Guest posting to voced-coord email list. Item 1 of 15:

Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 16:44:37 +1100
To: voced-coord@owl.qut.edu.au
From: Janine Bowes
Subject: VocEd: Introducing Online Guest - Brigid Freeman

Hello everyone!
Hopefully by the time you receive this message, the mail to the list will be back to normal. In an earlier message I gave some background to the changed direction currently being taken by the "New ASTF". As an important way of informing people about these changes, Brigid Freeman from the ASTF will be our online guest for the next couple of weeks. This makes an ideal opportunity for clarifying issues that may arise and asking questions as well as giving feedback. Brigid will provide byte sized chunks of information about the "New ASTF" over the next couple of weeks.

For those new to the online guest idea refer to the notes at the end of this email.

Until recently Brigid has been a Research Officer with the ASTF - managing the research functions of the organisation, primarily focusing on quality and sustainability of VET in Schools programs incorporating workplace learning.

Brigid has returned to her former role as a Program Officer with the ASTF.

Prior to working with the ASTF Brigid was employed in a number of different industrial roles:

* Project Manager with the National Public Transport Training Board (NPTTB), managing the development of competency standards in the national public transport industry; analysing the VET needs of public transport industry personnel and subsequent preparation of the National VET Plan for the industry;

* Education Manager - Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (Forestry Division) - co-ordinating the provision of education and training services for NSW forest industry workers; involvement in a national skills analysis of forest industry workers;

* Literacy and Numercy Project Officer - Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (Forestry Division) - analysing literacy and numeracy competency of forest industry workers, and co-ordinating the provision of education and training support services;

* Project Officer - Assessment Research Centre - assisting with an analysis of building industry workers literacy and numeracy competency; development of national strategy for the implementation of accredited literacy and numeracy training programs by National Skillshare Association (NSA) members;

* National President - National Union of Students (NUS) - managing national organisation representing over 350,000 students; representations to government at a federal and state level to lobby for quality education and training, and research opportunities for students; research into key quality and equity issues in the higher education sector; involvement in the Higher Education Council of the National Board of Employment, Education and Training (NBEET) and Women's Employment, Education and Training Advisory Board (WEETAG).

Please make her welcome and ask her lots of difficult questions! ;-)

Janine

INFO FOR THOSE NEW TO ONLINE GUEST CONCEPT:

- The general pattern has been that the guest posts a message every couple of days or so over a two week period and people are welcome to comment, add input, debate issues, ask questions etc.

- Other discussion unrelated to the guest still takes place but the guest material stands out by the use of a standard subject line eg Brigid Freeman (guest).

- at the end of the online guest period the collection of guest postings will be published on the VECO website with a cross reference to the archives

- Just a reminder when replying to messages that you will need to use your email program's "reply to all" feature or enter the list address

voced-coord@owl.qut.edu.au

Just check the "to" line in your reply to be sure it's going where you want it to. The list is set up so that replies are assumed to be "to the sender" rather than "to the list".

- if you want to initiate a topic with the online guest, address the message to the list. For example if you wanted to ask the guest about grade 9/10 issues you would send email:
To:voced-coord@owl.qut.edu.au
Subject:(guest)- grade 9/10

It's a good idea to put the list address in your address book so that you don't have to key it each time you want to send a message to the list. You are encouraged to send messages to the list as you can be almost sure that others will be wondering the same thing as you or have opinions on similar matters. A gentle reminder too of the usual netiquette that applies at all times, in particular respecting the right of others to have an alternative opinion.

Janine Bowes
VECO Project Officer