August 2011

Welcome to Tec-NQ's E-Newsletter

In an effort to reduce it's carbon footprint, Tec-NQ's newsletter will now come to you delivered in an e-newsletter format.

A Message from the CEO

Our partners in Industry are still doing it tough in the market place. We are all aware from recent media communication that the construction industry is significantly affected by the lack of investment and this flows through to our partners in the plumbing, carpentry and electrical trade areas. Despite this our Industry team have managed to place 81 students into school based apprenticeships which is very encouraging outcome.

Mackay is benefitting from increased mining activity and we are pleased to announce that we will begin to deliver electro-technology training to 15 first year apprentices in September and November this year. We now have 33 plumbing apprentices and 15 electrical apprentices with plans to increase that number during 2012.

We are also currently advertising for 2012 enrolments and we will continue to offer trade training in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, engineering and auto and to work with the Barrier Reef TAFE through the paint and panel trade area. In 2012 we will also add traineeships in Business and IT as an additional service to our industry partners.

Planning for the Awards Night and Graduation Ball are underway and once again we will be offering a car as a free raffle prize to one lucky Year 12 student. The details of this free draw will be sent out to all Year 12's once the car has been through the paint and panel workshop.

Tom

2012 Enrolments NOW OPEN

Parent Information Sessions

Tec-NQ will be holding Parent Information Sessions for the 2012 enrolments with the first one being held Tuesday 6th September from 5.30pm. Phone reception on 47792 199 to register your attendance.

First Aid Training for Year 11

In October Tec-NQ will start First Aide training with St. John’s Ambulance for all Year 11 apprentices.  The apprentices will come off timetable for a day and complete their first aide training via the fast track system.   This training is as the name suggests a one day fast track course.  There is very little practical content in this course as the apprentices will be completing this training in one day.  Competencies achieved are:
·         HLTFA301B – Apply First Aid
·         HLTCPR201A – Perform CPR
·         HLTFA201A – Provide Basic Emergency Life Support.
All apprentices will be required to attend this training.  Exact dates of when each trade group will do their First Aid training will be notified in the next newsletter. 

Good News Story

I just wanted to pass on a little story that has been close to my heart. Jake Kingston-Murphy came to Tec NQ from another Townsville high school.  Jake hated school, thinking it was a waste of his time and effort.  According to his family he was disruptive in class, and did very little work.  I was quite surprised to hear this as Jake is always polite and courteous in class and very diligent in his approach to his work. 
Jake’s family have approached me several times to “thank Tec-NQ for the turnaround in Jake”.  Since attending Tec NQ, Jake’s entire persona has changed and he is more helpful at home.  They believe it is the college that has made the difference.
I am very happy to hear that Jake has been signed into an apprenticeship at Bartel Trailers.  Well done Jake, keep up the excellent work.
Denise Svane
Student Support Coordinator

Bosch Visit by Daniel Harrison Year 11 Carpenter

On Monday the 8^th of August, apprentices in Carpentry, Light vehicle, Fitters and Turners and Electrical of Tec-NQ attended a presentation from Michael Refalo, a demonstrator and professional carpenter who flew up from Sydney just to give us a presentation on Bosch tools. Mick demonstrated how the tools were used and he also showed us how to purchase them online. He showed us a range of tools like impact drills, nine inch grinders, angle drivers, and much more. After he finished telling us about how to use the tools and what they were used for, Mick allowed all the apprentices to go around and test out each tool to see how it worked. Bosch sends someone up to Tec-NQ every year to promote the tools they have on offer.  Michael will be back in October to do the same demonstration for the Heavy Vehicle, Paint and Panel, Plumbing and Boiler makers trade groups. A demonstration they don’t want to miss.

Compulsory Tutorials

This is a friendly reminder to all students in Year 11 and 12 that if an apprentice fails to meet deadline dates for final submissions of any of their QCE subjects or trade theory, they will be required to attend compulsory tutorials in the LRC, on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. 
When Year 12s return from work experience, any apprentice who is behind in their assessments will be notified prior to starting the next block as they will be required to stay every day until 4:30pm until they are up-to-date with all their assessments.  This is to ensure that they don’t fail to gain their QCE.

Compulsory tutorials play a vital role in supporting and ensuring all our students/apprentices leave Tec-NQ with QCE under their belt.  Vikki Moore, Student and Academic Programs Manager will be sending letters home to parents whose student has been identified through our Apprentice Action Meeting at risk of not gaining QCE.

Too Deadly!!

Hello again and welcome to the second edition of Too Deadly. Before we start talking about events which have happened over the last couple of weeks, it would be remiss of me not to welcome our newest addition Jessica Gorry who from all reports have settled in quite well. So welcome, Jessica.

