Whether you’re a manager, youth worker, carer, health professional or work in any profession that depends on building secure relationships, counselling skills are crucial.
Our Certificate of Counselling Strategies and Techniques is ideal for anyone interested in counselling, psychology, healthcare, teaching or research. It will develop your understanding of counselling theories, approaches and therapies from influential practitioners.
In this counselling skills course, you will learn about elements of personality, recent developments in psychoanalytical theory, and psychoanalytic techniques, approaches and counselling.
You’ll also discover humanistic approaches, including Gestalt techniques, person-centred counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, and behavioural therapy. You’ll also develop strategies in solution-focused counselling are gain insight into the techniques you’d like to adopt in your work.
Outcomes achieved by undertaking a counselling skills course include:
· Explain the principal differences between Adlerian and Freudian theory, the fundamental concepts of Adlerian theory, and the four stages of the Adlerian counselling process.
And more …
One of the most important counselling skills is listening actively, and that involves the micro skill of paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing is a counselling skill that involves stating what a client has said back to them in your own words without changing the meaning of what was conveyed. It’s a way of demonstrating that you understand what they have said and to gain further clarity if necessary.
Paraphrasing helps facilitate communication in many ways, including enhancing active listening, gaining clarity and building empathy with clients.
Paraphrasing is crucial to active listening. It allows you to connect with the speaker, provide valuable feedback, and keep the conversation flowing.
One of the most important ways paraphrasing helps communication is that it provides clarity. You can let the listener know that you understand, ask questions to gain further information and help the speaker gain clarity.
Paraphrasing also builds empathy and facilitates emotional regulation. When a person feels understood, they are better able to share and process their emotions.
Gestalt therapy is a person-centred approach to psychotherapy which emphasises personal responsibility and focuses on the present moment and challenges rather than delving into the past. It’s an approach to counselling that stresses the importance of understanding the context of a person’s circumstances without placing blame.
Fritz Perls developed Gestalt therapy with the help of his wife Laura – both were trained in psychoanalysis. They worked together to create a humanistic treatment to focus on the client and their individual experience.
Today, Gestalt therapy allows clients to partner with their therapist to gain personal awareness and overcome challenges holding them back or preventing healing.
As the name suggests, solution-focused therapy emphasises discussing solutions that problems. As opposed to some forms of psychoanalysis, this form of therapy doesn’t require delving into a person’s childhood to understand current issues or circumstances. Instead, the counselling skills you employ will be solution-centric to allow clients to quickly find solutions that ease their suffering or change their life circumstances.
Whether you’re a nurse, doctor or allied health professional, working in health care puts you in close contact with people experiencing physical, emotional or mental health challenges. You are also in contact with the people supporting these people, including friends and family members.
As such, developing counselling skills – even just developing the micro-skills in counselling – will help you communicate and better support patients and those closest to them. You’ll also improve your communication in the workplace, manage your own emotions and challenges and improve your coping mechanisms in what can be a stressful and emotionally draining workplace.
Teachers are educators, but they’re also responsible for the well-being of many. As such, counselling skills help teaches to engage, connect with and motivate their students. If you’re a teacher, you might also find that developing counselling skills will give you the edge in your career when it comes to expanding into other areas of education, from administration to leadership roles or new teaching opportunities.
Human resource professionals need a comprehensive understanding of people and their ability to fit a role or a company’s culture. They are also vital in providing support and delivering mediation. Counselling skills will further develop insights into the needs, aspirations and challenges of employees and to be emphatic in communication with individuals.
Those in leadership roles will benefit from counselling skills to communicate with a team or individuals to achieve a common goal. Managers and supervisors are also vital in conflict management and resolution to ensure teams are happy, motivated and productive.
Counselling skills will help sports coaches at any level, from children’s sport to professional teams, to provide leadership and guidance. The development of micro-skills in counselling will enhance a team’s performance as coaches will be better able to motivate, empathise and communicate.
Gain counselling skills to enrich your professional practice and relationships with our Certificate of Counselling Strategies and Techniques.
Did you know that eighty per cent of Australian households regularly purchase fresh mushrooms? And that mushrooms are also the sixth most valuable horticultural crop grown in Australia? Ideal for self-sufficiency growers, those who work in the commercial mushroom industry or anyone keen to try out a mushroom kit at home, our Certificate of Mushroom Production will introduce you to the most widely cultivated mushrooms and how to produce them.
In our mushroom growing course, you will learn about fungi plant identification, growing mediums for edible fungi, spawn production, how to make compost and the growing methods and techniques for mushrooms. You will also study the pests, bacteria and diseases that can affect them, the ideal growing conditions for mushrooms, and how to harvest, store, use and market them.
Outcomes achieved by undertaking a mushroom growing course include:
And more!
Mushroom varieties are covered in varying degrees in our mushroom growing course, but here are some of the more common types produced in Australia.
