ALPA Trainer, Tony Webb, has just returned from Alice Springs where he delivered Certificate I in Retail Services at Alice Springs Correctional Centre. ALPA started providing training to both women and men at the Centre last year. This time, Tony’s trained with a group of ten women which was a great success.

Robin Cross, the Centre’s Education Coordinator passed on some positive feedback.

“ALPA is well known by our student cohort, thus the high number of prisoner requests to be waitlisted for the course. This cohort cannot speak highly enough of Tony or the course.”

The Certificate I in Retail Services provides the skills and knowledge needed to commence work in the retail industry, for example in customer service roles, and is a pathway to further study. Tony had good things to say in return, commenting that his learners were “incredibly cooperative and engaged”.

Tony has been with ALPA for nearly 9 years, having worked as a Relief Manager in ALPA stores for two years prior to joining the Training Team. He also managed Good Guys stores nearly a decade prior to this. This extensive retail experience allows him to share personal stories with his learners, and to focus on the bigger picture of what a career in retail can look like.

"ALPA is well known by our student cohort, thus the high number of prisoner requests to be waitlisted for the course."

"There is often an element of anxiety or apprehension with learners who have not had much experience with formal education before, or whose past experiences were negative. Reflecting on this, Tony said, “I like to put them at ease by telling them, ‘If you’re engaged and attend all our sessions, the assessment won’t be an issue’”.

With plans to deliver training to an additional group this month, this will make it 50 people in the prison system that have developed skills for real jobs thanks to ALPA training.

If you would like to discuss opportunities to conduct training with ALPA, please email [email protected]