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One of the most popular words of the last few weeks has been ‘roadmap’. We’ve heard from several State Premiers about what needs to happen and when for restrictions to be lifted. 
Welcome news for the many of us who are in lockdown. And very welcome news for our economy that desperately needs skilled workers fully qualified. So many students have not been able to finalise components of their final practical assessments due to campus and workplace learning restrictions.
The role that TAFEs have played and will continue to play is pivotal. In today’s TDA Newsletter there are four stories of TAFEs designing solutions for skill demand problems. From NSW, to Queensland, to Western Australia, to Victoria – these are stories of TAFEs working collaboratively with partners including industry, and sometimes local communities, and often other education partners to find new connected skill development outcomes. (Read all about it in the section below).
These partnerships are critical in all local government areas, as both the TAFE NSW and TAFE Queensland stories show. They are also very pertinent in the economic recovery for our regions. As Jennifer Westacott, Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia in her address to the Regional Universities Network Conference last week writes:
“At the Business Council, we want to end the geographic divide and ensure people in the regions can both contribute and share the benefits of growth. … We believe one of the essential ingredients for any place to thrive is an existing university that can work with a TAFE to provide the skills and training people need throughout their lives.’
These opportunities for connected solutions for the benefit of local communities will become more likely with the new proposed training qualification design model, mentioned in the last couple of TDA Newsletters. The proposed qualification design reform is a key component that will enable flexibility. (The consultation process is still open, so have your say).
Our TAFE contribution to the economic recovery roadmap is pivotal. It is about holistic solutions, and these four TAFE stories are leading the way. However, they are just the tip of the iceberg – there are a multitude more TAFE stories of collaboration and codesign beneath the surface!
As part of the TAFE and industry roundtable, four TAFEs presented excellent, diverse case studies on how they were working with industry partners, higher education providers and local communities to deliver emerging, in-demand workforce skills.
Institutes of applied technology – Steffen Faurby, Managing Director, TAFE NSW
Mobilising social capital to support industry needs – Darshi Ganeson, Managing Director, South Regional TAFE WA
Training the wind energy workforce of the future – Bill Mundy, Manager Sales, Marketing and Community Engagement, Federation University, Victoria
Autonomous vehicle mining operations and microcredentials – Tracey Singh, Director, Product Agency, and Robert Petherbridge, Executive Director, TAFE Queensland
The NSW government has appointed seven new members, including a new chair, to the TAFE Commission Board.
The Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee announced Danny O’Connor (pictured), the former 
CEO of the Western Sydney Local Health District, as the new Chair.
The other new members are:
They join existing members, Steffen Faurby, TAFE NSW Managing Director; Georgina Harrisson, NSW Department of Education Secretary; Jessie Borthwick, former Nous Group Principal; and Kirsty Hosea, TAFE NSW Chief Delivery Officer.
Mr Lee said the new members are leaders in their fields and bring with them experience across industry sectors such as IT, education, health, aviation, hospitality, community services and construction.
“Danny O’Connor will assist TAFE NSW to meet the growing needs of our health sector, while Geoffrey Newcombe will help enhance pathways from school to VET,” Mr Lee said.
Taking on the new role as TAFE Ambassador to champion skills and training in Victoria is exciting because I wouldn’t be where I am today without TAFE.
I went to TAFE back in high school to learn to type. By the time I completed the course and left school I found employment straight away. In fact, I was offered a few jobs at once!
TAFE opened so many doors for me. My first job in administration led me to represent working people within the union movement, before I later entered politics.
I remember my TAFE teachers telling me employers wanted recruits who could hit the ground running with practical and relevant skills. That’s what TAFE offered me back then – and it’s what TAFE is offering Victorians today.
Every year Victorian TAFE gives more than 130,000 jobseekers and those seeking a career-change the skills they need for jobs now and in the future. The training is world-class and industry relevant.
My son is a great example. He’s one of 93,000 Victorians to start a course under the Andrews Labor Government’s signature Free TAFE initiative. He will learn real-world skills, from teachers who have been on the tools, that will lead directly to secure and well-paid work in plumbing. He will avoid the anguish of applying for jobs that are scarcer than the graduates who want them. And, he won’t have a hefty study debt. In fact, Victorians saved $150 million in course fees in the first two years of Free TAFE. It’s something any parent would want for their son – and I couldn’t be prouder of him.
This is the type of life-changing opportunity every Victorian deserves and it’s what I’ll promote as TAFE Ambassador.
We’re already making training and jobs more accessible, especially to women, Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse Victorians. High on my agenda is supporting more students into TAFE courses in 2022 by holding careers fairs and visiting schools, building on the 10.5 per cent increase in commencements in the year to June 2021.
I’m looking forward to meeting with trainers and employers across Victoria, making sure TAFE is the first choice for jobseekers as well as employers looking to recruit. I’ll be exploring ways to strengthen training options for students and partnership models with stakeholders and regularly reporting back to Government. And importantly, I’ll be encouraging Victorians to share their own powerful TAFE stories.
