Staff development opportunities

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Staff development opportunities

Supervisor Essentials

(for experienced, new and aspiring supervisors and team leaders)

In 2012, we have bundled a suite of seven programs covering fundamental knowledge and skills that will enable supervisors and team leaders to be successful and effective in their roles. Some of the components were also conducted last year.

Target group: Team Leaders (those who report to Middle Managers and manage a team of two or more staff [usually Level 6 to Level 8]). Aspiring supervisors and team leaders are also able to attend.

Program	Date/s	Time	Presenter	Venue
Supervisor essentials (understanding the job and the skills needed)	Thursday, 10 May Tuesday, 5 June	9am–1pm	Jenny Nemeth	Business Conference Room Library Seminar Room
PPR Supervisor Training (prerequisite = PPR Online)	Wednesday, 11 April Tuesday, 24 July Tuesday, 9 October	9am–1pm	Jenny Nemeth	HG.45 Business Conference Room Business Conference Room
Communication Skills - being constructively assertive	Tuesday, 24 April	9am–5pm	Jon Morgan	Library Seminar Room
Self and time management	Wednesday, 9 May	9am–5pm	Jon Morgan	HG.45
Recruitment, Selection and Appointment (prerequisite = Writing a position description)	Thursday, 31 May Thursday, 27 September	9am–1pm	Angela Gaiero and Chloe Evans	Library Seminar Room Business Conference Room
Writing a position description	Thursday, 24 May Tuesday, 25 September	9am–1pm	Jenny Nemeth	Library Seminar Room Business Conference Room
Getting the best out of your team	Thursday, 5 July	9am–5pm	Jon Morgan	CG.41

Project Management Fundamentals

This interactive course provides an excellent appreciation of what is involved in project management, what order to do things in and how to go about doing them. It serves as an introduction for those with no previous experience of project management and also as a refresher for those who have. It is useful for both project managers and project team members.

Wednesday, 7 March 2012
8.30am–5pm
in the Library Seminar Room
with Gabby Britton from the Australian Institute of Management (AIM)
(coordinated by Paul Tate, Manager, Project Officer, ITS)

Certificate IV in Applied Project Management (3 days + Assessment Process)

Provides an opportunity for graduates of Project Management Fundamentals to examine in detail the practical application and implication of project management as it is applied to work practices at USC. The program overviews all of the knowledge areas of project management and relates them in a practical way to the adopted project delivery phases and language used at USC. An out of classroom assessment process forms part of this course.

Date: TBA

PPR Supervisor Training

All eligible staff are expected to participate in PPR each year and all PPR Supervisors need to participate in PPR Supervisor training before they undertake PPR with the people they supervise.

For those supervisors who have not had the chance to undertake PPR Supervisor Training to date, or would appreciate a refresher, a session is being held on:

Wednesday, 11 April 2012
9am–1pm
in HG.45
with Jenny Nemeth, Human Resources

Tuesday, 24 July 2012
9am–1pm
in the Business Conference Room
with Jenny Nemeth, Human Resources

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
9am–1pm
in the Business Conference Room
with Jenny Nemeth, Human Resources

Register: staffdevt@usc.edu.au

Recruitment, Selection and Appointment (RSA) Training

We want to optimise the success of our RSA processes, because a successful appointment can produce results which impact favourably on colleagues and the wider University community, while a poor one can be expensive and have damaging effects on and beyond the work area in which it is made. If you are likely to be involved in the recruitment and selection of staff, either as a member or chair of a selection committee, you need to do this training.

Human Resources will be offering Recruitment, Selection and Appointment (RSA) training on:

Thursday, 31 May 2012
9am–1pm
in the Library Seminar Room
with Angela Gaiero and Chloe Evans, Human Resources

Thursday, 27 September 2012
9am–1pm
in the Business Conference Room
with Angela Gaiero and Chloe Evans, Human Resources

(prerequisite = Writing a position description)

Register: staffdevt@usc.edu.au

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Writing a Position Description

This workshop covers:

• The purposes of position descriptions
• Features of a good position description
• How to go about writing a position description
• How position descriptions are classified

The target group is managers and supervisors.

