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VIVA MEXICO
MUSCLE MANIFESTO
HIGH IN THE SKY
PRACTICAL DISASTER
AUSTRALIAN
APPRENTICE
OF THE YEAR
Jac Boyle spent
2006 as an
exchange student
in Mexico. Living
in a remote village,
she taught English
and lived on less
than $20 a week.
In a two-page
feature, she tells her
incredible story.
20
CONTENTS
4 VC welcome 4 In brief 8 Practical disaster 10 Multicultural media
2006 has been an exceptional A new multimedia facility, the The skills of two trainee Multimedia students have created
year for VU. The Vice-Chancellor opening of a $1.8 million youth paramedics are put to the test a DVD offering practical advice to
writes about new plans which will hub, and a champion chef are just during a virtual medical emergency job seekers in the western suburbs.
shape the University’s future. three of the in brief stories in this on the St Albans Campus.
issue.
2
26
10
8
30
11 Muscle manifesto 12 Building a country 14 Animal attraction VICTORIA UNIVERSITY
Football expert Nathan Buckley Student Ismenio Martins da Silva Greg Gordon teaches students CONNECTIONS
has published a new book on reflects on his time in East Timor at VU’s Werribee Campus to be
PUBLISHER
weight training, and it’s already and explains how VU’s scholarship animal technicians – the often
Marketing and Communications Dept.
having an impact on the Magpies. program will help with future work. misunderstood job of caring for Victoria University, Australia
animals used in research. PO Box 14428
Melbourne VIC 8001, Australia
© Victoria University
3
VC Welcome
VU’s future is taking shape, and it has not gone unnoticed. We might even claim to being the talk of the
town when our differentiation statement was announced.
As part of this vision for the future, we have made five bold commitments which include: students
spending 25 per cent of their learning on the job and in the community; two new TAFE faculties;
personalised learning programs; the creation of 12 industry and community focused roundtables; and
projects specifically targeted at the western region.
These moves will strengthen our links with industry and ensure that job readiness becomes an even
stronger part of our ‘New School of Thought’.
In sport, we have joined forces with The Western Bulldogs, Maribyrnong Secondary College, and
the Victoria Institute of Sport to create the State’s first government sports school. The school will attract
talented athletes from the western suburbs and from across Victoria.
The shape of the City Flinders Campus is changing and the relocation of the South Melbourne Campus
to the CBD has been a huge success.
In this issue you can also read more about the changing shape of VU and our new facilities. These
include the launch of the $5 million Department of Visual Arts, Design and Multimedia.
On the research front, Associate Professor Zou is working on the removal of colour from recycled water,
which is of major importance to the region.
STRONG
Congratulations go to Kevin Baker, the 2006 Australian Apprentice of the Year. This is an outstanding FOUNDATIONS
achievement and a credit to his hard work and dedication.
Three philanthropic foundations have
Special thanks goes to all of the friends, family, and Legends themselves, who took the time to write to donated a total of $138,000 to fund
me personally, expressing their gratitude and appreciation for the events VU organised to celebrate its three VU Foundation student scholarship
90th year. You can read many extracts from these letters in this issue. programs over the next three years.
2006 has been an exceptional year for VU, but watch this space as 2007 takes shape! The Bennelong Foundation has given
$48,000 to establish the Transition
Professor Elizabeth Harman Scholarships Program. Four three-year
Vice-Chancellor and President scholarships of $4000 each per
December 2006 year are being offered to secondary
school students experiencing financial
hardship, and who want to attend
TAFE and/or higher education at VU
in 2007.
Interested in establishing a VU
scholarship, award or prize?
Left to right: Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Harman, Minister for Manufacturing and Export André Haermeyer and Chancellor Hon. Justice Frank Vincent. Contact Julie Tester: 03 9919 1207,
julie.tester@vu.edu.au
4
Villagers in East
Timor perform live
A member of the
Sudanese Dambai
In Brief
music in the street. Dance Group.
5
In Brief Associate Professor
Steve Selig and
senior lecturer
Dennis Hemphill.
6
VU’s new $4.75
million Sunbury In Brief
Music School is
training the next
generation of
professionals for the
music industry.