Also known as the champignon, this is by far the most commonly grown mushroom in the world. In some areas, it is known by other species names. For example, Agaricus brunnescens is a former name for Agaricus bisporus, and this name is commonly still used. Agaricus hortensis is a synonym that is applied to the pure white forms of Agaricus bisporus.
The species Agaricus bitorquis has some characteristics that make it more desirable than Agaricus bisporus. For example, it has enhanced virus resistance, resists bruising and has a longer shelf life. These characteristics have led to it being used in breeding programs aimed at producing crops more suited to the fresh market.
Sometimes referred to as Coprinus cinerea, this species is suited to canning, freezing and drying, and Coprinus fimetarius has an excellent flavour and the potential as a novelty vegetable. While many species of Coprinus are highly ephemeral (meaning they have an extremely short shelf life), Coprinus fimentarius has enhanced potential as a cultivated mushroom. It is also easy to grow and can quickly produce good commercial yields.
This fungus is commonly known by names such as Winter Mushroom, Velvet Foot and Velvet Stem. Cultivated Japanese varieties are known as Enoki and Enokitake, but they bear little resemblance to wild populations. Wild varieties are dark in colour, whereas the cultivated Japanese varieties are grown in low-light conditions and have pale skin and flesh. This mushroom fruits in cold conditions, fruiting bodies are small and delicious, and it grows naturally on wood and can be cultivated on sawdust.
The Shiitake mushroom is the most popular cultivated mushroom in Japan. It is grown on logs of Fagaceae trees like Oaks and on various other trees. This mushroom is said to possess many health benefits, including the presence of many polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complexes that have been isolated and used for therapeutic purposes. These include immunity-stimulating properties against viral infections, high cholesterol and even cancer.
This mushroom is usually sold fresh or dried, and although there is potential for commercial shiitake mushroom cultivation, many markets have high-quality standards that must be met.
Known as the Oyster Mushroom due to its appearance, this is probably the most commonly cultivated species of mushroom. It grows naturally on dead wood, but can be cultivated on any cellulose material, including wood shavings, waste hulls from agriculture and even on toilet rolls! This and several other species of this genus are edible and have the potential for cultivation commercially.
Sometimes known as the Garden Giant, this species has been grown commercially in Germany and grows wild in parts of Europe. It is cheap and easy to grow, but yields are variable so it is generally not suited to commercial production. It is, however, well suited to outdoor culture in home gardens. Indoor fruitings are possible, but the King Stropharia is slow to fruit and requires an unsterile casing to stimulate mushroom development.
The edible Straw Mushroom originates from the tropics and sub-tropics and has been cultivated and eaten for centuries in China and other Asian countries. This mushroom is traditionally cultivated on fermented rice straw but due to the nature of traditional cultivation, yields are typically low and variable. However, modern cultivation practices using industrial waste from cotton processing have increased yields and the further development of the industry.
Known as a “jelly fungus”, this species has the common name Judas’ Ear based on a myth that it grew as a result of a curse on the tree that Judas hung himself on! It was eaten in ancient China and cultivated on logs throughout Asia. A dried version of some species of the Auricularia mushroom can commonly be found in Asian grocery stores.
Early mushroom collections were made by botanists James Drummond and Ludwig Preiss in the early to the mid-19th century. Renowned Australian naturalist, John Burton Cleland, conducted the first systematic review of Australian fungi in a landmark monograph of over 16,000 specimens at the South Australian Herbarium. He was assisted by Edwin Cheel, the keeper of the Herbarium at the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens. This resulted in two comprehensive volumes on South Australia’s larger fungi in 1934, which was reworked in 1997 as Larger Fungi of Southern Australia by mycologist Cheryl Grgurinovic.
In terms of commercial mushroom growing in Australia, it can be traced back to 1933 in the disused railway tunnels under Sydney. In the late 1930s, the mushroom industry moved outdoors to the Hawkesbury district when growers created the first raised beds in open fields. However, crops were fragile and low yields resulted due to the extremes of Australia’s weather conditions.
In the 1940s and 50s, mushrooms were essentially a seasonal crop produced during the cooler months due to growing techniques that were used in 19th century Europe. It wasn’t until the 1960s that modern mushroom farming emerged, and in 1961, a number of growers attended a meeting in New South Wales to discuss the future of the mushroom industry.
From these humble beginnings, the Australian Mushroom Growers Association (AMGA) was formed, and in 2012,
Australian Mushroom Growers celebrated 50 years of growing together. These days, locally grown mushrooms are increasing in popularity, including those sold at local Farmer’s Markets. So now there’s even more reason for you to undertake our mushroom growing course!
Gain valuable insights into the most popular mushrooms and how to produce these fun-gi (pun intended), with a mushroom growing course such as our Certificate of Mushroom Production
Wellness coaches work with clients to create and achieve their wellness goals. Are you a coach wanting to add wellness to your skillset? Or are you thinking about a new career as a wellness coach? Either way, this course is ideal professional development for you.
Wellness coaching helps people take control of many areas of their lives –physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – to achieve happiness, health and fulfilment. If you’d like to be part of this process and make a real difference in people’s lives, then wellness coaching might be for you!
