Two weeks to go! – comment by CEO Jenny Dodd

Two weeks to go! – comment by CEO Jenny Dodd

Today’s message is directed to TDA members.

There is a lot happening in our world of TAFE, from the outcomes at the Jobs and Skills Summit, including the announcement of the ‘training blitz’ and fee-free TAFE places for students, to the work we do every day educating and skilling students and employers. To achieve great outcomes takes an exceptional workforce. Therefore, today I call on people working for TAFE or a dual sector university to recognise your colleagues by nominating them for a TAFE Staff Recognition Award.

Every TAFE and every dual sector university is a member of TDA. TDA members are in 550 locations in Australia, as well as delivering in workplaces and online. Some TDA members are very large, like TAFE NSW, others are smaller and regionally based. Collectively we make up well over 30,000 staff, hundreds of thousands of students and thousands of employer and community partnerships.

The TDA Board initiated the inaugural TAFE Staff Recognition Awards which will be announced at the TDA Convention 2022 dinner in Adelaide on 15 November. As you all know, the TDA Board is made up of a representative from each of the eight jurisdictions. The TDA Board members will judge the nominations.

TDA wants to thank our diamond and gold sponsors of TDA Convention 2022 for their contribution to these awards.  Thank you to Technology One, Adobe, Ready Tech and Total VET Training Resources for your sponsorship which includes each awarding one of the four TAFE Staff Recognition Awards.

So, to all staff of TDA members, you have until Friday next week to nominate a colleague or yourself for one of the following awards:

  • Great Ideas using Technology Leader Award (teams or individuals can nominate) – Sponsor: TECHNOLOGY ONE
  • TAFE Collaboration with other TAFEs Leaders Award – Sponsor: ADOBE
  • Service or Support Leader Award – Sponsor: READY TECH
  • Educational Leader Award – Sponsor: TOTAL VET TRAINING RESOURCES.

Each award will have three winners – gold winner, and silver and bronze runners up. The twelve award winners will be announced at TDA Convention 2022 and those who are attending will be presented with their awards. There is no requirement to be at TDA Convention 2022 to be one of the three winners of each Award.

Award nominations close on FRIDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2022 as does the early bird offer for registration to TDA Convention 2022.

Your action NOW – click on the TAFE Staff Recognition Awards graphic below to take you to the Award nominations page to nominate a worthy TAFE staff member.

 

TAFEs recognised at state and territory training awards

Victoria

TAFE institutes, teachers and students have been honoured at the Victorian Training Awards, with the Lynne Kosky Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement going to TDA Chair and Holmesglen CEO Mary Faraone. 

The Large Training Provider of the Year award went to Bendigo TAFE and Kangan Institute.

Inclusive Training Provider of the Year was awarded to Victoria University Polytechnic.

Apprentice of the Year was awarded to Chhunly Taing, studying her Certificate III in Civil Construction at Holmesglen Institute.

Rebecca Toleman from South West TAFE was named Teacher/Trainer of the Year.

Trainee of the Year is Franchesca Morrell from Bendigo TAFEKoorie Student of the Year is Desirae Kilduff from Bendigo Kangan Institute; and Vocational Student of the Year is Caitlin Cook from South West TAFE.

See all the winners and finalists

Queensland

TAFE Queensland was crowned the Large Training Provider of the Year at the Queensland Training Awards on Saturday night.

The Premier’s Industry Collaboration Award went to the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance with CQUniversity Australia and TAFE Queensland.

The VET Teacher or Trainer of the Year was awarded to Ronelle Sheehan from TAFE Queensland, who was instrumental in the health and aged care industry’s response to COVID-19, delivering state-wide Infection Control Skills Set training across North Queensland.

The Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year went to Jennah Halley who is studying the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration at TAFE Queensland.

The Vocational Student of the Year is Courtney Evans who is doing a Diploma of Nursing with TAFE Queensland.

See all the winners and finalists

New South Wales

TAFE NSW students picked up the two special industry awards.

