Striking a match Working with the NSW Rural Fire Service in a rural partnership

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Striking a match Working with the NSW Rural
Fire Service in a rural partnership

• Sustaining the Spark!

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Sustaining the Spark!
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Sustaining the Spark!

• The history of our work with NSW Rural Fire
  Service

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Sustaining the Spark!

• From a single inquiry about training in Report
  Writing in 2000 a particularly strong
  relationship has been developed between TAFE NSW
  Riverina Institute Cootamundra/Young Campus and
  the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS).

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Sustaining the Spark!

• There have been over 640 student course
  enrolments, ranging from two day commercial
  workshops on Managing Conflict to Diploma courses
  in Frontline Management, Business Management,
  Human Resources and Business Administration ( up
  to August 2007)
• Overall completion rates have been 90.

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Sustaining the Spark!

• This year
• Diploma 20
• C4 in FLM LDR 75
• C4 in FLM SAF 75 (Monitor a safe workplace)
• C4 in FLM LDR 75 (Teams and Relationships units)
• C111 Bus Admin 15
• C4 in Bus Admin and Management 35
• C4 in Human Resources 6
• TAA current 30
• Facilitation and presentation programs (Conflict
  Conflict/Negotiation)
• Advice for RPL for individual staff and
  volunteers

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Sustaining the Spark!

• Delivery sites over the past 7 years include
  Ballina, Katoomba, Wagga Wagga, Cessnock, Yass,
  Dubbo, Sydney, Armidale, Leeton, Queanbeyan,
  Cootamundra and Young.

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Sustaining the Spark!

• Delivery strategies
• A block release model where NSW Rural Fire
  Service staff have attended programs for three or
  four days in Certificate 1V and Diploma of
  Business (Frontline Management).

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Sustaining the Spark!
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Sustaining the Spark!

• Delivery strategies
• A second model for the delivery of training in
  Certificates III and IV in Business
  Administration has been used.
• Workshops,
• Recognition of prior learning
• GAP training using flexible delivery materials as
  well as email and telephone support

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Sustaining the Spark!
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Sustaining the Spark!

• For the first four to five years of the program
  the participants have been staff of the NSWRFS.
• Over the last two years participant focus has
  turned towards senior brigade officers, that is,
  volunteers of the NSWRFS.

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Sustaining the Spark!
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Sustaining the Spark!

• Sixty eight Region West RFS staff members were
  involved in an extensive Training Needs Analysis
  in the first half of 2005
• This included analysing each position description
  and defining position challenges and
  responsibilities. Each of the competencies
  identified within each position was then aligned
  to competencies from a relevant Training Package.
• Staff seconded to Region West of RFS

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Sustaining the Spark!

• Evaluation and Communication
• Program staff monitor and evaluate all training
• A staff member from the NSW Rural Fire Service
  Learning and Development Systems Unit attends
  training
• The NSW Rural Fire Service also uses its internal
  evaluations for our training
• RFS staff and TAFENSW meet to review and plan
  during the year regularly

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Sustaining the Spark!
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Sustaining the Spark!

• Challenges
• Time and distance
• Changes in Training Packages
• Negotiating new programs
• Being able to respond in a timely manner
• Developing resources materials to deliver

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Sustaining the Spark!

• Rewards
• New learning for us
• Contributing to learning in RFS
• New relationships
• Diversity
• Providing a flexible and responsive services
• Service based on best practice
• Fun

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Sustaining the Spark!
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Sustaining the Spark!

• Highlights
• Graduation ceremonies
• Seeing people grow and develop
• Starting new challenges
• Secondment
• Joint staff development activity
• TAFENSW Quality Awards 2006
• Relationships

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Sustaining the Spark!
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Sustaining the Spark!

• Whats happening now

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Sustaining the Spark!

• Tanias perspective of working with Riverina
  Institute

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Sustaining the Spark!

• Emergency Services Management Training Unit was
  established at Cootamundra/Young and Tumut
  Campuses in January 2007 on a full-time basis to
  promote and provide training to NSW RFS and other
  agencies.

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Sustaining the Spark!

• Continuing to build relationships based on
  partnership models with NSW RFS
• Enhancing our industry specific partner ships to
  support workplace cultures of learning and
  innovation.
• Customizing base level qualifications for staff
  and other volunteers to develop career pathways.
• Working in on-site training facilities with RFS
  where possible
• Developing training and assessment strategies
  that integrates the industry skills and
  competencies required for the Public Safety
  industry.

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Sustaining the Spark!

• The key to success
• Know your stuff
• Be able to deliver
• Passion, commitment and involvement
• Relationships