Our Certificate of Wellness and Health Coaching will help you plan and deliver wellness coaching to meet a client’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual goals.
In this wellness coaching course, you’ll discover several concepts and theories that underpin wellness coaching, learn about goal setting and habit-forming principles, and SWOT analysis.
You will also learn practical issues that coaches face, such as establishing a small business, coaching modalities and potential employment opportunities for wellness coaches.
Outcomes achieved by undertaking a starting this wellness coaching course include:
And more!
In an ideal world, a wellness coach would work alongside dietitians and other health professionals. But it’s not that simple. Wellness coaching isn’t well recognised in Australia, so no “accredited” course will allow you to claim government or private health rebates for your clients.
You can still build a successful business using your wellness coaching course.
Increasingly, people are investing more time, energy and resources (money) into improving their health and wellbeing, so a coaching business in wellness will be well received.
There are also many corporate health and private practice opportunities and whole-food, specialist and organic catering, and meal planning possibilities.
If you’re creative, why not try freelance writing, online health blogging or social media classes by incorporating what you’ve learnt in your wellness coaching course?
It’s up to you when you finish your wellness coaching course to find your niche, which will require motivation and creativity to build your wellness coaching clientele.
Wellness coaching finds its origins in positive psychology, therapy, sport – and to some degree – diet. But what is positive psychology?
Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most fulfilling. It explores thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, focusing on strengths and goal setting to achieve more of what makes people happy in life.
Positive psychology focuses on positive events and influences in a person’s life, such as positive experiences, positive traits, or states.
Positive –
Subjective experiences – happiness, gratification, fulfilment, flow
Individual traits – strengths of character, talents, interests, values
Interpersonal relationships – friendship, marriage, colleagueship
Institutions – families, schools, businesses and communities
There are many benefits to adopting practices associated with positive psychology, including boosting social and emotional wellbeing, discovering a sense of purpose and in life, achieving flow and attracting positive people and life experiences.
Flow is a state of being immersed in an enjoyable activity. It’s a term that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined. When people can achieve flow states, such as when they’re painting or playing an instrument, it enhances wellbeing and provides a sense of purpose.
If you want to start your own wellness coaching business or add wellness to your skillset, enrol in a wellness coaching course like the Certificate of Wellness and Health Coaching. You’ll be glad you did – and so will your clients.
Studying garden history not only gives us insights into different garden styles and how to design a garden, but also their connection with society, culture and the evolution of civilisations.
Our Certificate of Garden History is a professional development course that is ideal anyone who wants to broaden their garden design perspective, from garden designers, landscapers and horticulturalists to hobby gardeners, ground staff at parks and those who work in councils or heritage trust sites.
In this garden history course you will learn about garden evolution, the globilisation of gardens, and the significant influences on design and landscaping. You will also study public and private gardens, the nature of modern garden conservation, and the crucial role of organisations in conserving heritage parks, gardens and anywhere flora is a primary focus. Gain inspiration and vastly expand the scope of possibilities for yourself as a modern garden designer!
Outcomes achieved by undertaking a garden history course include:
And more!
When studying a garden history course, you’ll gain some fascinating insights into some of the great gardens and gardeners of the world. But what are some of the trends and designers who have helped shaped Australian gardens? Some of the most influential periods include:
Early explorers often described Australian landscapes as being “park-like” and assumed this was their natural state. However, this comparison is often deemed ironic given that English designers were hired in the 1700s to create landscapes in a “picturesque” style that encompassed vistas, waterways and rolling green lawns, and Australian’s First Nations people used fire to manage their landscapes — they burnt out scrubby growth and created grassy areas that were suited to hunting!
Concerned people might confuse “picturesque” gardens with natural settings, Scottish botanist John Claudius Loudon introduced a garden design theory known as “gardenesque” in 1832. This used exotic plants to highlight man-made elements. In Australia, many of our botanic gardens, including many Melbourne became famous for, encapsulate this style and were built with the gold-rush money of this era. Popular features included rock grottoes, ferneries and conservatories.
The Victorian era was often deemed a reflection of man’s dominance on the natural world. However, in the early 1900s, the Arts and Craft era was introduced with an ethos of working with nature. Its key influences were the British Arts and Crafts Movement and an Englishwoman named Gertrude Jekyll, who is credited with inventing perennial borders. It also includes Australian Edna Walling, who designed Melbourne’s Bickleigh Vale garden estate.
Around this time, Marion and Walter Burley Griffin were building another garden-led suburb in Sydney’s Castlecrag with similar Arts and Crafts influences. These were sympathetic to the environment and incorporated only native plants, which echoed the global Garden City movement that began in the UK.
In the mid-30s, Walling hired landscape architect Ellis Stones to build a stone wall for a property she was working on in Heidelberg. Stones was a conservationist, inspired by the bush and sought to bring nature to the cities with his use of native plants. This led to an enduring partnership, and the style was reinforced by others, including Alistair Knox, who is considered to be the pioneer of modern mud brick buildings.