7
Faulkner and Field arrived at their paramedic clinical
DEVI ABRAHAM class expecting to pick up a few skills by practicing on
mannequins. But they and 28 other second-year Bachelor
When Sophie Faulkner and Sarah Field arrived at of Health (Paramedics) students had walked onto a
St Albans Campus last May, they stepped into a simulated disaster site.
catastrophe. There appeared to have been a workshop
Victims grabbed at them pleading for help, others
explosion. Twenty-one victims were waiting for help.
moaned or screamed. They were directed to attend to a
man covered in extensive burn injuries who had difficulty
8
Paramedics
“It’s important to give it to them now while they can make “You can do skills over and over again in a classroom
mistakes and not kill anybody,” Furness said. “Multi- setting, but when there is a patient and no one looking
casualty incidents are highly stressful events and require a over your shoulder, you have to rely completely on
great deal of concentration.” yourself and on your partner,” Sophie said.
But she need not have worried. The students faced the VU is one of two universities in the state that offers the
emergency like professionals. “It made me stop and think, paramedics course. The lecturers are all practising
‘Gee, I’d really feel comfortable being looked after by paramedics. The students also do compulsory on road
these guys’.” clinical placements.
She wasn’t the only one. Brad Kenyon is Senior “Our aim is not to provide students with a piece of
Operations Officer, RAV Area 5. As a paramedic for the paper,” Furness said. “Rather to ensure that they are able
Bendigo region and other parts of rural Victoria, dealing to work on the road as paramedic professionals.”
with real multi-casualty incidents are a part of his job.
Web: www.vu.edu.au/courses
9
Multimedia
Futura Light 13.5pt, aligned right. 100% Black.
MULTICULTURAL MULTIMEDIA
FUTURA EXTRA
“We wanted it to be a local initiative as far as possible,”
DEVI ABRAHAM
says Elmo Perera, Multicultural Service Officer for
Centrelink Area West. “Victoria University plays an
BOLD CONDENSED
Victoria University’s TAFE multimedia students aren’t just
gamers and aspiring filmmakers. They have a heart to
important role in the lives of residents in Brimbank, so we
thought they would be best suited for the project.”
STACKED, JUSTIFIED TYPE
make a difference. They are using their skills to make an
impact in Melbourne’s multicultural west. VU multimedia lecturer Ben Dudding started on the
project with second-year Advanced Diploma in
Body Copy: Futura Light 8.5pt/12pt, 8pt space Multimedia students enrolled in his Video and Sound III
The students have put together a DVD for the Brimbank
after paragraph,
City Council and aligned left.Connecting
Centrelink. 100% Black.Communities subject during first term.
in Brimbank – A Guide to Employment & Education
Pull-Out
offers advice Copy:
to BrimbankFutura Light
residents who face barriers Putting the DVD together involved all the elements of a
in finding suitable employment. Its focus is on migrants real job. The students had to understand the expectations
13.5pt/18.5pt, +20 tracking,
and refugees, many of whom are overseas-qualified and needs of their customer, design and author the DVD
and work as a team.
10pt space
professionals, afterliving
and people paragraph,
with disabilities.
The DVD needed to be usable in four languages: Arabic,
alignedandleft.
Centrelink Type
Brimbank colour
Council to match
approached VU’s
Dinka (a Sudanese dialect), English and Vietnamese. This
Department of Visual Arts, Design and Multimedia at St
feature headline
Albans Campus colourway.
about the project last year. meant finding people who could translate all the text and
the spoken parts, and finding narrators who could speak
the language.
MUSCLE
The book is already making an impact on the Magpies.
Left to right: Dr
David Buttifant,
Nathan Buckley and
Dr Con Hrysomallis.
11
Scholarships
to rebuild our country, The ground in the small East Timor village of Ferik-Sare
is lush and green. The villagers make their living from
seasonal crops, such as maize, upland rice and cassava.
and we took it,” da Silva It is innocent and picturesque. But not long ago, the
people of Ferik-Sare had a serious problem. They had no
running water.
you can help others, it’s Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and
his mission was to find a sustainable source of water for
the people of this 2000-strong community.
12
“I feel like I’m the luckiest
person to come to VU
and study.”
“We had an opportunity to rebuild our country, and we Community development work soon followed. Da Silva
took it,” da Silva says. “I felt so happy. If you can help held jobs with CIDA, British Aid and the Norwegian
others, it’s a blessing.” Agency for Development and Co-operation. For each of
these development agencies he worked as the national
The prosperity of East Timor and its people is a driving representative in charge of project proposals, distributing
force in da Silva’s life, and Victoria University is a key aid and reporting to the agency boards.
partner in furthering his dreams.
