I had the pleasure of hosting the VDC inaugural World Teachers Day luncheon on Friday 26 October at the RACV City Club, Melbourne.
VDC has a special connection with educators, trainers and assessors in the VET Sector with thousands of practitioners from TAFE, Private RTO, Adult and Community education and VET in Schools having engaged in our professional learning and other support over the past 15 years.
So it seemed fitting for VDC to acknowledge the tremendous contribution VET teachers make to organisations and student success on World Teachers Day in Australia.
World Teachers Day was established in 1994 by UNESCO to acknowledge the achievements of the profession and also demonstrate the standards, rights and responsibilities of teachers to be supported to provide quality education and lifelong learning.
The UNESCO theme of World Teachers Day for 2019 looked at the future of the profession and the role of young teachers in it – taking onboard the changing climate of education and schooling, the need to draw in and retain a new generation of dedicated educators, and to prepare them for the 21st century challenges of ‘teaching in diversity’ and ‘diversity in teaching.’
Guests were delighted by keynote speaker Peter Hutton educator and futurist, Founder and Convener of the Future Schools Alliance and transformer of the Templestowe Secondary College, now acknowledged as one the world’s most innovative education institutions. Peter provided his insights on student engagement and how education and the role of the teachers will change and the increasingly important role that teachers have in this exciting new future.
We were also enthralled by the enthusiasm and passion exhibited by Jodie Rechsteiner from GOTAFE, the winner of the VDC sponsored Teacher / Trainer of the Year Award at the Victorian Training Awards. Jodie Rechsteiner will be representing Victoria at the upcoming Australian Training Awards in Brisbane in November.
Jodie’s VCAL students have such respect for her they have independently organised a trip to Brisbane to cheer Jodie on at the awards as part of a project to complete their studies for the year.
Martin Powell
Chief Executive Officer
VDC
