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Winner Australian Institute of Training and Development Award 2005

Awarded to the BEd Adult Education student who has demonstrated excellence in the Human Resource Development major.

Instructional Designer with IAG (Insurance Australia Group), in a team which designs training programs for frontline staff ranging from branch’s to telephone business centres for approximately 2500 staff.

I was nominated by one of my lecturers and entered with a portfolio of assignments and a report on a project that I managed for a previous employer involving a large scale software project. The project covered; software specifications, training needs analysis, change management, external stakeholders and 3rd party involvement. It was the largest implementation the company had undertaken and the recently won the Microsoft Retail Partner of the Year Award, Aus & NZ region.

I my role as an instructional designer I use the content I have learnt throughout my degree everyday, all day. I would not be able to effectively design training materials for adult learners without this underpinning knowledge. As I moved throughout my degree I would take areas of what I had learnt and applied it to my workplace. Sometimes I knocked heads with the business as I trialed out new ideas but most of the time I was able to put into practice what I was learning. I think having the support of the workplace was an important element in my continual learning.

4.  Where do you see your career/lifelong learning going?

I have sparked a real interest in blended learning approaches and I see myself moving towards this area of learning. I have already enrolled in the Master of Adult Education for next year and will use this opportunity to further develop my learning in this area. In my role at IAG, I am currently working on a project that explores the use of blended learning. I also have an interest in learning and development models for small businesses. Working with a small to medium business prior to my current position I was aware that a traditional approach to L&D did not fit the needs of small businesses where resources such as time, finances and people are limited. Throughout my Masters I hope to take a few research subjects and explore some innovative L&D models for small businesses.