UPDATED 09/11/1999

At this year's Annual Conference of the CAA of NSW I was awarded this important prize. My thanks to those who nominated me for this and for those who voted for it. I am extremely proud !!

It is a real honour to be acknowledged for your work by your peers. As I havementioned before CAs are a great group of people to work with. They cooperate more with each other than any other group within school and are keener to take on new things and be innovative in what they do.

They readily accept the challenge that most of what they learn this year will be out of date next year and organise their teaching and advising around that !

The CAs on the North Coast are an especially good group. Thanks !

Bill Goldie

A very well attended and busy meeting.

Minor points ....

Agreement to charge students $20 for home Ozjac. Some discussion as to whether a student would bother buying it when it is "free" from school.

RMC selection tests. Concern that these where placed before HSC exams and, being in Sydney required three days away from books. To write a letter to DFA. Can we go back to Brisbane ?

TID 2000. Jaffa had some innovative ideas. Next year a form of admin fee per exhibitor, a shorter day, SCU students to organise and , some sponsorship for the event. All OKed by group.

Tafe - new courses out including fee paying bar courses. Ring Peter Jarrett for info.

SOCOG hospitality jobs. Kids are keen. If enough interest perhaps they'll train them in Lismore rather than go to Gold Coast ?

Sharyn Lane - In school traineeships. Get forms to kids. They send them to NRGT. Sharyn outlined our role in these - solely as training provider of school courses. Everything else NRGT and employer concern. Schools CAN sign up kids through JPP group such as NAC and pocket an admin fee if they have an employer. A fair bit of discussion as to what we do in these/ arethey a good thing etc.

Careers Wages Offer. A lot of discussion on this. Ideas / comments where collected and mailed to CAA of NSW. While one saw some merit in more flexible hours and work placement in the holidays, the majority saw it as a drop in working conditions for a real drop in wages. Nothing more can be said here that you can't get on the DET web site. CAA president hopefully will meet with Dr Boston and argue our case. I have seen the CAA reply and it contains many of the things brought up at this meeting.

NEXT MEETING : AT SENIORS DAY AT SCU ON DECEMBER 3.

EQUESTRIAN CENTRE NEW ITALY
I've been a little slow getting these onto the web. The Equestrian Centre has offered a HSC Horse course for the past few years via Woodburn Central School. The operators extended a warm invitation to visit and see how the course worked. The meeting was fairly poorly attended which was a pity as thecentre is very well set up and offers a really good course. I'll own up to being a doubting Thomas as to its worth but have been converted as to its merits. The owners intend holding info nights for potential students ( AND unconveted Careers Advisers ) late in November in Lismore. The course is not cheap but would be good for anyone interested in the horse industry.
Of non-equine interest was the appointment of a new Voc Ed consultant for our region - Sharyn Lane formerly of TAFE - and the reorganisation of the Vet In Schools committees. The original committees have been disbanded and smaller ones based on regions have been established. Steve Ormond from Kyogle HS will replace me.
We had a small review of the TID. It went well with two "small" problems: the early leaving of some displayers ( since taken up with SCU and wont happen again) and the shortfall in funds from catering from increased costs and drop in numbers. Next year exhibitors will be charged a lunch fee so there will be no cost for this for kids. I intend passing on this organisation to another CA. Some fresh ideas needed. Any takers ?
Careers Expo went well also. OK the T-shirts weren't crash hot but everything else OK. Congratulation to Peter for his organisation. Hopefully numbers next year will be greater but not a bad start.
CENTERLINK MEETING
Centrelink outlined its plans to help students and in particular an outreach type program for students. Lots of good info on new initiatives / rules in Youth Allownace payments etc. Sharyn Lane introduced herself to the group as new consultant and gave a run down on in-school traineeships and voc ed organisation for 2000.
Some discussion with Job Placement Agencies as to how they contact students and provide services. Some organisations seem to be offering Schools the same services provided by CAs so some liaison needed.
OTHER MEETINGS
Apart from SCA Meetings a number of related meetings where held towards the end of Term 3

1. INDIGENOUS STUDENTS CAREERS AWARENESS PROGRAM ran over 6 months. An independent evaluater of the course visited the region. Some good and some bad points. Optomistically , 1999 gave us some good ideas to improve the program for 2000.
2. FULL SERVICE SCHOOLS PROGRAM. A day to inservice the inservicers ! Very profitable. this program has done some good things this year and is poised to make a big difference to "reluctant" Year 11 returners next year.
3. VOC ED 2000. A quick meeting on arrangments for what where called JSTafe courses. The booklet ( when it arrived )was very good but a bit late. Transport costs a "hidden" cost few noticed was there. Again, considering the massive ideological change in Voc Ed for 2000 , a good start, but much work to be done before anyone can say the process proceeded seemlessly.