In this edition

• TDA releases additional federal election 2013 policy papers
• TDA 2013 National Conference hosted in Brisbane – special note
• Conference registration offer
• National Conference – a special thank you to sponsors and exhibitors
• ‘Tertiary’ is not all about universities – joint TDA /ACPET column in The Australian online
• New round of AQF workshops for VET and higher education providers
• Holmesglen announces new chief executive
• New head for Kangan Institute 
• Retirement of Ann Doolette at AQF
• Major update to TDA’s website section on international education
• Group training mounts case for apprenticeships
• Federal election brings an end to TAFE inquiry
• Higher Education regulation to be streamlined
• NMIT and Swinburne University move ahead on Prahran campus
• Diary Dates

TDA releases additional federal election 2013 policy papers

The TDA launch of Federal Election 2013 Policy Position Papers has created a strong impact, with national radio and print media covering the release.

Today two new Policy Position Papers are released:

• Maintaining a commitment to skills funding … highlighting the impact of cuts to apprenticeships and traineeships, and promoting strategies to meet the demand for a skilled workforce
• TAFE Leadership in international education … removing unnecessary regulation and actively supporting TAFE’s extensive operations offshore.

The new policy papers will be available on the TDA website.

Further Policy Position Papers will be released progressively as we approach the federal election.

See an article on TDA’s first three policy papers in The Australian.

TDA National Conference 2013 hosted in Brisbane – special note

If you or your staff have not yet registered for the 2013 TDA National Conference in Brisbane, 2-3 September, there are some compelling reasons to do so:

• Conference registration will provide you and your staff with unsurpassed opportunities for understanding the policy directions that are shaping the vocational education and training landscape, both in Australia and abroad.
• The conference topics should inform the ways in which you are identifying your strategic directions: the role of the public provider, MOOCs; indigenous workers and learners; working with industry; how to develop a higher education strategy.
• There are pre-conference workshops. Workshop 4, for example, includes the new CEO, TAFE Queensland, Jodi Schmidt, on a panel of illustrious speakers who will lead discussion on, So you want to be a CEO? This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for all senior managers who aspire to understanding the qualities of being and becoming an effective leader.

See the conference program

See the pre-conference workshops.

Register here.

Conference registration offer

We draw TDA members’ attention to a special conference rate. For TDA member organisations that send additional multiple delegates, we have a limited number of complimentary industry places available.

As an incentive, for every new THREE  full paying member registrations TDA will offer ONE complimentary registration for your nominated industry person (e.g. council members or industry partners/clients). Please email for details about taking up this offer.

Discounts to TDA members wishing to send FIVE or more delegates also still apply. The current member registration of $1,100 reduces to $990 for FIVE or more delegates. This means that if you have SIX new registrations at $990.00, you also receive THREE complimentary registrations for industry partners.

National Conference – a special thank you to sponsors and exhibitors

Official Sponsor – Queensland Government Department of Education, Training and Employment

MC Sponsor – Ellucian

Bronze Sponsors – Austrade, Group Training Australia, Southbank Institute of Technology, Tribal Group and UniSuper

Satchel Sponsors – Fuji Xerox and Vet Development Centre

Lanyard Sponsor – ETS

Dinner Sponsors – MEGT and VTA

Exhibitors – Australian Training Awards program, ANZA & ICEF Workshops, CYON, Debit Success, Echo 360, Ellucian, ETS, GTP Training, Hong Kong Vocational Training Council, IDP IELTS, Jigsaw Publications, NCVER, smallPRINT, StartSmart, TechnologyOne, Tutoring Australia, Tribal Group, Unilink, Western Union Business Solutions and Verge-resources.

…and sponsorship opportunities

If you introduce a sponsor who confirms an advertisement in the proceedings book or a satchel insert, you will receive ONE complimentary day registration.

If you introduce a sponsor who confirms a bronze sponsorship or a dinner sponsorship, you will receive ONE complimentary full registration (to be used for a new delegate).

If you introduce a sponsor who confirms a sponsorship valued at over $5,000, you will receive TWO complimentary full registrations (to be used for two new delegates).

For more information, please email

‘Tertiary’ is not all about universities – joint TDA / ACPET column in The Australian online

The CEOs of TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) and the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) have joined to outline the special features of non-university delivery of higher education, and question anti-competition arguments put by Professor Greg Craven, vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University, and Professor Glyn Davis, vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne.

The article included a response to comments on the so-called risk from “private” (non-university) higher education providers (HEPs).

