My wife and her friend were driving along a local road. As they passed over the crest of a hill they were suddenly witness to a terrifying car accident as a speeding car, coming the other way, ploughed into the back of a stationary cement truck.  A morning drive had now put them at the scene of a potentially fatal traffic accident.

There was an eerie silence. Only the hissing coming from the car’s bonnet could be heard. It dawned on them they would need to deal with this situation. They moved towards the crushed car with trepidation, not knowing what they would find when they looked into the driver’s side broken window.

They were now faced with two lifeless passengers inside a steaming car…….
There were no other witnesses and no one else to come to their aid…….

Would you know what to do in this situation?

Some of us think we probably have a good enough understanding of First Aid, however in a situation like this, the decisions you make can have a huge impact on the outcome and at the extreme can be the difference between life and death.
Moving a person with a spinal injury could paralyse them for life.
A victim with an arterial bleed literally only has minutes to live, but you could easily save them….would you know how?

The good news is that every day, First Aid skills help otherwise ordinary people achieve the extraordinary: THEY SAVE LIVES!

Apart from being able to help someone in a life threatening situation such as the one above, there are many other ways that First Aid training can benefit your everyday life.  People who have completed First Aid training are able to:

• Think clearly and act quickly if they are faced with an emergency situation such as a car accident.
• They are more aware of potential hazards and how to avoid them.
• They can provide better care for loved ones as they are trained to handle a multitude of situations from minor cuts and burns to life threatening situations such as choking or drowning.
• First Aid can be invaluable in other situations such as: sporting events, camping & hiking, water and beach safety, looking after children, and many other aspects of everyday life!
• In addition, completing First Aid training can impress existing and potential employers as it shows you have the initiative and drive to develop your own skills and care for others.
  Plus all workplaces need trained First Aiders on site.

At Catch Training, our one day Provide First Aid Course (HLTAID003) covers subjects such as:

• Provide CPR (HLTAID001) – Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• Responding to an emergency
• Lifting and moving injured persons
• Management of chest pains including heart attacks
• Fractures, breaks and dislocations
• Concussions, strokes and seizures
• Minor and major burns and scalds
• Spinal and head injuries
• Asthma and allergic reactions
• Bleeding, internal and external injuries
• How to apply bandages
• Choking in adults, children and infants
• Severed limbs
• Poisons
• How to treat bites, stings, heatstroke and other Australian summer hazards!

The story continued……

My wife, after checking for potential DANGER, then tried to arouse a RESPONSE from the passenger. She then got her friend to SEND for help by dialling 112 / 000 from her mobile phone to alert emergency services to the accident. Meanwhile, proceeded to check AIRWAY and BREATHING of the passenger who was now starting to rouse. So there was no need for CPR or DEFIBRILLATION

The driver came to and was able to walk away from the car and was comforted while he waited for services to arrive. Within minutes emergency services arrived and were able to take both the driver and passenger to the hospital for further treatment.

If you would like to find out more about First Aid training please visit https://www.catch.nsw.edu.au/course_category/first-aid/ or call Catch training on 02 8007 3427.

Also, be sure to check out our Free First AID Printables including DRSABCD – Basic Life Support poster and Emergency Contact Numbers here https://www.catch.nsw.edu.au/first-aid-downloads/

Chris Young
Catch CEO

My eldest child is heading to high school next year. Luckily she appears to be a lot more sensible than I was at that age, however as a parent I do worry about the dangers and influences she will face as she grows older. In Australia, we live in a society where alcohol is prevalent, and there is peer pressure on high schoolers to be involved in underage drinking.  Only this week ten Year 11 students from an elite Upper North Shore girls school were suspended for hiding alcohol in their school lockers.

As the owner of Catch Training I recently sat in on one of our RSA courses again and I was reminded how impressed I am with the content of this course! And it got me thinking……the course is a mandatory requirement to work in a licensed venue in NSW however, in addition, I strongly believe that this course should be delivered to all teenagers. Not only is the course about the responsible service of alcohol, the course goes into depth regarding the affects alcohol can have, the things that can go wrong and also the complications and legal ramifications of underage and excessive drinking. Unfortunately, I believe that almost all our children will have already been exposed to alcohol way before they reach their 18^th birthday!!

It is a common myth that you have to be 18 years old to sit the RSA course.  In fact a 14 year old can complete the course, they just can’t work in a licensed venue until they turn 18.

If your child’s school offers RSA training, I strongly encourage you to send your child along.  They will learn a lot more about being responsible around alcohol than you could ever teach them yourselves. If your school doesn‘t offer this opportunity, then please consider sending your child to attend a course with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) like Catch Training.

I am obviously biased towards Catch Training, however please be wary of providers who are selling an RSA course too cheaply. The reason they are selling it cheaply is they deliver to very large class sizes squeezing up to 40 participants in with an inexperienced trainer who is most likely not an industry expert.