In the 1940s, the Modernist style was introduced to Australia, and was particularly evident in the work of Robin Boyd and Harry Seidler. This style included buildings with rectangular shapes, flat roofs and lots of large windows to enhance views. Garden designers during this period included Grace Fraser, whose work includes the native gardens at the Monash University campus and at Melbourne’s Royal Park.
The 1980s saw the revival of many formal gardens and a host of features including box hedges, white roses, lavender and mondo grass. A firm believer in this style was Paul Bangay, whose interpretation of Renaissance formality softened to include perennials and clipped hedges.
From the 1990s, Post-Modern design has emerged as a landscaping preference. In this style, landscapes and art blur, and features and plants are used to form a “painting”. It can be seen in Andrew Laidlaw’s designs for the renovation of Guilfoyle’s volcano at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. The style was also adopted by Phillip Johnson in his Chelsea Flower Show-winning display garden that featured native plants, huge rocks, a billabong fed by rainwater, and a waratah-inspired metal sculpture that also housed an art studio.
As you’ll discover in our garden history course, native vegetation is crucial for the health of environments. It controls erosion, reduces land degredation and supports the biodiversity and the agricultural productivity that is central to our cultural identity. Here are thirteen of Australia’s top plant conservation organisations.
Gain an insightful understanding into the historical evolvement and globilisation of gardens and the crucial role of garden conservation with a garden history course, such as our Certificate of Garden History.
Popular internationally for years, garden tourism is increasingly making its mark as a tourism trend in Australia. This is a niche area of travel (like agritourism and health tourism) that attracts those keen to explore and absorb nature for its “green” health benefits. And it has significant and underappreciated potential in the sector.
Our Certificate of Garden Tourism is a professional development course that will help you plan, develop and manage tours, events and tourism destinations that revolve around gardening. Ideal for gardeners, garden centre staff and tourism operators, this garden tourism course will give you insights into people who not just travel to see gardens, but spend money in their associated cafes, restaurants and gift shops.
You will also explore the viability of events and their components, learn how to develop effective marketing strategies to sell their benefits, and gain insights into increasing their financial business outcomes.
Outcomes achieved by undertaking a garden tourism course include:
And more!
Throughout history, gardens have been spaces of creativity and contemplation, allowing people to fully immerse themselves in nature. These public spaces involve meticulous planning and careful landscape design, and allow visitors to experience local and exotic plant life while gaining inspiration for their own gardens. Here are seven of the world’s most famous.
Founded in 1910, this 52-acre haven has over 14,000 plants spread across multiple areas. Highlights include its Japanese garden, a water garden, a fragrance garden for the visually impaired, and an English garden themed around plants named in Shakespearean plays.
This UNESCO World Heritage site sprawls across almost 2000 acres of land, and sits just west of the Palace of Versailles. A classic French garden focused on order and symmetry, the manicured lawns are dotted with flowers, and fountains and sculptures that date back to the time of Louis XIV.
Located in south London, this garden is renowned for housing more than 50,000 living plants. Highlights include an arboretum, bamboo garden, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, and the Princess of Wales Conservatory which contains plants from ten different climate zones.
An international favourite beloved for its opulent fountains and terraced gardens, this 16th-century villa is located in Tivoli, outside of Rome. Built for the son of a nobleman, it is a wonderful example of an Italian Renaissance garden, where the landscape seeks to inspire contemplation.
If you’re a fan of tulips, don’t miss a pilgrimage to the world famous Keukenhof in Lisse. Seven million bulbs are planted each year including tulips, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths. It creates a dazzling visual to the more than one million visitors who flock to the gardens during the spring flowering season.
Located in British Columbia, this garden covers fifty-five acres and includes twenty-six greenhouses, which have been wowing tourists for over one hundred years. Fifty full-time gardeners tend to this national treasure, and one of its most famous features is the Sunken Garden.
Nestled within a Buddhist Temple in Kyoto, this is a the epitome of a a Japanese “dry landscape” (karesansui) garden. This Zen garden is characteristed by large rock formations, and is meant to be viewed while seated. Anyone who can see all of the stones at once is said to have obtained the ultimate in enlightenment.
According to many tourism experts, garden tourism is the second most popular “niche” travel experience — the first being food-related tourism. Here are seven amazing Australian gardens to offer you the ultimate in green-tinged inspiration!
Although the nation-wide Australian Open Garden Scheme folded in 2015, some states still run their own local “open garden” organisations — which helps ensure the garden tourism sector keeps thriving! They are typically not-for-profit groups run by volunteers who help garden owners open their gardens over weekends to raise money for various charities. They include:
Gain the confidence to plan, develop and manage gardening events, tours and popular “green” destinations with a garden tourism course, such as our Certificate of Garden Tourism.
The early years of a child’s life are the most critical, because this is when they develop motor, social and sensory skills, and start to learn about the world. Hence, many believe those who work in childcare have one of the most essential, yet underappreciated jobs in Australia!