Claire Field and Martin Riordan outlined the case for non-university HEP delivery, increasingly meeting industry demands for specialist degrees, while also providing competition in the Australian market.

To date 23 of Australia’s 61 TAFE Institutes and more than 70 private colleges offer degrees and higher education qualifications. TDA and ACPET noted that these non-university higher education providers were delivering qualifications to 59,000 students a year – with the non-university market growing.

In an earlier article in The Australian, Craven and Davis said: “In more than 160 years no public university has ever failed, but a series of smaller private higher education providers have gone belly-up, damaging the national brand. If there is risk it is found in the competitive private market.”

Claire Field and Martin Riordan responded: “Surely we should commend these merging education boundaries, rather than focus on a university-centric approach that seeks to further embed the unique heritage of protection of universities.”

See the TDA/ACPET opinion piece in The Australian’s Higher Education.

New round of AQF workshops for VET and higher education providers

Following the popular AQF workshops held in March, a second round of workshops will be held during August and September in selected cities and regional areas to provide support to both VET and higher education providers in the implementation of the AQF.

These will provide opportunities for participants to seek clarification on all aspects on the AQF and share common approaches to issues with implementing the AQF.

They are designed for staff who have a management, quality assurance, compliance and/or qualifications development roles in a VET or higher education provider.

Registration is essential as there is a limit on the numbers, and bookings will be accepted on a first come basis.

More information about workshops, locations and booking is available at the AQF newsletter.

Holmesglen announces new chief executive – TDA congratulations!

Holmesglen has announced the appointment of Mary Faraone (pictured) as the Institute’s new chief executive.

Ms Faraone is the successor to retiring chief executive and sector pioneer, Bruce Mackenzie who held the position for 31 years.

Ms Faraone has been instrumental in the growth of Holmesglen, securing the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games training project, the 2006 Asian Games in Doha and an educational reform project in Bahrain.

She was also the driving force behind Holmesglen being given the right to provide Commonwealth-funded nursing degrees, one of only two non-universities doing so.

Congratulations Mary Faraone on your appointment.

Read more.

New head for Kangan Institute – TDA congratulations!

Kangan Institute in outer elbourne has announced the appointment of Grant Sutherland (pictured) as its new chief executive officer.

Mr Sutherland will succeed Richard Turnbull who has held the role of interim CEO since February.

Mr Sutherland brings with him over 14 years of experience in the VET sector and is currently the CEO at The Gordon Institute. Previously, Grant had held the position of The Gordon’s deputy CEO and executive director for business development.

Congratulations Grant Sutherland on your appointment.

Read more.

Retirement of Ann Doolette at AQF

Distinguished tertiary education figure, Ann Doolette retired in July as inaugural Executive Director of the Office of the AQF Council.

Ann assumed the position in May 2008 with the establishment of the AQF Council in Adelaide, specifically to provide leadership in strengthening the AQF and enhance its standing with education, industry and community stakeholders.

Her departure marks the closure of a distinguished career which included lecturing in the management discipline, developing curriculum and leading tertiary education quality assurance and regulation in South Australia. In retirement she intends to maintain her connections with the tertiary sector through consulting work.

TDA congratulates Ann Doolette for her outstanding achievement supporting the AQF Council.

Read more in the AQF newsletter.

Major update to TDA’s website section on international education

Members and readers are encouraged to visit the international section of our website which has just been significantly updated.

Key features include TDA’s international networks and projects, offshore engagement, international student data and our dedicated section on China.

In coming weeks there will be updates and resources for student mobility programs and information on regulatory changes including ESOS and student visas.

See the updated international section of the TDA website.

Group Training Australia mounts case for apprenticeships

Group Training Australia (GTA) has urged the major political parties to revitalise the uptake of apprenticeships and traineeships in its election policy statement launched last Thursday.

Among its policy aims, it seeks more secure funding under the Commonwealth-State Joint Group Training Program, restoration of employer incentive payment for apprentice commencements to the three-month mark, and the creation of a Group Training Innovation Fund.

As part of its “Campaign 2013”, GTA is writing to all Commonwealth MPs seeking their personal assurances of support for group training in the next term of parliament.

“Our case is for group training to be recognised as a public good delivering an indisputable public benefit which should continue to be supported by government,” GTA Chief Executive, Jim Barron said.

See more.

Federal election brings an end to TAFE inquiry

The start of the federal election has brought an end to a House of Representatives inquiry into the operability of the TAFE system.

