WHAT DOES MEGT STAND FOR?

MEGT (Australia) Ltd (MEGT) is an Australian not-for-profit organisation and is driven by strong, people-centred values.

  The organisation seeks positive change and innovative solutions in the areas of employment, training and education and is committed to being Australia’s leading training and support services provider.

  MEGT acknowledges the differing requirements of both its community and commercial obligations.

  MEGT (Australia) Ltd is our trading name and is no longer an acronym, in the same way the BHP Billiton, Qantas and NAB trading names have evolved.

  Over 25 years ago, the organisation started in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria as a Group Training Organisation named Outer East Group Training. As the organisation grew, the name changed to Melbourne East Group Training. Services expanded to deliver vocational training, Job Network, Job Placement and Australian Apprenticeships Support Services. Offices were established to support the whole of Victoria, NSW and today, right around Australia. There are currently over 60 offices in every state of Australia and a business in Macau, China.

  For the past 22 of those 25 years, the MEGT name has become recognised as an Australian leader in employment, education and training, particularly with apprenticeships and traineeships.

  The name MEGT (Australia) Ltd recognises our heritage and community links and reminds us that local people in local offices are the core of our existence. Wherever you are in Australia, we have people with local knowledge able to respond to you in person.

  That's why we are big enough support you, yet small enough to know you.


MEGT VISION

MEGT's vision is to be a leading provider of quality employment, education and training services.

MEGT will:

• assist in the development of a highly skilled nation by providing education and training to both individuals and businesses, with an emphasis on apprenticeships and traineeships
• source employment opportunities for the benefit of the community and individuals, including groups experiencing disadvantage
• develop services and income streams which allow MEGT to operate as a self sufficient entity, in order to promote its social and corporate objectives
• assist governments in the implementation of programs developed and funded by them.

MEGT VALUES

• quality and professionalism
• ethics, honesty and transparency
• innovation and continuous improvement
• collaboration and teamwork
• people empowered environment
• equal employment opportunities
• strong and effective relationships with stakeholders
• employment, education and training empowering people to make positive choices in their lives
• appropriate balance between community and commercial interests.

OUR BOARD
Our Board is comprised of nine industry professionals who bring an outstanding level of business and industry experience to the development of MEGT policy and strategy:

• John Nathan  (Chair)
• Hilton Ludekens
• Beverly Butler
• Alan Sargeant 
• Barry O'Gorman 
• Phillip Allen
• Bob Robertson
• Kirsten Mander
• Lesley Martin                                  

OUR COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL INCLUSION
MEGT (Australia) Ltd supports an inclusive workplace where employee difference, such as gender, age, culture, disability and lifestyle choice are valued.

  MEGT recognises that local communities underpin our work and strives to address the under-representation of Aboriginal people in the workforce by a deliberate policy of investment in Aboriginal Australian relationships.

  Our Indigenous Employment and Liaison Policy focuses on education and employment of Aboriginal Australians and addressing their specific needs.

  MEGT is committed to building long term relationships with individuals, local groups and organisations representing Aboriginal Australians through the improvement of our understanding of the needs of these communities and, with their input, direction and collaboration, identifying ways we can either auspice or provide ways to increase their participation in meaningful, rewarding careers.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ACTION
  MEGT has 63 offices around Australia, employing local people with local  business knowledge.  

  We are involved with communities in the following ways:  

Australian School-based Apprenticeships
  MEGT supports the Australian School-based Apprenticeships program to help young Australians step into a career stream while gaining credit for their years 11 and 12 studies.     

  To help make the transition to work, MEGT provides ongoing coaching for students, mock interviews and taking students to interviews.  

Youth Initiative Program
  MEGT promotes apprenticeships and traineeships to Melbourne school students in the eastern and south eastern suburbs through its Youth Initiative Program.  

  This Program includes the development and delivery of two newsletters per school term for schools, careers teachers and community groups. The newsletter carries job vacancies available in the area.  

  MEGT holds regular class information sessions at schools to explain the career paths available to students through the VET system.   

SCISCO (Queensland)
  STRATCO (Qld) has joined with MEGT to mentor a young person in a local high school as part of the SCISCO program.

Connectus Program (South East Victoria)
  MEGT provides post-school support for disengaged youth by helping them prepare resumes and learn interview skills.  

  Referral to the program comes from the ‘On Track’ student follow-up program.  

Work experience placements
  To further assist the transition of students to successful careers, the Newcastle office of MEGT Group Training places several Year 12 students in work experience.  

Supporting vocational training with schools
  The Eastern Industry Education Partnership (EIEP) Melbourne and the network for Educational Workplacements Inc (NEWInc) Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are Department of Education Science and Training funded Local Community Partnerships (LCPs).

