KCLC is the ultimate ‘all-rounder’

Please forgive the cricket analogy, but it only enhances just how widespread the services offered by the facility to the Kyabram community are and how much an impact they have on the lives of both young and old.

And, just like any good cricket team, the captain is a crucial part of its success.

Chief executive officer Jen Savage is an expert in “field placement’’ and knows just how to manage her team to ensure the service keeps pace with the demands of the community.

That team has an expert “off-field’’ presence which includes committee of management vice-chair Kerrie Bozzella and management committee members Theresa Heenan, Mick Simpson, Trish Bradley and Kerrie Reardon.

Then then are the likes of executive support to the chief executive Claire Perrella, family support services manager Vicki Huggard and early learning program director Sevi Besim, who are more than capable of — my final cricket reference — facing the new ball.

KCLC influences the decsiions of many community members to embark of new careers or enhanced qualifications through its range of Adult Certificate Further Education courses

There is a constant supply of accredited professionals, for everything from aged care to hospitality, coming out of the expansive building that houses the courses offered to the community.

Ms Savage said the most popular courses included the barista and food handling courses, along with the kitchen-hand courses.

“There is a lot of need in these areas and immediate work for our graduates in Kyabram,” Ms Savage said.

“Nobody else in Kyabram offers these courses, which makes it very attractive for people not to have to travel in order to gain the qualifications.”

There are a range of courses offered annually, often varying depending on demand, with KCLC having been offering the education component of its operation for 10 to 15 years.

“We attract a range of people. They may be mums looking to rejoin the workforce, school leavers looking to stay in town and gain their accreditation, newcomers to the area and both the young and old,” Ms Savage said

Due to the neighbourhouse house status of the organisation, there are some qualification criteria that potential students must satisfy to take on the courses.

But there is no lack of diversity in what is offered, with about 10 different courses running this term alone.

‘’They are usually once a week and run for in conjunction with the school term,“ Ms Savage said.

“Some of those are beginner course, others at more of an intermediate level and then there are advanced courses.”

KCLC allows people to “try before they buy’’— they can complete an introductory course before committing financially to attending a more long-term course at TAFE or university.

Ms Savage said while the concession rate varied, subsidies made available by the goernment allowed the organisation to offer courses for (on average) about $45 a term.

That includes programs such as commercial cleaning, computers and digital literacy.

“Since COVID, people are required to do everything digitally, so our digitial literacy course is one that has been particularly helpful to the older people in our community,” she said.

She said organisations were becoming far less accommodating when it came to doing business and learning how to communicate with them digitally was often the only way to solve a dilemma.

Ms Savage said several people had completed multiple courses at KCLC, with one often leading to another.

The organisation has plenty of “success stories’’ as people go straight from receiving their certificate to working in the industry they had studied.

“Some people have even completed the introduction course and then gone on to workplace-based traineeships,” Ms Savage said.

“We have five trainees on our books — three of those in the early education and care space, one is doing finance and one with community service.

“Some of the traineeships are six months and they can go up to three years. We commit to work with these trainees for the duration of their accreditation.”

KCLC has 26 staff, varying from part-time to full-time roles, mostly in early education care and family support services.

Ironically, the smallest team is the neighourhood house team, considering most services people would know KCLC for was in the neighbourhod house area.

KCLC offers a wide range of services.

• KCLC can start people learning new skills or further develop existing ones in their chosen career.

• If you are thinking of embarking on a new career, KCLC can give you a taste of the skills needed to start.

• In 2024, KCLC will provide computer skills, intro to childcare and education, intro to community services, intro to community development, intro to project management, intro to grant writing and management, food handlers and barista, intro to commerical kitchen hand and intro to commercial cleaning courses.

• KCLC also offers traineeships for people wanting to enter childcare and education (Certificate III and diploma) courses and Diploma of Community Services.

• Supporting community to learn and reach their careers and become a stronger and more resilient community.

• One of the most valuable ways KCLC can support the future of our community is by championing the education and training for in-demand careers for our generation and the next to seize these opportunities.

• Adult Certificate of Further Education is designed to assist people in determining their new or emerging career paths with introductory training into the field of interest to see if it is the right fit before they embark on further study where needed to fulfil their educational ambitions.

• KCLC works with both employment services and employers to determine their needs and training to either enable people to complete a course to directly enter a workplace or to start them on their new educational journey.