Mike McBain (L) hands Robert Nicholson his certificate at Deloraine OAC

Ravenswood OAC is one among a growing number who have taken part in a Work for the Dole project this year. They have provided placements for 10 participants, who after learning basic computer applications, published extra editions of the Community Times newspaper. The participants also designed and produced programs, fliers, tickets and posters for the local community drama production "Front Foot Impossible". At least three of the participants have obtained full time employment, three enrolled in TAFE programs, and the Centre has gained the services of some new volunteers.

At Deloraine, Robert Nicholson, recently completed the requirements to attain a Certificate 11 in Office Administration as part of the scheme.

Geeveston also had a participant, Sharon Potaczek, successfully complete a Certificate 2 in Information Technology. As part of her work Sharon updated all the promotional material for the centre and then signed on as a volunteer! Contact details for Work for the Dole providers are available from the TCO Project Office.

By now we have received about a dozen Three Month Reports outlining your progress to date. These reports show that most Centres are now fully involved in vigorous training programs and are beginning to examine the opportunities for sustainability.

At the state level we have been pursuing opportunities with other government departments to deliver suitable services through the Centres on a fee for service. In particular this has involved discussions with Tourism Tasmania, TAFE Tasmania, Department of Health and Community Services, and Work for the Dole Scheme. A letter has also been sent to about 40 private IT businesses , and they may be contacting Centres directly with proposals.

The outcome of these endeavours ought to be some state-wide initiatives which Centres can take advantage of to earn revenue and enhance sustainability. We have already had some positive feedback from private providers and links have been established for them on our web sites.
TCO has also lodged a submission with the Work for the Dole Scheme. If the tender is successful, and your Centre decides to participate, this would give you increased staffing next year at no cost, and would at the same time generate revenue of about $1,000 -2,000 per placement. Centres may wish to start identifying local people who would like to participate in the scheme.
Promotional activities such as visits by local politicians, Breast Cancer Awareness Day and Online Australia Day activities are all good opportunities for you to promote your Centre’s activities.
We are now awaiting advice from Canberra as to whether our second submission has been a success, enabling us to go ahead and establish more Centres.

The Project Team congratulates all Centres on their successful operation to date and looks forward to continued success in the future.

Judith Timbs
Project Manager

All about online training and education cleo.murdoch.edu.au/gen/trdev-aus/trdev_courses.html

Seniors Week at Devonport OAC
Devonport OAC organised very successful Seniors Week activities, offering two types of sessions which were well supported by many volunteers. "Email for Grandparents" proved very popular and participants learnt to operate email and then open their own free account to send messages and greeting cards to relatives and friends. Those without relatives on email sent messages to other participants, and signed onto a seniors list which will keep all emailers busy "networking" in the future. Also popular were the "Surfing for Seniors" sessions.

Sorell
Sorell is hosting a site promoting the Bushranger Festival on Sunday November 15th. Sorell also has put the Coal River Catchment Management Plan onto the www so that it is easily accessible to all Land Care groups and interested people.

Oatlands
Oatlands is hosting the Arts Council’s Identity Distinct project "A Rich and Fertile Country" for the Southern Midlands. This project was undertaken by author Elizabeth Dean and graphic artist Robin Petterd, who travelled the district to gather information and then developed a series of web pages highlighting the history, people and distinct character of the region.

Bruny Island
Bruny Island has introduced a new service to local business and is placing advertisements on screen its savers for a small fee.

The National Office for the Information Economy is planning a national Online Australia Day to increase the awareness among both the general community and business of the benefits of going online.

All Centres were sent information about how to register an expression of interest in taking part, but even if your Centre has not registered to make a formal contribution, there is still time to plan an activity to highlight the occasion. For example your Centre could plan an access day, inviting people who are not regular users to visit and look at the Virtual Expo. The Virtual Expo will have "pavilions" under the headings Government, Education, Community and Families, Health, Arts and Culture, Business, E-commerce, IT, Media, Rural, Sport, Entertainment, and Lifestyle.

Perhaps you could target a special interest group in your locality.

The Web Site is already active, and will remain in operation for about a year.
Check it out on www.onlineaustralia.net.au

New Minister for Education Paula Wreidt will be visiting the Geeveston Online Access Centre soon. This will be a great chance for the committee to show the Minister all the fantastic services the OAC offers to the community.

Has your Centre made contact with a local member (State or Federal)? Parliament is not yet sitting regularly and new (and old) members are still not fully booked, so its a good time to invite a member of Parliament to see your Centre and to inform her/him about all the great services offered to the community.