Despite these experiences, da Silva wanted more tools
He is the second recipient of the Victoria University to help his people. “East Timor needs people who have
Foundation East Timor Scholarship. The scholarship skills, people who can share their knowledge with
supports an East Timorese student who can provide a others,” he says. “I needed to learn more theory so I
significant contribution to their country’s development. could go back and help my people.”
The scholarship includes a living and travel allowance,
and the University waives tuition fees. Da Silva is He came to Victoria University in February 2006 to build
studying his Masters in Asia-Pacific Studies – Community his knowledge base and acquire more skills. His lecturers,
Development. who are experienced in Asia–Pacific affairs and have
worked in the developing world, are teaching da Silva
Da Silva finished his undergraduate degree in English the practical skills that he plans to take back with him to
literature from Jember University in East Java, Indonesia, East Timor.
and returned to East Timor in 1999.
When he graduates at the end of 2007, he will return
His country was on the brink of a United Nations- home to continue development work and to teach
sponsored referendum that would see the East Timorese community development at the National University of
vote for independence. Da Silva worked as a translator Timor Loro Sa’e.
for the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET)
during the elections. He translated for several Australian “My only dream is to work with communities,” da Silva
policemen who were with UNAMET as United Nations says. “I feel like I’m the luckiest person to come to VU
civilian police. and study. A degree is only valuable if it helps people
become more confident in their society. When I go back,
After his country’s independence in May 2002, he I want to help build my country.”
joined the country’s civil service, first with the Infrastructure
Department and then as a national land dispute officer The first recipient (2005) of the Victoria University
with the Department of Justice. Foundation East Timor Scholarship was Alex Freitas.
More than anything else, da Silva attributes these roles The VU Foundation wishes to acknowledge the role
with heightening his awareness of public service. It gave played by The Pratt Foundation, the VU Staff Workplace
him a taste of what it meant to make a difference in his Giving program and our donors in making the East Timor
country and how he could help East Timor succeed. Scholarship possible. For more information, contact the
VU Foundation on 03 9919 1207.
“It was an honour to be part of something from the very
beginning,” he says.
13
Animal Technology
ANIMAL
ATTRACTION
“Animal technicians are the ethical guardians – to
WENDY HARGREAVES make sure animals are properly cared for in research
laboratories,” Gordon says. “We need people who
Wildlife rescue volunteer Greg Gordon has a curious really care about animals in this industry to make
day job for a man so passionate about saving animals. sure everything is done humanely. Our aim is to help
Gordon teaches students at Victoria University’s Werribee researchers make important scientific breakthroughs using
Campus to be animal technicians – the sometimes the minimum number of animals for the maximum result.”
controversial and often misunderstood job of breeding
Each year, Gordon expects half of his first-year students
and caring for animals used in biomedical research.
to be surprised by the realities of the course. Many apply
He also spends countless hours rescuing stricken wildlife for the program, run by the Department of Science and
in the Werribee and Hoppers Crossing areas to the west Biotechnology, in the mistaken belief they will be studying
of Melbourne. But this self-confessed animal lover sees veterinary science.
no conflict between saving native wildlife and rearing
“They soon start to realise the difference, but it can be
laboratory mice.
emotionally difficult for some of them,” Gordon says. “But
In fact, Gordon says students are more suited to the it doesn’t take long for them to understand that the course
University’s TAFE certificate and diploma courses in is about the ethics of animal technology and how to care
animal technology if they are passionate about animals for animals.”
and want to see medical researchers do the right thing.
Gordon says his job was of vital importance to scientific
research. Under Australian law, all medicines – for both
animals and humans – must be tested on animals in
Student Janet laboratories. “There is a misconception out there that
Campbell-Wright animal research is cruel,” he says. “This could not be
and Greg Gordon at
further from the truth. Animals in research laboratories are
the Royal Melbourne
Show’s Animal very healthy and receive amazing care – much better
Nursery. than most farm animals.”
Photo by
Tim Burgess. Animal technology students do one year of full-time study
to gain the certificate, followed by two years of part-time
study to gain the diploma. Job prospects are excellent at
the many medical research laboratories at Melbourne’s
universities, hospitals and research institutions.
