One of Australia’s leading private Registered Training Organisations (RTO), The Learning Workshop, launched its new, interactive learning resource, ‘onTrack’ last week in Mossman.   The  DVD, ‘onTrack’ aims to promote literacy and numeracy within Indigenous communities. 

The managing director of The Learning Workshop (TLW), Sue Mueller said Monday’s (March 19th) gathering was very positive with the ‘onTrack’ film well received, generating many laughs and pronounced comments like ‘cool’ and ‘awesome’ and everyone agreed that it would be extremely "useful in promoting literacy". 

“The Mossman community were very excited about their role in the film and also to have Mossman born actor, Leon Burchill home from Sydney to launch the resource.”

Leon Burchil is a Kuku Yalanji man who fulfilled his dream to become an actor by meeting guests at the daintree Eco  Lodge where he worked in 2002/3.  One of those guests was his then idol, Ernie Dingo who helped him to join NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art). 

Leon has now appeared in a whole heap of Australian film and theatre shows, with his biggest success to date being the 2009 feature film Stone Bros. So he knows only too well how access to education and the value of mentoring to help direct you along your chosen path.

The Learning Workshop’s ‘onTrack’ DVD was filmed towards the end of last year at Mossman Gorge and Leon appears in it as mentor Jimmy Jack along with elder, Roy Gibson, Vice Chairman of Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunku Corporation, Mossman Gorge.

About 80 people braved Monday’s rain to attend a special barbecue that was followed by the official launch and onTrack film screening. Terence Gibson MC'd the proceedings which commenced with a welcome to the country by Lorna Shuan, a Kuku Yalanji representative, introduction of community members and their involvement in the film including elder, Roy Gibson, Vice Chairman of Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunku Corporation, Mossman Gorge.

In launching the resource, Leon Burchill said, "Having trained Indigenous mentors who are good role models and also have the skills to support literacy learning are very important to the community . Everyone can develop literacy skills needed to achieve their goals if they set their heart on it".

In effect, the onTrack DVD format engages mentors in learning how to develop as effective mentors, identify mentee’s literacy and numeracy levels and develop language, literacy and numeracy learning strategies.

This resource comprises three parts:

• The film, features Leon Burchill as mentor, Jimmy Jack as he undertakes a journey to master the fundamentals of communication and thereby begin leading his people to develop new skills.
• Video Clips of experienced mentors relating their experiences.
• Information and practice activities.

OnTrack has been funded under the Workplace English Language Literacy (WELL) program by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

To preview and order the resource, visit www.thelearningworkshop.com.au

The Learning Workshop was formed in 1999 and is based in Cairns.  The Learning Workshop (TLW) provides communication services for both the public and private sectors. TLW is run by Cathrena McRae and Sue Muller, with the company employing around 20 staff, including teachers who travel to remote communities to implement training strategies.

TLW specialises at delivering customised workplace, literacy, communication, numeracy and management training, as well as resource development and research. 

Over the past 12 years, TLW has developed many projects aimed at improving access to education and employment for Indigenous people in remote communities. TLW is currently consulting with Indigenous service providers on 15 projects in 15 locations in regional and remote Queensland. 


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