However, a career in childcare can be extremely rewarding, allowing you to make an important and lasting difference in the lives of children. And the industry is booming, so career prospects continue to grow. In fact, early childhood job roles are said to grow by 22 per cent to reach over 9000 jobs by 2023. So now’s the perfect time to up-skill!
Parents, family, friends, health professionals, the wider community and childcare professionals all influence a child’s early years. For those working in childcare, ongoing childcare professional development improves skills and practice and keeps staff up to date with advances in early childhood education and care. This enhances the nurturing of a child’s development, but can also inspire, motivate and support professional networks.
Working with young children is challenging and complex work. Current research and developments in theoretical approaches to early childhood education are rapidly expanding the theory base and knowledge that can guide practice. Additionally, changes in the national early childhood system continue to impact curriculums, delivery models, licensing and accreditation systems.
Professional development is critical because it enables childcare workers to contribute to developing practices that are guided by current research and theory, and enhances their effectiveness in terms of working with children and families. It also provides professional satisfaction and sustains an employee’s enthusiasm, commitment and their capacity to continually grow both professionally and personally.
Over the last decade, the childcare industry in Australia has undergone significant changes, which have impacted early childhood learning programs in many ways. Significant changes were laid out in the National Quality Framework (NQF), which was introduced in 2012. It provides a framework for quality improvement in the childcare sector and establishes the formal qualifications required for a childcare practitioner.
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is a core framework recognised under the NQF. It provides the foundation for ensuring all children aged up to five years receive quality teaching and learning outcomes. It also encourages staff to participate in childcare professional development, and promotes a culture for continuous educational growth.
Childcare professional development takes many different forms, however research has shown there are a number of common features that enhance its effectiveness. These include:
Childcare professional development embraces informal and formal learning towards knowledge or a new ability, skill or process. It affects the quality learning outcomes for children in care and can also influence employment opportunities and ultimately your career! It includes:
Childcare workers in Australia are required to complete a Certificate III in Early Childhood Care and/or Children’s Services. However, there are also a number of learning pathways that can assist with your childcare professional development. These include:
Business executives essentially assist with the operation and growth of organisations, however roles can vary dramatically depending on the company and sector. They can range from CEO-level executives and department managers to project managers and even small business operators. A few of the most common business executive roles include:
People in these roles typically perform key HR functions including recruitment, performance and compensation management, and training and career development. This is often in the context of evolving workforce expectations, dynamic work places and shifting government priorities. They also understand the strategic contributions staff can make with effective management, and provide recommendations for implementing organisational change.
This role typically involves managing the output of a new system, object, structure or process, and the development of the Project Brief and Business Case in terms of industry “best practice”. PM executives may also authorise expenditure levels, manage cost or timing changes, ensure risk is tracked and mitigated or resolved, oversee a project’s quality and outcome, and deal with communications and stakeholder engagement.
The duties of employees in these roles often depend on the number of staff in the organisation. In smaller companies they may oversee managers in multiple areas, and in larger organisations may direct one specific area such as finance, procurement or marketing. They are often involved in some way in administration, coaching and mentoring and change management. Many also develop business networks with people outside the organisation including clients, suppliers and/or customers.
Small businesses employ over 44 per cent of Australia’s workforce in sectors ranging from the hospitality and marketing industries to the fitness, manufacturing, retail and design sectors (and everything in between)! They typically handle a range of responsibilities from creating business plans, arranging financing and reviewing sales to developing marketing strategies, employing staff and identifying future business opportunities.
Professional development in your career — including business executive development — isn’t something that’s achieved overnight. It is a work in progress and should be something you prioritise throughout your working life. Your career development is also unique to you and there is no singular or “ideal” path. However, there are a number of traditional markers of success, including excelling in a performance review, getting a promotion and/or securing a pay rise.
Professional development requires planning and the execution of tangible strategies that will not only increase your success rate, but also help you manage the more challenging moments in your career. You should always be guided by a plan that incorporate the three A’s – goals should be adaptable, ambitious and achievable. Your development should also include strategies that detail what you want to achieve and the experience, skills and people required to get you there. The success of your plan and your ability to progress will hinge on being able to seize opportunities as they arise, even if they come as a surprise! Ways you can enhance your career include:
Being an asset in every job role you have over your career will enable you to maximise job satisfaction and ensure you learn as much as possible. It also keeps you open to any opportunities that might arise, both financially and from a business executive development perspective. Some strategies to consider include:
Professional development and career progression doesn’t necessarily have to be provided by your employer or during work hours. Looking outside your organisation for ways to drive your career forward is part of proactively seizing opportunities. It can also diversify the knowledge and experiences you are exposed to which will help expand your capabilities. Positive external influences that will enhance your career include:
Making mistakes is a critical part of the professional development process. And while it sometimes feels like they are slowing down your career advancement, they can optimise your professional career life. If you manage them professionally and diplomatically, it will show your managers, colleagues and your organisation’s stakeholders that you are flexible, resilient and focused on the best possible outcomes. Ways you can effectively learn and move forward from mistakes include:
When you commit to business executive development and progressing your career, your efforts won’t go unnoticed! You will be seen as a committed, proactive achiever and someone with direction and ambition. It could also result in positive feedback, great references, a fabulous reputation, a promotion and/or pay rise and even industry recognition. Working consistently on your career progression will also provide you with flexibility and options if you decide to apply your skills in a different role or company.
