Doing a course for work? Here’s what you need to know about recent Government changes

Yvette Maurice June 18, 2013 No Comments
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There are some big changes coming for those who intend to undertake courses or formal training as part of their job. The government announced some big moves in the most recent Budget.

The changes to work-related education expenses

  • Deductions for work-related education expenses will soon be capped at $2,000. This will be put in effect from July 1, 2014. The measure is aimed at saving the government $514.3 million over the forward estimates.
  • There will also be a lower limit on tax deductibility for self-education courses. This measure will save the government a cool $500 million.
  • Also, currently employers are not liable for fringe benefits tax for education and training they provide to their employees – this treatment will be retained, unless an employee salary sacrifices to obtain these benefits.

Continue reading “Doing a course for work? Here’s what you need to know about recent Government changes” »

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Uncategorized

Interning at a Startup: The Path to Employment After Graduation

Andrianes Pinantoan May 17, 2013 No Comments
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Delanie Ricketts

Note: This post is written by Delanie Ricketts, an intern at Magoosh, a startup test-prep company.

Landing an internship as an undergrad is one the best things you can do to help yourself receive a full-time job offer after graduation. In fact, 60% of paid internships turn into job offers, according to a study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

While internships have always been known as a stepping-stone to a full-time job, today they are more integral to the hiring process than ever before. As a senior undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, I began my internship with Magoosh, a startup test-prep company, with the intention of hopefully receiving a full-time job offer after graduation. On top of eventually receiving that full-time job offer, I realized that the skills, culture, and overall experience of working in a startup environment proved to be the key to jump-starting my post-graduation career.

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Career Hacks

The 10 Hottest Jobs of 2013

Yvette Maurice May 7, 2013 1 Comment
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The 10 Hottest Jobs of 2013

The year is well underway! Businesses are in full swing, recruiting from the buoyant Australian job market. Things are looking up for career changers, job seekers and students aiming to find a new profession before the end of the year. Which industries are booming and actively seeking employees? Here are the hottest jobs of 2013: You could be on your way to a career in one of these exciting sectors by choosing one of over 150 dynamic courses on offer from Open Colleges.

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Changing Careers

Career Quizzes: Don’t Know What You Want To Do With Your Life?

Yvette Maurice April 5, 2013 1 Comment
career quiz

Deciding on a career can be tough. We all have many skills that can be applicable to different situations, jobs and career paths. Studies have shown that the average worker will have upwards of ten jobs and four careers in their lifetime, and this may even increase with future generations.

If you are embarking on your career, or if you are sea-changing to something else, it pays to spend a little bit of time analysing which sort of career or job would suit you, based on what you like to do, what you are good at and your inherent skills and learned qualifications.

There are many types of quizzes that you can do online to help you uncover the elements of your personality that would be suitable for certain careers. Here is a short summary of links you may find useful.

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Changing Careers

Google Hangout with Nicola Finetti

Yvette Maurice March 26, 2013 2 Comments
Nicola Finetti
It’s been a big month for the fashion design students at Open Colleges with a recent Google Hangout with internationally acclaimed designer Nicola Finetti. This online event allowed students to meet Nicola, who gave an interview and shared his life experiences with online design students from Sydney, Fremantle in Perth and The Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

With just a Gmail account and a webcam, students were able to spend half an hour online with Nicola to hear him discuss his fashion design process; from conceptualising an idea, through to the garment arriving on his boutique or department store floors, then on to being sold to the customer.

Emese Boardman, the Course Coordinator for fashion design, mentioned that Nicola spoke of, “his background and how he started his label, and why he chose Australia to start his label, rather than selecting Italy or Europe.” Nicola also spoke about “sourcing materials, for example, fabrics, and the difference between the European and Australia fashion labels and markets.”

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Newsletters

Fashion Exposed: Online Fashion Students Get Together for Salon-style Floor Show

Yvette Maurice March 25, 2013 3 Comments
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A group of dedicated online fashion design students from Open Colleges’ Faculty of Creative Industry recently attended an exclusive fashion-industry event, where a series of Australian and international designers presented their spring and summer ranges for 2013/14 in live salon shows.

