Hello all - here are some photographs of the outside of a CIT campus. All AGED CARE and HOME AND COMMUNITY (HACC) courses are delivered at our Woden campus. Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is a government institute and is the ACT's and region's leading vocational education and training provider. CIT offers o400 courses to local, national and international students so as to equip them for working effectively in business, industry or further study. Qualifications range from certificate to degree and also included flexible options for study. At CIT Woden we offer four qualifcations in Aged Care and HACC.
The campus is leafy and has many courtyards, a large book shop, extensive learning centre and computer labs, simulated work environments, class rooms, cafeteria and access to student support centres. It is located near main shops, a major hospital, has a bus stop at the front door (many students use public transport), free parking and has a relxed and friendly atmosphere.
CIT is definitely a big and inviting centre for VET teaching. How many students do you have ?
ReplyDeleteHello Ros - yes it is. What I love about CIT is the divirsity of students across all our programs. This year in Aged Care and HACC we have taught about 100 students. Many of our students enroll in two certificates at the same time to achieve a duel qualifications which is very attractive to our industry for employment. Do you teach in aged care? I would like to hear about your progam delivery models.
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa. I work at CSU and i have had a lot of VET teacher education students in Aged Care. I know CIT well and it is a wonderful place to work and learn.
ReplyDeleteOne question that came up on another student's blog was :do we teach ethics in our programs for our VET students in aged care?
I think we do but I was not sure. Can you help?
Interesting to learn about your institute. Do I read it correctly that you have some 400 courses in all? That is very much.
ReplyDeleteAs I look at the pictures I notice that the class is very multicultural. Is it as in Sweden that the area health- and age- care area areas where people - mostly girls - can get jobs?
That other kinds of VET-programs are the main one? Do you also have VET-programs that maily or only are delivered by internet?
Hi Ros - interesting question re: ethics. In VET we teach using trainin packages which outline the unit of competencies (UOC) for delivery. For example, in the Certificate IV in aged care we have 15 competencies. Each UOC has specific outcomes and performance criteria. There are many times when discussions around ethics and priciples emerge. In particular around respect, elder abuse and neglect, professionalism, rights of clients etc. These discussions are always linked to the outcomes for that UOC. Interestingly the aged care team has just recently developed our teaching and learning philosphy IN CONJUNCTION with our students. I will upload it if anyone is interested and if so you would see that ethics, values etc are our underpinning roots.
ReplyDeleteHI Ingemar,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. Yes you read correctly, CIT is very large and very diverse! The photos that Linda and I have uploaded do represent the multi cultural aspect of our aged care and HACC classes - we wanted you to notice that so thank you. Canberra in itself is very multi cultural and also has quite a transient community. Many of our students are international or migrant students. Our aged care sector also has a skill shortage and is diverse in itself. This is wonderful in the sense that many of our clients who we are serve are diverse so teams and clients are working together.
with regard to your question about delivery modes - we offer face to face, on line and also a blended approach. we do NOT offer 100% on line for aged care or HACC training. CIT does though offer online training in other programs. Linda and I can really only comment on aged care, HACC and nursing. I am happy to point you in the direction of other areas is you wish though.
Hi Melissa,
DeleteVery interesting to read your comment. The problem with the growing need for qualified work force in the age care sector is much the same in Sweden. And will be so in the future. I imagine that is a challenge for the developed countries, it has already come to Japan and will hit China very hard due to their one-child-only policy.
But I wonder for Australia, you might not be so exposed to a really big part of the population being aging? right? Since you always - and as I understand right now - have a great number of immigrants that would even out the unbalance? I gather that the immigrants that you allow to settle are mainly young or middle aged?
Is the situation on this with a mixed population the same in Canberra as, say in Melbourne and Sydney?
When I had the chance to visit Australia two years ago we stayed some five days in Melbourne, which I found very multicultural.
Do you have pronounced problems concerning segregation and ethnic collisions and right wing parties and sympathies? The last few years in Sweden we have got into the parliament a right wing party with immigrant hostile attitudes. We in Sweden were not used to that, I think polcicies and attitudes in general were - and for the majority still is - rather liberal.
Hello Ingemar - wow - so much to respond to. with regards to the Australian population it is ageing and we DO have a problem NOW in that many of the unpaid carers are family who are in fact elderly themselves. Often there is also a dual diagnosis with a disability. Although we do not have the challanges of a one child policy as in China, in fact average number of children in Australia is 2.2, but our culture is such that adult children are full time workers - hence the caring role is difficult and challanging. We talk alot about caring burnout and relationship to abuse and neglect etc. Canberra is certainly a multi cultural community and our classrooms reflect this with up to 26 cultures sometimes in classes. With regards to political views - Australia has an immmigration policy which is always discussed and if you are interested in these discussions please do some quick research on the internet. Many of our international students study in aged care. We also have a skills shortage in aged care.
Deletei am glad you enjoyed Melbourne - I used to live there and it is indeed multi cultural and beautiful.
Thank you for your interesting reply. I see that in some ways you have similar situation as in Sweden.
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