1. ACAL Conference 'Traders, Neighbours and Intruders: Points of Contact'

Darwin, Sept 12-15, 2017

Early Bird Registrations (save $100)

Plus member discounts for financial members of ACAL or of QCAL, NSW ALNC, VALBEC, TCAL, SACAL or WAALC.

Early bird closes on July 19.

A Taste of the Sessions

• Technology Tearoom

• Reading Writing Hotline's role

• Show me the Money

• Untangling the literacies of governance docs

• Digital learning resources for remote learners

• Yolŋu 'Bothways' approach to English

• Numeracy, what's the problem?

• What attitudes are we talking about?

• Describing capability in the foundation skills field

• Re-imagining WELL for work in the 21st Century

• Graffiti as Literacy

• Learning financial literacy skills through traditional concepts

• The impact of domestic and family violence on adult women learners

• Exploring NCVER pods to improve practice

• Journeys of new migrants

• LLN for employees, is a change of focus required?

• Communication in time of disaster and emergency

• Phonics-based adult literacy resources

• Prioritising people

• Blended Learning for the LLN Classroom

2. Next Fine Print

Do you know what a cuboctahedron, tetrahedron or a rhombicuboctahedron are?

Do you use nets in your teaching?

In the next edition of Fine Print, Pam Mahlis from Olympic Adult Education describes how she uses nets to develop her students' understanding of three-dimensional objects. You can always find interesting and stimulating reading in Fine Print. Ensure that you keep up to date and informed by taking out an individual membership or subscription at your workplace.

3. LLN in the workplace: an ongoing need not being met - Minister responds

In 2014 the Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) programme was closed. The Federal Government closed a number of education programmes to focus on the Industry Skills initiative. The Industry Skills fund was closed in December 2016. Industry Skills included an element of LLN support within a specified range of industries if the LLN need could be demonstrated as a need for the company's growth.  There is no clear replacement for this programme.

ACAL (Australian Council for Adult Literacy) wrote to the Minister for Education and Training, the Honourable Simon Birmingham in June promoting the need for a new program to support LLN training in the workplace. This letter referred to a report by the Australian Industry Group, Tackling Foundation Skills in the Workforce, published in 2016.

4. Win a conference prize?

Each year the VALBEC committee invites sponsors to attend the annual conference. We are well supported by 'regulars' such as The Bookery, Parliament and PRACE. This year we were also fortunate to have The Victorian Legal Aid service, AMES and Spineless Wonders provide prizes for conference attendees.

With planning for the 2018 conference already under way, we would like your feedback.

If you have won a prize at our conference, what have you found most useful for students and teachers?

What else could we offer conference participants?

Feedback to: info@valbec.org.au

5. Resources

Resource Gems - The impact of family violence

This month's contribution is from Committee member Linno Rhodes

Jenny Horsfield has done important worked in the area of violence and its impact on literacy learners. 
http://jennyhorsman.com/
https://vimeo.com/105517039
http://learningandviolence.net/

She has previously been keynote speaker at several conferences in Australia and other countries, sharing her knowledge in this field. If you check out her website and other links you will find more older and more current work, including the topical mindfulness and brain plasticity.
I have become very interested in this area lately and can easily see the links between violence and other traumas, and the impact this has on adult learners. The more information we have about where our students are, the better we can understand their learning styles and support them to have successful learning experiences. This information can easily relate to migrant and refugee learners who have suffered trauma as well.

6. Language Literacy & Numeracy Teacher position

Southern Grampians Adult Education is seeking a full time LLN qualified teacher to work with our VCAL students at Foundation, Year 11 & 12 level.

Key Criteria:

• TAE80113 Grad Dip of Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice or TAE80213 Grad Dip of Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Leadership

• Two years relevant and current vocational/community teaching Literacy and Numeracy to adults

• Knowledge of issues related to young adult learning and LLN

• Demonstrable experience in teaching using flexible delivery models

Desirable Criterion:

• TAE40110 Cert IV in Training and Assessment including TAELLN411 and/or TAELLN401

Contact pip@sgae.vic.edu.au for application pack.

7. VALBEC on Facebook 

Remember to check out VALBEC on Facebook

Like, Share and Follow

This FB page is to share news, views and resources in adult LLN, basic education and foundation skills.

If you have any stories that you think would be appropriate for this page please share them with us or email hello@valbec.org.au