14
Letter from Japan
But I am excited when in the following week many of Having now spent two exciting semesters ‘travelling’
them come back. In the coming months I draw on years across the political and social landscape of my country
of experience of teaching at one of the most culturally with similarly questioning students at Todai, I understand
diverse universities in Australia (Victoria University) to take very well what the Australian historian was trying to say
the students at Todai, and later at Keio University, on a all those years ago.
weekly ‘excursion’ to Australia.
15
Research
The director of the ISI, Professor Stephen Gray, came Her team of researchers at the University’s Werribee
to VU in May 2006 after researching water treatment Campus have designed a small-scale reactor in the
with the CSIRO for 16 years. He says the main focus of laboratory to treat small quantities of wastewater.
the ISI is water research with a strong focus on treatment “Titanium dioxide is ideal,” Associate Professor Zou says.
technologies. “It does not generate secondary pollutants, and it can be
reused, which makes it very cost effective.”
“This is the way of the future,” Professor Gray says. “The
work that we do should be of relevance to Victoria but If the process is proved commercially viable, Associate
also to Australia and the world. We want to assist water Professor Zou believes large-scale reactors could be built
authorities in understanding new technologies and in at water treatment plants, such as the Western Treatment
doing so increase the efficiency.” Plant at Werribee, which treats about 52 per cent of
Melbourne’s sewage, or about 485 million litres a day.
16
Her second research project involves finding a way to
make treated wastewater suitable for irrigation. Treated
effluent usually has high levels of salt, which decreases “One of the main solutions is
crop yields and can degrade soil to the extent that it
becomes unusable. Associate Professor Zou is examining going to be using alternative
ways to remove the salt, at the same time leaving other
minerals in the water that are beneficial to crops, such as
water sources in place of
magnesium and calcium. drinking water.”
Victoria University’s practical applications of efficient,
new water treatment technologies are not limited to that
being carried out at the Institute for Sustainability and
Innovation. the ball rolling.” The Council hired consultants, sought
funding and now plans are in place to begin the project.
Two years ago, senior lecturer Peter Lechte gave six of his
final-year Bachelor of Civil Engineering students a project. They have raised $700,000 for the wetlands treatment
They were to research and write a report on the feasibility system, which they expect to complete by the end of
of using water collected in a stormwater drainage system 2007. The system is projected to save the Council
to irrigate the historic Footscray Park – adjacent to 20–25 mega litres of potable water annually. This is the
Footscray Park Campus – using a wetlands system. equivalent of 10 Olympic swimming pools and equals a
reduction in the Council’s annual water consumption of
“If you read the newspapers you will know that our water 6.5 per cent.
situation is putting us in diabolical trouble,” Lechte says.
“One of the main solutions is going to be using alternative Student Leigh Holmes, who co-authored the initial report,
water sources [for non-drinking applications] in place of considers the outcome a great accomplishment.
drinking water.” “I couldn’t be happier,” Holmes says. “It is tremendously
His students liaised with the local Maribyrnong City rewarding to do something at uni and for people to
Council to determine the area of the water catchment actually go ahead and try it. This is not only good
needed to water the park, and the design of the wetlands for the Council, it’s good for Melbourne.” Holmes is
and a storage area. When the Council read the students’ now employed as a hydraulics engineer with Coomes
final report, it became the foundation for a massive Consulting in Melbourne.
Council-wide project. Lechte’s current final-year civil engineering students are
The Council was already planning to reduce water investigating a large drain in Ascot Vale that drains a
consumption by 20 per cent within its constituency significant portion of the local area into the Maribyrnong
by 2015, and planners had been examining different River. They are looking at the possibility of harvesting the
avenues to achieve this. The Council’s environmental water, treating it and using it to irrigate a golf course and
manager, Gavin Mountjoy, said the students’ report a new urban development.
directed them toward Footscray Park. “We like to have our students involved in practical, real-
“The groundwork they did showed that it was a viable world projects that can have a real impact with significant
idea,” Mountjoy said. “We were influenced by it. It got community benefits,” Lechte says.
17
Academic Profile
Martin Fluker gets a
risk ‘rush’ mountain
biking at the You
Yangs.
Photo courtesy of
Tourism Victoria.
18
Communications Law Centre
ONLINE CRIME
is a leading category of complaints about fraud. The
data also shows that online auctions are one of the most
common consumer complaints generally – of either online
or offline consumer concerns.