Participants will be guided through the process of writing a position description, although it takes more time than this workshop allows to complete the task. You need to bring your current position description and the position description of a person you supervise to the workshop.

Limited to 12 places.

Thursday, 24 May 2012
9am–1pm
in the Library Seminar Room
with Jenny Nemeth, Human Resources

Tuesday, 25 September 2012
9am–1pm
in the Business Conference Room
with Jenny Nemeth, Human Resources

Register: staffdevt@usc.edu.au

Servicing a University committee or working group workshop (includes agendas, minute taking, follow-ups)

This interactive 4-hour workshop aims to:

• provide staff with the skills and knowledge they require in order to provide quality support to University committees and working groups
• improve participants' existing note taking and agenda/minute writing skills
• familiarise participants with committee servicing conventions and standards at USC
• equip staff with written resources to support them in their role
• assist participants to develop an understanding of the role of the committee secretary and the committee Chairperson
• provide an overview of the secretary’s role before and after a meeting, including formulation of action sheets and preparation of meeting agendas
• familiarise participants with the conduct of formal committee meetings

Workshop format:

• Practical Exercise 1 – Take notes while listening to a short recording, then draft minutes
• Question time/Discussion
• Power Point presentation covering the role of the committee secretary, role of the Chairperson, purpose of minutes and agendas, structuring of agendas minutes, action sheets, overview of resources available on the Portal and in the information package, USC format and writing conventions
• Practical Exercise 2 – Repeat first exercise applying the skills and knowledge gained from the presentation. Break into small groups to discuss experience and provide feedback on draft minutes
• Report back to the group (including general discussion/question time)
• Practical Exercise 3 – Prepare an agenda based on the notes and action sheet from the previous meeting. Break into small groups to discuss experience and provide feedback on draft agendas
• Report back to the group (including general discussion/question time)
• Evaluation of workshop

Tuesday, 10 July 2012
9am–1pm
in the Business Conference Room

Thursday, 18 October 2012
9am–1pm
in the Business Conference Room
with Merryn Falk, Acting Senior Committees Officer

Register: staffdevt@usc.edu.au

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How the budget process works at USC

This is a general information session on the different funding sources that make up the University Budget and how these funds are allocated to Strategic Initiatives, Faculties and Cost Centres of the University.

Attendees should include staff with budgeting responsibilities, both administrative and oversight.

Wednesday, 18 July 2012
9.30am–11am
in the Library Seminar Room
with Biz Cannon, Associate Director, Financial Services

Register: staffdevt@usc.edu.au

By invitation:

Induction Morning Tea

Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Tuesday, 6 November 2012

10am–11am
Council Room (Chancellery, Building C)

New programs—Expressions of Interest

We have received some feedback from staff or their supervisors about development needs. There is also provision on the PPR goals form to advise HR of your staff development needs. In response, we have investigated possibilities for new programs in 2012.

Depending on interest, these or similar programs could be run, sometimes on a cost-recovery basis and probably in second semester. If you are interested or you supervise staff who you believe could benefit from any of these programs, submit an expression of interest. If we have enough interest to make the programs viable, we will arrange to make them available on campus.

For programs run on a cost-recovery basis (the cost of delivering the program is divided by the number of participants), we usually need at least 15 participants to make it viable.

For other programs, at least six participants are required to make them viable and effective.

The possibilities are:

Communication—Writing Skills

Program 1: Writing basics (full day program): defining your audience purpose; using plain English; the writing process; and avoiding common mistakes.

Program 2: Grammar for grown-ups (half day program): getting it right (and avoiding the dreaded split infinitive!)

Program 3: Persuasive writing (full day program): writing business cases, submissions, proposals and reports.

