Happy February! The VALBEC committee has been hard at work already and met to discuss all things VALBEC at our annual planning day. We are already looking forward to the conference in May and we have a full professional development calendar in the works.
Best wishes - 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 issues per 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.
A VALBEC (Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Educational Council) Professional Learning session presented by Tina Berghella and Dave Tout (Part 1 of a 2 part Webinar Series)
Webinar 1: Moving Adult Numeracy Forward: Care and Support Industries
Two new workplace numeracy resources have been recently developed for Learn Locals to use to support learners who are interested in working in different industries where the numeracy and maths demands are quite substantial and require a minimum of Level 3 or above.
We know maths skills are an issue in the general population, and these new resources look at how and what maths is embedded across these areas of work and what critical maths knowledge and skills underpin being able to work effectively and safely in these areas.
The resources include a set of snapshots spread across the industry areas that illustrate the range and types of maths used, and how these map to the ACSF. Based on the snapshots, the associated teacher guides analyse and describe the underpinning knowledge, skills and strategies needed to enter these workforces, including the problem-solving skills and the underpinning language, literacy and maths skills. The required maths skills are then either linked to existing numeracy teaching and learning materials, or provide new materials that teachers can use to work with their learners to help bridge the numeracy gaps many adults have.
In this, the first webinar of two, Tina and Dave will share with participants what they discovered in their analysis of workplace practices of the case-studies based on some sample industry materials and texts. They will then run through how the resource is constructed, what the key messages are, and how it can be used with learners. This first webinar looks at examples from across some care and support industries.
Tina Berghella is the Director of Oggi Consulting, a business established in 1998 to provide high-quality vocational education and training consulting services. She has a background in manufacturing and project management and is an experienced VET researcher. Tina has worked on a range of 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 the Australian Government’s Foundation Skills Community of Practice and the Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital (LLND) Skills Quality Assurance Expert Panel.
Dave Tout is an experienced adult and youth LLN educator with a strong passion for making mathematics relevant, engaging and enjoyable for all learners. He is recognised as one of Australia’s leading numeracy specialists, with over 50 years’ experience working across schools, TAFEs, community providers, universities, national education bodies and workplaces. Dave has worked at state, national and international levels in research, curriculum, assessment and professional development. He has authored numerous numeracy and mathematics curriculum, including for the CGEA, VCAL and the VCE, along with a range of teaching and PD resources and is also an author of the Australian Core Skills Framework. Dave has been involved in international numeracy assessments, including the OECD’s PIAAC and PISA programs, and is currently Chair of the Numeracy Expert Group for PIAAC. Over the last few years, he has held positions at ACER and the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, and works as a numeracy and mathematics consultant.
When: Wednesday, 11th February 2026, 5.30-6.30 pm AEST
Where: Zoom
Cost: VALBEC Members Free; non-Members $10
Success Tutoring
Comprehensive collection of Free English Worksheets​ covers a wide range of topics, from grammar and vocabulary to reading comprehension and writing exercises.
https://successtutoring.com.au/free-english-worksheets
Listen a Minute
Listen a Minute has a wide range of reading texts with audio to read along to. No picture support. Fill the gap, un-jumble words, and correct the spelling exercises with each text.
https://www.listenaminute.com/
We have had some terrific feedback about our last journal. Please feel free to send any feedback or suggestions to info@valbec.org.au and it will be passed on to the editorial committee. Here’s a great idea - how about joining the editorial committee!! We are always open to new members joining, especially if you have a wide network and you’re an ideas person. Seriously though, the only requirement for membership is that you work in the field and you can commit to meeting between 4 - 6 times in the year
CGEA Champions meet once a term. The first meeting for 2026 will be in March. Anyone wishing to join the CGEA champions please send a request to christinetully@melbournepolytechnic.edu.au
February 21st - International Mother Language Day.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/mother-language-day
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