Only 5.6 per cent contacted the police and less than
2 per cent went to the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission or state-based fair trading or
Online legal expert consumer affairs offices.
Nick Moustakas.
“One of the reasons that a small number of people who
are contacting the police or consumer affairs departments
is a lack of awareness by consumers of their rights,”
JIM BUCKELL Moustakas says.
As well it might be. Overseas data, particularly from Despite the problems that were found to exist at auction
the United States, shows that fraud at online auctions sites, the peak consumer watchdog, the ACCC, has
made no comment on the report to date.
19
VIVA MEXICO
Student Exchange
20
After living here, I realise that
everything is in proportion, and
that I have made the right decision
to take part in exchange abroad.
The experience is so real, so gut
wrenching and honest.
JAC THE NURSE heavily and the next day houses have often collapsed or
I go to the local medical clinic with a student who is been washed away down the river. The people here are
complaining of severe stomach pains. After examining my so used to the rains they see the danger as just a part of
student, the only doctor (a student doctor) said I should their lives.
take her into Matias Romero soon. I asked him: “But can’t
you prescribe some medicine for her pain ... anything?” MORE WORKSHOPS
He said: “No, we don’t have any medicine here, we In my spare time I run several workshops and information
ran out months ago and we don’t have any money to sessions for the local community (aside from my high
replenish it.” school classes), including English, cooking, carpentry,
making leather shoes, massage, teenage pregnancy (it is
A similar story is told in every village. There is a huge considered normal to drop out from school at the age of
gap between the government’s six-year plan to improve 12 to raise a child), the affects of too much sugar (there
education and health services to those in need, and the is a high level of diabetes), basic medical workshops,
reality in which poor Mexicans are living. art and jewelry-making for children under the age of
five, workshops on the importance of the youth staying
TEACHERS’ STRIKE in Mexico instead of migrating illegally to the USA (there
There have been massive protests by the teachers in the is an absence of youth here as most of them cross the
state of Oaxaca. They are on strike for better conditions border to the USA and don’t come back), and workshops
for their students and better pay. It’s been four months on Fairtrade ...
now that the students have not had classes. No one is
budging. The government refuses to pay higher wages FAIR TRADE
and improve the school conditions, and the teachers are Much of my time has focused on running Fairtrade
not leaving the capital (also named Oaxaca) until their workshops, in particular in relation to coffee, orange
demands are met. juice, beef, corn and honey. This follows the work I did
with VU last year in promoting the University to become
I read yesterday that because of this break in their Fairtrade in its cafes. I didn’t realise that it was such a big
schooling, a whole generation of students face a life deal here, that the problems were not only with coffee
of unemployment. Many children in this village have and cocoa, but with everything these farmers produce.
now lost the motivation to learn. What example are
their teachers setting by refusing to return to teach their Products with Fairtrade certification allow disadvantaged
classes? What will happen if the teachers return to their producers in the developing world to get a better deal
classes and they have no students to teach? (wage), including a minimum price that covers the cost of
sustainable production, plus a little extra that is invested in
The school where I teach is free from government ties and development projects.
has teachers, and has been running normally.
It’s amazing to be living within communities that have
WARM, BALMY DAYS no idea about Fairtrade, and to be making a difference
The weather in southern Mexico can only be described just by giving a workshop on the two different kinds of
as perfect with warm, balmy days and cool rainy nights. lifestyle they can expect from choosing fair trading or
The thought of putting on a sweater crosses my mind unfair trading.
perhaps once every three weeks. Most nights it rains very
21
Student Exchange
100 students a year take part in the scheme and the number
has increased by 40 per cent in the last 18 months.
These people are directly affected by the consumer much more English. When they ask me what a word is in
choices I make back in Australia. I feel their frustrations Spanish after I have just said it in English, I tell them to go
and sense of injustice. I am documenting a few of their and look it up in their dictionaries because that’s all part
stories and, hopefully, when I get back to Australia I can of the learning. But it’s really because I don’t know what
be their voice. the word is in Spanish.
22
Apprenticeships
AUSTRALIAN
APPRENTICE
WINNER Baker studies at VU’s Sunshine Campus and is a fourth
year apprentice electro-technician at GM Holden’s Port
Melbourne plant. He also runs two businesses of his own
in the automotive and computer fields.
