Central Ranges : Working with the Victorian Skills Commission

Working with the Victorian Skills Commission

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Macedon Business Forum

Macedon Ranges Shire Council and the Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment Network welcomed over 30 representatives from 17 organisations to the Macedon Ranges - CRLLEN Business breakfast forum, held at The [magnificent] Bentinck of Woodend. today, Wednesday 25th of August.

Welcome from CRLLEN Acting Chair

Mr. Gerard Hard, [The Factory] and acting Chairperson of the LLEN [left], welcomed Mayor John Connor and guests to the breakfast. Gerard outlined the importance of coordinating effort across sectors to support young people entering the work force.

Mr. Hard gave a special thanks to Anne McLennan, [Director of Community Services] and Mr. Shane Murphy, [Economic Development Manager] of the Macedon Ranges Shire for the support in organising the forum.

Debate over toast and orange juice!

Launching the newly updated Central Ranges LLEN Environmental scan, the LLEN CEO highlighted the importance of the research now available to local communities.

Detailed data makes evidence-based planning a genuine reality and the challenege of the morning was to find ways for employers, local government and industry peak bodies in the region to collaborate where relevant to improve outcomes for young people and enhance the competitiveness of local and regional industry.

Details of the proposed 'COINS' initiative [Communities of Integrated Networks], a proposal to connect education, business and community across three shires, was also publicly unveiled for the first time.

Participants in the morning included, Macedon Shire Kyneton BATA, Braemar College, Office of Business Development, La Trobe Uni, Black Forest Timbers, Campaspe House, Lancefield BATA, SAGE Committee, ACFE Gisborne, Lancefield/Woodend Neighbourhood House, Flexidrive Cables Australia, IBM Australia, Kyneton Secondary College, Riddells Creek Neighbourhood House, Bendigo Regional Institute of Tafe.

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Posted by Bill Coppinger on 25 August 2004; 5:06:59 PM from the The Macedon Shire Committee dept.

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New Research on Class Size -Is small beautiful?

The Australian Newpaper reports reducing class sizes does not improve academic performance at primary or secondary school level.

The study, involving 1540 Victorian primary and secondary schools, shows that academic achievement is unrelated to the number of students in the class.

"On almost all tests, class size was rarely important," the study, conducted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, and obtained by The Australian, concludes.

US economist Eric Hanushek, a key-note speaker at the Making Schools Better summit in Melbourne, says his analysis of several hundred US studies of the effect of class size found the evidence was inconclusive.

The full class-size report will be released tomorrow [Thursday 26th August] at the summit, which is organised by the Melbourne Institute, the University of Melbourne and The Australian Newspaper.

As part of this discusison topic, the CRLLEN has and will add a number of links to existing research on this often highly contentious issue.

[Source: www.theaustralian.news.com.au]

Posted by Bill Coppinger on 25 August 2004; 3:04:39 PM from the School Education dept.

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