In 2009, like many businesses in Healesville, the Centre suffered from the affects of the bush fires having to cancel three quarters of our classes. These programs are essential for keeping this Centre operating, but we understood that the community was traumatized and unsettled by the fires with education and training being the last thing on people’s minds.

During the year, the Centre continued to operate at half capacity, as the staff maintain the programs that we could get off the ground and develop plans to attract people back to our facilities.

One of those plans was to run meditation and intuitive art classes to assist the healing process for members of the community. We used bush fire recovery funding to provide the classes free for blue card holders and a minimal fee for everyone else to encourage participation. There was a need in the community for healing and moving forward, so these activities became a big focus for the rest of the year.


ACFE Delivery:



In 2009, we commenced delivering new certificates in Make-up Services and Nail Technology from Beauty Training package, with healthy enrolment numbers that extended our hair and beauty program. We also converted Room 4 into our beauty room that was equipped using a State Equipment grant through ACFE (Adult Community Further Education).

Even though we had a bleak year, we still increased the numbers of people enrolling into Hairdressing, Make-up services and Nail technology, CGEA and basic computers. These were the areas of demand in 2009 that helped us to finalise our program planning for 2010 in a demand driven, contestable market place.

VCE/VET Delivery:
Our VCE/VET enrolments to the Yarra Valley VET Cluster decreased by 3%, the reduction was linked to the upheaval caused by the bush fires. As for our VCE/VET delivery to Alexandra Secondary College, enrolments increased by 42% providing a positive development during last year. The students were still traumatized but attending the classes at HLLC provided a break from the fire impacted school climate in Alexandra.

  

Youth Delivery:
Our main delivery to youth was through our VET in Schools program with Yarra Valley Cluster and Alexandra Secondary College delivering 7,092 student contact hours.

As for our ACFE delivery to youth, it was reduced by 349 student contact hours. The predominate area of delivery was in hair and beauty training.



VET Network:
The Centre has continued membership in the Eastern Metro ACE providers VET network, which provides support to organizations to meet compliance, government regulation and resources to better position member organizations in the new competitive Skills Reform era.

Used the marketing strategies developed in 2008 to brand the network now referred to as Learning Victoria.
Development of a joint website promoting member organisation’s accredited programs.
Provided opportunities for external moderation/validation.