Womens Programs in North Sydney

The Northern Sydney Institute is committed to furthering access, participation and outcomes for women in vocational education and training. To check out what courses are being offerred click here k.

WOW - Work Opportunities for Women

Outreach centres throughout NSW deliver WOW courses for groups of women wishing to enter the workforce for the first time or those wishing to re-enter employment after a career break (caring for children, older relatives or disabled family member, medical condition, mental illness, DV, career change).

WOW courses are for women and have anti-discrimination exemption to enrol only women. WOW courses are delivered across a broad range of vocational areas and include introductory level study in industry areas such as Information Technology, Bookkeeping, Business Administration, Floristry, Community Services, Health Care, Tourism, Events, Hospitality and financial skills.

Most WOW courses comprise one week of work experience in a workplace of the students choosing. This component is a very important part of the course and students are well prepared and well supported. At least 10% of students gain employment or volunteering opportunities from work experience and up to 70% of students pathway to further study in a related or unrelated field.

http://northcoast.tafensw.edu.au/aboutUs/News/Pages/WOWsBackAtMurwillumbahTAFE.aspx

http://www.sit.nsw.edu.au/gymea/womens-programs-community-programs

WIPAN - The housing needs of women leaving prison

This discussion paper is a response to the experience of women participating in the Women In Prison Advocacy Network (WIPAN) Mentoring Program, that matches mentors from the community with women exiting prison. Program participants reported the most difficult issue when trying to reintegrate into the community was the lack of access to suitable, long term housing. This personal experience is matched by what is known about the factors that support women reintegrating into the community – that housing is one of the most important factors.......Read more

The Woolloomooloo Women's Stitching and Yarning Group

Hello from Woolloomooloo at the Stitching and Yarning group! We are a group of women that meet at Ozanam every Monday at 12pm to learn about fabrics and textiles, jewellery, and making lots of wonderful and useful things. Some of the things that we have done include:

an even dress, formal pants, casual tops and blousers, casual pants, wrap around skirt, casual skirt, bags, child skirt, shirt alterations, mending babies leather shoes, restoring old dolls clothes. Things we are planning to do cushions, cot sheets, more bags, QB sheets, pillow, baby clothes, quilts, jean skirts, evening dresses, tops and pants, and much more.

Comments from some of the women include:

its a friendly environment for women
a unique atmosphere
a buzz job and place for volunteers
a diversity of culture backgrounds
great sense of humour
people sharing their knowledge and skills
people are friendly and hard working
great teachers and supporters
fantastic fabric donors
women from all walks of life are coming together united for one course
I made my first dress and its wonderful
making things that I am actually wearing and proud off and making heaps more
great music
making absolutely beautiful jewellery and getting paid orders
fabulous beads to choose from
the coloured tiger tails are fabbo
great mending and alterations being done

If you would like to join our group, please free to come all on Mondays at 12pm in Woolloomooloo at Ozanam, 99 Forbes Street ok.

Playgroup Facilitation at Alexandria in Partnership with SDN Children's Services, Mudin-gal and Connect Redfern

Today is the second week of our 10 week program that we are doing down here at Alexandria Park Community centre.

This program is being conducted in partnership with Jo Fletcher from Connect Redfern, Deb Mann from SDN Children's Services, an Aboriginal women's centre called Mudgin-gal Women and Children Centre and Ultimo Outreach.

The program includes child development, interacting with children, child protection engaging parents, planning a term, art and craft, imaginative play, music and movement, storytelling, nutrition and starting a playgrop.

When asked how this program came about, Deb Mann stated "It's a fantastic gateway for local Indigenous women to gain experience and knowledge on running a play session for groups of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children . The women also have the opportunity to develop a resource kit to be used with their own children and those in their local communities."

For further information on this program please contact Deb on 9557 9125 or d.mann@sdn.org.au and Jo on 9319 3207 or connectredfern@yahoo.com.au.

Online Resource from TAFE Women's Programs Unit NSW DET

This online resource has been developed as a result of TAFE priorities to increase women students’ access to and use of recognition of prior learning. The content and concepts were developed with the valuable assistance of TAFE Institute equity staff.
Some of the content in this website was adapted from Women's Skills: Valuing Your Experience – a resource for women developed by the TAFE Women's Programs Unit in 2004.
Further content was developed in consultation with focus groups held with TAFE equity staff from the Hunter Institute and Western Sydney Institute, OTEN. Many thanks to the current and past TAFE students who contributed their time to participate in the development of this website.

Gwen's WOW pointed to ‘Future Directions’ and more...

Gwen from Petersham Outreach took her WOW class to the Ultimo campus where they exposed to an array of options for further study. One was an inspirational presentation urging them to consider study in science. They were exposed to a range of family friendly career options that could follow on.
Gwen ended the day encouraging the students to go to the Strand arcade and see the Ultimo College fashion design students show alongside Australia’s best fashion designers in the ‘Future Directions’ show.





Photo's by Gwen Berger