Queensland's Brisbane North Institute of TAFE (BNIT) has something different to offer spray painting or panel beating students.
Now BNIT's Certificates II and III in Automotive (Vehicle Body-Panel Beating) provide a choice of learning pathways that are client focused and practical and enable students to learn key skills at their own pace.
They have developed training materials on CD-Rom and online and are making a traditional industry area more technologically savvy.
A committed team of seven BNIT automotive teachers joined forces with a wide cross-section of small and large automotive industry players to discuss both apprentice and employer needs and training delivery options.
The result? More flexible learning options for students who are juggling learning and work commitments and greater productivity for employers who can keep their apprentices on the job while they're learning.
BNIT's flexible learning success is a direct result of its teamwork and partnering efforts both with the automotive industry and within the organisation itself. BNIT panel beating teacher Michael Cassimatis said forming a partnership with the Motor Trainers Association Queensland was a key driver in making learning materials client-focused.
"Partnerships between various BNIT departments such as the teaching and library teams were crucial in making the shift to delivering learning flexibly a smooth process as well. Building a partnership between the library and the teaching team was essential to establishing trust, taking the myth out of applying technology and developing the technological skills of the teachers," he said.
In 2003 the team received national funding to support professional development that focused on flexible learning (LearnScope). Michael said time to undertake professional development for the teaching team to develop their technological skills to make their flexible learning ideas a reality was critical to success.
With no previous technological background, Michael Cassimatis believes that through accessing professional development opportunities in flexible learning he has been positively supported in developing new skills so now he has the confidence to use technology in his training delivery to students.
"The professional development was tailored to everyone's needs so we could all learn at our own pace. Without it we would never have found the time or motivation to make the step to embrace technology."
BNIT Manager of Research and Innovation Sandra Lawrence said the Institute valued delivering training flexibly.
"Like any organisation, we have to be client focused. Introducing different blends of technology in the learning environment increases the quality of options for teaching and learning and makes our courses more accessible to a greater number of students throughout Queensland."
Sandra said the automotive team's flexible learning initiatives had raised the profile of flexible learning within the Institute. Brisbane North's business plan now includes 30% of educational delivery through both face-to-face and technological activities - otherwise known as blended learning.
"The whole panel beating team was on board with the shift to a more flexible approach. It has provided us with an excellent opportunity to clarify what we want to achieve together and chart our course to achieve shared flexible learning goals.
"The entire team is now becoming technologically independent through the development of key skills and are in turn gaining a sense of individual ownership over building flexible learning capabilities within the Institute. This has given flexible learning a more sustainable future within Brisbane North," Sandra said.
The BNIT automotive teaching team participated in a Framework LearnScope project that helped them make inroads into flexible learning.