Other Networks
From time to time TDA will stand up other networks to deliver a specific purpose.
Following the government’s announcement on 1 September 2022 of 180,000 fee-free TAFE places over the next year, TDA convened two timebound networks on fee-free TAFE and workforce attraction to facilitate the exchange of ideas, strategies and lessons learned across the national TAFE network to ensure successful implementation and uptake of fee-free TAFE.
Fee-Free TAFE Network
The Fee-Free TAFE Network provides a national forum for discussion on issues relating to fee-free TAFE to:
- share ideas, strategies and lessons learned from the implementation of fee-free TAFE across jurisdictions to ensure successful implementation of the 180,000 places over the next year
- identify and resolve challenges collectively to ensure successful implementation
- reduce duplication of effort across the TAFE network in responding to these issues
- inform and support TDA’s public policy and advocacy positions relating to fee-free TAFE
- share fee-free TAFE success stories to position Australian TAFEs as the benchmark for quality in VET.
Workforce Attraction Network
This network focuses on how TAFEs can collaborate and learn from each other to support all TAFEs across Australia with ongoing and future workforce attraction and retention issues, including if advocacy is needed with the Commonwealth.
The network provides a national forum for discussion on issues relating to workforce attraction and retention to:
- share and learn from successful strategies to recruit and retain industry professionals, particularly for qualifications where TAFEs are experiencing educator shortages
- identify and resolve challenges collectively to ensure TAFEs have the necessary workforce for the uptake of the 180,000 fee-free TAFE places
- reduce duplication of effort across the TAFE network in responding to these issues
- inform and support TDA’s public policy and advocacy positions with the Commonwealth including in relation to:
- the barriers posed by the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment; and
- the development of the workforce blueprint being led by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), the aim of which is to identify effective strategies for attraction, retention, career development and succession planning to support and grow a quality VET workforce.
TAFE Australia Shared Catalogue (TASC)
In 2022-2023 TDA also has a focus on product sharing and collaboration. There are two TDA networks currently collaborating on Assessment Templates and a Shared Catalogue of products developed and in development. For more information email memberservices@tda.edu.au.
