Notice of TDA Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of TAFE Directors Australia will be held in Brisbane on Friday, 23 May 2014, commencing at 10.00am.
The location is TAFE Queensland, Southbank Institute Campus, Boardroom (Level 7, Room C 7112 – C Block) 66 Ernest St, South Brisbane.
Please RSVP to Janny Tjen, Administration Manager, TDA, (02) 9217 3180, or email:
Teleconference dial-in is available. Please RSVP for details.
AGENDA
- Opening and Welcome
- Apologies
- Confirmation of the Minutes of the TDA AGM held on 24 May 2013
- Chair’s Report
- Annual Report and Statement to Members
- Statement of TDA’s Accounts for 2013 and Auditor’s Report
- Other Business
- Close
Morning tea will be served after the AGM meeting. Members and Associate Members are invited to attend.
Executive Director appointed to TDA National Scholarships Foundation
Theresa Collignon (pictured) has been appointed Executive Director of the TDA National Scholarships Foundation.
Theresa was successful following national recruitment for the position.
Theresa has strong experience with charitable and not-for-profit organisations that are engaged in advancing education, including the Smith Family, AFS student exchange and The Securities Institute.
Working from the TDA National Secretariat in Ultimo, Theresa will be responsible for extending and supporting the Foundation’s engagement with TAFE Institutes, raising funds and managing the Foundation’s scholarship programs.
The Board would like to acknowledge and thank Slade Partners and particularly Andrew Worner for providing recruitment services for the role and supporting the Foundation in this way.
The Board has also welcomed as directors, David Riordan, Director, Sydney TAFE Institute, and Malcolm White, former Director, TAFE in Tasmania. After steering the Foundation as Chair since its inception, Nicholas Hunt, CEO, William Angliss, has relinquished the role and will stay on the Board.
Malcolm White was appointed Chair of the Foundation board.
See Theresa Collignon’s biography.
Earlybird registration now open for TDA national conference
The 2014 National TAFE Directors Australia Conference, Vision 2020, will be held at the Sheraton on the Park, Sydney on 1 & 2 September, 2014.
Pre-conference workshops will be available on Sunday 31 August including ‘Future proofing your TAFE Institute’ (for CEOs and emerging leaders), ‘Maintaining Quality in time of scare resources’, ‘Champions for Women in Management’ and a UNEVOC-UNESCO Forum which will be addressed by the head of UNEVOC, Dr Shyamal Majumbar.
Confirmed speakers to date include:
- The Hon Adrian Piccoli MP, NSW Minister for Education
- Prof Shyamal Majumdar, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre for Technical and Vocational Education
- Dr Charles A Goldman, Senior Economist, RAND Corporation, USA
- Fintan Donohue, CEO, Gazelle, United Kingdom
- Prof Valerie Braithwaite, Regulatory Institutions Network, Australian National University
- Pam Christie, Managing Director, TAFE NSW
- Morris Miselowski, Business Futurist
- Prof Peter van Onselen, Australian academic, author and political journalist
- Ellen Fanning, award winning journalist (Conference MC)
To register or for a full list of confirmed speakers to date please visit www.tda.edu.au and click on the conference banner.
Please click here to download the flyer.
Please click here to register.
Senate inquiry urges change to TAFE funding
A federal parliamentary inquiry into TAFE has recommended a new funding formula for TAFE to reflect the actual cost of service delivery, and a reversal of funding cuts by the States.
The Senate Education and Employment References Committee delivered its report into Technical and Further Education in Australia.
The report says that while the committee is not opposed to the introduction of private training providers, it is “very concerned to hear accounts of where private providers were flooding the system at the expense of quality and consistency.”
A dissenting report by Coalition Senators says there is a huge amount of funding invested through TAFE, and government has a responsibility to ensure that it gets the best value for every dollar it spends.
“In many cases TAFE will be the most appropriate provider, but other times a private RTO will be the best option. In the Coalition’s view, opening the sector up to the market will provide efficiencies, innovation and dynamism, which will benefit all stakeholders,” the report says.
See the Senate committee report.
Federal Budget implications for international education
While relatively short on detail, there is much in the Federal Budget to give the international education sector some confidence.
A TDA summary of key details in the Budget Statements from four relevant Ministries can be read here.
Apprentice commencements dip
The number of trade apprentices commencing in the March quarter has remained largely steady, while non-trade commencements have continued to fall.
Early trend estimates from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), show that 24,400 people started a trade apprenticeship in the March quarter, down 1,600 on the December quarter.
Non-trade commencements have continue to decline, down from 35,200 in the December quarter to 32,200 in the March quarter, representing three consecutive quarters of decline.
“We are watching commencements of non-trade apprenticeships closely to see if a new pattern is emerging,” said Rod Camm, Managing Director, NCVER.
See more information.
NSW announces VET fee increases
The NSW government has accepted a number of recommendations from the final report of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), which will see fee increase across the TAFE sector.
The new fees apply from January under the ‘Smart and Skilled’ reform package.
The Skills List was also released for 2015.
Most course fees will rise by up to $500 while higher level training will rise by more.
It has rejected any immediate deregulation of fees as recommended by IPART.
The Shadow Minister for Education, Ryan Park, said it meant that the cap on the cost of an apprenticeship qualification would increase from 506 to $2000
See the NSW government’s pricing announcement.
See the Shadow Minister’s media release.
Latin American seminars a major success
TDA has recently completed two-day seminars in Colombia, Brazil and Mexico.
With direct support from the Council of Australia Latin American Relations and the Inter-American Development Bank, the seminars focused on strengthening TVET systems and how TAFE engages with industry.
Over 200 people attended the seminars including senior Ministers, government officials, industry and institute leaders. Presentations were also given by the British Council, the European Union, the Republic of Korea and the International Labour Organisation.
TDA is now preparing for similar events in Chile and Peru, scheduled for early June.
For those fluent in Spanish or Portuguese, the dedicated IDB website for this project provides a comprehensive overview and summary of the seminars.
Invitation to ‘women in the trades’ launch
Those interested in women in the trades are invited to the launch of Fanelle, an organisation of women working in male dominated trades
Fanelle will support tradeswomen through their apprenticeships and early post apprenticeship years. It was started by Fiona Lawrie (pictured), a 22-year old apprentice mechanic from Geelong.
It will be launched by the Victoria’s Minister for the Arts, Women’s Affairs and Consumer Affairs, Heidi Victoria in Melbourne on Monday 2 June.
Details: Monday 2 June 2014, Mount View Hotel, 70 Bridge Road
Richmond, Melbourne. Cocktail evening, 6.00-8.00pm, Registration from 5.30pm.
RSVP by Thursday 29 May 2014:
See an invitation flyer.
See an article in The Age.
See more about Fanelle.
TechnologyOne signs major IT deal with CQ University
TDA Corporate Affiliate member TechnologyOne has announced a major agreement with CQ University in Queensland to develop a new student management system covering 22 campuses and more than 30,000 students.
TechnologyOne now provide software solutions to over half of Australia’s universities and TAFEs and a detailed summary of this new initiative can be read here.
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.