WEA Hunter Company Profile

Company Profile
The Workers' Educational Association originated in England and was introduced into Australia in 1913. In its heyday it operated in every state except Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Now WEA exists in New South Wales (Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong) and in South Australia (Adelaide).

WEA Hunter has been part of the Newcastle and Lower Hunter region now for 90 years.

Our vision:
To be recognised as a leading provider of quality education and training, where people learn and grow.

WEA in the Hunter

Courses were first offered in the Hunter in 1913 in Newcastle, Waratah and Cessnock. The Northern Branch of the WEA of NSW formed in Newcastle in March 1917.
WEA Hunter is a non profit, community based organisation.
Since December 1993 it has been incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
It is governed by a Board of Directors representing members, tutors and students elected annually at the Annual General Meeting held in April.
As an independent organisation, WEA Hunter has no formal affiliations with political parties, unions, or religious groups. WEA Hunter welcomes everyone.
WEA Hunter currently operates from three premises:
- 150 King St, Newcastle - formerly Big Al's family restaurant. The site on the corner of Brown and King Streets is our new admin home, with classes running on Level 1 (access from Brown Street).
- 100 Laman St, Cooks Hill, the former Cooks Hill Public School was purchased in 1997.
- Shop 1, 42 William St, Raymond Terrace. Our new site that will start with the Links to Learning youth programme.
From 1968 to early 2008 WEA Hunter was located at historic 'Leslieville' at 63 Union St, Cooks Hill. Courses and facilities from Leslieville have now been moved to our new 150 King Street location.

Accreditation

WEA Hunter is accredited by the NSW Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB), as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
WEA Hunter has been awarded the NSW Adult and Community Education's Endorsed Quality Award and Seal of Commitment to Quality.
WEA Hunter has recently been accredited by the Australian Hospitality Review Panel to deliver courses in Hospitality.
WEA Hunter gratefully acknowledges the support of the NSW Board of Adult and Community Education and the Federal Department of Education, Science and Training.

The Equity Centre
ALESCO Learning Centre, Links to Learning and Literacy and Numeracy all fall under the auspices of the Equity Centre at WEA Hunter.

ALESCO Learning Centre is a registered and accredited Non Government School, with Special School status due to its ability to meet the individual needs of students. It is specifically designed for the inclusion of students who are not able to complete mainstream school and who would find the Adult Learning environment more suited to their needs.

ALC is registered and accredited to offer students a choice of Generic Life Skills or Board Developed Subjects in Years 9, 10 (School Certificate/Stage5) or 11, 12 (Higher School Certificate/Stage 6).

With smaller class sizes and a philosophy conducive to working with students' individual needs, ALC can provide the choices to assist young people create a future for themselves.

All enrolments are via application form, interview and assessment of needs process.

Links to Learning offers 'Lunch Links', a course that provides experience and accredited training in the hospitality area for free.

The course is designed for those aged 15-24 years, who have left school early and need a pathway to further education or training. It offers experience in a simulated work environment, nationally accredited training in:

Certificate II Hospitality Operations
Certificate I Retail Operations
Certificate I Work Experience

and experience in all areas of the café/catering side of this community-based project.

Help is also available with job seeking skills and pathways planning.

Literacy and Numeracy courses are designed to suit the needs of people with a variety of skill levels. We also have accredited Literacy and Numeracy courses for those who want an extra qualification to add to their basic education levels. Our main categories of courses include:

Certificates II and III in General Education for Adults
Certificates I and II in Spoken and Written English
Certificate II in General Education for Deaf Adults
A New Start with Reading and Writing
AWARE (Adult Writing and Reading Education)
Preparing for Your Learner’s Licence
Effective Reading and Writing in the Workplace
Moving Up with Literacy
Reading and Writing Refresher
Working With Numbers

For further information on any of the above courses, please see the Literacy and Numeracy category in the course category list and click on the course you’re interested in.

For more information on the ALESCO Learning Centre, Links to Learning or Literacy and Numeracy, contact Tracey Smits, or call the Equity Centre on (02) 4926 1113.

Courses
WEA Hunter offers between 250 and 350 courses each term. Courses include:

Accredited Vocational Courses including Certificates in: Hospitality; Remedial Massage; Assistant in Nursing; Medical Reception; Medical Terminology and Workplace Training.
Accredited and non accredited computer courses including Bookkeeping, MYOB, MS Access, Word Processing, and The Internet.
Youth courses including the Links to Learning program and at the Alesco Learning Centre.
English, Literacy, Language and Numeracy courses.
Government Contract Training including Contracted Training Provision (CTP).
Training for Business and Industry including workplace skill development courses.
Plus an extensive range of leisure, personal enrichment, and professional development courses.

These courses are funded on the fee-for-service principle. However, some state government assistance is provided through the NSW Board of Adult and Community Education.
Courses are held throughout Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, as well as Raymond Terrace, Kurri Kurri, Cessnock and Maitland.

Course Programme
A programme of adult learning and training courses is published twice each year, in January and July. Approximately 150,000 copies are distributed throughout Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and the Lower Hunter region.

Staff
WEA Hunter employs 26 permanent staff and over 250 sessional tutors. They undertake responsibilities ranging from management to course or programme coordination to administration or support services.

Annual Turnover
WEA Hunter has an annual turnover of over $2.5 million.

Student Profile
Generally, WEA Hunter provides courses to people 16 years of age and over, with the exception of our youth programs which cater for people as young as 14 years.
Our typical student is female, aged between 30-50, with post secondary qualifications and is employed. 70% of our students are female.

Summary
WEA Hunter is the 5th largest provider of community based adult learning in NSW and when Government Contract Training, Business and Industry Training and Youth Programs are added - this not only makes WEA Hunter one of the largest but also one of the most diverse training providers in NSW.

WEA Hunter makes a substantial contribution not just to the local economy but more importantly to the well being of individuals within the community. Be it through skill enhancement, personal development or increased self esteem, WEA Hunter's objective of being a conduit through which individuals become better people is being realised everyday. We hope that by contributing to the development of individuals, WEA in turns allows those individuals to contribute fully to their community and society in general.

Business Contact Details
WEA Hunter - PO Box 1791 Newcastle NSW 2300 Australia
Phone +61 2 4925 4200 Fax +61 2 4929 6845

WEA Hunter ACN 062 580 634 ABN 61 062 580 634

WEA Hunter - Where People Learn and Grow