Chisholm Institute has been crowned the Teacher Professional Development Award at the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP)2023 Awards of Excellence.
The Award recognises an institution or institutional association that has demonstrated excellence in teacher professional development.
Chisholm was nominated alongside two other finalists, Kenya Technical Trainers College and the NPTC Group of Colleges, based in Wales.
Chisholm CEO Stephen Varty said that teacher development was integral to student success and the Award was testament to the hard-work and commitment of its staff.
“We’re incredibly proud to receive such a prestigious award and to be recognised alongside other international education leaders on the world-stage”.
Chisholm has developed an Educator Passport which helps teachers to plan, view and track their professional development. Through the App, teachers can seamlessly browse and register for programs based on their capability requirements, identified through completion of a profiling
tool.
“It gives our teachers and leaders access to live information on their progress via their phone or laptop. It’s just one example of how we are utilising technology and best practice approaches to help our teachers develop and stay engaged throughout their careers,” Varty said.
Chisholm provides TAFE education and training through the south-east of Melbourne, one of the most diverse communities in Australia with over 170 different cultural backgrounds and approximately 70% of residents speaking a language other than English.
“We provide support to many of the most at-risk student communities, including migrants, Indigenous students, students with a physical or learning disability, and students from a low socio-economic status.
“Thanks to our reputation and best practice approach, our impact goes well beyond Melbourne.
We support teacher development through partnerships with education institutes in Asia, South America, and the Middle East.
“By utilising the power of technology, we are sharing our expertise to make a positive impact across the globe, demonstrating the power of TAFE and how it can change lives,” Varty said.
The WFCP is an international network of national and regional associations of colleges, as well as individual colleges. The winners were announced during the WFCP Awards of Excellence Luncheon at the 2023 World Congress in Montréal, Canada.
“Just being nominated for this Award was an incredible achievement and testament to the work of our hard-working and passionate staff. To win was an incredible honour.
We know that student success and teacher success are inextricably linked, which is why we will continue to implement new strategies to ensure that teachers at Chisholm receive the support they need,” Varty said.