Professional development doesn’t just benefit employees. It can deliver a great return for businesses as a whole as well. Savvy organisations invest in staff development and ensure that programs are aligned to their company’s goals so that employees gain the required skills and expertise necessary to deliver on the needs of the business. Business executive development can help:
Teacher aides support teachers and students across a range of services provided in an educational setting. Their role description can vary according to the environment in which they work and the needs of the school. They are different from Assistant Teachers in that they are responsible for general classroom tasks, whereas Assistant Teachers are qualified to provide instructional support.
Teacher aides support students’ learning and development by applying learning and teaching strategies. Most work under the direction of a classroom teacher, although some are provided more responsibility and independence than others.
Some teacher aides work in mainstream classrooms, others in specific subject areas, and some provide support to certain groups of students, including those with specific learning needs (such as with literacy or numeracy), disorders, disabilities or those who speak English as a second language. They also assist one or more teachers to undertake logistical tasks to ensure the efficient operation of the classroom or centre.
Many teacher aides implement teaching and learning strategies such as explicit teaching, scaffolding, modelling, cooperative learning, one-on-one instruction and formative assessment. Some even run their own programs under the direction of a teacher or other specialist. General classroom support and behaviour management are also key responsibilities of many teacher aides in Australia.
However, teacher aides are typically not qualified or employed to teach as such, but interact with students under the direct or indirect supervision of a qualified teacher. And although they may have relationships with families as part of a school community, they should not discuss a student’s behaviour or educational progress with parents — only teachers should do this.
In a typical classroom, the teacher aide will circulate from group to group or work one-on-one with a particular student. They are not expected to teach the whole class — that is the role of the classroom teacher. They may however teach groups, particularly after several years’ experience and demonstrating competence at implementing strategies.
In many classes, the teacher will direct the teacher aide each day or lesson, such as asking them to target certain students who have been identified as needing additional support. This happens with students with high needs and is commonly found with students with physical disabilities and Autism (ASD).
More competent and well-trained teacher aides may be asked to “run” a program of their own in a separate room such as a numeracy or literacy program, which is typically a targeted remedial or intervention program. However, they are generally not required to plan or develop teaching and learning programs.
There are different types of teacher aides, and each will undertake different roles and have different responsibilities. A big factor that often determines what a teacher aide will do from one day to the next is the needs and instructions from a classroom teacher who has a responsibility to direct the support staff in their classroom. Common types of teacher aides include:
A general all-rounder, who is often employed to assist a student with special needs but will circulate around the room depending on those needs.
Works in an inclusive classroom with one or more students with disabilities or in a special needs school.
Works mainly with students of Aboriginal and Indigenous descent
You don’t need a formal qualification to gain employment as a teacher aide in Queensland state schools. Once employed you may be eligible to be paid at a higher level if you possess a relevant qualification. However, those who work in an educational setting with children are required to hold a Blue Card and to undergo a Working with Children Check.
Depending on the size and structure of the organisation, your line manager could be a Principle, Deputy Principal, one or more teacher or the Business Services Manager.
The conditions of a teacher aide’s employment are derived from the current, relevant certified agreement that is typically determined by each Australian state’s Department of Education. You can view Queensland’s Teacher Aides’ Certified Agreement 2018 here.
Students’ learning is constantly in flux and as things like technologies, circumstances and societies change, so do students’ educational needs. New curriculums also open up gaps in a teacher aide’s capabilities to meet new needs. Targeted professional development for teacher aides bridges these gaps and is an important component of an educator’s learning journey. It builds skills, qualities and knowledge, and leads to improved teaching and better student outcomes.
Research shows that professional development with the following characteristics can have the biggest (and most positive) impacts on student outcomes:
Professional development for teacher aides can also enhance and expand your career further, including allowing you to:
All educators play an important role in children’s development, including early childhood educators who help set the foundations for a lifetime of learning using play-based techniques.
This includes providing educational support to children with specific numeracy, reading, writing and oral language skills, those with special needs or learning difficulties or those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Australia is a multicultural nation, and professional development can assist teacher aides with supporting, contributing and coordinating educational opportunities for children from different backgrounds, including indigenous students.
This includes assisting with school administration tasks like organising and managing a school administration department, understanding school policy and procedures, and collecting and recording information to meet organisational and legislative obligations.
Professional development can also enhance a teacher aide’s scope of knowledge, including how to design and develop learning programs, nurture children’s creativity, and help children self-regulate their behaviour in a safe and supportive environment.