What’s been happening? you may ask. August has been inundated with careers expositions as it is a time which is earmarked in any school’s calendar and is a critical time for school leavers as they contemplate their future career pathways.
This mass saturation of information was ‘kicked off’ by the inaugural FOGS (Former Origin Greats) Indigenous Careers and Employment Expo.
Townsville Entertainment Convention Centre was the platform for this year’s Townsville FOGS expo. It saw a huge collection of Queensland’s most prominent employers, education and training providers; including us showing off their wares to local and surrounding schools; amongst this hive of activity the odd Queensland State of Origin could be seen.
Such greats as Arthur Beetson, ‘Alfie’ Langer and Jonathan Thurston to mention a few were present enforcing the main ideal of FOGS expos, that being the importance of education; in particular the completion of Year 12.
This was soon followed by the Townsville Careers Expo, which once again was a great opportunity for Tec-NQ to demonstrate what we have to offer in the scholastic community. Our presence was very well received and generated a notable amount of interest.
However not to rest on our laurels we continued our quest, this time to the quiet town of Bowen. Tec-NQ once again forged a large amount of attention through mass information saturation. We left Bowen with a strong interest in Tec-NQ being another possible education opportunity to call upon.
This was just the beginning and we have become victims of our own success and will be attending other schools to provide information sessions which coincides with  the drive for 2012 enrolment in the near future. So watch this space....
Despite this industrious foreground, not to be dismissed is the continued effort of our students managing their workload of academic, trade and work experience. This is an effort which has continued to be instrumental in Tec NQ’s success. This can only grow if we continue to maintain our positive attitude and motivation in order to have a strong finish for the year and be positined well for next year.  KEEP IT UP.

2011 Awards Night

The 2011 Awards evening will be held this year on Thursday the 10th November at Jupiter's Hotel & Casino. The Tec-NQ Awards is our opportunity to give recognition to the students and apprentices for their achievements and the community effort which has enabled it.  The Tec-NQ Awards celebrates the support of our region's employers who offer valuable work experience and career opportunities to our students and community organisations that provide additional support.  It also celebrates the efforts of the many parents and staff who work hard to ensure that these young men and women achieve the career success they strive for. Tickets will go on sale in October.

2011 Apprentice Ball - Car Giveaway

The 2011 Apprentice Ball will be held this year on Friday the 18th November at Jupiter's Hotel & Casino. Only Year 12 students and their partners are able to attend this event and the tickets  will go on sale on September 6th. For further information please call  Reception on 47792 199 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
In 2010 we saw Tec-NQ give away a car to one lucky Year 12 student that attended the Ball. This year will be no exception with a Hyundai Excel that has been done up by the students being given away on the night. To qualify for a ticket into the draw students need to have met the following criteria:

1. The student must have achieved their Queensland Certificate of Education
2. The student must have all fees paid up
3. The student must purchase a ticket and attend the Apprentice Ball

*The car giveaway will only occur if over 80 people purchase tickets to the Ball.

Book Launch

Following on from our last edition, Tec-NQ was in attendance at Reagan Stutely’s book launch at the Thuringowa Library on July 15. The event which could only be described a quiet celebration of young Indigenous talent and which was well received shown by the positive attendance. It saw Reagan share the spotlight with not only his brother; Brandon, but also the Kum Sing sisters; Gabrielli and Kaitlin, in hailing their books to the literary community.
The night saw a number of guest speakers pay homage to the young authors, but amongst all the pageantry and pleasantries, a reflective undertone of cultural preservation was ever present and highlighted by the words of the Black Ink Press coordinator; Jeannie Adams who stressed the importance of such events and petitioned for the continued support of young endeavours such as these through observing the basic of pastime of reading. Reagan's book "At the beach with my bro " can be purchased from Mary Who? Books and World Vision Shop.

Tec-NQ Short Courses

Did you know that Tec-NQ offers a various range of short courses ranging from a basic welding course that is perfect for the beginner or home handyman that would like to learn the basics of welding, through to advance courses to ensure that every tradesman is up to date with their qualifications. These courses are listed below however should there be something else you would like to see added to this list please do not hesitate to give Tec-NQ a call on 47792 199, and we will do our very best to tailor courses to meet your needs.

Changed Contact Details

It is important that Tec-NQ is notified of any changes to your address, whether that be a home, postal or even an email address as important documents, (such as Statements of Attainment) are sent out on a regular basis. Please call reception on 47792 199 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If you would like to submit an article for this newsletter please send it in Word format no bigger than 200 words to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it