ABOUT US
Cultura Training is a division of Cultura, focused on training and helping people achieve their goals through learning. We provide supportive delivery to empower diverse individuals to reach their full potential through the power of skills and knowledge sharing.
Our qualifications are nationally recognised by employers across Australia and are delivered by trainers who are industry skilled and trained. All our trainers have vast knowledge and experience in their areas of expertise and all share a passion for helping students on their career path.
We offer a range of areas to study with the heart of our qualifications centered on caring for others, the community and helping those facing hardship. Our pre-accredited training allows a pathway for students to develop skills to prepare them for qualified training. This means everyone interested is able to study via one of our pathways. Our pre-accredited training also prepares students towards obtaining employment and developing other life skills.
We offer our services to the Greater Geelong and South West Barwon region and partner closely with local industry and all levels of government to support our training delivery.
Industry Engagement
Cultura Training aligns all studying with our connections to industry.
Through Cultura we integrate our training with our residential aged care facility, our home services, our disability services and community services. Cultura’s employment services are actively collaborating and supporting training of skills to support long-term unemployed individuals to re-engage with employment opportunities. Our staff and volunteers across Cultura are encouraged to be involved in skills and training development within our Cultura Training division to support their areas of expertise.
We encourage partnerships with local High Schools and continue to expand ways we can collaborate with local business and community groups to connect passion to learn with training.
Why Us?
We are a not for profit community focused organisation, with a passion for supporting the community. We value inclusion, integrity, sustainability and kindness in everything we do. Across Cultura we empower diverse individuals to reach their full potential. At Cultura Training our passion for training and skills development is how we support that vision.
We have the foundation pathways to help anyone realise their goals and can support them along the journey.
Trainers
We have a dedicated team of trainers, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience in their areas of expterise.
Tony Meagher
Hi, I’m Tony.
I grew up in country Victoria on a fairly isolated farm. Thanks to my mum and some amazing teachers I developed a love of learning; particularly English, Social Science, Art and Drama. Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed the social aspects and company that school provided too.
As a kid I was always going to university and do Law! It was my Plan A.
Well life had different plans and I ended up managing the family farm as a young man. After a number of years, the farm was sold, and I was at a loss what to do with my life.
Then Plan A emerged with a twist. Instead of Law I decided to major in Psychology and Sociology. Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed the social aspects and company that Uni provided too.
That decision led to a career in Case Management. After a few years I decided to do a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Counselling); not because I wanted to be a Psychologist but because I wanted to expand my understanding and be more effective. Seeing people live their “best lives” is very important to me.
My career in Community Services evolved over time to encompass most aspects of the sector including team leader, program manager, quality and compliance, policy writing, human resources and OHS.
Following a lot of pressure and encouragement I decided to go to TAFE and become a trainer in Community Services, which I love! Now I get to see people live their “best lives” as their hard work and dedication to the Diploma finally pays off. It is wonderful seeing students move into new and exciting careers in the sector.
It’s a real buzz!
Joanna Ridgeway
Joanna Ridgeway is a highly qualified educator, trainer, and counsellor, with a Bachelor of Education, Cert IV in Training and Assessment, and Master level qualifications in both Counselling and Health Promotion. Jo is fully registered with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and has achieved level 3.
Jo has many years of experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, couples and families in a variety of capacities. Jo is currently employed in her own Counselling practice, as well as an associate counsellor with Converge International and Telstra Health, and as a Trainer and Assessor for the Diploma of Counselling at Cultura.
Jo is an empathetic, grounded, and practical counsellor, offering an effective and tailored service, specific to each client. She aims to guide clients through integrating different approaches, drawing on different contemporary modalities of counselling that can support their needs. Jo believes in counselling that is non-judgemental and collaborative, so that clients can feel safer to be who they are. She understands that life can be difficult at times, and that ups and downs are part of the human experience. Jo believes that there can be immense power in seeking help to understand, accept and hope to grow as the authentic person you are. Counselling with Jo is an opportunity to become more aware of any patterns that may be fixed ways of responding, relating and being. Exploring what’s at the core of these patterns can lead to more flexibility and choiceful.
Clients have reported that it’s Jo’s empathetic approach, attentive listening skills, and genuine down to earth way of relating, that has supported them to build hope and commit to change, as well as safely process, forgive, accept, and move through difficult life experiences. Jo practices in a large, private, purposed built space that is warm, inviting and supports clients to feel at ease. She has studied animal assisted therapy and offers clients the opportunity to incorporate animals into the session if appropriate.
Jo utilises approaches that develop self-awareness and help to create the conditions that make change possible, building new ways to manage life’s challenges. Evidenced based modalities not limited to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; Solution Focussed Therapy; Trauma Informed care; Motivational Interviewing; Humanistic; and Gestalt-Based Therapy, as well as unique experiential learning opportunities may be implemented to support clients to get curious, notice, and sense what may be impacting their lives. Jo relishes the opportunity to support individuals to move towards understanding, peace, connection, health, wellbeing and happiness, and to thrive, rather than just survive.
