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Last Tuesday I was on a panel at the Universities Australia Solutions Summit 2024 on the topic, Future Workforce and Skills. The keynote address that preceded the panel was by Minister O’Connor.
To have the Minister for Skills and Training at a Universities Australia conference is a rare thing. However, it is an important symbol as it shows the genuine preparedness of this government to bring to life the promise in the Accord regarding collaboration between TAFE and universities.
The Accord has proposed structural changes that mean TAFEs and universities will be able to work together. Our current model of collaboration is largely champion based. Indeed, it is often individuals in TAFEs or Universities trying to work around the two very separate systems rather than with the two systems that has delivered collaboration.
The structural change is the proposed TAFE Centres of Excellence. In his speech, Minister O’Connor provided the audience, mainly university colleagues, with details of the National Skills Agreement. He emphasised the proposed TAFE Centres of Excellence.
There are expected to be about 20 TAFE Centres of Excellence over the life of the National Skills Agreement. States and Territories are putting forward proposals to the Department of Workplace Relations now to establish the first of these TAFE Centres of Excellence.
TAFE Centres of Excellence, while announced as part of the National Skills Agreement, are the key ingredient for enabling TAFE and university collaboration. Recommendation 8 in the Australian Universities Accord final report reads:
“That to improve the speed and focus on meeting high impact skills needs, the Australian Government partner with select tertiary education providers, states and territories, industry, business and unions to rapidly provide students with innovative skills through:
(a) supporting methods of quickly ramping up delivery, including through use of newly developed collaborative infrastructure such as the TAFE Centres of Excellence and the NSW Institutes of Applied Technology.”
TAFE Centres of Excellence will also be opportunities for industry, business and unions to connect with tertiary education partners, both TAFEs and universities. This offers a one stop shop for innovation and development of new skilling, knowledge and research solutions.
Thus in 2024 we have two key ingredients for change that will support TAFE and university alignment. One is the fact there are open conversations across the sectors – everyone is in the one room. The other is the proposed infrastructure for collaboration through TAFE Centres of Excellence.
These TAFE Centres of Excellence are the key piece of the puzzle in the overall Accord set of recommendations for connecting TAFE and universities.
The TDA Convention 2024, under the theme of TAFE at the Heart, runs over two full days from 8-9 May 2024 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel. Early bird registrations have been extended until 8 March so register now to take advantage of this offer. Further information on registration is available here.
The opening keynote panel of Day One will provide valuable insights into the latest developments in tertiary education policy in Australia. It will explore what the Jobs and Skills Australia data is saying about workforce needs as well as the implications of recent government reviews and research.
We look forward to welcoming you to Sydney in May 2024 for TAFE at the Heart! Please register here by 8 March to secure your early bird ticket.
Exploring TAFE Centres of Excellence
The TDA Convention 2024 program will be an early opportunity to explore the thinking behind the new TAFE Centres of Excellence, including the ‘turbo-charged’ nationally networked TAFE Centres of Excellence which were announced as part of the National Skills Agreement.
Delegates will hear from keynote speaker, Boudewijn Grievink, Program Manager Internationalisation for Wij zijn Katapult in the Netherlands on the success of the European Centres of Vocational Excellence (COVE) in areas such as water and urban greening. This will be followed by a thought provoking presentation from Dr Margot McNeill, Chief Product and Quality Officer at TAFE NSW on innovation and self-accreditation which will be fundamental aspects of TAFE Centres of Excellence.
The session continues with a panel bringing together three States to explore their early models on how their Australian TAFE Centre of Excellence will support new ways of collaborating, innovate the delivery of tertiary education, enable teaching excellence and curriculum development, and provide one main point of access for high quality and responsive skills development for critical and emerging industries.
TDA is delighted that Steve Brady, Managing Director, TAFE NSW, Joanne Payne, Managing Director of Central Regional TAFE, WA and David Coltman, Chief Executive of TAFE SA will be lead that discussion. They will be joined by industry partners.
We look forward to welcoming you to Sydney in May 2024 for TAFE at the Heart! Please register here to secure your early bird ticket.
The Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor formally launched the Jobs and Skills Council, BuildSkills Australia (BSA) in Canberra last week.
BSA has responsibility for workforce and training matters in the areas of construction, property and water.
“BuildSkills is truly a tripartite entity, in structure and spirit. This is in a large part due to founding members, the Master Builders Association (MBA) and the CFMEU, coming together to support the establishment of this JSC,” Mr O’Connor said.
“Trades and technician roles account for 16 of the 38 critical occupations required to support Australia’s net-zero transition. The work of BuildSkills will provide on-the-ground industry perspectives of the real economy – leading workforce planning for their industries to identify immediate skills needs, and those in the future,” he said.
