Thursday 29^th October 2020

Susan West from Cire Services Inc has been nominated for her outstanding work in supporting learners to establish pathways for themselves into further education, employment or volunteer roles.

Member for Eastern Victoria today congratulated Ms West who is nominated for the Victorian Learn Local Practitioner Award.

Cire Services Inc. (Cire) is nominating Susan West (Sue) for the 2020 Victorian Learn Local Practitioner Award. Sue has been working for Cire for just over 3 years.

Sue’s skills are diverse and incorporate financial literacy training and upskilling as well as small/micro business support and female empowerment. Over the years we have created courses around Sue’s skill set and how they can be matched with the needs of our learners/community.

Overall, Sue’s programs have enabled 621 enrolment occurrences over the past 3 years. A number of these occurrences have come from repeat enrolments from individual learners, proving the value, respect and solutions that Sue as a practitioner gives to her learners.

Sue has proven to be an excellent trainer, willing to step in to deliver other classes not normally part of her suite of programs but has been able to deliver a modified session aimed at the level of the class.

As an example of this, Sue stepped in to take a class of higher-needs adults who were working on learning about scams and purchasing safely in the community.

There are 20 finalists across seven award categories:

• The Ro Allen Award – Recognising Pre-accredited Learner Excellence
• Victorian Learn Local Young Pre-accredited Learner Award
• Victorian Learn Local Practitioner Award
• Victorian Learn Local Volunteer Team Award
• Victorian Learn Local Pre-accredited Pathway Program Award
• Victorian Learn Local Creating Local Solutions Award
• Victorian Learn Local Collaboration Award

This year’s Learn Local Awards will be hosted in an innovative virtual format later this year.

The awards are presented by the Adult Community and Further Education Board.

Award winners have the chance to share in $70,000 in prize money. The three organisation award category winners will each receive $10,000, while individual category winners will be awarded $5,000 and category finalists will receive $1,000. A new People’s Choice Awards has also been created for Program finalists, with winners to receive an Apple MacBook laptop.

Learn Local providers offer a unique, community-based learning option, with a focus on the individual needs of learners. Learn Local is particularly suited to adult learners of all ages looking to develop their digital, literacy, numeracy and employability skills for study, work and life.

There are 270 not-for-profit community organisations registered as Learn Locals across Victoria, which deliver training and programs to nearly 30,000 people each year.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education Gayle Tierney:

“Although 2020 has been a challenging year for many Learn Local providers across the state, these awards recognise the work Learn Locals are doing transforming lives through community education.”

 “Victoria leads Australia in providing accessible and tailored lifelong learning opportunities for adult learners seeking to develop the skills they need for work, further study, and to participate fully in the Victorian community.”

Quote attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing

“My warmest congratulations to Sue West for this recognition of her tireless efforts in training people in areas such as financial literacy and small business support, in being nominated for this award. Her commitment to female empowerment has delivered important, enduring and practical benefits to the Mooroolbark community.”

2020 LEARN LOCAL AWARDS FINALISTS

The Ro Allen Award – Recognising Pre-accredited Learner Excellence

• Haylee Mackintosh, Cire Services
• Jason Barbour, Bridge Darebin
• Colleen Forbes, Community College Gippsland

 

Victorian Learn Local Young Pre-accredited Learner Award

• Georgia Benham, Zoe Support Australia
• Rebecca Cupitt, Zoe Support Australia
• Bryanna Paynter-Harvie, Noweyung

 

Victorian Learn Local Practitioner Award

• Vivian Della Valle, Centre for Adult Education (CAE)
• Susan West, Cire Services
• Michelle Harrison, Phillip Island Community & Learning Centre

 

Victorian Learn Local Volunteer Team Award

• Rosewall Learning and Creative Team, Rosewall Neighbourhood Centre
• Zoe Support Australia – Childcare Volunteer Team, Zoe Support Australia

 

Victorian Learn Local Pre-accredited Pathway Program Award

• Getting There, The Centre for Continuing Education
• Carpentry Trade Taster, Preston Reservoir Adult Community Education (PRACE)
• Mentoring – A step towards mainstream volunteering or work experience, Sandybeach Centre

Victorian Learn Local Creating Local Solutions Award

• Wyndham Neighbourhood Hubs – meeting diverse needs, Wyndham Community & Education Centre
• Kick Start Your Career in the Health Industry program, Heyfield Community Resource Centre
• Cultural Cuisines, Wellsprings for Women

 

Victorian Learn Local Collaboration Award

• Cloverdale Community Centre-The Gordon TAFE Collaboration, Cloverdale Community Centre & The Gordon TAFE
• Kew Neighbourhood Learning Centre and Burke and Beyond, Kew Neighbourhood Learning Centre Inc & Burke and Beyond
• Pathways 2 Possibilities, The Centre for Continuing Education & Open Door Neighbourhood House