “where do you get all the hair from to make the wigs?” I also admired the variety of wigs they had and Betty commented they had a relationship with one of the local hospitals where patients undergoing Chemotherapy who lose their hair are able to contact the TAFE where students assist in the making and the servicing of wigs.

This is a wonderful example of how the TAFE works with the local community. All too often it is easy to criticise Government institutions but the reality can be quite different.

A week ago in Sydney I was speaking at the Tourism Training Conference and again I listened to other speakers who constantly reminded the audience of the difficulty of attracting and keeping people within the Hospitality Industry.

Some recent figures suggest that there are some 60,000 vacancies in the Travel and Tourism Industry, one of Australia’s most important and valuable exports.

I hope to bring you more news from the road soon,

Regards,

Chief Executive Officer

The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence