Minister ponders higher education funding
The Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne has outlined his views about the way the Commonwealth might fund TAFE and other non-university higher education providers under an expanded system as proposed by the recent Kemp-Norton review.
In a speech to Monash University, the Minister said that funding for Commonwealth Supported Places would require careful consideration.
“Obviously, only providers registered with the tertiary quality agency, TEQSA, could be eligible, and only for accredited courses; and there would be other important conditions as well,” the Minister said.
“As you know, universities are required to undertake research and non-university higher education providers are not. For this reason it would be appropriate for Commonwealth-supported places in non-university providers to be funded at a lower rate than in universities.
“There are other differences between universities and non-university higher education providers that may be relevant, perhaps including different community expectations and service obligations,” the Minister said.
In an article in The Age, Andrew Norton, one of the authors of the review says TAFEs offering degrees and pathways to university meet the needs of a wide group of people seeking higher education.
See the Minister’s speech.
See Andrew Norton’s article in The Age.
TAFE inquiry wants to hear from students
Current, former and prospective TAFE students are being encouraged to take part in an online survey established as part of the House of Representatives inquiry into the TAFE system.
The Chair of the Standing Committee on Education and Employment, Ewen Jones said students’ opinions are a valuable part of the inquiry.
“It is important to capture how students feel about their TAFE system,” he said.
“Feedback from students via this survey will enable the committee to gain a different insight into the TAFE system that could be lacking through other evidence gathering methods.”
See the online survey.
See TDA’s submission to the inquiry.
Victorian Budget revises training targets
The Victorian government Budget has committed $1.2 billion per year to skills and training and announced a $30 million package for car industry workers.
The Minister for Higher Education and Skills Nick Wakeling said a major focus would be on “new major job-creating infrastructure”.
“This significant investment provides support and access to training for people to develop the skills needed to take advantage of new opportunities emerging in the economy,” Mr Wakeling said.
- The Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Skills and Apprenticeships, Steve Herbert said Budget shows the target for apprenticeship/traineeship commencement has dropped from 51,000 in 2013-14 to 40,000 for 2014-15, and that the number of government funded course enrolments in diploma level or above has dropped from 94,000 in 2013-14 to 63,400 in 2014-15.
See the Minister’s media release.
See the Shadow Minister’s media release.
VET in Schools programs provide a head-start
Exposing school students in Years 9-12 to vocational education and training (VET) helps to improve engagement and retention in school, and opens the door to careers in the skilled trades, according to a new report.
The report, undertaken by Group Training Australia (GTA), finds that VET in Schools (VETiS) programs play an important role in giving students a real-life experience of the workplace and the opportunity of apprenticeships or traineeships after leaving school.
“For many students, it’s their first glimpse into the world of work, and it helps open their minds to the possibilities and to start to think about what’s needed to pursue their goals,” according to the CEO of GTA, Mr Jim Barron.
The report examines the delivery of VETiS programs by group training organisations (GTOs) around Australia and looks at their impact, as well as identifying key elements in successful programs. It includes the views of employers, students and their parents, as well as a series of 20 case studies.
See the report, ‘Work Exposure and Work Placement Programs in Schools involving Group Training Organisations’.
Training and Education Training Package update
Innovation and Business Skills Australia (IBSA) has advised an update to the Training and Education Training Package.
IBSA has added the TAE unit TAELLN411 (which was endorsed in the TAE Training Package last August) as an elective in the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) and the Diploma of Training Design and Development (TAE50211).
The ISC upgrade will enable RTOs to access this unit, or the equivalent unit TAELLN401A, when delivering theTAE40110 qualification.
See more.
Diary Dates
Edu TECH
National Congress and Expo
DATE: 3-5 June 2014
LOCATION: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
DETAILS: Click here for information.
Office for Learning and Teaching
National Conference
DATE: 10-11 June 2014
LOCATION: Dockside Pavilion, Darling Harbour, Sydney.
DETAILS: See more.
‘No Frills’ – 23rd National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference
DATE: 9-11 July 2014
LOCATION: Holmesglen, Moorabbin Campus, Melbourne, Victoria
DETAILS: Click here.
Victorian TAFE Association
2014 State Conference
DATE: 17-18 July 2014
LOCATION: Holmesglen, Moorabbin Campus, Melbourne, Victoria
DETAILS: Click here.
TDA National Conference 2014
TAFE Directors Australia
DATE: 1-2 September 2014
LOCATION: Sheraton on the Park, Sydney, NSW
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
National VET Conference
Velg Training
DATE: 11-12 September 2014
LOCATION: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
Teaching & Learning Conference 2014
VET Development Centre
DATE: 4-5 September 2014
LOCATION: RACV Club Torquay, Melbourne
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
VETnetwork Australia 2014
Biennial National Conference
DATE: 17-19 September 2014
LOCATION: Darwin Convention Centre
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
Australian International Education Conference
Inventing the Future
DATE: 7-10 October 2014
LOCATION: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition
DATE: 18, 19 & 20 September 2014
LOCATION: Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
Group Training Australia
2014 National Conference
DATE: 12-14 November 2014
LOCATION: Grand Chancellor Hotel, Hobart
DETAILS: Click here for more information.