Another new entrant into FLN’s ACFE skills building programs this
year was the Women in Leadership series of courses. In partner-
ship with Melbourne Farmers Markets, Cultivating Communities
and with trainer Sophie Lamond, FLN developed and delivered a
unique program for women to explore their skills and talents to
create their own food businesses. This program has supported the
women to acquire leadership knowledge necessary to conduct a
business; providing the women with practical application opportu-
nities for planning and developing their own small business start-
up. A number of the women who participated in these programs
have gone on to establish their own small food business.
A popular ACFE programs is the Friday Reading Group taught by
Claire Taylor. Claire provides intensive support for learners with
reading difficulties and for CALD learners to help them access fur-
ther education, training and employment opportunities.
In a fast changing digital world another very popular ACFE access
program is the adult computer classes. Computer classes run twice
a week and provide basic computer skills to enable people to learn
to become confident in their technology skills. Over the year, this
program has assisted participants to learn a wide range of life skills
as well as provide them with a pathway to access further educa-
tion, training and employment. In 2016- 17 we were fortunate to
have the training expertise of Rouba Al Masri, Kathryn Janka,
Joshua Strange and Ann Siobhan Connolly to teach this program.
In compliment to the ACFE programs the Certificated courses in
Spoken and Written English are part of a suite of accredited and
nationally registered English language courses. FLN has had strong
enrolment and participation in all of the FLN English language
programs which are specifically designed for the needs of cultural-
ly and linguistically diverse English language learners. FLN delivers
five programs across the four levels. FLN English language pro-
grams are suitable for both newly arrived and long term migrants
and refugees. The four levels we deliver are Preliminary, Certifi-
cate I, Certificate II and Certificate III. Class numbers and attend-
ance have been up to 20 students in some programs. FLN accom-
modates both AMEP and Skills First eligible clients in the English
language programs.
All round it has been a very successful year for FLN education
programs and we look forward to 2018 with renewed vigour and
excitement.
Kathryn Williamson - Education Coordinator
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