Flight Centre creates a travel academy

Flight Centre Limited is Australasia’s best known travel agency group and now boasts more than 2,000 shops and businesses in 11 countries.

Flight Centre Limited’s best known and most successful business is the Flight Centre retail travel brand. Internationally, the company employs about 8,000 consultants and support staff. Now to add to the already decorated business, Flight Centre has created a travel academy to help train the future travel and tourism consultants.

At Flight Centre Travel Academy, they specialise in creating and providing tourism courses for individuals Australia-wide.

All Travel Academy trainers hold years of practical experience in Flight Centre Retail stores, experience training in the Flight Centre Novice Consultant programs, along with holding recognised travel and training qualifications with many Flight Centre best practice qualifications.

FCTA’s training combines training based on real-world experience with the training received by Flight Centre employees.

Students who complete the qualification receive a nationally recognised certificate. with locations operating in Brisbane and Melbourne and soon to open in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, this is one awesome institute to look int if you want a Career in Tourism!

Check out there courses now: http://studyfinder.com.au/pages/Flight-Centre-Travel-Academy.html

TAFE Victoria is having some challenges ahead…

Recently in the state of Victoria the Vocational Education and Training sector, specifically the TAFEs are facing new realities with huge budget cuts  handed out left right and centre. How does this affect the local student?

With the funding that TAFEs receive from State and/or Federal government helps towards providing a more affordable training platform for students to gain practical skill sets for gaining employment. Therefore in a nutshell, less funding means programs will go up in fee price or programs get axed, staff loses jobs, unemployment increases! FACT!

Some examples emerging online like this from the University of Ballarat (found on the ABC online website):

“The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) says the University of Ballarat has slashed 40 TAFE courses as a result of Victorian Government funding cuts.

The university will stop teaching the courses and will streamline the TAFE to address the loss of $20 million in State Government funding.”

or “A Latrobe Valley community action group has been formed to fight against state government cuts to TAFE 

About 200 people attended a community forum on the impact of TAFE funding cuts at Latrobe City Council offices.

The group, made up of current and former TAFE employees, Gippsland Trades and Labour Council, unions and the general public will lobby the state government to reverse funding cuts to TAFE.” 

But the problem is not isolated to Victoria, other states are now facing similar actions from their State Government counterparts, like in NSW, Hunter TAFE is axing up to 30 courses in the wake of TAFE revenue cuts of $16million. In QLD the similar circumstances may not be far from the books too as Premier Campbell Newman is reviewing spending across his govenrment bodies to find savings.

So how does this fit into the federal governments focus on skilling people up for employment and with a growing mining industry how does all this fit into the overall picture? Well we are still piecing it all together.

But for the future until…..it looks like TAFEs are doing it tough, maybe it is time the Federal Government steps up the funding and focus on where they need to evaluate the real needs for training. Today TAFEs and Unis work closer if not are dual sector players focusing on articulations, pathways and recognition of prior learning (RPL) to help assist people gain qualifications and practical work experience in the shortest and reasonable priced time frame making them more employable (this is the key of today)

How do we contribute to a solution? Well basically we dont have all the answers, within Studyfinder we have worked on methodologies to try and establish a way that students can obtain information on courses and compare prices, funding options and also the ability to seek RPL. One thing we are looking at is developing a way to create a pathway guide for all programs on our platform. Hopefully our tool can help students find their future. We are a small step but we aim to be the first most important step in your educational direction.

Anyway enough blogging we have work to do!

UQ, USC and TAFE Sunshine Coast work together on Health Training Program

Health training boost provided to help with the shortage of Doctors and Nurses in QLD.

With a guarantee to build the Sunshine Coast’s new $2 billion hospital in the pipeline, the answer to kick starting this off is the newly appointed $60.8 million training centre earmarked for the Kawana Region and construction is looking to start from 2013 including the construction of the Sunshine Coast Private hospital.

The new training centre will have the capacity to train up to 1300 doctors, nurses and allied health professionals every year to work in our hospitals and medical centres. Staff and students will also contribute to local research projects too.

Deputy Premier and Health Minister Paul Lucas announced the project yesterday and stated that the program was a combined effort by the University of Queensland, University of the Sunshine Coast and TAFE Sunshine Coast, who are all working together under the one roof, providing the next generation of health professionals.

As some of the most popular courses this year fall under the Nursing or Allied Health banner, the demand for something like this is a sign of good future planning by both Insitutes, Government and Industry.

For Year 11 and 12 students this means they can get a head start on these career paths now with Vocational training and education and then once graduated then can use the qualifications to gain credit on the Registered Nursing and Enrolled Nurses courses and other related courses (please note that you must read the policy of the Institutes in hand to determine the credit/RPL process).

These pathways are vital for career development as it defines what is requried and achievements needed to enter the Health Industry. So with developments like this it opens up better options for students who are interested in a career in Health, Medicine or Allied Health can consider programs like this to optimise their training in state of the art facilities and having the backing of 3 reputable Institutes supporting you too.

For more information on locating courses that offer health related courses jump onto www.studyfinder.com.au and start searching for courses in the health, medical industries.

Info Session at UniSA

Make the most of your score!

Choosing your future career can be a big decision –  find out how you can study the program of your choice just by coming along to UniSA Info Session. Seminars, help and guidance from staff  plus plenty more to help you with your decision to choose UniSA as your place of study for 2011.

Come to their Options Information evening and find out about the degrees available at UniSA.