Lucinda Shilcock secured the 2022 Women in Trades Award. Lucinda studied a Certificate III in Electrotechnology – Electrician with TAFE NSW and is employed by Novaskill and host employer GBE Group.

The 2022 NSW Encouragement Award went to Jonathon O’Connor, studying a Certificate III in Hospitality – Commercial Cookery at TAFE NSW and employed by Yamba Shores Tavern.

See all the winners and finalists

Australian Capital Territory

The Canberra Institute of Technology excelled at the 2022 ACT Training Awards, winning in six categories.

CIT was awarded Large Training Provider of the Year and the Industry Collaboration Award for its partnership with Clubs ACT on the Ginninderry Spark Pathway Program which provided training, support, and opportunities for employment in the hospitality workforce.

The award for VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year went to Richard Lindsay for his work in electric vehicle program development and training.

Teacher Jane Clark won the John Scott Memorial Award for her work in hairdressing.

ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year was Justin Drew, and the Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year was Josh Haynes.

Interim CIT CEO, Christine Robertson, said the teachers, staff and students at CIT were key to the organisation’s success at the awards.

“These awards are, in no small part, a fitting recognition of the talent, perseverance, innovation, dedication, and passion of the CIT’s students, teachers and staff – and I am so proud of them,” Ms Robertson said.

See all the winners and finalists

Tasmania

TasTAFE picked up a string of awards at the Tasmanian Training Awards.

Matthew Fraser who teaches commercial cookery, hospitality, tourism and events programs at TasTAFE in Devonport was awarded VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year.

TasTAFE students also won Apprentice of the Year with Jack WilsonTrainee of the Year with Natasha Robins, and Vocational Student of the Year with Fleur Broadhurst.

See all the winners and finalists

South Metropolitan TAFE receives national defence award

South Metropolitan TAFE (SM TAFE) in Western Australia has won the Academic Institution of the Year Award at the Defence Connect Australian Defence Industry Awards held in Canberra last Thursday.

This national award recognises an academic institution that has driven demonstrable growth while supporting the strengthening of Australia’s defence and national security capabilities through their participation in the defence industry.

SM TAFE Managing Director Terry Durant said it was an honour to attend the Australian Defence Industry Awards in Canberra and receive national recognition for SM TAFE’s contribution and partnerships with the defence industry.

“This national award recognises our defence industry training capabilities and reinforces our commitment to developing a pipeline of skilled talent for the industry,” Ms Durant said.

“With more than two decades of working with WA’s defence shipbuilding and sustainment industry, SM TAFE has a proven track record of producing job-ready workers.”

SM TAFE’s award submission showcased the Defence Industry Pathways Program, funded by the Australian Government, which was developed by SM TAFE in collaboration with the defence industry.

This innovative taster program exposes young people to a range of careers in the defence industry, and 25 defence industry employers in WA are currently hosting trainees, with many graduates already gaining employment in the industry.

Image: SM TAFE Managing Director Terry Durant (right) received her award from Nastasha Tupas, Journalist, Defence and Security, Momentum Media.

Program review and contract extension for foundation skills providers

TAFEs and other providers delivering services under the federal government’s Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program have had their contracts extended for a year, ahead of a full review of the program.

The Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor told the Community Colleges Australia conference last week that foundation skills play a vital part in creating opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged learners.

“To find ways in which we can better work with adult learners, vocational education providers and employers I have committed to a comprehensive review of our foundation skills programs,” Mr O’Connor said.

“This will be done through an advisory body I am establishing.”

To allow time for this work to occur, Mr O’Connor said he has extended the current Skills for Education and Employment program contracts by a year, to 30 June 2024.

See the Minister’s speech to the CCA conference

TDA Convention 2022: Early bird registration extended to 30 September

 

TDA has extended the early bird registration rate until 30 September for the TDA Convention 2022 which will take place in Adelaide from 15-17 November. Registrations are filling up fast!

For further information on registration packages and inclusions, and to register for the event, please click here.

