The Senate has been active during the last month reviewing the ESOS Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024. TDA 
appeared before the hearing and stated that we supported the passing of the ESOS Amendment Bill. We support it because serious action must be taken to protect the vocational education and training sector from breaches of integrity.
This matter of integrity has been a very topical conversation for years. It has also featured in the media recently. Without repeating all the media discussion, it was fascinating to read that some providers appear to be frantically in non-integrity mode. For example, on Friday 4 October Julie Hare stated in the Australian Financial Review, ‘The government has put in place a raft of policy reforms since mid-2023 to crack down on dodgy colleges, agents and students exploiting the visa system, but the Australian Financial Review is aware of dozens of examples of questionable practices.”
Therefore, it was welcoming to read in the ABC, Tuesday 8 October a discussion of the High Court decision on an issue where lack of integrity was apparent. The High Court decision concerned a training college that under the former VET FEE-HELP scheme, “led to taxpayers funding futile courses that weren’t completed and students being unable to access appropriate training”. This training college’s appeal right through to the High Court was not upheld.
There are diverse views on whether the ESOS Amendment Bill will be sufficient to achieve its aim of improving integrity. TDA does not want to see quality training providers adversely impacted. However, the fact that there is a flurry of activity by some providers prior to its introduction to act in ways that are demonstrably lacking in integrity, suggests that those providers think the ESOS Amendment Bill will curtail their activities.
It was also welcome that the Senate report proposes removing Ministerial reserve powers on course enrolment control over public institutions, being TAFEs and universities. There is much in the Amendment that will improve integrity, for example the requirement to deliver for two years to domestic students prior to CRICOS registration.
Therefore, passing the ESOS Amendment Bill is a priority. It should also be accompanied by closer attention to any disproportionate adverse impacts on quality providers, a focus on enabling the public provider, and a ramp up of regulator activity to remove those whose intent is to exploit, not educate.
TAFEs are likely to be exempt from a proposal to set limits on the number of international students in particular courses, under the federal government’s planned cuts to overseas student numbers.
The report of the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, released last week, has recommended that the legislation be amended to remove a ministerial power to set course-level limits for TAFEs and public universities.
The Senate committee has recommended that the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment legislation be passed. The legislation will set a cap of 270,000 on international student numbers in response to what the Senate committee says are “non-genuine students and unscrupulous providers’’.
The Senate committee says it heard concerns from a number of participants regarding enrolment limits being set at the course level, including the “practicality of imposing and managing course level caps”.
Following the release of the Senate report, Education Minister Jason Clare said he would look carefully at the recommendation to remove TAFEs and public universities from course level caps.
“There’s certainly advice to me that that’s important in the VET sector, where it’s important to make sure that we’re not encouraging certain private providers in the VET sector to entice people into courses that don’t give them a real qualification,” he said.
Mr Clare said there was an equally powerful case that this “may not be necessary at a university or TAFE level”.
“So, we’ll look at that and give it due consideration,” Mr Clare said.
The Bill would still allow different student limits for regional and metropolitan campuses and by sector (Higher Education and VET).
In this session, we will explore the vital role of vocational education in an increasingly AI-driven and digital world. This session will highlight how digital fluency is essential for equipping students with the skills that employers seek. By fostering critical digital competencies and a solid understanding of AI, students are empowered to think analytically, communicate effectively, and develop personal brands that resonate in today’s job market.
CIT will share their strategies for enhancing student success through the development of digital capabilities and addressing skills gaps to boost employability. Additionally, we will explore opportunities to engage TAFE educators in building their own digital confidence, ultimately supporting our digitally skilled graduates.
The West Australian government has appointed Paula Dewhurst, pictured, to the position of Managing Director of North Regional TAFE.
The Minister Assisting the Training and Workforce Development Minister Hannah Beazley said Ms Dewhurst’s 40 years of experience in education and training would be an asset to North Regional TAFE and the communities the college services.
“Her expertise in making important links with industry and other stakeholders will help to ensure North Regional TAFE continues to deliver the type of industry-relevant training WA TAFEs are known for providing, and that students leave their studies job-ready,” Ms Beazley said.
Ms Dewhurst has worked extensively in the education and training system, including 17 years in the WA TAFE system and before that as a secondary school educator.
As Executive Director Training Operations and Business Improvement at North Metropolitan TAFE for the past three years, Ms Dewhurst led operations for the academic portfolio directors, heads of program, and portfolio administrative coordinators who manage or support more than 1,000 academic staff.
Minister Beazley also acknowledged the outstanding service of the college’s recently departed managing directors, Helen Smart and Melanie Sorensen, and wished them the very best for their future plans.
