Creating Skills for life
Built-Enviroment

2013 NEWS ARCHIVE

Tea and professionalism

Mar 08, 2013

Early childhood teachers from the Nadi district in Fiji got to know the Australia-Pacific Technical College students who’ll be working with them in the nicest possible circumstances – as guests at a delicious afternoon tea.

Children’s Services students from the APTC’s Namaka campus in Fiji will soon be going on work placements in kindergartens and early childhood centres in the Nadi district to put into practice what they’ve been learning in their course. So they thought that a nice way of getting to know the teachers who’ll be their hosts would be to invite them to an afternoon tea.

And who better to help with the refreshments than their fellow students in the APTC’s patisserie and hospitality courses at Namaka? The delicious delicacies the patisserie students prepare under the guidance of their trainer Amanda Young are enjoyed by everyone who’s tasted them, and the hospitality students under their trainer Cathy Joyce are very adept at serving and making everyone feel comfortable and at home.

The afternoon tea was held on 22 February 2013 and was a great success. “The refreshments looked spectacular,” commented Children’s Services trainer Diana Hurford. “The Patisserie students prepared a buffet of savoury and sweet delicacies including chicken pies, finger sandwiches, pineapple tarts and a very popular tiramisù.”

For their part, the Hospitality students had set the scene by creating a café-style ambience for the occasion. Then they demonstrated the high standard of their service skills. “They kept the food and beverages flowing and worked with grace and ease to ensure everyone felt attended to,” said Diana.

The afternoon tea was a good opportunity for the students from the three courses to coordinate their coursework. Though its basic purpose was for the Children’s Services students to get to know their host teachers, it also gave all the students the chance to work together.

The Children’s Services students were the official hosts, and, said Diana, “used great communication skills to meet and greet their teachers. They even provided entertainment. They danced and sang, giving their teacher guests a glimpse of each of the cultures represented in the student group.

“The guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves and made many favourable comments on the professionalism of all the students.”

As well as its training functions, the APTC, which is funded by the Australian Government and has campuses and teaching centres in 14 countries in the Pacific region, is committed to its relationships with local communities. Said Diana: “It is good that the early childhood teachers, as community representatives, had this opportunity to see APTC students in action and appreciate the quality of the learning and skills the APTC provides. Our students should feel pleased with their efforts on this day.”

APTC is an Australian Government initiative in partnership with the Pacific and Timor-Leste.

APTC is implemented by TAFE Queensland (RTO 0275)

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