Please be sure to choose a quality provider that:

• Uses current industry experts as trainers
• Offers small class sizes – this means every student gets individual attention.
• Runs the course for the mandated minimum of 6 hours.
• Offers practical elements to their training and assessment – Is this even possible in a class of 40?
• Ensures that each student completes an activity book as they work through the class content. This ensures formative learning takes place. Some providers save on cost by not doing this – so how do the students learn?
• Ensures that each student completes a comprehensive written, verbal and practical assessment which ensures they have understood the content. Again I believe this impossible with a ratio of 40 students to 1 trainer.
• If a student fails, what happens? Budget providers will make them re-book and pay for another course. Quality training providers will work with the student then and there, at no extra cost to ensure knowledge gaps are closed and the student can genuinely pass the assessment.

Catch is a local, family owned business.  We care about families and our community.  We want our students and the greater community to truly understand what it is to be responsible and safe around alcohol.

To show our commitment in this area we would like to offer the first 10 schools or community groups in the North West and Hills area of Sydney a free 2 hour ‘Alcohol and You’ workshop. If your school or organisation misses out please contact us for special pricing.

The course will be delivered by a Catch Trainer who is an industry expert and will teach teenagers and participants the dangers of alcohol and give them techniques to avoid peer group pressure of underage drinking and unhealthy alcohol consumption.

Chris young, Catch Training

The Road not taken.

When I went through year 11 and 12 I was constantly bombarded with people saying the HSC was everything, and that if I didn’t do great that I would not be able to pursue tertiary education. However, that is not the case as there are many alternate pathways to your goal.

If you do not do as well as you hoped in the HSC or you are a Non-school leaver/Mature age student, Institutions don’t just asses you on your ATAR, they usually take into account one or more of the following when assessing your application (This varies by institution):

• Secondary studies
• Tertiary studies
• Other relevant factors such as employment experience.

A Diploma and/or work experience in a relevant field is a good supplement to your Resume or Tertiary Application.

At Catch Training we provide two diploma courses.

1. CHC50113 – DIPLOMA OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
2. BSB50207 – DIPLOMA OF BUSINESS

Why should you undertake a diploma?
They’re shorter! Some University degrees are 3-4+ years in length, our diplomas take roughly 12-18 months to complete and are fully accredited and nationally recognised. And if you do feel like continuing your education after completing your diploma, usually University’s will credit you with recognition of prior learning and past experience, allowing you to save time and money when completing a relevant University degree.

Do you have a busy schedule?
The combination of face-to-face and self-paced learning provides flexible studying patterns around work and other commitments.

Worried about the cost? Study now, pay later!
With VET FEE-HELP there is no upfront payment to start your diploma. VET FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay tuition fees for diploma courses. Repayments of the loan are managed through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) once your income reaches a certain threshold.

Has it been a while since you’ve last studied or undertaken education?
We provide on-line and phone support to help you successfully complete your diploma.
For more information on our diplomas click here

Not sure where you’re heading?
Unsure if a diploma or tertiary education is right for you? Don’t worry, it’s quite common. If you were like me when I finished high School, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I ended up having a 2 year long ‘gap year’ and while it was fun, what I regret most about those 2 years is that I did not use it to build up my life skills, I had secured a place in a Degree and was just sitting on it, sure that it was what I was going to do for a career.  It’s taken several years and a few degree swaps but I now know what I want to do.

If you are currently in the position of not knowing what to do, I suggest having a look at our Work Experience Pack. It’s a combination of highly sought after skills that cover a wide range of jobs, it includes RSA, RCG, Barista Training and Customer Service Skills. And these course aren’t a 12 month+ commitment, you just need 1 day to complete each one. These skills can give you the edge to secure work while you decide what you want to do or could lead you in a direction that you hadn’t even considered.

For more information, click here.

— Guest blog writer Jordan

If you happen to own a bar or restaurant, it is an absolute necessity, and a condition of your licence, that you take an RSA course that prepares you for the responsible serving of alcoholic beverages. Not having taken this type of RSA course, you may not fully understand your responsibilities and the threat not meeting these responsibilities can pose to your  business. It is a legal requirement that everyone in your business who serves alcohol gets certified through a professional RSA course so that they are prepared for this type of work.

The whole basis of taking an RSA course prepares you for responsibly serving alcohol to individuals in your business. Whether you are the owner of the business or just someone who is going to be working as a bartender or server, an RSA course is what will help you to learn how to serve those who are ordering alcoholic beverages. The course will prepare you for checking a person’s identification to ensure they are of legal age to drink as well as to know when to stop serving someone who has had too much to drink. The idea of taking this type of class is a way for you to responsibly serve anyone in your place of business without doing so in an irresponsible manner so that someone gets hurt.

Owning a business that serves alcohol to customers can be a great way to bring in a flow of clientele and make a lot of money. Unfortunately, serving alcohol is a serious responsibility and this is why taking an RSA course is essential for any company owner or employee. For owners, servers and bartenders, taking an RSA course will help anyone to responsibly serve alcohol and know the ins and outs of this type of business. The RSA course outlines what everyone needs to know when working in this particular field in order for them to avoid the pitfalls that come along with the serving of alcoholic beverages and can potentially endanger their staff and their business.

