Newsletter

Are you a trades teacher/lecturer, corporate staff member supporting the trades areas in your TAFE, or a TAFE leader? Have you got it right in terms of creating safe and appropriate learning experiences for women? Are you conscious of what your team can do to support diverse and vulnerable apprentices to succeed in their chosen careers? Is your TAFE turning the dial to improve access for students who are diverse, First Nations students, and women to want to take on careers in traditional male industries?

Last Tuesday’s budget signalled significant reforms to foundation skills funding. These reforms were warmly welcomed by members of Minister O’Connor’s Foundation Skills Advisory Group. Many of the members of this group have been advocating for some time that these sorts of changes to foundation skills were needed.

Last week TDA’s TAFETalks hosted a fascinating exploration of the European Commission Centres of Vocational Excellence. One TAFETalk participant even said it was one of the best TDA TAFETalks yet! What can Australia learn from the Europe Commission’s Centres of Vocational Education Excellence to inform Australia’s much needed VET innovation policy?

It was terrific to be part of the AVETRA conference last week and to contribute to a panel titled: ‘Policy, place and partnership: the interoperable tertiary system’ chaired by AVETRA President, Kira Clarke.  Although I was only part of the event for a day, this was a conference that dug deep into the relevant ‘challenges’ facing VET.

There has been a bit of chatter over the last week or so around international students. This chatter started in the media on Friday 14 April.

Australia has a first-class vocational education and training system. It is not broken, as some suggest, but it certainly needs a refresh. Can this be achieved in what has largely become a very rule driven vocational education system?

During last week the Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training held public inquiries into the perceptions and status of vocational education and training (VET). TDA made a submission and a presentation. The TDA submission can be downloaded from the TDA website.

TDA has submitted into the survey on DEWR’s qualification reform model. TDA is also finalising its submission for the Universities Accord.

The current Universities Accord consultation and submission process highlights an important distinction between VET and higher education. That distinction lies in one word, simplicity.

Curiously, during the last week in the various forums I was in or articles I read, one of the most frequently used words has been ‘trust’. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. :one in which confidence is placed” (accessed on Friday 10/3/23).

“Do you have access to an RTO that won’t change your course one month out?” This was the question asked by one of the participants from Alice Springs on the ABC’s The Drum a few Friday evenings ago. Ellen Fanning led a discussion on skills and learning which included representatives from communities in central Australia.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training is currently undertaking an inquiry into the perceptions and status of vocational education and training (VET).

2023 is a rare moment in time. During 2023, the next five-year National Skills Partnership will be negotiated between the Commonwealth and States/Territories. This agreement will start by establishing principles. The first of those principles will be ‘TAFE is at the heart of vocational education and training (VET)’ There are some other principles that are likely to be included, such as a principle related to foundation skills.

For some time TDA has been calling for TAFEs to have the ability to self-accredit. Self-accreditation will mean that when TAFEs work collaboratively with employers, they can get a training product to market quickly, just like universities. This week that view received significant support from an unlikely source – ChatGPT! Well, Claire Field to be precise.

At the start of the academic calendar year, it is fantastic to see our TAFEs come alive with students.

There are some moments at work which make you draw breath and think – this is a game changer! Last week was one of those weeks for me. No, it was not the latest in the constancy of VET reform that caused me to have that reaction. It was the discussions in the media, and with colleagues far and wide, about the impact of artificial intelligence on the work we do in TAFE.

2023 opens with great news for potential students around the country. Enrolments for Free-Fee TAFE are well underway.  The Government has made 180,000 places available, the majority through TAFE, to provide opportunities for Australians across the country to “upskill quickly and hit the ground running in an in-demand industry”.