A total of 117 new learning managers celebrated the completion of their teaching studies with a barbecue at Rockhampton’s Riverside Park this week (Tuesday, October 10).

The Bachelor of Learning Management (BLM) students were congratulated by Regional Executive Director of Schools, Rockhampton District, for Education Queensland, Lynne Foley, Catholic Education’s representative Dr Leigh Stower and Executive Dean of CQU’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Education, Professor Richard Smith.

The Bachelor of Learning Management program has been acknowledged nationally through an ACER (Australian Council of Education Research) report for its ability to produce job-ready graduates. This claim was confirmed yesterday with reports of a number of BLM students having been offered employment even before the completion of their degree.

Among the successful students were Elizabeth Browning, Stephen Hunt and Simone Ganter who have all been offered teaching positions (at various Rockhampton and Gladstone schools) for next year.

“The BLM program gave me the confidence, networks and partnerships in the community and with education stakeholders to become a successful learning manager,” Ms Browning explained.

The former STEPS student praised the bridging program for giving her the opportunity to enrol in the BLM program and now successfully begin a teaching career.

Ms Browning will begin teaching in 2007 at St John the Baptist School in Gladstone.

Soon to begin his new career at St Peter’s School in Rockhampton, Mr Hunt said the BLM was an innovative program which enabled him to hone his skills in the classroom along with learning the theory.

Coming from a long line of teachers, Ms Ganter said the BLM program gave her natural abilities a dynamic boost.

“I had completed the STEPS program at CQU and it was a natural progression to enrol in the BLM.

“I had looked at other education programs, but I just wanted to do the BLM,” Ms Ganter said.

BLM students have been reaping the rewards of CQU’s great partnerships with Education Queensland, Catholic Education and the region’s independent schools.

In 2006, 35 of the 45 teaching appointments in Catholic schools in the region went to CQU graduates, and 24 of the 31 appointments already made for the 2007 year have been CQU graduates.

During yesterday’s celebrations, Mrs Foley told the students that they now had the opportunity to influence young people and their futures.

“You also have the ability to contribute to the science of the profession,” she said.

ACER's (Australian Council of Education Research) national study reported that new-style ‘learning managers’ graduating from CQU are well prepared to meet the demands of first-year teaching when compared to graduates of more traditional education degrees. ACER reported that teachers from the BLM reported greater levels of preparedness across almost all areas of teaching compared with graduates from other programs.

Photo: CQU's new learning managers Elizabeth Browning, Stephen Hunt and Simone Ganter.