Communication—Presentation skills (including for teaching)

Program 1: Presentation Skills (1.5 day program): techniques to: overcome the fear factor in public speaking; monitor the effect of your message on your audience; ensure maximum impact and dynamism; organise your material to the greatest effect; and persuade, motivate and reframe audience perception.

Communication—Interpersonal Skills

In 2011, we offered a suite of three programs to team leaders, which we are offering again as part of our Supervisor Essentials Program this year. However, we have been asked to broaden the availability of these programs as everyone can benefit from these fundamental skills:

Program 1: Communication Skills - Being constructively assertive

Program 2: Self and time management

Program 3: Being an effective team player

Also:

Critical Thinking, Effective Problem-Solving and Decision-Making (new program)

These are all full-day programs.

Practical Resilience

At USC, so much is changing due to factors within and external to the University. We all deal with change differently and some are more resilient than others. This program, which can benefit both managers / supervisors and individual staff members, aims to promote optimism, flexibility, resilience and control. Clare Edwards, a local facilitator and coach, has developed the Practical Personal Resilience Program, which comprises five half day workshops / modules that can help you build change resilience, apply emotional intelligence and strength, and promote wellbeing for life and work.

Practical Ergonomics

Musculo-skeletal injuries are the most prevalent injuries among workers in the education sector. Such injuries not only effect our work lives but our personal lives as well. It is widely supported that many of these injuries can be prevented with the implementation of sound ergonomic practices.

Ergonomics deals with the way you interact with your work environment, not just the set up of your work station, but also the way you do your work. To help you prevent injuries and be more comfortable at work, we would like to engage an ergonomist to give fundamental and practical information about how you can optimise the ergonomics of your work life and answer any questions you may have about your work station or about the work you do.

This program will for two hours.

Springboard—Development Program for Women

Many of you know Michelle Moynihan, who has delivered Discrimination and Harassment Training at USC over many years. Michelle is refocusing her work to further develop her Development Program for Women. This full-day program is based on the more comprehensive (4 day) Springboard Program and aims to:

• develop awareness, maturity and sensitivity and promotes cooperative working relationships
• motivate staff to give more to, and get more from their work
• challenge inflexible thinking and practices
• uncover skills and develops focus
• increase confidence, morale, and job satisfaction

The program, which is targeted at women, takes account of the fact that women tend to learn and develop differently from men and goes beyond job skills training. The program is particularly aimed at non-management women.

Microsoft Office Suite

We arrange for the delivery of Microsoft Office training through Sutherland Training in Maroochydore on a cost recovery basis. If you are interested in Excel (Intermediate, Advanced or "Power user") training, we are happy to organise this if we have the numbers to make it viable. Dates will be negotiated. If you are interested, send an email to staffdevt@usc.edu.au.

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ATEM

Aims to connect, support and challenge individuals and institutions to recognise and advance the professionalism of tertiary education management in Australia and New Zealand. A comprehensive range of staff development activities is offered in the key areas of:

• building professionalism,
• connecting people,
• growing careers,
• understanding the sector, and
• postgraduate courses.

For more information, visit the ATEM website. ATEM also collaborates with the LH Martin Institute which aims to provide an integrated set of programs, events and research that are tailored to the particular needs of the tertiary education sector. They include:

• postgraduate courses for senior level academic and administrative leaders offering practical skills for successfully leading and managing institutions,
• multi-module programs and short courses for professionals across all facets of tertiary education to gain further insight and renew skills in relation to their roles, and ways to optimise these in management and strategic planning,
• international study tours to learn first-hand about key issues and trends in higher education, research and innovation in other countries, and
• public lectures, conferences and seminars covering current topics of interest.

For more information, visit the LH Martin Institute website. 

Train Station

Available on the portal under My Organisations

The training route from ‘Central Station’ provides links to Flash based Element K training packages ranging from Microsoft Office and other IT applications to multimedia and design software such as Adobe Flash and Photoshop.

In addition, there are links to customised Blackboard tutorials and documentation on the functionality of common applications.

All staff have access to these online training opportunities. Get on board! 

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