At present RSA courses in NSW courses can only be completed face to face, not online. The course outlines what everyone needs to know when serving alcohol to a wide range of different clients. Taking an RSA course is great for both owners and employees of businesses that serve alcohol, and it will help everyone to be more responsible working in this field. When you or one of your workers takes this course, they will receive a certificate that says that they have successfully completed the course and know how to responsibly serve alcohol. They will then need to take this certificate to an Australia Post outlet to collect their OLGR RSA photo card.

Update: From 31st July 2015 you will need to take your certificate to a NSW Service Centre or RMS Office where you will be able to obtain your photo card. You can look up your closest location with the Service NSW centre locator .

You might have heard about taking an RSA course before, especially if you’re looking to work in the hospitality industry serving alcohol to customers. Taking an RSA course is what will help you or your workers to learn how to responsibly serve alcohol to individuals coming into your place of business. Understanding why taking an RSA course is so beneficial will help you to know why you need to take this type of class and why it might also be a good idea for all of your employees as well. In fact,. Is it is a legal requirement in NSW for anyone working in a licenced venue to hold a valid RSA qualification.

Taking an RSA course is ideal for anyone who works in the hospitality industry. It can help to prepare just about anyone on how to serve alcohol in a highly responsible manner. Because there are many accidents and injuries caused by intoxication, taking an RSA course will help you to serve drinks in a way to avoid this entirely for your patrons. It’s why so many people  find RSA courses to be highly beneficial for both themselves, their business and all of their guests and customers as well.

Many people have been told by their employer or by a future employer that they need to take a Responsible Conduct of Gaming (RCG) course, but they may not understand why this is required or what their time frame is for taking the course. The RCG course essentially is now required by law for some professionals who work in certain venues. These are venues that have legal gambling or gaming activities on-site, such as casinos, hotels, pubs and others. The course provides them with a certification that states that they have mastered the concepts taught in the courses and therefore are able to work in these venues.

The RCG course takes approximately six hours to complete, and students are required to take a test and pass it with a grade of at least 80 percent. Passing the RCG course will result in the student receiving a five year photocard from OLGR here in NSW. After five years those who wish to continue working in gaming venues are required to re-sit a course to refresh and bring up to date their knowledge.

If you have been told that you need to take a RCG course, it is a wise decision to sign up for the course as soon as possible. While there are several course options to take in various locations, they are in high demand. You want to lock in your space in a class in order to ensure that you have the ability to get the OLGR photo card that you are required to hold for your job. Catch training offer courses in the Sydney CBD, Castle Hill, Blacktown and Campbelltown.

can qualify the person to secure a job is holding RCG certification. Therefore, taking RCG courses is something that can never be overlooked as far as working in an environment that attracts many gamblers and drinkers is concerned. It is also against the law to work under such an environment before taking RCG courses. One may want to know why it is necessary to take this course. There are several reasons as to why doing RCG courses is necessary.

One of the basic things that are covered in this course includes minors and proof of age. It is easy to realize that someone has not attained the right age to gamble in public places and if the authorities realize this, they may penalize the bar for failure to take age control measures into consideration. For this reason, it becomes necessary to have the right skills so as to solve such cases whenever they arise.

The learner also gets to learn about various gambling offenses and their corresponding penalties. So, in the event someone goes against basic rules of the game, it becomes easy to take the right action. RCG course Sydney also enable one to take up measures that aim at reducing harm, especially whenever a disagreement arises. Much of the population that frequents gambling spots comprises people who drink. This means they may sometimes fail to control their feelings, something that could cause losses and harm to others. However, with RCG courses, it becomes easy to control anything of that sort from happening. One gets sufficient skills on how to best handle aggrieved players.

RCG or RGS (Responsible Conduct of Gambling) courses are now mandatory for individuals working in venues that provide gaming services including hoteliers, secretary managers and gaming-related staff. There are no exemptions, so any employees that hold these positions will need to complete the course successfully to obtain this certification.

Just because you need to take a course doesn’t mean that you will need to attend classes for months on a full-time basis. You will be happy to know that RCG courses are actually in a workshop style format and take just 6.5 hours to complete. The goal of this course is to encourage healthy and responsible attitudes when providing and facilitating gaming entertainment. During the course, you will learn about applicable gaming laws and regulations, how to promote gambling activities in an ethical and responsible manner, as well as useful strategies that you can employ to inform and educate gambling patrons who may be at risk of developing gambling issues. This helps minimize cases of problem gambling, as venue staff will have the knowledge needed to help patrons who may be experiencing problems with gambling.

Once you complete the course and the examination, you will receive an interim certificate and Statement of Attainment (SoA) that is recognized around the nation. Graduates will need to present the interim certificate and 100 points of identification at a participating Australia Post office to apply for an OLGR Photo Competency Card. This card is valid for five years and serves as proof that you have completed the necessary RCG courses. You will need to show your photo competency card whenever you apply for employment for any job that is related to gaming.

Update: From 31st July 2015 you will need to take your certificate to a NSW Service Centre or RMS Office where you will be able to obtain your photo card. You can look up your closest location with the Service NSW centre locator .