VET sector agreement on climate change signed

Last week the Premier and Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change Mike Rann signed the SA Vocational Education and Training Sector Agreement to meet the challenges of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The primary focus of the agreement is to ensure that South Australia’s VET system delivers the vocational education and training for skills in sustainability, which will give South Australian businesses the opportunity to compete in a sustainable, low carbon economy.

A key feature of the agreement is the development of a consistent framework for environmental management plans, and associated pilot demonstration projects that use sustainability tools to increase energy, water, and waste efficiency.

Signatories to the agreement were the Premier Mike Rann, TAFE SA Adelaide North Acting Managing Director David Royle, TAFE SA Regional Managing Director Denise Janek, TAFE SA Adelaide South Managing Director Stephen Conway, and ACPET Chief Executive Officer Andrew Smith.

Genevieve Bell's Digital Futures report released

Thinker in Residence Genevieve Bell's report Getting Connected Staying Connected: Exploring South Australia’s Digital Futures has been officially released. The report is available for public comment and Genevieve Bell is very keen to know what you think.

The recommendations made in the report set out a possible future plan for South Australia so individuals, communities, businesses and government can take full advantage of the opportunities created by information communication and entertainment technologies.

Genevieve Bell was South Australia’s 15th Thinker in Residence and her brief was to identify a set of strategies, directions and opportunities for all South Australians with regard to the future of new information, communication and entertainment technologies.

During her time here she traveled over 14,000 kilometres and visited 45 very different communities, from Adelaide to Amata and talked with hundreds of South Australians.

Genevieve discovered South Australians using technology in a huge range of creative and innovative ways to benefits themselves and their communities.

You can view and comment on the report at the SA Stories website.

Employers confirm e-learning integral for training

The 2010 Employer E-learning Benchmarking Survey Draft Report released this week confirms that e-learning is now entrenched as a tool for employee training.

The survey, conducted by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework with employers Australia-wide, found that half (50%) of all Australian businesses are now using e-learning to provide flexible, timely and efficient employee training (up from 40% in 2009).

Employers’ attitudes towards e-learning were overwhelmingly positive, with the majority reporting that e-learning increases access to training (88%), is a flexible training option for employees (85%) and is an efficient way for employees to undertake training (75%).

Employers also said that e-learning is providing an engaging and cost-effective training solution for remote learners and learners whose jobs require shift work by cuting travel costs and reducing the time employees spend off-the-job attending training.

The 2010 Employer E-learning Benchmarking Survey was conducted with a sample of 800 employers across Australia.

Supersize me! The early origins of a life of obesity

The Royal Institution Australia (RiAus) in association with the Oxford University Society (SA branch) will present a free public lecture titled Supersize me! The early origins of a life of obesity.

This lecture, to be presented by Professor Caroline McMillan of the University of South Australia, will explore why patterns of early nutrition and care are important for our later health.

It will also explore why exposure to over-nutrition in the womb may program us to eat more and store more fat for life, and asks what we can do to prevent an 'intergenerational cycle of obesity'.

The lecture will be held on Wednesday 28 July at the Science Exchange from 6.00pm to 7.30pm. Admission is free but booking is essential.

For more information visit the RiAus website.