All of this is a big step forward for the boy who, at the
age of seven, saw no mystery to the myriad of microchips
and wiring inside his family’s PC. He simply pulled the
box apart, fixed the problem and put it back together
again. Now, Baker performs miracles on multimillion-
dollar automotive robotics.
23
90 Years, 90 Legends
LEGENDARY
Peter Thomson studied a Diploma of Applied Chemistry,
Footscray Technical School, 1944–45; arguably
Australia’s greatest-ever golfer; member of World Golf
The launch of 90 Years, 90 Legends was followed by Essie Burbridge provided support and care to many
a week of festivities, including a gala dinner in June students attending VU’s predecessor institutions.
attended by more than 500 guests, many of whom were
VU Legends. The dinner celebrated VU’s 90 years and all “Many thanks and congratulations to you [Vice-Chancellor
those who helped forge VU since 1916. Elizabeth Harman] and the University team for a really
great evening to celebrate 90 Years and 90 Legends. I
Since then, the University has received letters, emails and am deeply honoured to be included in the legends, and I
phone calls expressing gratitude and thanks from many of thank you for that privilege.” – Sadie Stevens OAM, 1926–
the Legends themselves or their relatives who expressed
their appreciation to VU for honouring their mums, dads Sadie Stevens was Vice-President of the Footscray
or grandparents. Below are a few extracts from the Institute of Technology Council; Founding Member of the
dozens of letters received. Victoria University Council; Deputy Chancellor of Victoria
University, 1995–98; honorary degree, Master of Arts
“Looking back 60 years, I would never have dreamt
at the time that my school, Footscray Technical School, “Congratulations on VU’s 90 Years, 90 Legends
would acknowledge me so! The education I received in celebration. This event was nothing short of a
those short years has stood me exceptionally well ever phenomenal success and I think has done not only
since. I hope to keep close to VU now, and into the you (Elizabeth Harman), but all those involved and the
future.” – Peter Thomson, 1929– University proud.” – Campbell Rose, 1964–
24
Institute for Health and Diversity
HEALTH
COMPETENCE
SIMON HUNTER
The institute plans to address these issues through Dr Roger Edwards: “Melbourne’s western region has some of the highest disparities in
research, training, education and engagement. health outcomes compared with the rest of Australia.”
Additionally, the institute will work with primary health
care providers to help them better understand the needs
of local communities of culturally and linguistically diverse Looking to the future, the institute’s ambition is to become
backgrounds. a respected, dynamic and self-sustaining research and
teaching centre.
“The institute was established to create an evidence
base to support service provider organisations and One way in which it hopes to achieve this vision is
professionals in promoting health and wellbeing by through the recruitment of a range of experts engaged
strengthening a culturally competent health system,” says in fields such as cross-cultural communications, cross-
interim IHD director Dr Roger Edwards. cultural health, cultural competence, mental health and
health economics. The institute will also draw on expertise
“Melbourne’s western region is one of the richest sources
across Victoria University and through newly forged
of community diversity in Australia and within it exists
international links in the field.
some of the highest disparities in health outcomes
compared with the rest of Australia. It is here we hope Dr Edwards has spent close to twenty years of his career
our research will have the greatest impact, shaping both in medical device research, development, regulation
future policy and treatment.” and manufacture. Between 1996 and 2002, he was
the director of the Co-operative Research Centre for
Diabetes is at the top of the institute’s agenda following
International Food Manufacture and Packaging Science.
a recent $5 million award from the Priority Research and
As the regional executive in a large chemical company,
Innovation Program (PRIP). The funding will be used to
he has worked extensively across the Asia-Pacific in the
examine cultural competence in diabetes prevention and
field of occupational health, safety and the environment.
care. The Federal Government has highlighted diabetes
He most recently worked as a consultant specialising in
as a major issue in Australia. Studies into lifestyle,
the commercialisation of new technologies.
exercise and diet will form a core part of the IHD project.
25
26
Workplace Learning
Two students who jumped at the chance to train in LA are Both students, who returned to Australia earlier this year
23-year-old Lauren Camilleri and 21-year-old Vu Nguyen. to complete the final subjects of their degree, have
Both say it was the best experience of their lives and managed to snare impressive jobs with local companies.
something they will never forget.
Camilleri has started work part time with local airline
“It was everything I ever dreamed of and more,” says Jetstar as a customer service officer at Melbourne Airport,
Camilleri. “LA is the most diverse city I’ve ever been to. It while Nguyen is working with the Melbourne Aquarium,
was amazing. I had the time of my life.” also in customer service. Both juggled their work and
study commitments before they graduated in November.