For many years, professional development for teacher aides was carried out face-to-face in the workplace through activities provided or required by employers. This often formed part of the activities of a range of associations and/or professional bodies and in some cases through further, individual study or qualifications. These days, and with the scope and continual advancement of technology, further study can be undertaken from almost anywhere! Including online with our wide range of Education and Teaching courses!
The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Australian economy through production, employment, tourism and export. In Australia, there is a $3.5 billion domestic market for Australian wines, with Australians consuming over 500 million litres annually!
Our Certicate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production is ideal for wine growers, vineyard managers and workers, hobby farmer growers, amateur wine makers or anyone working or aspiring to work in the industry.
This online professional development course explores the nature and scope of the viticulture industry, grape varieties, grapevine culture, vineyard establishment, selling, harvesting and winemaking. In viticulture courses like this, you will learn how to choose an appropriate site for a vineyard, including considering soil quality and the appropriate grape varieties for different situations. You will also learn the basic principles of winemaking, including the harvesting and post-harvesting treatment of grapes, and how to successfully market vineyard products.
Outcomes achieved by undertaking viticulture courses include:
And more!
Australia has over 160 grape varieties spread over 140,000 hectares across six states. Wine making is concentrated largely in the southern part of the content where the local climate, soil types and availability of irrigation (among other things) is suited to viticulture. As you’ll discover in viticulture courses like ours, the most-widely planted and popular drinking varieties are:
According to the Vintage Report 2020 released by Wine Australia, the largest “crush” of wine produced was Shiraz (over 376,000 tonnes which accounts for 25 per cent of the total crush), and the second largest was Chardonnay (over 285,000 tonnes).
While the varieties above are the backbone of the Australian wine industry, growers have also discovered less well-know varieties from Italy, Spain and Portugal, which suit Australia’s dry, hot conditions. Other varieties are increasing in demand in the industry, including being used for the blending process. These include:
As you’ll learn in viticulture courses like our Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production, Australia has no native grapes, but regardless, the art of winemaking has a long and fascinating history.
Some of the first vine cuttings were bought to New South Wales from the Cape of Good Hope by Governor Phillip on the First Fleet in around 1788. Early attempts at making wine from these first vines failed, however settlers persevered and Australian wine was made available for sale domestically by the 1820s.
In 1822, explorer Gregory Blaxland became the first person to export Australian wine, and was the first winemaker to win an overseas award. The red wine he sent to London was awarded a silver medal by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce.
In 1830, vineyards were established in the Hunter Valley, and in 1833, viticulturist James Busby (widely known as the “Father of Australian Wine”), returned from Spain and France with a selection of grape varieties. These included classic French grapes and others suitable for fortified wine production.
Wine from the Adelaide Hills was sent to Queen Victoria in 1844, but there is no evidence that she placed an order as a result! The quality and production of Australian wine was improved by the arrival of free settlers from various parts of Europe. They used their knowledge and skills to establish some of Australia’s premier wine regions. This included winemakers from Switzerland who helped establish Victoria’s wine region in Geelong in around 1842, and those from Prussia who established South Australia’s Barossa Valley in the mid-1850s.
Early Australian winemakers faced many challenges, particularly because they were unfamiliar with the Australian climate. But because it is dry, warm and similar to Mediterranean weather, it is ideal for wine production and they eventually achieved considerable success.
At the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair, French judges blind tasted wines produced in Victoria. But they withdrew in protest when the wine was revealed on the grounds that wines of that quality must clearly be French! However, Australian wines continued to win high honours in competitions, including a Victorian Shiraz that was submitted in the 1878 Paris Exhibition that was likened to a Château Margaux and “its taste completed its trinity of perfection.”
At the 1882 Bordeaux International Exhibition, one Australian wine won a gold medal “first class”, and another a gold medal “against the world” at the 1889 Paris International Exhibition.
Australia has rapidly become a world leader in both the quality and quantity of wines it produces. For example, Australian wine exports to the US rose from over 578,000 cases in 1990 to over 20,000,000 cases in 2004. In 2000, it exported more wine to the UK than France for the first time in history.
However, the industry has also suffered from its own productivity. In the late 1980s, governments sponsored growers to pull out their vines to overcome a glut of winegrapes. Low grape prices in 2005 and 2006 led to further calls for another sponsored vine pull. Cleanskin wines were introduced into Australia during the 1960s as a means to combat oversupply and poor sales.
In recent years, organic and biodynamic wines have been increasing in popularity. In 2004, Australia hosted the First International Biodynamic Wine Forum in Victoria. This brought together biodynamic wine producers from around the globe. And despite the overproduction of grapes, many growers have enjoyed continuing demand thanks to the premium prices winemakers can charge for these products, particularly in the European market.
If you are familiar with wine, no doubt you will know that Australia’s most famous is Penfolds Grange. The great 1955 vintage was submitted to competitions from 1962, and over the years has won more than 50 gold medals.
