Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre (PNC Training) has been identified as one of the best training providers across the state and is in the running for a Victorian Training Award.

PNC Training manager, Karen Fleischer, said the team was “humbled” to be in the running for the prestigious Victorian Community Training Provider of the Year award, and that it was due to a strong partnership it has established with Federation Training over many years. 

Ms Fleischer said PNC, along with Noweyung, Buchan Neighbourhood House, Orbost Telecentre and SNAP, were members of Gippsland East Learn Local Organisation (GELLA). One of the aims of GELLA is to provide Learn Local pre-accredited training to the community following the closure of Community College East Gippsland. 

“We’ve got a dedicated team of people who work very hard and provide a quality service to the community,” Ms Fleischer said.

“To win it, it would be recognition of the effort and what the team does here at Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre. It (to be named a finalist) validates the quality of the programs we provide and our commitment to the community,” she said.

Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, said it was pleasing news to have a local training provider shortlisted for such an award, which will be presented on Friday, August 26.

“I fully congratulate the educators and staff at Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre for providing such high standards of adult, community and further education to the community,” he said.

The Victorian Community Training Provider of the Year is one of 15 categories featured in the awards, with Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre the only East Gippsland nominee.

“PNC Training and Federation Training have established a fantastic partnership that is seeing more people being entered into courses at either Paynesville or Bairnsdale. There are people coming through the door at PNC who are being referred to courses at Federation Training, and vice versa,” Mr Bull said.

An example of the strong partnership is PNC’s ‘Linking Learning to the Land’ program with Federation Training’s ‘Paddock to Plate’ initiative, according to Federation Training’s Karen Bird.

“In its first six months, there have been 130 enrolments, with four apprentice outcomes in term three,” Ms Bird said.

Expressions of interests are currently being sought for PNC Training’s ‘A Start on the Land’ course which is being offered in partnership with Federation Training. This course is for people with no farm experience who want to learn about job opportunities with local farming industries.

Federation Training is hosting four of PNC Training courses this term. They are ‘Your Next Step’, ‘A Start on the Land’, ‘Skills for Successful Supervision’ and ‘Improving Team Productivity Course’.

Caption: Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, congratulates Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre manager, Karen Fleischer (left), with Federation Training’s Karen Bird, after PNC was shortlisted for a Victorian Training Award.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016