Students Battle Blaze
at College

Students from Alstonville Ballina Community College enrolled in Certificate IV in Occupational Health & Safety had a very exciting training session recently. Under the supervision of Mick Heffernan, accredited WorkCover OH&S Trainer, students learnt how to extinguish a range of fires using different types of fire extinguishers. According to Phillip Reed, VET Coordinator with ABCC, "this was an additional component we added to the qualification, leading to students also gaining their accredited Fire Warden Certificate not normally covered in the OH&S course."

“The safety of workers can never be overestimated,” Mick Heffernan said. “The unpredictable nature of the workplace these days means employees and management need to be both vigilant and skilled,” he said. The full Certificate IV in Occupational Health and Safety is a valuable asset to any business as it provides all the training necessary to carry out workplace safety audits, develop policy and procedure and to minimise potential risks for employees.

Nine mature aged students have undertaken this safety training with ABCC through this term. The course provides practical training in how to monitor and manage hazards and risks in the modern workplace, whether it be a factory or a retail outlet.

“The rewards of studying something so practical and relevant have had these students asking for more,” Phillip Reed said. “While the study tasks the students have completed have been demanding, the class has admitted they have learned a great deal from their participation," he added.

With funding from the NSW Department of Education and Training, Alstonville Ballina Community College will be running several more courses next term starting in late October in Alstonville Ballina and Yamba. The course runs for one day each week over a five week period. "People currently employed are eligible for a DET funded enrolment for as little as $500 which is a substantial discount on the full fee of $1,180," Phillip Reed said and added that "indigenous students are able to enrol at no cost through the Indigenous Employment Program."

People wanting more information or wishing to enrol, should contact the college on 6628 5426. Further details are also available on the ABCC website at www.ablcc.com.au