Indulging in their love of design, textiles and manufacturing, the online students from Open Colleges also attended the business seminar Trends Exposed: the Global Retail Trend hosted by Jack Hanrahan from Westfield. They also witnessed the live Look Book shows.

Emese Boardman, the Course Coordinator for fashion design mentioned how great it was for fashion design students to meet face-to-face and to share their love and passion for the industry.

The Look Book shows are designed to impart all the technical elements of a salon-style floor show, including the intimacy, the hair and make-up, the lighting the music and vibe. The collections showcased are “a series of edited, highly directional collections from new and emerging Australian labels as well as major international favourites.”

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Student Stories

Niklas Adamson: From Earth Testing to Personal Training [Case Study]

Yvette Maurice March 25, 2013 No Comments
Niklas Adamson_photo

Niklas Adamson originally enrolled to do the Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (specialising in Nutrition & Dietetics) HLT42512 but changed into the Certificate IV in Fitness SIS40210 as he decided that studying fitness was the way to go, as the specific subjects the course offered interested Nik more.

Nik has always had a passion for keeping fit. “I wanted to study fitness out of a general interest in the topic and a firm belief that utilising the knowledge I would gain and being fit is the easiest and best way to live a healthy, happy life.”

Nik found Open Colleges through a Google search, and managed to complete his course in about 12 months, studying his course all online. Nik soon found a passion for what he was studying. “I didn’t find the course difficult to get into, as I was so interested in the topics, I found I was eager to learn as opposed to having to discipline myself to allot time for course work.”

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Student Stories

Why More Moms Are Choosing Entrepreneurship Over The 9-5

Marianne Stenger March 21, 2013 No Comments
Mumpreneurs
Over the last few years, a new trend has emerged in the business world – mom entrepreneurs, or “mompreneurs” as they are now being called. A survey carried out by Harriet Harman, UK Minister for Women and Equality, found that more women these days are starting their own businesses rather than rejoining the workforce after starting a family.

Forbes recently reported that women have been starting businesses at a higher rate than men for the last 20 years, and contrary to men, their businesses tend to be largely home-based small businesses. Additionally, these women-owned businesses are expected to create 9.72 million new small business jobs by 2018.

So what is the driving force behind this movement of women entrepreneurs? Why are they choosing to leave their 9-5 jobs and launch at-home businesses?

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news

Go to Grad School or Get a Job: What’s a Grad to Do?

Andrianes Pinantoan March 18, 2013 No Comments
life direction
Graduating university is no doubt an exciting moment—you’ve spent the last several years working hard to earn your degree, and making decision after decision about your studies (Which classes should I take? What major suits me best? What clubs shall I join?). Finally, you can relax…or so you think. With graduation comes another incredibly important decision: should I get a job? Or go to graduate school?

For many students, the answer isn’t clear. Throughout my undergrad at UC Berkeley, I had always imagined that I’d go on to earn an advanced degree in History. But alas, as graduation drew near, my desire to jump right back into school faded. I spent months, maybe even years, thinking about the ‘grad school v. get a job’ dilemma, ultimately choosing to get a job. If you find yourself toying with the idea of pursuing a graduate degree, but just can’t come to an informed conclusion, here’s how you can decide…

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Career Growth

Five Minutes with a Teacher’s Aide

Yvette Maurice March 1, 2013 No Comments
Teacher aide
There are many fulfilling careers, but none so much as electing to work with children in a classroom setting, helping kids to learn, grow and achieve their best – particularly those that need a little bit of extra attention.

Teacher’s Aides help and assist teachers in the classroom and give extra help to students to support them with their learning and development. Teacher’s Aides (also called Education Assistants) work in a range of classroom contexts, including public and independent schools and community education settings.

So what’s it like to work in this important sector? Open Colleges spoke to Barbara Lippiatt of the Western Australian Association of Teacher Assistants to find out.

Continue reading “Five Minutes with a Teacher’s Aide” »

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