TAFE Queensland Robina Campus
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

To continue the sustainability professional development (PD) and training for all non-academic staff, the following opportunities have been completed and are available:
* Attendance at the TAFE Queensland Gold Coast PD day (face-to-face) which focused on specialist speakers and workshop activities on sustainability - see attachment
* The online 'Introduction to Sustainability' unit with Certificate of Completion.
* Attendance at a range of events and weekly lunchbox sessions - see attachment.
* Team-specific training i.e. facilities staff completed training on all the sustainability initiatives implemented at the campus i.e. waste minimisation, lighting systems, and solar energy panels. Measurement of these initiatives is recorded in the Building Maintenance System (BMS). Staff completed training on the BMS in order to operate it effectively and provide data for the campus BI report which is used to inform staff and students about the success of sustainability initiatives. For example, a 63% decrease in landfill.

As per the TAFE Queensland policy for PD (attached), any staff member can apply to complete relevant training programs. Once approved, this training is either fully funded or subsidised. In addition, TAFE Queensland has a calendar for PD available to staff at all times via CONNECT. See attachment.

TAFE Queensland bases its PD on the following principles:
1. Continuous development of its employees through identified PD pathways that align with current and future role requirements to build professional capability, support a motivated and engaged workforce, and maintain currency integral to the success and sustainability of TQ.
2. Acknowledge that responsibility for PD is shared between employees, supervisors, managers, and executives.
3. Endorses the principles of equity and diversity and ensures that all employees have equal opportunity to access PD.
4. Commits to the ongoing evaluation of employee participation, learning outcomes, relevance, and the quality of PD programs, policies, and procedures.

Each staff member (academic and non-academic) completes a review of performance twice a year using their own 'Individual Plan' which is developed in consultation with their line manager. At Robina Campus, all staff members include in their Individual Plan, a priority goal, with action steps and success measures, of how they will work towards the Campus SDGs. The goal/s selected towards contributing to sustainability are different for each individual due to their job role. The review process first involves the staff member completing internal reflection of their performance and noting it in their Individual Plan. The staff members submit their plan to their line manager who schedules a 1:1 meeting to review their performance.

AC6 SUSTAINABILITY LITERACY AND EN6 SUSTAINABILITY CULTURE
The decision was made by the leadership team that all Robina Campus employees would be surveyed on AC6 and EN6 using the same survey instrument that was developed for the students. The results of the staff survey will be used to identify and develop professional development strategies and actions for future staff training. These strategies will be listed and actioned in the 2023-2025 Robina Campus Operational Plan currently under development. The Plan is based on the 3 P's - People, Planet & Performance with alignment to the 6 SDGs.

The survey identified areas of strength:
*knowledge about sustainability is good with some room for improvement
*knowledge about Robina Campus is strong
*demonstration of sustainable practices is very strong
*knowledge, understanding, and practices have all improved since working at the campus

The survey identified several areas where further work with employees is required as per the explanation above:
*Transport - more use of public transport, carpooling, and use of non-motorised options
*Community involvement to be increased
*Greenhouse gases and carbon footprint knowledge needs work

To continue the sustainability professional development (PD) and training for all non-academic staff, the following opportunities have been completed:
* External speakers have been brought in to maximise the availability of training opportunities for staff in sustainability. External speakers have presented the following sessions for non-academic staff:
• Oceans Matter – Plastic Solutions, Conscious Consumption
• LivinWell – understanding mental health in the workplace
• Sustainability for You
• Building Mental Health and SelfCare
• Understanding Autism
• Disability Awareness
• Calmer Classrooms

In addition, TAFE Queensland Gold Coast has supported the attendance of non-academic staff to external workshops/conferences including:
• Tertiary Education Facilities Manager Association Conference including sustainability best practices and standards
• Pie Live Australia – global education conference covering improving student success and challenges for education relating to reducing carbon footprint
• EduTech Congress and Expo – including key topics of:
o Providing equal opportunity for all learners
o Accessibility in Education
o Lifting student outcomes
o Supporting neurodiverse students
o Neuroinclusive teaching
o Your answer to equity and sustainability

As per the TAFE Queensland policy for PD (attached), any staff member can apply to complete relevant training programs. Once approved, this training is either fully funded or subsidised. Training can include formal study, webinars, or attendance at conferences, forums, or other training activities.

To assist line managers in working with staff, the senior leaders have completed additional training focused on sustainability so that they can help mentor the team leaders. Examples of training include:
* UNESCO UNEVOC TVET Leadership Program which ran from November 2022 to March 2023 and was completed by the General Manager. The theme was “Rethinking TVET systems and programs to anticipate demand, adapt, and take action for a just and green transition”. Link to program https://unevoc.unesco.org/home/TVET+Leadership+Programme
* The Cambridge University – Sustainability Essentials for Business was completed by the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The course is online and is designed to help individuals build a common understanding of sustainability within organisations and addresses the broader sustainability objectives around social, environmental, and economic factors. Link to the program: https://www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/education/learn-online/essentials-online

TAFE Queensland bases its PD on the following principles:
1. Continuous development of its employees through identified PD pathways that align with current and future role requirements to build professional capability, support a motivated and engaged workforce, and maintain currency integral to the success and sustainability of TQ.
2. Acknowledge that responsibility for PD is shared between employees, supervisors, managers, and executives.
3. Endorses the principles of equity and diversity and ensures that all employees have equal opportunity to access PD.
4. Commits to the ongoing evaluation of employee participation, learning outcomes, relevance, and the quality of PD programs, policies, and procedures.

As part of TAFE Queensland, all staff at any campus are supported to align with TAFE Queensland's Strategic and Operational Plans. Each region of TQ also establishes its own strategic and operational plans. The TAFE Queensland Gold Coast (TQGC) operational plan includes the goal of 'A Sustainability and Socially Responsible TAFE Queensland' which includes the priority to 'Implement and grow TAFE Queensland’s social and environmental sustainability commitments'.

Each staff member (academic and non-academic) completes a review of performance twice a year using their own 'Individual Plan' which is developed in consultation with their line manager. At Robina Campus, all staff members include in their Individual Plan, a priority goal, with action steps and success measures, of how they will work towards the Campus SDGs. The goal/s selected towards contributing to sustainability are different for each individual due to their job role. The review process first involves the staff member completing internal reflection of their performance and noting it in their Individual Plan. The staff members submit their plan to their line manager who schedules a 1:1 meeting to review their performance.