blueprint
australian industry trade college
SYSTEM OF INFLUENCE
When AITC Head of Education Eliza Lane is asked about the strategy behind the College’s curriculum, she says industry is at the heart of it all. “In our program, industry leads education. We don’t have education with just a flavour of industry,” she says. “Our strategic direction focuses on being a system of influence in education and we want to influence the way forward for industry education.” Eliza, along with Deputy Head of Education Lee Smith, and Education Quality and Compliance Manager Toni Banfield, make up the AITC’s central education leadership team. The trio are behind the College’s industry education strategy, driving the delivery of curriculum on each of the five AITC campuses. “We have a focus on synergy with everything we do,” says Lee. “This includes education, industry, partners, employers – everything.” Lee’s role is to operationalise the College’s education strategy. “It’s my job to ensure there is no separation between education and industry,” says Lee, who leads the Industry and Operations Officers on each campus.
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The third person in the trio, Toni, works directly with campus leadership to implement quality education with industry relevance. “I oversee the design and implementation of quality innovative curriculum and education programs, which support our young people to become future leaders of industry,” says Toni. The centralised education leadership team have a pivotal role in the AITC’s philosophy: 1 school, 1 system, 1 way. “This approach will ensure that what we do and what we deliver is the same on each campus,” says Eliza. “It won’t be cookie cutter, as we know the importance of a local focus in each community, but we will consistently deliver the same quality outcomes.” The trio work across South East Queensland to ensure each campus team is working towards a shared goal. “Working with the teams on each of the campuses is a really important part of our roles, and we are looking forward to a time when it is safe to move around more often,” says Lee. Eliza, Lee, and Toni come from comprehensive education and training backgrounds, with years of experience in leadership positions both at the AITC and beyond, giving them invaluable