Nguyen says training with an iconic Australian company
like Qantas was “brilliant”. “I learnt so much,” he says. “My time in LA really prepared me for work in the
“Not only about effective communication, professionalism industry,” Camilleri says. “I gained a lot of maturity and
and working in a team environment, but I also developed the hands-on work with Qantas has allowed me to slot
leadership and technical skills. in easily at Jetstar. Because of the experience I gained
overseas I have come into this job with a lot more
“Although we were living and working in LA for only knowledge of the industry than most of the other recruits.
12 months, in that small amount of time I developed a
lifetime of memories. It was the most exciting experience “Working in LA is the best thing I’ve done in my life. I met
of my life.” so many interesting people and learnt so much, not only
about the business, but about myself as well. It was a
Camilleri says it was always busy at LA airport, great learning experience and 100 per cent worth it.”
with planes landing every two minutes. “There are
27
Alumni
EXECUTIVE RESOURCE
Helena says things have changed drastically over the
KRISTINA LINGUA past 20 years.
28
Alumni
PROJECT
Michael Jackson has
delivered dozens of
REPUTATION
high-profile projects,
including Melbourne’s
“My career could have plateaued without further
new $50 million V1
residential tower in education,” he says. “VU turned me into the professional
the Docklands. person I am today and it helped me realise my potential
as a project manager by equipping me with the primary
tools to succeed.
SIMON HUNTER “Most importantly, the VU Project Management Education
program taught me that project management is a
It isn’t often you get the chance to meet Michael Jackson. professional career. It allowed me to develop my skills
But here he is, sitting in an impressive boardroom on beyond standard functional project management to be
the ninth floor of a Queen Street office building in able to provide a complete, high-quality, risk-managed
Melbourne’s CBD. Okay, this is not the pop star, but his professional project management service.”
Melbourne namesake – a VU graduate and director of
Jackson’s relationship with VU continued following his
project management firm, Incoll.
graduation in 1995, including guest lecturing to first-
This Michael Jackson does not trade in pop records, year project management students. Michael sits on VU
but in projects. And it is his outstanding management committees and provides a valuable link with industry.
of these projects that has brought him and his company
“I deliver the introductory lecture in Project Management
considerable success.
Fundamentals,” he says. “I am often the first external
Incoll is one of Australia’s leading independent project lecturer that students see, and I get a real buzz from
management companies. They are hired to oversee, giving something back. It’s my way of showing my
manage and ensure multimillion-dollar projects run appreciation for what the University has done for me. I
smoothly. Australia Post, the Defence Housing Authority like to think I give the students a big dose of motivation,
and Westpac are just a few of their clients. and try and communicate to them exactly what
professional project management is all about.”
“We work across most industry sectors including
commercial, retail, health and industrial, delivering project In November, he will deliver the first of VU’s Project
services focused on our clients needs,” says Jackson. Management Master Class Seminar Series to students,
“This can range from managing the entire development alumni and industry professionals on the topic of Client-
and construction of landmark buildings from scratch, or Focused Project Management.
to simply providing clients with expertise and support on
Jackson lives and breathes project management. He even
one particular aspect of a project.”
admits to occasionally dreaming about it. But it is not the
Jackson was appointed as a director of Incoll seven years only thing in life he is passionate about.
ago. Before that he ran his own project management
Outside of Incoll’s offices, he turns his hand to a very
company. He has spent more than 29 years in the
different kind of project – managing his teenage
building industry. In that time he has delivered dozens
daughter’s blossoming music career.
of high-profile projects, including an appointment
by VicUrban as an independent assessor for the Alex, 13, plays the electric guitar. She has twice toured
development of Melbourne’s new $50 million V1 the east coast of Australia, performed in front of 10,000
residential tower. screaming fans at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena and
hopes to soon record her first album.
Incoll manages a national project turnover worth
hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Their Victorian “When we are on the road, I am not only her manager
operations generate an impressive 85 per cent of its but also her sound engineer, roadie and producer,”
revenue through repeat and referral business. Jackson says. “I have had to apply my project
management skills in order to create and manage all of
He believes his success has come from hard work,
these opportunities for her, and she is doing fantastically
innovation and strong client relationships – attributes he
well.”
has developed and championed throughout his career.
