TAFE - School of Social Sciences

Welcome to the School of Social Sciences

The TAFE School of Social Sciences within Swinburne University of Technology is committed to providing quality Vocational Education and Training and in a supportive communicative environment.
The School offers courses in Community Services, Children’s Services, Health, Recreation and Supported Learning and provides life long learning opportunities through ACCESS and Further Education programs.

Course Disciplines

Latest News and Events

Maudie-Rose at the Warran Glen Garden Centre
and Cafe where she works.

Supported learning the gateway to work opportunities

Serving coffee at the Warran Glen Garden Centre and Café, Maudie-Rose
Stone won’t spill a drop. “She has such great balance,” said her
manager, Debbie Ranieri. “She’s an integral part of our
business”.

Maudie-Rose doesn’t let her Down syndrome get in the way of her job.
After a practical placement at the garden centre through the Supported
Learning Network program at Swinburne TAFE, she was asked to stay on as
a valued member of staff.

Debbie calls her one of the garden centre’s star waitresses. “She’s exceptional. She knows what all her jobs are, from showing customers their tables to making up bags of duck feed for the children,” she said.

Maudie-Rose is just one example of the Supported Learning Network’s success. She has a Certificate I in Work Education from Swinburne, which provides basic vocational training to young adults with special learning needs. The course aims to empower students by providing experiential and relevant learning.

The arranged work placements, small classes and specialist teaching staff all result in excellent outcomes for the students. Teachers
provide the students with ongoing support for five years after they finish the course.

“My favourite thing about work is helping the customers,” said Maudie-Rose, who has regular visitors who delight in her friendly manner
and excellent service. “Working at the nursery is a wonderful thing to do.”

After seeing first-hand how the program benefits students with special learning needs, Debbie would recommend taking on a student from the Work Education program to other businesses. “The Supported Learning Network is an excellent service to the community,” she said. “These kids deserve a chance.”

Places are currently available in Swinburne’s Supported Learning Network. For more information, contact Dianne Hall on dhall@swin.edu.au or 03 9214 8941.

Early childhood education and child care courses

Removal of TAFE fees for diploma and advance diploma child care courses

The Australian Government has provided $60.3 million to support an expected 8000 people, including existing child care workers, to gain a vocational education and training qualification in early childhood. The funding will be used to remove fees for child care diplomas and advanced diplomas, delivered by a TAFE institute or other government provider, from 2009.

More. . .

Simon Blake with Peter Collins, Manager, Training Packages Service Skills Australia

Winners of the SPARTA Awards

The Service Skills Australia Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year - Sport and Recreation : Simon Blake

Simon Blake, a Diploma of Outdoor Recreation student at the TAFE School of Social Sciences has recently won the Service Skills Australia Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year- Sport and Recreation award.

Simon has shown himself to be an outstanding student consistently demonstrating high achievement in facilitation, situational leadership, conflict resolution and group management.

He has done extensive voluntary work with young people in Kenya and Zimbabwe and given his time as a sports coach for an Australian not for profit organisation. He currently has community involvement with Typo Station in the Victorian High County working with long term unemployed young men.

"The biggest achievements working and studying in the outdoor profession come at random moments, when I am able to make a connection with a student, or allowing a breakthrough to happen. Being able to get students to step out of their comfort zone to challenge themselves and push through their fears."

Simon achieved high grades in Film and Television school, and made various short movies made of adventures in Africa. He made a few different length movies for Oxfam working as a cameraman and editor. This contributed to his knowledge in the use of video and still cameras to produce films/slide shows of the activities in the Diploma of Outdoor Recreation, and to assess techniques and faults of participants in activities.

Sam Spicer with Peter Collins, Manager, Training Packages Service Skills Australia

The Service Skills Australia Trainee/apprentice of the Year - Sport and Recreation : Sam Spicer - Certificate II in Sports Officiating

Sam undertook his Certificate II in Sports Officiating with keen enthusiasm. Sam consistently performed at a very high level resulting in the completion of his studies well within the timeframe of the traineeship. Since completing his Traineeship, Sam has been successful in securing a position as umpire with the Victorian Football League (VFL).

During his rural location, Sam undertook to use mentors within his own umpiring association to meet training requirements. Sam is extremely self-motivated and driven, actively building networks and attending workshops to further his knowledge and skills. He has an engaging personality that inspires others to achieve.

Since completing his Traineeship in 2007, Sam decided to commence in a Diploma of Sport and Recreation in Shepparton and has temporarily deferred his work commitments with the VFL.

Swinburne TAFE 2008 Innovation Award - Judith Bissland Scholarship

The 2007/2008 Innovation Award was won by a group of 14 trainers for delivery of the new Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) training to over 2000 workers in aged care industry throughout Victoria and Swinburne. Madelyn Lettieri, Manager of the Department of Health and Recreation & Human Services and Susannah Reichstein, Operations Leader, led this project for Swinburne. The key point of winning the award was the fact that this project changed the culture of training for the trainers involved. Relationships with industry and the ongoing Fee For Service (FFS) system established by Swinburne showed the trainers that they could approach the industry and train in a flexible way instead of routine groups of students on campus. The idea of customised training has appealed to the industry and they can see that PD for their staff can be reasonably inexpensive and the issue of having staff off the floor and backfilling is manageable.

Besides Sue Reichstein, the team of trainers included Marilyn Chapple, Pamela Reed, Bernie Ervin, Mitzi Thambu, Amanda O'Meara, Wayne Pelling, Karl Moon, Lyn Turner, Kate Cash, Cathy McMahon, Pauline Rolfe, Carole Quinn and Jean Arundel. The reason for the submission for an award was to recognize the trrainers who were so focussed and flexible, really extending themselves and very professional in their approach.

The Department of Health and Recreation & Human Services is now looking into marketing courses in the regional areas as the clients who have attended the workshops have asked, "What else can you do for us."