Sponsorship opportunities
The sponsorship prospectus is now available here. To discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact tdaconvention@absoluteevents.com.au

Stay up to date on convention news and program updates 
For updates on convention news and programming, please subscribe to the TDA Convention 2022 e-newsletter here.

TDA looks forward to welcoming its members, partners and supporters to Adelaide in November 2022 to be part of the conversation on Courage, Change and Challenge: The Future of TAFE.

TAFETalks: Supporting Learners Online - register now

 

Wednesday 28 September at 2.00pm AEST (Canberra/Melbourne/Sydney time)

Register now to join TDA in a discussion with Western Sydney University, D2L and TAFE Queensland on supporting learners online.

The session will cover the ‘pedagogy of support’ in the context of online learners including post-COVID hybrid courses and new forms of education into the future. It will also explore Learning Management System (LMS) tools and how they are being used in a TAFE setting to support learners online.

Guest Speakers:

  • Professor Simon Barrie, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President (Academic), Wester Sydney University
  • Mr Tony Maguire, Regional Director, D2L Australia and New Zealand
  • TAFE Queensland

To register for this event, please click here

Asia Pacific focus on priorities for VET

TDA was delighted to participate over the past week in several panels that addressed some of the critical issues for the VET sector, both in Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

The APAC TVET Forum was a two-day virtual event with contributions from senior government officials, major companies, international organisations and TVET sector leaders from around the world. TDA CEO Jenny Dodd participated in a panel discussing micro credentials and Australia’s national framework.

On Friday, Jenny joined a panel discussion hosted by AVETRA on the outlook following the Jobs and Skills Summit – along with fellow panellists, Kira Clarke, the President of AVETRA and Senior Research Fellow with the Brotherhood of St Laurence; Sally Curtain, CEO of Bendigo-Kangan Institute; and Gerald Burke, Adjunct Professor at Monash University.

The panel discussed issues including funding announcements, relevance to industry and the labour market, diverse learners, apprentice completions and future research opportunities.

Gender equality in VET to feature at WAVE national forum

The role of adult and vocational education in empowering women and supporting gender equality will be the focus of the WAVE National Forum in Melbourne on 21 October.

Speakers include Kit McMahon from Women’s Health in the south-east, Kira Clarke from Brotherhood of St Laurence, Sally Thompson from RMIT, Karen Hall (2022 WAVE/Sue Salthouse grant recipient) from Swinburne University of Technology, Jane Newton from Jobs Queensland, Don Perlgut from Community Colleges Australia, and Michelle Circelli from NCVER.

See more

New information products for students with disability, their parents and carers

The federal government has worked with Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) to design a range of resources to help young people with disability and their parents and carers to understand their rights.

The resources provide easy-to-use information about the Disability Standards for Education 2005 and offer practical advice on how to navigate the education system in all sectors, including in VET.

See more

ASQA approves extension for electrical, building qualifications

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has approved extended transition periods for a range of qualifications in the electrical and construction sectors.

The extension applies to 11 qualifications in the UET Transmission, Distribution and Rail Sector training package, as well as to CPC40110 Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building), and CPC50210 Diploma of Building and Construction (Building).

See more

Diary Dates

WA Training Awards

21 September 2022
More information

TAFETalks: Supporting Learners Online
28 September 2022
Register here

AVETRA OctoberVET
October 2022
More information
Reforming the Australian Qualifications Framework for the future
4 October 2022
Online
More information

Australian International Education Conference 2022
18-21 October 2022
Gold Coast & Online
More information

WAVE National Forum
21 October 2022
VET Development Centre, Melbourne
More information

2022 National VET Conference
Velg Training
3-4 November 2022
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
More information

TDA Convention 2022
Courage, Change and Challenge – the Future of TAFE
15-17 November 2022
Adelaide
More information

VDC Teaching & Learning Conference
VET Development Centre
17 & 18 November 2022 (Online)
More information

TEQSA Conference
23-24 November 2022
Sofitel Melbourne on Collins (and online)
More information