A Provocative Arrangement at Flower Show
08 March 2007
For most people, the Australian bushfire is a destructive inferno that ravages our environs, but for Thornbury resident Emily Bradbury, the bushfire is an inspiration for creative, floral artistry. Emily, 23, an apprentice florist at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT), is using the bushfire theme for her design in a competition for a contemporary floral arrangement for an interior design office at this year's Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show at the Exhibition Buildings on 28 March to 1 April.
Going Places in Broadford
06 March 2007
Waiting on tables or serving drinks behind the bar are jobs many students choose to finance their studies as they chase other careers. It can be a job for an amateur, generally demanding no more than a steady hand and a friendly persona. But for Broadford student Rosalee Penfold, waitressing and bar work are part of a professional calling beyond mere survival as a student.
Realising a Dream for Thornbury Resident
05 March 2007
Recollecting her childhood memories of visiting her aunt in the outback in Amata in the Northern Territory was the inspiration for Thornbury resident Jody Pratt when she illustrated her first children’s book recently.
Celebrating Inaugural Success at NMIT
05 March 2007
The inaugural year of the viticulture & winemaking bachelor degree at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) was a resounding success in 2006 as students achieved great results and acknowledged that studying at a TAFE institute proved to be exactly what they wanted with its focus on practical and hands-on experience.
New Directions A Mentoring and Bilingual Community Work Project
26 February 2007
Living in a refugee camp in Kenya for 10 years after fleeing the war in Sudan, Monica Nyibol Aleu was inspired to improve the quality of life of other women of her Aweil community in Sudan's south who were living alongside her at the camp.
New Horticulture Studies for Climate Change
26 February 2007
Traditionally, the horticulture industry has always recognised the importance of climate in its vocational, educational programs. An awareness of Australia’s dry, hot conditions as well as its plentiful rainfall in diverse regions around the country has underpinned training courses in horticulture and conservation and land management. Now, with increasing concern about global warming and climate change issues, education at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) has adapted its horticulture curriculum to acknowledge the reality of climate change. In 2005-06, NMIT’s Horticulture Department trialled a pilot program with a new competency subject called Design Towards a Sustainable Landscape as part of a new Certificate IV in Applied Design (Landscape) which addressed sustainability issues relating to water and energy strategies. According to NMIT horticulture teacher Mike Hirst, it is the first course to address climate change and sustainability issues in its curriculum. Mike added the course was developed by a horticulture industry and TAFE sector working group, on which he was a member, to ensure climate change was a factor in the course. A new Diploma in Ornamental Horticulture, recently accredited by the Victorian Government, also explores horticulture from a climate change and sustainability perspective. Subject competencies such as Maintain Sustainable Horticultural Practices and Identify and Select Plants have been designed to ensure horticulturalists have the knowledge and skills for global climatic conditions. The introduction of new methods in sustainable work practices and plant selection will allow horticulturalists to remain competitive and plan ahead to ensure the long term viability of the highly significant horticultural assets Australia is renowned for. ‘There is now a much greater emphasis and stronger focus on climate change and sustainability issues in all NMIT’s horticulture programs with new programs being developed that include study about these issues,’ Mike said. ‘We are all acknowledging that climate change is happening and obviously, has an impact on what we teach and how we teach.’ With about 1200 students enrolled in diverse horticulture programs, NMIT’s Horticulture Department runs a number of certificate and diploma courses that cover domestic residential gardening, parks and gardens in suburban areas, commercial landscapes and turf management. Subject competencies that have been affected by climate change issues include plant selection studies where students learn to understand plant suitability for the environment. ‘Studies are now focused on plants that are more efficient with water which might mean the use of more native flora, without dismissing some of the exotic plants which come from areas of similar climate such as South Africa, Mediterranean Europe and Asia Minor,’ Mike said. ‘Previously, where our focus was on the aesthetic, now, we have to give equal focus to the function in changing climate conditions.’ Mike added that the horticulture industry had always had ‘a fashion focus’, but this had to be tempered now by the reality of climate change. ‘A good design strategy that incorporates the right selection of plants to deal with climate change is now critical.’ In studies of Conservation and Land Management, NMIT will also introduce a new Diploma of Sustainable Water Catchment and Management in mid 2007 that looks at water management with a climate change perspective. It is a new diploma, recently accredited by the Victorian Government, and will be offered part-time to those already working in the industry with some experience.
New Skills Program for NMIT Apprentices
26 February 2007
Rosanna resident Nic Jeffrey struggled through school as a slow reader that often caused him embarrassment in class.
Local Resident Wins Poetry Award
20 February 2007
As an adolescent and young woman, Tess Evans penned poetry that was full of the angst and self-reflection of growing up.
Exhibition Recreating Our Heritage Environment
20 February 2007
A sense of magic.that's the inspiration for a new art installation project capturing the essence of our environment by Camberwell artist, Dr. Colleen Morris.
Learning to Tour Our Natural Environs
18 January 2007
Growing up as the Australian-born daughter of Greek immigrants, Brunswick resident Dimi Bouzalas developed a passion for the natural environs of the Australian landscape, often taken to the remote wilderness by her Greek uncle who was the only family member to have a car.