We have already made a record $3.2 billion investment in TAFE and training – and now we’re helping more people into rewarding career pathways. It makes sense for Victorians and it makes sense for Victoria. Whether it be trades, health or education – TAFE is building our future.
TasTAFE staff and students have received major honours at the Study Tasmania International Education Awards announced last week.
The annual event recognises the contribution made by international students, staff members and industry partners to the international education sector and to Tasmania’s cultural diversity.
TasTAFE staff and current and former international students were recognised with three awards:
TasTAFE’s International Student Advisor Team has been at the forefront of helping international students through their time in Tasmania, serving as the first point of contact and an all-in-one support team for international students at TasTAFE.
Award winners (left to right), International Graduate of the Year – Huynh Van Phuong Nguyen (Anny), International Student of the Year for VET – Mandeep Jaiman, TasTAFE International Student Advisor Edgar Fergus Ho, TasTAFE CEO, Grant Dreher and TasTAFE International Student Advisors Angie Wu and James Field.
The Department of Education, Skills and Employment has extended its Qualifications Reform Survey to 10am (AEST), Monday 27 September 2021.
DESE has also published responses to Frequently Asked Questions arising from recent webinars about the survey.
More information is available here.
The Victorian government has announced two new vocational pathways for senior secondary students that will come into effect in 2023.
The Victorian Certificate of Education Vocational Major is a new two-year vocational pathway program that will replace Intermediate and Senior VCAL and will be embedded in the VCE system.
This will have a wider curriculum and relevant workplace experiences.
The second initiative is the Victorian Pathways Certificate which will replace Foundation VCAL and is designed to support students to transition either to the VCE or to entry level VET or employment – particularly focusing on vulnerable students.
The Minister for Education James Merlino said the new certificates will provide all senior secondary students with access to the best aspects of both VCAL and VCE – delivering high-quality vocational and applied learning opportunities to more senior secondary students.
The digitalisation of industry is bringing a shift towards skills-first recruitment practices that sees students facing greater pressure to become marketable, adaptable, and employable.
TDA’s Corporate Affiliate, Microsoft Australia is presenting an upcoming webinar that will explain how the organisation is helping students to become future-ready.
The webinar, ‘Education Reimagined: Preparing the workforce of tomorrow’ will be on Tuesday, 28 September, 12.00 pm – 1.00 pm AEST.
A new research paper from the UK aims to evaluate the benefits of microcredentials, amid the growing uptake of the learning format during the COVID crisis.
‘Micro-credentials: The new frontier of adult education and training’ by James Robson, Deputy Director of Centre for Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance at Oxford University, says emerging research suggests that those who take micro-credential courses have variable returns in the labour market.
“Evidence is mixed over the extent to which they improve employment outcomes or increase salaries, and there is significant variation across occupational levels and sectors. Importantly, there is limited evidence on the long-term impact of micro-credentials on individuals’ labour market outcomes and career trajectories,” the paper says.
“In fact, micro-credentials focus on providing individuals with specific skills, tailored to immediate employer demands to fill short-term gaps. These skills, usually technical, often relate to specific companies, tasks, tools, or digital programs and have very limited longevity and little transferability across contexts, roles or tasks.”
TDA will host a TAFETalks webinar on microcredentials in February 2022. Details to follow in the TDA Newsletter next week.
TDA and its member TAFEs value working with organisations with a long-established reputation for quality across the tertiary education and skill training sector.
MEGT (Australia) Ltd. is a not-for-profit business which has been supporting Australian employers, apprentices, trainees, job seekers and students since 1982.
MEGT has more than 550 staff operating in every state of Australia, with a team of local apprenticeship experts dedicated to helping businesses, apprentices and trainees get the most from the Australian Apprenticeships program. MEGT holds Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) contracts in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia.
TAFE is MEGT’s number one provider of vocational education for apprentices and trainees, with each having a focus on delivering the highest standards of service.
As COVID-19 continues to impact, there is no better time to work together in our national interest. If you’re an education or skill training sector organisation, either Australia or globally, and you would like to become a TDA Associate Member, please feel free to contact TDA at rjackson@tda.edu.au
All training providers have been reminded of the many benefits to students in having a Unique Student Identifier, including having access to a verifiable online USI VET transcript that they can share with employers.
Creating a USI ensures students can access funding, receive their qualification, and it collates the outcomes of training undertaken since 1 January 2015 into a single record.
The USI External Relations team is pleased to partner with institutions to spread the word to student and alumni networks about the USI and its transcript service.
Please get in touch with Nici Perriam via stakeholders@usi.gov.au and she will support you with messaging and assets which can be included in communications.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has approved a series of extensions to new qualifications in the areas of health and business services.
ASQA has approved an extended transition period for six qualifications from the HLT Health Training Package until 24 December 2022.
It has also approved an extended transition for 13 BSB Business Services qualifications to 30 June 2022.
ASQA is able to consider applications for a longer transition period where it can be demonstrated that there would be genuine disadvantage to learners if the extension was not granted.
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