Newsletter

There has been much discussion, including as part of the Australian Universities Accord (Accord) review, on the cost of compulsory work placements for learners. This impacts TAFE students as much as university students. The problem is that to take the time to do the work placement means students have to be absent from their regular full or part time jobs. For most students that is a considerable imposition and significant loss of income.

TDA is excited to announce that the TDA Convention 2024, TAFE at the Heart will take place at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel from Wednesday 8 – Thursday 9 May 2024. Please save the date in your diaries!

Last Wednesday TAFEs around the country celebrated the contribution of TAFE educators as part of National TAFE Day. National TAFE Day recognises the amazing vocational education educators who work in our TAFEs.

The Communique by Skills Ministers on Friday 25 August outlined that the National Skills Agreement will establish TAFE Centres of Excellence. It is worth exploring a little more what these TAFE Centres of Excellence will be.

The sixth Intergenerational Report was released last week. This report predicts Australia’s future to 2063. In the Treasurer’s foreword, Dr Jim Chalmers identifies the main impacts of change including digitalisation, new technologies and energy transformation. He goes on to say that one of the actions needed is to “build the skills and capabilities of our workforce”.

During the last year new thinking has been put on the table for both vocational education and training and higher education. There are a plethora of ideas floating around.

It is an exciting time for us in South Australia with the Minister for Education, Training and Skills, the Hon Blair Boyer MP releasing the Roadmap for the Future of TAFE SA.

Barack Obama, in a Youtube presentation aimed at young people, says ‘just learn how to get stuff done”. The ability ‘to get stuff done’ is what marks TAFEs as distinct in the tertiary education landscape.

The bold ambitions set out in the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report for a coherent national tertiary system suggest an oversight body is needed.

Education Minister Jason Clare delivered the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report last Wednesday. TDA is very pleased that most of the TEN BIG IDEAS in our submission to the Accord panel are specifically on the table for consideration.

Let’s begin today’s newsletter with a couple of big announcements about what are bound to be exciting and rich future TDA events.

Increasingly TAFEs are collaborating to deliver outcomes that are priorities for Australia. The most recent example was in this newsletter last Monday where we profiled Wodonga TAFE’s leadership of Joint Technical Trades training for the Australian Defence Force. The partners include TAFEs in other States such as TAFE Queensland and South Metropolitan TAFE WA, other Victorian TAFEs including Chisholm and Bendigo Kangan Institutes, and dual sector university TDA members from Victoria (RMIT) and from the Northern Territory (CDU).

Last week, Don Perlgut, CEO of Community Colleges Australia, challenged the language being used by Department officials regarding the perpetuation of VET as a ‘market’. Don proposed that applying ‘market’ to the new tender arrangements for the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program needs to be questioned. Don stated that “the term underlies and reinforces a philosophy that endorses the view that private, competitive provision of VET services, including to disadvantaged learners, is the best means to skill Australia.”

Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), and their predecessor, the National Skills Commission have been working on a typology for vocational education and training (VET) providers. TDA is supportive of this typology as it will mean organisational type and different organisational purposes can be distinguished.

As I reflect on my 36-year journey with TAFE Queensland, the last 20 years spent in leadership positions and the most recent six as the Chief Executive Officer, I am filled with a profound sense of pride and gratitude. While TAFE Queensland shaped my professional life, I most admire the pivotal role it has played in the economic and social prosperity of our communities across Queensland.

As part of the National Skills Agreement negotiations, Minister O’Connor has signalled the establishment of TAFE Centres of Excellence. TAFE Centres of Excellence will focus on meeting key economic challenges in national priority areas of sovereign capability and Australia’s move to net zero emissions.

For the last couple of years, as part of the vocational education and training (VET) reform agenda, there has been discussion about VET quality. This is now being pursued through the VET workforce blueprint which is looking at the critical skill shortage needs of our own industry.

Today is Reconciliation Day Australia. National Reconciliation Week is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. This year the theme is ‘Be a Voice for Generations’. In various States and Territories TDA members will be part of National Reconciliation Week events.