TAFE SA board chair Joanne Denley is retiring from the role, after five years at the helm.
Ingrid Haythorpe (pictured), a member of the board since the start of this year, has been announced as the new chair.
Ms Haythorpe has extensive governance and executive experience. She is a former Deputy Chief Executive in the Department of Premier and Cabinet and a former Chief Executive of the Attorney General’s Department.
There are also further new board appointments – Andrew Clarke, Helen Strickland, Sharon Gollan, Professor Susan James Relly and Nicolle Rantanen Reynolds.
The Minister for Education, Training and Skills Blair Boyer said Joanne Denley has brought extensive expertise and energy to her role as a TAFE SA board member and provided valuable leadership during her time as chair.
“She has made a significant contribution to TAFE SA over the past 12 years and leaves behind an outstanding legacy, with the organisation in a strong position to deliver on the state’s skills needs for the future.”
Ms Denley was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent South Australian Training Awards.
Mr Boyer congratulated Ingrid Haythorpe on her appointment, saying her impressive public sector and transformation expertise would continue to benefit TAFE SA.
Jo Denley will continue as the independent member on TDA’s Finance Risk and Audit Committee and we thank her for that continuing contribution.
While the number of apprentices in trade occupations continues to grow, non-trade occupations are on a downward trend, the latest NCVER data shows.
The number of trade apprentices increased by almost 11,000 to 238,765 in the three months to March.
However non-trade apprenticeships, often known as traineeships, fell by almost 500 to 112,895, and are down 21% over the year.
NCVER Managing Director John King said trade and non-trade occupations appear to be “on different trajectories”.
“Trade in-training numbers have declined by 4.3% since their peak in June 2022 and are still nearly 30% higher than the pre-pandemic trend. In contrast, non-trades have decreased 36.9% since the June 2022 peak, falling back to around 20% above pre-pandemic levels,” he said.
Among non-trade occupations, more than half of the decrease was in Clerical and Administrative Workers (down 16,610), particularly in occupations such as Office and Practice Managers (down 6,365) and General Clerks (down 6,055).
One bright spot was a leap in the number of women training as apprentices in male-dominated trades – up by almost 80% since 2019. Women starting apprenticeships as electricians are up 115%.
The Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles said it was welcome to see an increasing number of women apprentices in traditionally male-dominated trades.
“We need to change the stereotypes about what a builder or electrician looks like and that’s what our investments are doing,” he said.
See Apprentices and trainees 2024: March quarter
Congratulations to all the organisations that have been named Finalists for the Education Partner of the Year Award as part of the MYOB Partner Awards 2024, especially those that are part of the TAFE community.
The MYOB Executives were very impressed with all the nominations they received from MYOB’s education partners, but in particular by the finalists who’ve gone above and beyond to help their students succeed.
The new Training.gov.au site is set to go-live on October 23, and those interested are able to participate in a showcase event on that day.
It will walk participants through the features of the enhanced website. A recording will be available on the support page of training.gov.au within a week of the showcase.
You can access the session on the day by clicking this link: Training.gov.au go-live showcase
An alliance of businesses, unions, social services and community organisations has combined to bring pressure on governments and agencies to overhaul Australia’s fragmented system of overseas skills recognition.
The ‘Activate Australia’s Skills’ campaign aims to improve migrant employment pathways and reform the system of overseas skills recognition to make it more accountable, transparent and accessible.
“Australia’s overseas skills and qualifications recognition system is bureaucratic, expensive, time-consuming and it is not meeting the skills needs of industries, local communities and businesses,” the campaign blueprint says.
It estimates that 44% of permanent migrants living in Australia are working below their level of skill and qualification, equivalent to more than 621,000 workers.
The campaign is seeking key policy reforms including a national governance system for overseas skills and qualifications recognition based around an ombudsman, and the creation of migrant employment pathways hubs with specialised navigators to guide individuals through the occupational licensing and registration process.
TAFETalks: Enhancing Student Futures with Digital Proficiency
Wednesday, 16 October 2024, 2.00pm – 3.00pm AEDT
Register here
Community Colleges Australia Conference
21-23 October 2024
Sydney
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2024 National Conference on University Governance
Shaping the Future of Higher Education
22-24 October 2024
Melbourne
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2024 National VET Conference
31 October – 1 November 2024
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
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TEQSA 2024 Annual Conference
Navigating tomorrow: Anticipating challenges, embracing change
13 November 2024
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Seventeenth annual OctoberVET
14 November 2024
Federation University SMB campus, Ballarat, Victoria
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Australian Council of Deans of Education Vocational Education Group (ACDEVEG) 2024 Conference
9-10 December 2024
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
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