See Minister O’Connor ‘address
Image, from left, Rob Sobyra, BuildSkills Executive Director, Research & Planning; Minister O’Connor and BuildSkills CEO Brett Schimming; Canberra launch; and Zach Smith, National Secretary CFMEU.
First Nations Pathways to Policing Program, a collaborative effort between TAFE Queensland, Queensland Police Service, Australian Border Force, and Australian Federal Police, is reshaping law enforcement through diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Participants embark on a transformative journey, enhancing skills in language, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and cultural understanding. Engaging activities such as workplace tours and mentorship opportunities foster invaluable connections. Upon completion, graduates earn a respected Certificate III, empowering them to pursue rewarding careers in law enforcement.
Read more from a student, Devante Robinson on his experience.
Friday 8 March is International Women’s Day. This year the theme in Australia is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’. TAFEs play a critical role in providing access to employment through education and qualification attainment.
There is more we need to do, with employers, to removing obstacles for trade careers. However, more broadly TAFE is the place where women gain knowledge and learn valuable skills that give them purchasing power in the economy and control over life decisions.
The West Australian government has outlined its plans to establish a TAFE Clean Energy National Centre of Excellence – one of six centres that will be established, initially, across the country under the National Skills Agreement.
The Premier Roger Cook said that because of the size, scale and diversity of projects being developed across the state, including solar, wind, hydrogen and batteries, the proposed Centre of Excellence would consist of a network of WA TAFEs.
“The proposal, to be negotiated with the Commonwealth, will lead development of training and workforce initiatives in collaboration with industry, unions, TAFE, universities, and key training stakeholders,” Mr Cook said.
“It will also support more Western Australians, including Aboriginal students and women, into clean energy jobs.”
The Commonwealth has committed $325 million, to be matched by the states and territories, in a network of TAFE Centres of Excellence in partnership with industry and universities. It has also allocated an extra $31 million to turbocharge particularly strong applications – something the WA government says it will seek to access.
Wednesday, 20 March 2024
2.00-3.00pm AEDT
There has been a lot of discussion about the ways in which generative AI will disrupt teaching, learning and assessment in education. However, another important consideration is how this technology will impact TAFE compliance, operations and administration.
For this TAFETalks session, TDA along with our corporate affiliate ReadyTech, invite you to join academic registrars from Melbourne Polytechnic and Chisholm Institute for a conversation on the impact of generative AI on TAFE operations, some potential use cases and whether we are ready to entrust such critical responsibility to the machine.
The Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor has signed off on the latest Standards for RTOs which aim to address workforce shortages in the sector.
The Standards for Registered Training Organisations Amendment (VET Workforce Support) Instrument 2024 came into effect on Friday.
These early changes are designed to address current pressures on the VET workforce and provide more immediate benefits to the sector.
The Instrument, which amends the Standards to give effect to the early changes:
For details of key changes and FAQs see the DEWR website
Guidance has been updated and released on ASQA’s website.
TAFETalks: The impact of AI on TAFE operations
20 March 2024
More information
TDA Convention 2024, ‘TAFE at the Heart’ – Register now!
8-9 May 2024
Sofitel Wentworth, Sydney
Call for presenters open now
Early bird registrations
Apprentice Employment Network NSW & ACT
2024 Skills Conference: Empowerment & Connection
12 June 2024
Dockside Darling Harbour, Sydney
More information
33rd National VET Research Conference ‘No Frills’
‘VET partnerships powering a dynamic workforce’
10-12 July 2024
North Metropolitan TAFE, Perth
More information
National Apprentice Employment Network
National Conference ‘Skills for Life’
23-25 July 2024
Location TBA
Save the date
VET National Teaching & Learning Conference 2024
‘From Competence to Excellence – Strive to Inspire’
15-16 August 2024
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Save the date
National Skills Week 2024
‘It’s a Game Changer’
19-25 August 2024
www.nationalskillsweek.com.au
47th WorldSkills Competition
10-15 September 2024
Lyon, France
More information
WFCP World Congress 2024
22-27 September 2024
St James, Jamaica, West In
Go to individual JSC websites for event details.
BuildSkills Australia
State & Territory Workforce Planning Roundtables
February-March 2024
buildskills.com.au
Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance
Automotive/ Mining Workforce Plan webinars
6 March 2024
ausmasa.org.au
Future Skills Organisation
National Forum – ‘Building a skilled workforce’
14-15 March 2024
Monash College, Melbourne
futureskillsorganisation.com.au
Powering Skills Organisation
Insights Update, 8 March 2024
Energy Pathway Roadshow: Collaborating for a Sustainable Tomorrow
Events in Darwin, Alice Springs, Perth, Bunbury, Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne, Geelong and Brisbane.
poweringskills.com.au
HumanAbility
State and Territory Roadshow 2024
www.humanability.com.au
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