[Sub ID 4344] Project Management training and qualifications (Management Frontline)

Submission ID: 4344
Organisation name: Management Frontline
Contact name: Dr Elaine Roberts
State: QLD
Contact email: elainejroberts@outlook.com
Contact number: 0407695502

Which priority group of the Try, Test and Learn Fund does your idea support?
Young carers

What need or issue are you trying to address?
Approximately 11,000 young people fill the role of significant carers to a family member. This leaves them in a position where they will struggle to effectively complete their secondary schooling and due to interrupted education and lack of support may lack the capability to move off welfare into employment or further education.

This is a problem that will not decrease with time. Many of these young people once had aspirations but without encouragement or active support from home or school they lose impetus and after doing four years on a joint research project with Yourtown previously BoysTown the growing feelings of disbelief is frightening.

Mu idea is to address the needs of a group of young carers by giving them an alternative pathway to either tertiary education or a set of skills for employment. Project Management is a fast growing area of expertise required in workplaces and a Diploma is firm stepping stone.

It is unlikely that interrupted schooling will allow them to achieve tertiary entry to any significant programs.

My idea is to allow them this pathway that I have been trialling successfully for six years in a slightly different format. It has worked and people are graduating or a re well employed.

What is your idea?
Through completing our Diploma of Project Management program, we ensure we provide a pathway to access University programs with an OP equivalent of 7-9 (QLD) and develop the necessary management skills to cope with unstructured university life of assignments and exams. It is also a valuable qualification for those who wish to join the work force directly.

Participants manage their own project of assessment and assignments and their home duties according to their plan which incorporates the variations of their specific circumstances.

These participants need individual attention for their situations, capabilities, learning needs and core skills. Some liaison may be needed with the school to form an integrated approach. Staff need to be experienced and need to be really committed to making the adjustments to teaching to suit the learners without dropping below the national standards. My team and I have been working with students who have had a range of difficulties in their senior schooling years for six years with exceptional results. Recently, the options of modified technology based teaching/ learning mixed with face to face became a viable option that retained the immediacy of learning and the convenience of online capabilities.