At VALBEC we are having a bit of time for reflection and refresh. Our website is having an ‘audit’ - I know that word is enough to send anyone in the sector into a meltdown (been there), but this time we are looking at what is working, what isn’t and how can we make it more inclusive and appealing…if you have any feedback, we would welcome it. Speaking of reflection, some of the dates in our ‘Special Dates’ section really remind me of the importance of community and connection for all of us, but particularly for our students. And the efforts that Learn Local organisations go to to make inclusive and student-centred learning spaces. When I worked at Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre I taught in a class for adults with a mild intellectual disability. It was a great class with many people who had been there for a long time. One student talked about his loneliness and it really impacted me - we ended up collaboratively writing a play about loneliness and La Mama theater supported us to ‘put it on’, bringing families, friends, communities and the learning centre together. It was one of my favourite memories of that time. Loneliness can affect us all from time to time. Community based learning centers go a long way to meeting those needs - that are hard wired in all of us. How does your learning centre or class meet the wider needs of your student group - beyond the curriculum? We’d love to hear about it and maybe we could feature your class or learning centre in the next issue of Fine Print.
Linno Rhodes, VALBEC President
VALBEC Membership
You can join or renew online.
https://valbec.org.au/membership/
If you join in August, September or October, deduct 50%. Renewal falls due the following February.
Members receive:
- Fine Print two times a year – a high quality journal for discussion and debate about good practice, theory and policy issues. Feedback and contributions are actively sought from members about content and issues.
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eVALBEC – our e-mail communication keeping members informed of professional development activities, general committee activities and more up to date policy changes.
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Discounts for the Annual Conference and other VALBEC statewide professional development.
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Issues-based forums.
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Focus on significant policy issues impacting on the field.
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Free numeracy resources.
VALBEC is happy to be supporting the ACAL conference this year.
Registrations now open. Early bird closes July 31st.
Keynotes include Aunty Geraldine Atkinson, Dr Lorraine Gaunt, and others with the annual Arch Nelson oration given by Lyn Wilson.
Vic TESOL International Conference
https://victesol.vic.edu.au/victesol-conference-2025/
VALBEC (Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council) is offering two Professional Learning Sessions this August 2025.
Session 1 - Snapshot of the 22688VIC-22692VIC Certificates in General Education for Adults by Nadia Casarotto
A VALBEC (Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Educational Council) Professional Learning session presented by Nadia Casarotto.
This session will provide an overview of the recently reaccredited 22688VIC-22692VIC Certificates in General Education for Adults. It will cover:
- Changes in structure/content of the course document
- Changes in structure/content of units of competency
- Emerging issues and specific changes
- CGEA Implementation Guide
Nadia Casarotto is part of the Service Industries Curriculum Maintenance Manager team based at Victoria University. In this role, she is involved in the maintenance and monitoring of Crown Copyright courses including the CGEA and the EAL (English as an Additional Language) Framework as well as a number of other courses on behalf of the copyright owner.
We look forward to seeing you there.
VALBEC PL Forums Team
Who: Nadia Casarotto
When: Thursday 7th August 2025, 5.30-6.30 pm AEST
Where: Zoom
Cost: VALBEC Members Free; non-Members $10
Session 2 - Let's Talk Numeracy by Tina Berghella
A VALBEC (Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Educational Council) Professional Learning session presented by Tina Berghella.
This practical, example-rich professional development session explores how numeracy is embedded in everyday oral language — and how we can use it to strengthen adult learner numeracy skills.
We’ll look beyond equations and worksheets to focus on the oral communication that surrounds numeracy: the language of estimation, comparison, measurement, and reasoning. From making a cup of coffee to commenting on the weather, real-life conversations offer powerful opportunities to build confidence and capability in numeracy.
Drawing on ACSF indicators .09 and .11, we will:
- Unpack the difference between maths and numeracy
- Identify mathematical information and reasoning in oral texts
- Explore how everyday talk supports adult learning
- Discuss practical strategies and examples for the classroom
This session will help you tune into the numeracy hiding in plain sight — and give you new tools for teaching it.
Tina Berghella is the Director of Oggi Consulting, a business formed in 1998 to provide quality vocational education and training consulting services. Tina has a background in manufacturing and project management and is an experienced VET researcher. She has worked on various LLN projects, including the recent CGEA review, and has a particular interest in workplace numeracy.
Her numeracy related publications include Numeracy by Measure, Numeracy in Focus, Numeracy in Practice and the NCVER report, Seeking the N in LLN. Tina is a former member of Australian Government’s Foundation Skills Community of Practice and the Australian Government’s Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital (LLND) Skills Quality Assurance Expert Panel.
We look forward to seeing you there.
VALBEC PL Forums Team
Who: Tina Berghella
When: Thursday 21st August 2025, 5.30-6.30 pm AEST
Where: Zoom
Cost: VALBEC Members Free; non-Members $10
Inclusive Technology
A student’s transition into post-secondary education is often a steep learning curve. Adult learning is mostly self-directed. Students engage with large quantities of written and audio-visual materials, navigating databases, operating software packages and listening to teachers and other students. It is essential to introduce students with disability to user-friendly, reliable technology that meets the demands of a complex learning environment.
Read more about this here: https://www.adcet.edu.au/inclusive-technology
Fine Print Issue 1, 2025 is out now.
4 August National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
5 August Loneliness Awareness Week (until 11 August)
12 August International Youth Day
19 August World Humanitarian Day
30 August Wear it Purple DayP: +61 9726 1441
Sue has dedicated over 20 years to teaching Work Education at Chisholm TAFE, focusing on students with mild intellectual disabilities.
She is passionate about working with these students, as they continuously challenge her perspectives and deepen her understanding of the world.
Sue’s primary goal is to help these students achieve the best possible outcomes in literacy, numeracy, and employability skills, fostering their ability to integrate into the community and develop a lifelong love for learning.
With a strong background in early intervention from her experience as a kindergarten teacher, she has a comprehensive understanding of the educational journey these students undertake from early childhood through to adulthood. Her commitment to supporting students with additional needs is at the heart of her teaching philosophy.
National Wage Increases
The Fair Work Commission decided on a national minimum wage increase of 3.5% from the first full pay period after July 1. This should flow through to employees on the ESPSE award and to employees on NHACE agreement (regardless of whether its 2016, 2018 or 2024). The NTEU advises all to check that the pay increases have been implemented at their workplaces. If you have any concerns or questions about this, please feel free to contact an ACE Branch executive member – see below for contact details
NTEU ACE Branch meeting
Now that the 2024 NHACE MEA has been finalised, the NTEU ACE Branch is preparing a strategy for the work of the union over the next 2-3 years. We will need active input from members to identify priorities for that work. We will be calling a branch meeting (by videoconference) in second half of August to begin that process. Keep your eye out on your emails for the date and time
Your NTEU ACE Branch contacts are: Jack Boddeke (President) at jjboddeke@pm.me or Bill Daly (Secretary) at bill.daly@lcec.vic.edu.au
eVALBEC
eVALBEC is the monthly electronic newsletter of (VALBEC) the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council and is sent to about 1000 practitioners on the first of each month (other than January). It is also available in the ‘News’ section of our web site
Disclaimer:
The activities, goods and services mentioned in eVALBEC are not endorsed by Valbec in any way. People should make their own judgment about the suitability of each item.
How to submit items: https://www.valbec.org.au/evalbec