National award for TAFE NSW Wollongong

TAFE NSW Wollongong Signs and Graphics teachers received national recognition last week, placing them among the industry’s top operators.

The teaching team received bronze in the Training Innovation category during the prestigious National Sign and Graphics Awards at Melbourne’s Crown Casino. The annual event attracts hundreds of industry representatives and employers from around the nation.

Head Teacher Ian Squire accepted the award on behalf of TAFE NSW Wollongong Teacher Danielle Corti, who was nominated and won for her passion, expertise in teaching, and ability to flex her course delivery to meet the needs of the industry.

“The signs and graphics industry is always evolving, and Danielle has embraced this constant change to combine traditional skills with the latest techniques. She gives our students variety across multiple skills, and their employers are pleased to have access to people with the skills to meet demand,” Squire said.

Corti has been a signwriter for 17 years and teaching at TAFE NSW Wollongong for three years. However, her connection to the State’s vocational training provider goes back to when she was a student.

“From the moment I became a signs and graphics student at TAFE NSW, almost 20 years ago, I knew I wanted to teach this subject,” Corti said.

After graduating, she worked in the signwriting industry and added a few more qualifications and skills before starting her own business. This background gave her a sound understanding of what the industry and businesses need from their employers. “As a TAFE NSW teacher, I can shape what I deliver to meet those industry needs.”

The award recognised the teaching team’s ability to mix the skills they teach depending on the industry trends and employer needs.

“In 2019, a need was emerging in the sector for more focus on traditional skills such as hand-drawing and     decorative effects,” continue Corti, adding “Trends come and go in this industry, and hand-drawing is a niche skill that is seeing a resurgence again. When we see the need for change, we talk it through with the industry. Our industry partners agreed apprentices needed those specific traditional skills in combination with the skills in using the latest technology. So, we added those specific and quite niche skills to our courses.

“The students loved it, and their employers were getting staff with specialised skills. “Our ability to flex with the needs of industry is part of why we won this award. It’s something we are proud of,” she concluded.