But another essential ingredient has been his 17-year When the interview ends I head for the elevator, casting a
relationship with VU. He graduated with a Graduate glance back at the boardroom, half expecting Jackson to
Diploma in Building and Project Management in 1991, moonwalk back into his office. With a name like Michael
and a Master of Engineering in 1995. Jackson, who would blame him for giving it a shot.
29
Opinion
MY LIFE
AS A BLOG
Stefan Schutt:
“Blogs are unruly,
decentralised the world, confess your sins, dictate a shopping list or
and have been make outrageous claims, all to a bunch of anonymous
known to expose
corporate and
computer users. It’s all power and little consequence,
government unless of course your employer catches you talking dirty
untruths.”
about them and sacks you (it’s happened). You have a
platform and you may even have an audience. Or you
can generate your audience by attaching keywords
STEFAN SCHUTT called ‘tags’ to your posts so others interested in the topic
can find you.
Strange things seem to be happening to the ways we As self-contained entities with editorial committees of
interact with each other and society. The line between one, most blogs differ greatly from multi-user sites like
our private and public selves is becoming increasingly Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org) that encourage
blurred, and for this we can largely thank the internet and people to check and edit others’ content. Your political
its precocious offspring Web 2.0. blog can link to a network of similarly oriented blogs that
will never challenge your views. That can be a worry.
The term Web 2.0 was first coined in 2004 and
Studies such as the 2000 examination of political sites
it’s caught on like wildfire. It’s a simple moniker but
by Cass Sustein, a law professor at the University of
its meaning is slippery; generally it refers to a new
Chicago, have shown that the internet acts as a self-
generation of technically sophisticated, easy-to-use
reinforcing mechanism for people who only seek out
websites that promote communication and sharing instead
opinions that concur with their own. Of course the reverse
of the one-way information delivery that defined the web
can also be true – you can find out stuff that you’d never
in the Dark Ages (i.e. pre-2001).
get through CNN, such as the famous blog by Baghdad
These days the internet revolves largely around Web 2.0 resident Salam Pax.
‘social software’ and the trend is not letting up. Witness
Blogs occupy a weird transitional space: they take
the huge growth of social networking sites like MySpace
the confessional, private aspects of diary writing and
(http://www.myspace.com), photo and video storage
translate them to the public-but-anonymous domain of the
and sharing sites like YouTube (http://www.youtube.com)
web. Increasingly, they also incorporate self-promotion,
and Flickr (http://www.flickr.com).
fanzine-style journalism, revenue raising through add-
Online diaries or ‘weblogs’ like Blogger (http://www. ons such as Google Adwords, political lobbying and
blogger.com) are also part of the phenomenon, though corporate marketing – as exemplified by the blogger
purists would argue they’re not truly social software, who was paid $US100,000 a year to promote ‘Dukes of
more one-person soapboxes that provide only limited Hazzard’ DVDs.
opportunity for others to share or respond.
Blogs are unruly, decentralised and have been known
But perhaps the unfettered narcissism of blogs is the to expose corporate and government untruths, just as
reason for their appeal. In fact blogs are blossoming they can serve their cause. They can be off-the-cuff and
like never before. The blog tracking and search site calculated, full of unsolicited ravings and thoughtful
Technorati (http://www.technorati.com) indexed 57.4 commentary, all those things. They fulfil the promise of the
million blogs when I checked today. When I checked a internet of making broadcasters of the little guy, but lack
month or two ago, the figure was more like 45 million. the big guys’ editorial quality control. They speak to us
Things move fast in the blogosphere. What’s more, blogs about an age in flux. Welcome to the brave new world.
are increasingly being imbedded within everything from
Stefan Schutt teaches in the Department of Visual Art
news portals to networking hubs like MySpace.
Design and Multimedia. He describes himself as a pre-
The reasons for this growth are easy to see. Blogs are internetter who jumped on the back of the tech bus and
free, easy to set up and easy to use. You log on, type is still hanging on after a decade of working in dot coms
your thoughts, hit ‘publish’ and it’s on the internet. and teaching multimedia.
With a blog you can be whomever you want. You can The VU TAFE multimedia group has an unofficial blog that
take on a new or enhanced identity, or you can be documents things of interest in the world of blogs:
yourself in all your glory or banality. You can rant at www.blogville.net.au
30
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