City East Campus

Date	Wednesday 22 December, 2010
Time	3.00pm – 7.00pm
Location	Brookman Building (B), City East campus (enter via North Terrace)
Adult Entry Presentation	5.45pm – 6.15pm Basil Hetzel Lecture Theatre (H), City East campus (enter via Frome Road)

Call  UniSA on 1300 UNI NOW (864 669)

To compare courses from this Uni and other Institutes don’t forget to jump onto www.studyfinder.com.au to search, compare, study!

Course Decision Day at: Uni of Western Sydney (UWS)

Make the right choice!

Choosing your future career can be a big decision – find out how you can study the program of your choice just by coming along to UWS Course Decision Day Seminar. Talk to academic staff , current students at UWS, learn more about the admissions process and get that well needed Scholarship advice plus plenty more to help you with your decision to choose UWS as your place of study for 2011.

Come to their event and find out about the degrees available at UWS.

Evenings

Parramatta Campus

• Date: Tuesday, 4 January, 2011
• Time: 4-8 pm
• Location: Corner of James Ruse Drive and Victoria Road, Rydalmere.

Register online or University of Western Sydney us on 1300 897 669

To compare courses from this Uni and other Institutes don’t forget to jump onto www.studyfinder.com.au to search, compare, study!

 

 

 

Options Info Session:University of Queensland (UQ)

Make the most of your score!

If you’re looking to make the most of your OP (or Interstate equivalent) find out how you can study the program of your choice just by coming along to UQ Options Evening. Seminars, Campus Tours plus plenty more to help you with your decision to choose UQ as your place of study for 2011.

Come to their Options Information evening and find out about the degrees available at UQ.

Evenings

St Lucia

• Date: Monday, 20 December, 2010
• Time: 4.30-7 pm
• Location: St Lucia campus map

 

Register online or UQ us on 07 3365 3374

 

To compare courses from this Uni and other Institutes don’t forget to jump onto www.studyfinder.com.au to search, compare, study!

 

 

Options Info Session: Griffith University

 

Soon you will receive your OP Score (or equivalent in other States) and now is the time to consider your options for which area of study you want to or can gain entry into.

Come to their Options Information evening and find out about the degrees available at Griffith.

Evenings

Gold Coast

• Date: Tuesday, 21 December, 2010
• Time: 3-6 pm
• Location: G16 1.07 & 1.08, Gold Coast campus

South Bank

• Date: Tuesday, 21 December, 2010
• Time: 3-6 pm
• Location: S05 2.04, Central Theatre, South Bank campus

Register online or Griffith University us on 1800 677 728

 

Applications Now Open:BOND UNIVERSITY

Applications are now open for Bond University, want to study in one of the largest Private Universities in Australia?

Bond Uni voted one of the best Institutes by student opinion, for more info visit: Apply Now at Bond Uni

It has been a long time…in a classroom!!!

Some of the biggest key issues facing our community and institutes are around the focus of skills gaps, dropout rates, employment opportunities and even affordability of going into study.

• Why are there large gaps between Employment and Education?
• Why are our dropout rates at Institutes across the country so high?
• Are our communities getting the right education?
• Are they given the right information to begin with in choosing the right course?
With a National focus on closing the gap on Education and Skills, and the revolutionising the Education platform, are we not forgetting the basics when helping students in picking the right course? Is it all too hard? Where do you begin?

It is quite hard to get started if you don’t know where to begin. The pressure of going back to a “classroom” environment is sometimes frightening or even overwhelming. The pressure about exams and assignments, deadlines and grades can prove to be too much for some. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Education has developed and moved into the NOW.

Courses out there are not all text based or incorporate classroom environments, some and in fact most courses are now developing practical skills with little written activity involved. The focus to have “real world” teachers and experience with strong links to industry is becoming the trend. You can get employed from only doing a short course or a Certificate rather than the focus of thinking you need a degree.

Returning back to an “Educational” environment can be very overpowering, but trust me the delivery modes that most Institutes offer now can eliminate the possibility of actually having to step foot into a classroom.

The world of online has played a huge part and transformed the landscape of our personal, social and business lives. The internet and email plays an important factor now for a lot of people  who are looking at courses and don’t want the hassle of sitting in a classroom with others, but to sit at home in the comfort of your own home, maybe in your PJ’s!?!?!?

The other option which is proving popular is distance education. In places like Australia where we have very remote areas of civilization and a large geography landscape to cover studying in Perth while living in Mackay is possible now. You can attend University without having to physically attending the campus. Well unless you want to attend the graduation ceremony at the end.

So regardless of the course you want whether it be a Short Course in Food Safety thru to Postgrad Studies in Business the choices are out there on whether you can study by classroom, distance or online. Check it out first by jumping onto www.studyfinder.com.au

To help you with providing a start and some proper guidance, a new Australian website simply designed to remove the frustration and time wasted searching through multiple websites has been released to the Australian Public. It helps people search, compare and find study options across a number of areas of study across Australia. StudyFinder in Australia is an independent company who have created an online tool with one simple focus, helping you to find…(the course, area of interest, college to study at, your educational options). With links to additional resources like Graduate Programs and websites to help you with employment and graduate opportunities through to guides that will help study for your end of year exams in half the time, and get a better result!
For more advice and to have a service which is free to use in finding courses visit: http://www.studyfinder.com.au

StudyFinder is an Australian website designed to help you find all of the course options within an area of interest from universities, TAFEs and private colleges in one place.