The 1971 vintage won first prize in the Syrah/Shiraz category at the Wine Olympics in Paris. The 1990 vintage was named “Red Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator magazine in 1995. It later rated the 1998 vintage ninety-nine points out of a possible one hundred. Influential wine critic, Robert Parker, who is known for his love of Bordeaux wines, has commented that Penfolds Grange “has replaced Bordeaux’s Pétrus as the world’s most exotic and concentrated wine”.
Gain the confidence to pursue a career in the viticulture industry or start your very own winery business with viticulture courses such as our Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production
This course is ideal for anyone who works in education or other settings, including teachers, teacher’s aids or classroom support officers. The Certificate of Behaviour Management is a professional development course that will give you proven behaviour management strategies to guide the responsible behaviour of children and young people within an educational context.
In this online behaviour management course, you will discover a range of strategies to help children self-regulate their behaviour in a safe and supportive environment. You will learn about learning styles, different developmental stages, learning difficulties and developmental changes, and understand how to apply flexible and positive support techniques to meet the educational needs. You will also discover the tools and techniques required to support both individual and group plans for developing cooperative behaviour.
Outcomes achieved by undertaking behaviour management courses include:
And more!
In terms of working in education or any settings with children or young people, when you study behaviour management courses you will become familiar with the Australian National Quality Framework (NQF). The objectives of the NQF are to:
The six guiding principles of the NQF are:
The NQF aligns with the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child. This treaty ensures that children have the right to be free from abuse, violence and neglect, have the opportunity to thrive, be heard, take action and be accountable, and to be engaged in civics and citizenship. A rights-based approach to delivering care and education means understanding these rights and implementing practice which reflects them.
The NQF views children as capable learners who “actively construct their own understandings and contribute to others’ learning”. It recognises children’s capacity to initiate and lead learning and their rights to participate in decisions that affect them, including their learning.
Viewing children as decision makers and active participants opens up possibilities for educators to move beyond pre-conceived expectations about what children can achieve. This requires educators to respect and work with each child’s unique qualities and abilities.
The NQF recognises all children’s right and capacity to succeed regardless of abilities, diverse circumstances and cultural background. Inclusion is an approach where diversity is celebrated. It requires educators to hold high expectations for the learning and development of all children, and recognises that every child treads an individual learning path and will progress in different and equally meaningful ways.
In recognising each child’s experience of learning and development, educators can implement equitable, responsive and individualised opportunities, and implement additional support if barriers to success are identified.
The NQF is underpinned by a commitment to “Closing the Gap” and acknowledges Australia is a nation of great diversity, and an ancient land that has been cared for by Indigenous Australians for many thousands of years. Education and care services have a shared responsibility to contribute to building a sustainable environment and better society and to support children, families, colleagues and the local community to understand, respect and value diversity.
Through all aspects of their practice, educators should challenge bias and stereotyping. They should find sensitive and respectful ways to negotiate tensions that may arise, for example, because of differing beliefs, values and expectations within a local context, and within the broader contexts of Australian society. Educators should take every opportunity to extend children’s understanding of their local context and of their wider world.
The NQF acknowledges a view of children in the context of their family and community, and that families are children’s first and most influential teachers. It is envisaged that education and care services will actively seek out partnerships and develop secure respectful relationships to ensure families are informed, consulted and supported in regards to their child’s learning and development.
Inherent within the NQF is a commitment to striving for “best practice” and continuous improvement. While the NQF does not prescribe what best practice looks like, it encourages education and care services to draw on a range of the current theory and understandings about early and middle childhood. This can provide educators with an understanding of the best and most suitable practice in the unique and changing context of their services.
Behaviour management courses like our Certificate of Behaviour Management that focus on children or young people, often touch on data, in particular ABC data. But what is it exactly?
ABC data stands for Antecedent (A), Behaviour (B) and Consequence (C) data, and is often referred to as the ABCs of behaviour. This data can help behaviour analysts and those in education settings identify patterns of behaviour.
Triggers or antecedents to behaviours of concern may include common situations such as having preferred items or activities restricted. Examples include when a student is undertaking independent work, when they are asked to put away their iPad or they are required to complete a difficult or less-preferred academic task or school routine.
Knowing the elements (antecedents) that trigger a student’s reaction (behaviour) and how peers and educators respond to the behaviour (consequences) can provide useful information as to why the behaviours continue.
When combined, this information can ultimately guide educators in developing effective interventions. Assisting teams with changing the environment, adapting the ways in which they respond to behaviours of concern, and improving young peoples’ fine motor skills can all prevent or reduce the future likelihood of these behaviours.
ABC data is collected by one or more staff members who frequently work or interact with a student. It can be collected over two or three days or several weeks, depending on how often the student attends school and how often behaviours of concern are observed.
Data may be collected throughout the day or for specified periods of time in which the behaviours are more likely to occur. The goal is to gather enough information to develop a firm hypothesis regarding the student’s behaviours that will assist with the development of effective strategies or interventions.
Gain confidence in your ability to use proven techniques and strategies to manage the behaviour of children and young people in a positive and supportive way with behaviour management courses, such as our Certificate of Behaviour Management.
