Australian Financial Review | 16 September 2013 Former treasurer John Dawkins has queried conflict of interest claims after it emerged he would chair Vocation, a new education company reported to be worth $300 million, due to be listed on the stock exchange later this year. Dawkins, a treasurer and education minister in the Hawke and Keating governments, chairs the National Skills Standards Council (NSSC) and the Australian Qualifications Framework Council. The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) has questioned Dawkins’ involvement in the company, with its CEO Claire Field stating: It is an unusual set of circumstances where the chair of a government … [Read more...]
The Scan | #135 | 30 August 2013
30/08/2013 by
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Go8 dumps minimum ATAR proposal The elite Group of Eight (Go8) universities have stepped back from a controversial proposal to dump the uncapped, demand driven system, a proposition it has been pushing for the best part of a year. The Group has argued that savings of $750m over 4 years that would flow from the introduction of a minimum ATAR of 60 for university entry could offset higher education cuts of nearly $4b announced since last October, including $2.8b earlier this year. But Fred Hilmer, Go8 chair and vice-chancellor of UNSW, now … [Read more...]
ACPET lashes “gold plated regulation”
30/08/2013 by
The Australian | 30 August 2013 Claire Field, chief executive of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) has launched a scathing attack on the National Skills Standards Council (NSSC), the agency responsible for setting training standards, saying armchair experts are wrecking the sector. Speaking at ACPET’s national conference, she said that non-practitioners with a “predominantly classroom-based” view of training were setting unreasonable and unworkable standards. “The system has been designed to be driven by ‘experts’ – not those with real experience – and labelling them as experts encourages them to back their own judgement, rather than engage in … [Read more...]
ACPET National Monday Update 15 July 2013
15/07/2013 by
In Focus ASQA - two years on For members yet to undergo an audit by ASQA it can be difficult to know how well, or how poorly, the regulator is performing. A key variable for providers wishing to judge the performance of the new national regulator is comparing it with the performance of the former State regulators. As we all know, the performance of the State regulators differed greatly – that means that not every RTO starts with the same set of expectations. While it is undoubtedly true that there are still areas of ASQA’s performance where improvement is needed, particularly in relation to how it communicates with providers and handles their enquiries – the facts show ASQA’s … [Read more...]
The Scan Early Edition 18 June 2013 – #124
18/06/2013 by
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Not happy Universities launch regional ad campaign against cuts Universities Australia has launched a print advertising campaign in over 80 regional and local areas around the country, aimed at informing residents of the potential consequences to local economies of the Government's $2.8 billion in cuts to university funding and student support measures. The regional and local advertising blitz forms part of Universities Australia's $5 million Smartest Investment Campaign which has been running nationally on TV, radio, print and online since the end of February.....[READ MORE]..... Australian … [Read more...]
Shift to VET licensing system
14/06/2013 by
The Australian | 13 June 2013 Registered Training Organisations face tougher regulation after tertiary education ministers approved a shift from registration to licensing. Under the change, the right to issue qualifications – now an automatic entitlement for registered colleges – will require a licence. Licensed providers will need to meet tougher corporate benchmarks, and individual staff known as “accountable education officers” will be made responsible for the quality of training. Providers unwilling or unable to meet the new requirements will have the option of selling up or delivering other colleges’ qualifications under franchising arrangements. The new framework … [Read more...]
TDA Newsletter 8 April 2013
08/04/2013 by
Business leaders among sacked TAFE chairs Despite the Victorian government’s claims that the recent removal of several of the state’s TAFE chairs was due to their inability to lead “a large and complex government business”, successful business owners and entrepreneurs are among those who have been removed from their positions. Among them is Chisholm Chair, David Willersdorf, and Holmesglen Chair, Jonathan Forster, both of whom run successful businesses with an annual turnover of approximately $400 million each. Prominent VET consultant and former Chisholm chair, Virginia Simmons, is highly critical of the sackings. “The Napthine Government's unceremonious sacking of more than half of the … [Read more...]
What’s going on? asks ACPET
22/03/2013 by
ACPET News | 18 March 2013 The Australian Council of Private Education Providers (ACPET) is becoming increasingly agitated by regulatory measures that seem designed to put the squeeze on smaller private VET providers. The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is proposing fee increases for almost 50 regulatory activities, with 15 more than doubled, with registration up 388%, on the basis that such increases are necessary for it to become fully self-funding, as required by government policy. At the same time, the National Skills Standards Council (NSSC) is proposing much more strict VET provider registration requirements in order to protect the economy from a “failure … [Read more...]