The wide-ranging inquiry, which had attracted 172 submissions, was being undertaken by the Standing Committee on Education and Employment. These committees are wound up when the parliament is dissolved.

A note from the Secretary to the committee says: “Therefore, inquiries of the 43rd Parliament that were not completed have now lapsed; however, information about them is still available on this website.”

There is no guarantee that a new parliament will re-visit such an inquiry, the first large-scale review since the Kangan Committee of 1974.

Read an article in The Australian.

Higher Education regulation to be streamlined

The Federal Government’s Review of Higher Education Regulation has proposed measures to narrow the scope and focus of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) following criticism of its operations.

The review examined concerns raised by the sector about regulation in higher education, notably the cost of regulatory compliance and reporting in meeting TEQSA’s requirements.

“Despite the best of intentions, it is quite telling that within eighteen months of establishment, TEQSA’s regulatory approach has caused concern to such an extent that this review has become necessary. There is clearly a mismatch between the sector’s expectations of the agency and their experiences of working with it,” the review says.

See TDA’s submission to the review panel.

The report of the review panel is available here.

NMIT and Swinburne University move ahead on Prahran campus

NMIT (Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE) and Swinburne University of Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure the continued delivery of tertiary education at Swinburne’s Prahran campus in inner south east Melbourne.

The MOU has the in-principle support of the Victorian government.

NMIT CEO Dr Andy Giddy says the proposal represents a unique opportunity for NMIT to develop a first-class arts training facility for Melbourne’s inner and southern eastern communities.

NMIT hopes to commence operations at Prahran by the start of the 2014 academic year, with up to 60 courses, subject to contract negotiations, due diligence and the necessary authority and approvals being provided by the Government.

Read more.

Diary Dates

Getting started in e-learning Queensland VET Development Centre DATE: 22 July-26 August DETAILS: Click here for further information.

Knowledge management – use it or lose it Queensland VET Development Centre DATE: 7 August, 21 August and 23 October DETAILS: Click here for further information.

2013 Webinar series Queensland VET Development Centre DATE: August – November DETAILS: Click here for further information.

Love Apptually webinar series Queensland VET Development Centre DATE: 21August – 2 October DETAILS: Click here for further information.

National Skills Week DATE: 26 August – 1 September LOCATION: Various around Australia DETAILS: Click here for further information.

AAIR SIG Forum Australasian Association for Institutional Research Special Interest Groups DATE: 21-23 August LOCATION: Fairmont Resort, Blue Mountains DETAILS: Click here for further information.

Open Higher Education Markets in the UK – Seminar TDA & LH Martin Institute  DATE: 28 August LOCATION: LH Martin Institute, 715 Swanston St, Melbourne DETAILS: Click here for further information.

TedX: This Way Up Northern Sydney Institute DATE: 28 August LOCATION: Cameraygal Building, the Northern Sydney Institute, St Leonards Campus DETAILS: Click here for further information.

TDA Annual Conference 2013 TDA Annual Conference 2013 – “TAFE Redefined” TAFE Directors Australia DATE: 2-3 September 2013 LOCATION: Sofitel, Brisbane DETAILS: Click here for further information.

Teaching & Learning Conference VET Development Centre DATE: 5-6 September LOCATION: RACV Healesville Country Club DETAILS: Click here for further information.

2013 National VET Conference Velg Training DATE: 19-20 September, 2013 LOCATION: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre DETAILS: Click here for further information.

Australian Council for Adult Literacy Conference DATE: 30 September – 2 October LOCATION: University of Technology, Sydney DETAILS: Click here for further information.

Australian International Education Conference AEIC DATE: 8-11 October LOCATION: National Convention Centre, Canberra DETAILS: Click here for further information.

2013 AUSTAFE National Conference AUSTAFE DATE: 9-11 October LOCATION: Gold Coast Convention Centre, Queensland DETAILS: Click here for more information.

2013 AAIR National Forum Australasian Association for Institutional Research DATE: 13-15 November LOCATION: Perth, Western Australia DETAILS: Click here for more information.

conVerge¹³ – E-learning Conference eWorks DATE: 21-22 November LOCATION: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre DETAILS: Click here for more information.

Australian Training Awards Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education DATE: 22 November LOCATION: Perth DETAILS: Click here for further information.

AVETRA 17th Annual Conference Informing Changes in VET Policy and Practice: The Central Role of Research DATE: 22-24 April 2014 LOCATION: Outrigger, Surfers Paradise, Queensland DETAILS: Click here for further information.