WorldSkills competition attracts the nation’s best
Perth hosted two major events – the Skills West Expo and the WorldSkills Australia national competition, finishing on Saturday.
Skills West Expo brought together industry, employers, trainers and jobseekers to promote a range of career pathways as well as training and career opportunities.
The WorldSkills Australia national competition attracted more than 400 of the nation’s best apprentices and trainees.
WorldSkills will culminate tomorrow with the official closing ceremony and the competition results.
WorldSkills will be live streaming the Closing Ceremony to YouTube tomorrow night from 5:30pm (Western Standard Time), to access the link for the event, please follow WorldSkills on facebook at www.facebook.com/worldskillsau
See the photo gallery from the last day of competition.
TDA conference papers and photos available online
A series of presentations from the TDA National Conference in Sydney are now available from this link on the TDA website.
Others papers and presentations will become available later this week.
All of the photos over the three-day event are also available at the photo gallery.
Transport and logistics industry backs training package reform
The Transport and Logistics Industry Skills Council (TLISC) has thrown its support behind the vocational education and training reforms announced by Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane.
The Minister said that the 12 Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) will move to a more contestable model for training packages, with the ISCs welcome to tender under this new model.
TLISC Chair Laurie D’Apice and CEO Robert Adams welcomed the reforms which, they said, echo the longstanding view of TLISC for a more responsive and industry led system.
“TLISC looks forward to participating in the competitive funding process, and will use this opportunity to deliver the best possible outcome for the entire Transport and Logistics Industry,” they said.
Does NCVER information meet your needs?
NCVER is keen to hear from TAFE providers about the sort of information used, its usefulness and any suggested changes, as part of an online survey being conducted.
NCVER is looking at ways to improve, and feedback from TAFE users will be used to help make future decisions.
Have your say – it’ll only take 5-10 minutes and all responses are anonymous.
Go to the NCVER online survey.
Northern Sydney Institute student takes award
Ahmad Aljazeeri, a student at TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute has won the 2014 NSW International Student of the Year Award in the English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) category.
Ahmad, from Saudi Arabia, completed his English language studies at the Institute’s Meadowbank Campus and hopes to study medical science at the University of Sydney next year. His mother and sisters travelled from Saudi Arabia especially for the ceremony at the Sydney Opera House.
During his studies at the Northern Sydney Institute, Ahmad was recognised for his enthusiasm and outstanding work. He is also an active volunteer, assisting regularly at a rehabilitation centre and within his own community.
See an article on Northern Sydney Institute’s website and facebook page.
Australian qualifications to align with New Zealand and Europe
Two international projects have commenced that aim to align the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) with the New Zealand Qualifications Framework and the European Qualifications Framework.
The alignment of these qualifications will support the understanding and recognition of Australian qualifications in New Zealand and Europe and the qualifications of New Zealand and Europe in Australia.
Working groups of stakeholders are assisting each of the projects. The International Projects page on the AQF website provides information about the projects and links to relevant documents. A consultation paper is available on the website with a set of questions.
Responses should be emailed to by close of business on 29 September.
Former TAFE Chisholm head lashes Victoria’s reforms
Former TAFE Institute Chisholm CEO, Virginia Simmons, has strongly criticised the Victorian government’s skills and training agenda and claimed it has had resulted in a massive waste of scarce funding.
Ms Simmons told the Australian College of Educators national conference that quality training was being compromised, and TAFE’s community service obligations were being crippled.
She said the training market was being skewed, noting there were 18,800 enrolments in aged or disability care, equivalent to half the total numbers of workers in the entire industry, and a similar situation in enrolments for storepeople and for engineering productions systems.
“These figures represent a scandalous waste of government money, in the order of $200 million,” Ms Simmons said.
See an article in The Australian.
A TAFE Director reflects on the independence issue in the most important country in the world
Last week’s referendum in Scotland galvanised the country which over the past centuries has shown itself to be the most important in the world.
Adrian Marron, CEO,Canberra Institute of Technology
Click here to read the blog.
Diary Dates
Austrade
Transnational Education Roadshows
DATE: Brisbane (7 October), Sydney & Melbourne (13 October), Perth (16 October)
LOCATION: Perth Convention and Exhibition 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.
AUSTAFE 2014 Annual Conference
DATE: 8-10 October 2014
LOCATION: Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
Australasian Genomic Technologies Association (AGTA)
2014 Conference
DATE: 12-15 October 2014
LOCATION: Crown Promenade Melbourne
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.
Government Skills Australia
2014 National Conference
DATE: 17-18 November 2014
LOCATION: Adelaide Oval
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
2014 B/HERT Awards
Business Higher Education Round Table
DATE: 20 November 2014
LOCATION: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
