"Nowhere," did I hear you say? Our centres certainly owe a huge proportion of their success to the 840 dedicated volunteers who provide time and skills to make our network of centres what it is today. With 2001 being the International Year of the Volunteer it is fitting that we reflect and consider what we can do in the coming year to recognize and celebrate their contributions.

Deloraine Online attribute the success of their centre to the volunteer program they have worked hard to establish. Deloraine has 12 volunteers rostered on a weekly basis for around 6 hours each (although Heather Brookes, the coordinator, says that they do far more than that!)

According to Heather, the key elements of the volunteer program are good communications (they have a communications book, their own listserv and regular meetings), clearly defined expectations, ownership and ongoing training. There is a comprehensive volunteer manual and volunteers have a high degree of autonomy and ownership of the programs including the volunteer program. Deloraine Online also operates a buddy system whereby new volunteers spend at least 3 shifts with an experienced buddy volunteer. Formal training in desktop applications is also arranged for volunteers in various ways including the VET certificate in partnership with the Hobart College.

Heather believes it is very important to recognise the achievements of volunteers. A thank you function was held on Volunteer Appreciation Day in August. Volunteers were invited to afternoon tea at the Centre where Mike McBain, the centre's Chair, presented each volunteer with a certificate.

Minister of Education, Paula Wreidt (left) and Ms. Lester

On Wednesday, 8 November at a ceremony at the Woodbridge OAC, the first installment of $1.5 million of sponsorship for the TCO network over the next three years was handed to the Minister, the Hon. Paula Wriedt MHA by Ms Jill Lester, Manager, Corporate Operations, Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The event was well attended by representatives of government, OACs and the local community and received significant media attention.

Numbers Boom in Online Access Centres

The number of registered users is expected to top 30,000 by Christmas.

Since March 2000, Centres have:
registered over 10,000 new users
offered 294 free basic training courses in the use of computers & the internet
created over 5,200 new email accounts.

A number of significant events have occurred for the TCO network in the past few months. The TCO Project Team continues to work closely with the Online Access Centre Association of Tasmania (OACAT) who appointed Mr Jeff Ridley as their Executive Director in October. Also, the TCO web hosting initiative was launched at Oatlands. This initiative is the result of an arrangement between TCO, Telstra and the Central Tasmania Portal, itself an initiative of the Southern Midlands, Northern Midlands and Central Highlands Councils.

In early November, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia presented the first installment of a three-year sponsorship of the TCO network and the third annual TCO Conference was held at Scamander. The conference provided an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and to explore future opportunities. Over 40 Centres were represented and participants acclaimed the Conference as a great success.

Campbell Town, the sixtieth Centre was opened by the Minister the Hon Paula Wriedt, MHA and Senator the Hon Eric Abetz. The remaining four Centres to be established, New Norfolk, Scottsdale, Bridgewater-Brighton and Scottsdale, are in various stages of implementation.

It has been another successful year for the TCO Project with the Centres remaining popular with their local communities. In the past 12 months, there have been over 13,000 Tasmanians register as new users, 8,000 new email accounts created and 11,000 people access basic training in the use of computers and the internet. The Project is increasingly approached by organizations interested in utilizing the network of Centres and I have spoken at a number of events promoting their benefits.

I look forward to another exciting and challenging year in 2001.

Andy Norris, Acting Project Manager

Campbell Town became the sixtieth Online Access Centre to open on Friday 24th November The centre is located at the Campbell Town District High School and is a little different from other centres in that it is collocated with a Skills Centre. The new coordinator, Mr John Richardson, is employed by the school to manage both facilities. The community provides input to the strategic direction and policy for the Centre through a community advisory committee.

The concept has been developed through the willingness and cooperation of all of the parties involved, including the school, the Skills Centre program and the Tasmanian Communities Online Project Team. The community provided its support for the idea at a public meeting held to explore the possibilities afforded by such an arrangement. The school council motto is "building bridges between school and community" and the school Principal, Mr Steve Plowright said in reference to this development that he tries to live by that.

There were smiles all round at Rosebery when they learnt of their successful Networking the Nation application and the promise of up-to-date equipment. Smiles remained even when volunteers were called upon to unload the equipment at 4.30am! Breakfast provided by Bev Cannell helped to restore a semblance of humanity to the weary crew!

A special Upgrade Opening was held on the 22nd of October with Ken Bacon MHA and Denise Swan MHA doing the honours of cutting the ribbon. The four new computers, laminator, webcam, scanner, printer, digital camera, Brother Office Centre and assorted software has created an upsurge in usage of the centre and delighted the coordinator, Ruth de Kaste.

Lee Buchanan, Coordinator (L) talks to showgoers

Five Centres, Woodbridge, Geeveston, Huonville, Margate and Bruny Island, demonstrated the value of working together to promoting themselves at the Huon Valley Show on November 18. A crowd in excess of 15000 attended the show. The centres hired a site between them and each focussed on promoting a different service. IRIS Computing donated a scanner as the prize for an OAC Quiz which was a real drawcard to the site. Promotional showbags were given out and funds raised through the sale of items such as personalised calendars. Congratulations to these centres for their initiative and let's hope we see other centres following their lead!

Terry, a Work for the Dole participant at Ouse Online wanted to learn about computers, but as a mechanic, he couldn't see a lot of relevance to his work. However, using the Internet, Terry discovered that Mack trucks could now be fitted with a new type shock absorber. He was hooked. Terry found on-line diagnostic helpers, bulletin boards, product information, and more. Using his new skills, Terry set about making contacts that could lead to employment. He now says that a computer is an essential tool, and that all mechanical workshops should be online.

Concepts on the Mall in Devonport, is selling novelty gifts throughout the world via a website developed by Devonport OAC. Coordinator, Lorraine Hamilton. "The proprietor didn't even own a computer when he started," she said. "He came to our first e-commerce session in 1998. Since then, he has bought his own system and learned about email and webpages here at the Centre. We assisted him in finding an ISP and learning about FTP and he is now looking after his own site." And making sales. Recently, he sent novelty slippers off to USA and UK.

www.conceptsofthemall.southcom.com.au

How easy it is! With the help of St Helen's Online Access Centre, Laurelle's four-year writing effort is being published. Her book, Cosmic Wonder, has gone online at www.xlibris.com/bookstore. Anyone can use this new way of publishing books by formatting the work according to Xlibris' specifications and emailing the files. They will list it with Amazon books and other online book stores. "The Online Access Centre in St Helens helped me all the way," says Laurelle. "Mind you it's taken a couple of months and quite a few emails back and forward, but when the galley for the book finally arrived - oh what a feeling! "

A number of Coordinators have moved on since the first Centre opened in May 1998. (Interestingly, 11 of the original 20 Round 1 Coordinators are still with their Centres). Many of those moving on have used the skills honed in running an Online Access Centre to take up IT-related positions. For example:

• Andrew Meers formerly of Sorell OAC, is now an Educational Technologist with TAFE Learning
• Media Services, assisting in the development of online courses.
• Stephanie Haines of Swansea obtained a position of Human Resources Consultant, Data Management in the Department of Education in Hobart.
• Simon Dudley from Launceston OAC has joined the Tasmanian Business Online Project, along with
• Adam Hirst, formerly Chairperson of the Centre management committee.
• David McCormack from Burnie has joined Landcare
• Todd Walsh from Smithton is now a Lobster Project Officer
• Bev Armstrong of Ouse joined the Central Highlands Council as an Environmental Health Officer.