Learning Centre head wins award

Friday, 07 October 2011

The head of the Horowhenua Learning Centre in Levin has set a fine example for his students by picking up a national leadership award. Chief Executive Malcolm Russell won the L.H. Martin Institute Leadership Award, presented at the national conference of the NZ Association of Private Education Providers in Wellington recently.

The institute is associated with Melbourne University and specialises in educational leadership and management. Malcolm’s award is a scholarship to attend a short (3-5 day) leadership/ management training course of his choosing at the institute.

He says he is looking forward to going to Melbourne, his only taste being a fleeting stopover 30 years ago.

Malcolm has a teaching background and took the top job at HLC 10 years ago. It also has a campus in Lower Hutt and runs a course out of Massey University premises in Palmerston North.

HLC began in 1984 as a training centre for youth, but now offers a diverse range of vocational courses for all ages. In addition to employment skills training for youth, HLC offers:

• Courses in Hospitality, Caregiving, Security (from Lower Hutt), and Workplace Training.
• Help for people with disabilities to find work.
• On-the-job training for businesses in fields such as computers and communication skills, plus short courses in first-aid, food safety, fire extinguishers etc.

Malcolm manages a staff of 25 full- and part-timers. At present HLC has 116 students in training, 58 students with disabilities in employment, and 182 employees in “upskill” on-the-job training, involving 55 businesses.

Horowhenua Learning Centre Chief Executive Malcolm Russell.