MEGT supports the work of these LCPs in:

• developing policy that will improve student participation in education and training and the transition from school to work 
• promoting vocational education and training in schools to students, parents, employers and the general community
• supporting schools to match VET students to appropriate work places and improve transition pathways for students
• assisting career transitions for 13 –19 year olds and building partnerships to provide access to structured workplace learning
• improving outcomes for young people in vocational education and training.  

Automotive Manufacturing Technology Centre
  MEGT supports careers in the automotive industry through the Ringwood Automotive Manufacturing Technology Centre.  
MEGT is on the management committee and provides support through its links with community and skills in training.  

Australian Technical College (ATC), Eastern Melbourne
  MEGT supports the Australian Government initiative to provide apprenticeships in automotive, furniture making and electrotechnology to year 11 and 12 students in the eastern region of Melbourne through the Eastern Melbourne Australian Technical College.  

  MEGT is contracted to provide the employment placement services for the apprentices. This can be either via Group Training or direct employment   

Partnerships with community

• MEGT’s Indigenous Liaison Officer promotes apprentices and traineeships to Aboriginal Australian communities.  
• In cooperation with Bizlinks, MEGT promotes school and business links in Maroondah with community breakfasts.  
• MEGT judges for the Victorian State Trainee of the Year Awards and for the Bendigo and Echuca Loddon Shire Business Excellence Awards.  
• MEGT’s Industry Employment Consultants often assist with resume writing and mock interviews at interested schools to assist students in gaining skills that will assist them to become ‘job ready’.  
• Both Group Training and Australian Apprenticeships Centre personnel attend school career nights and career expositions to help students make decisions about their future.

MEGT committee involvement 

• Australian Council for Private Education and Training (Vic)
• Australian Council for Private Education and Training (National)
• Australian Business Chamber
• NSW Department of Education and Training Vocational Training Tribunal
• Vocational Training Appeals Panel
• Group Training Australia National
• Group Training Australia Victoria
• Jobs Australia
• Outer Eastern Local Learning and Employment Network
• National Australian Apprenticeships Centre Industry Forum
• Australian Apprenticeships Centre National Reference Group
• National Employment Services Association (NESA)
• Echuca and Swan Hill Local Learning and Employment Network
• Ballarat Local Learning and Employment Network sub committee
• Committee of Management, Australian Technical College Eastern Melbourne
• Committee of Management of Automotive & Manufacturing Technology Centre
• Group Training Australia NSW
• Network for Educational Workplacements (NEW) Committee
• Management Committee overseeing the work placement of 3,500 NSW vocational education students in years 11 and 12. This is the largest Local Community Partnership (LCP) in NSW.
• Maroondah Careers Group
• David Windridge is a Fellow of the Group Training Association of Victoria.  

 
Worldskills competitions  
  MEGT is involved in the national annual awards for all apprentices and trainees.  

  Field Officers are often guest speakers at regional Worldskills competitions.     

Community contributions

• South African sponsorship
  MEGT is helping the Republic of South Africa introduce a Group Training program to the country. We believe this system will provide access to employment and training in order to improve life and work skills that can lead to improved standards of living.
  
• Tsunami
  In May 2005 staff combined with MEGT’s donation to World Vision, Red Cross and Care and to the National Heroes Foundation, Sri Lanka to contribute towards the building of a house in a Rehab Village.   
  MEGT also joined ACPET‘s Tsunami fund where the money was put towards providing alternative educational opportunities for students at a number of Aceh schools which were destroyed.
     
• Food hampers donated by MEGT staff are provided to Eastern Anglicare Victoria each Christmas.
  
• The Adelaide Australian Apprenticeships team supports Bedford's activities in encouraging employers to take on people with a disability as Australian Apprentices.
  
• The Melbourne Group Training team participated in the Citylink Run For Kids in March 2008 in order to raise money for the Children's Hospital.
  
• Many staff voluntarily direct debit some of their pay to sponsor a World Vision child and to provide three primary school Educational Sponsorships through the Smith Family.

EIEP Maroondah Grand Prix
MEGT sponsors this annual event to encourage primary and secondary students in the eastern area of Melbourne to become more aware of and interested in automotive and engineering trades. 

The event is held at the METEC track in Kilsyth. Volunteers from MEGT attended on the day as track supervisors and crowd control.   


Disability agencies in Traralgon
MEGT is leading with the number of disability placements in the Traralgon region.  

These placements make MEGT the leading Australian Apprenticeships Centre for registration of people with disabilities in the region.  

Regional consultants are involved in       

• Apex and Rotary memberships
• membership of local community sporting groups       
• local Chamber of Commerce memberships.

Environment policy
Wherever possible, MEGT tries to reduce its impact on the environment by  

• providing shredded paper to local pet shops
• maintaining a fleet of gas-powered vehicles
• encouraging  double siding of paper copying
• using hand dryers instead of paper towells
• recycling paper.