[CDU eNews] - CDU LECTURERS WIN NATIONAL AWARD

[Peter.Hurt at cdu.edu.au]

CDU lecturers win national award


Two early childhood lecturers at Charles Darwin University have won a
national award for a two-year pilot child-care project, Turning Points - an
innovative approach to professional development and training of child-care
staff and organisations.

Ruth Wallace and Kathie Mair received the Australian Vocational Education
and Training Research Association (AVETRA) New Researcher Paper of the Year
2005 at a presentation night in Brisbane.

Ms Wallace and Ms Mair, from the University's Centre for Learning Research,
developed the project, funded by the Department of Health and Community
Services. The project involved a series of workshops and meetings and
ongoing support services to staff from four Darwin child care centres:
Darwin Family Day Care, Charles Darwin University Child Care Centre,
Manunda Terrace Out of School Hours Care, Mitchell St Child Care Centre.

Ms Wallace said today: "The idea of the project is to help develop a
self-sustaining, service-based cluster of children's services workers
engaged in their own professional and organisational development.

"The main goal, identified by the Department, was to increase the number of
people in the cluster, qualified or nearly completed a qualification in the
children's services profession, by a minimum of 10 per cent annually over a
two-year period.

"Happily, we exceeded that target. We worked closely with the staff to help
them generate a learning culture and we believe this method has wider
applications that could be used in other areas in government and the
private sector.

"There are many opportunities for employees to strengthen their
professional practices and knowledge; enhance their professional
development, accelerate progress towards qualification and to build a
sustainable vision for personal and organisational development and change."


   Four new courses for prospective teachers have been introduced by
   Charles Darwin University this year. Positions are available in these
   courses - and others - for those who want to enrol mid-year. An
   Information Night for mid-year enrolments for Higher Education and VET
   courses will be held on Wednesday 18 May. For further information, dial
   08 8946 7766, email  courses at cdu.edu.au or visit the website on
   http://www.cdu.edu.au/enrolnow/



Peter Hurt
Media Manager
Charles Darwin University
Tel: 08 8946 6019 or 0438 466 439

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