City of Moonee Valley and Northern Group Training (NGT) are working together to provide Council’s frail clients with qualified care, through their Community Care traineeships. Moonee Valley’s Community Care Manager, Hazel Ingram, said that the traineeship scheme was raised at a meeting of Local Government professions, which she attended, in September 1998.
“As Community Care services require a continual pool of staff and staff who are being trained up to be able to undertake general home care, respite care and personal care, I was immediately interested,” she said.“For us it seemed a very good way to ensure Council would have staff qualified to assist our increasingly frail clients who need personal care and respite care.”
The program started in 1998 with former company Care Skills, which was taken over 12 months later by NGT. NGT is one of the largest employment and training companies operating in Australia and is a commercially focused, not for profit company.
NGT Apprenticeship and Traineeship Coordinator, Prue Reeves, said NGT nationally employs approximately 900 trainees and apprentices, and provides training to over 3,000 students undertaking new apprenticeship qualifications.
NGT’s group employment service offers a flexible and innovative approach to recruitment, covering all aspects of human resources, including recruitment, administration, payroll, work performance and training.
Prue Reeves said that NGT is in the business of driving the development of quality workplace skills and attitudes.
“We do this by working in partnership with Councils to provide opportunities for appropriate and innovative training and employment experiences,” she said.
Hazel Ingram said the partnership in training is a best value program.
“The traineeship program offers quality and value for money, by offering employment opportunities, while creating partnerships with other organisations,” she said.“It ensures we can provide service to the people services are intended for and their carers and that those services can grow and develop.
“The program gives us more people with qualifications within our staff, resulting in continuous improvement.”
In May, a presentation was held at the City of Moonee Valley to award five trainees with graduation certificates. Moonee Valley currently has 21 people undertaking traineeships.
For further information contact Hazel Ingram, telephone (03) 9243 8786, or Prue Reeves at NGT, telephone (03) 9620 3400.
