Australian Training Awards feature TAFE leaders, teachers and students
The Australian Training Awards 2014 in Adelaide on Friday featured leaders, teachers and students, with a record eight major categories being awarded to TAFE.
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Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane with award winners
Melinda Lethbridge, a Certificate III student in engineering at Swinburne University of Technology, won Apprentice of the Year. The runner-up was Mark Hardy, a Certificate III student in electrotechnology from TAFE NSW – North Coast Institute.
Chisholm Institute in Victoria was awarded the Large Training Provider of the Year, ahead of finalists TasTAFE and TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute.
Berwyn Clayton, founder of the Centre Undertaking Research in Vocational Education at Victoria University, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other major awards to TAFE included:
- Apprentice (Trainee) of the Year – Joshua Lodge, Certificate IV student in Laboratory Techniques, TAFE NSW – Hunter Institute
- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year – Sally Moylan, Certificate III in Horticulture, Canberra Institute of Technology
- VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year – Steven Atkins, TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
- International Training Provider of the Year – Central Institute of Technology, Western Australia
See details of all the winners at the Australian Training Awards.
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| Dr Ruth Schubert, LH Martin Institute, University of Melbourne and Malcolm White incoming Acting CEO, TDA | Martin Riordan, TDA CEO and Berwyn Clayton, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award | Kym Peake, Deputy Secretary Victorian Higher Education and Skills Group, and Maria Peters, CEO, Chisholm Institute |
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| TDA’s Pam Caven and Peter Holden withMel Koumides, Director, Academia International | Jason Coutts, Department of Industry, and Peta Furnell, Head VET Reform Taskforce. |
National survey of TAFE higher education students – ‘work ready’ training, smaller classes, great teachers, hands-on learning
A national survey of TAFE higher education students has found that their priority is to gain quality, ‘work-ready’ qualifications in settings other than universities.
Students highlighted the highly specialist nature of TAFE’s sub-bachelor and Bachelor degrees, the quality of the courses, teachers with industry experience, and the ‘applied’ approach to learning that results in jobs.
Commissioned by TDA, and administered by InsyncSurveys, the national survey was open to over 5,000 TAFE higher education students during October 2014.
See the TDA media release.
Federal committee urges stronger support for TAFE
A House of Representatives committee has today released today its report into the TAFE system.
The Standing Committee on Education and Employment report, ‘TAFE: an Australian asset’, identifies key issues facing the TAFE system.
Committee Chair, Ewen Jones said TAFE is an Australian asset and one which we should be proud of and do our best to protect.
It is urging a “value statement” through COAG to address issues including the price of training, quality, and regional and industry needs.
Other recommendations include:
- Measures to address the variable quality of VET training, including through greater “prescription and precision” in training packages;
- Further action to address loopholes allowing “high-risk and unscrupulous practices to endanger the experience of students and the reputation of training”;
- The government to ensure, via COAG, that VET funding takes into account TAFE capital requirements and the positions of the disadvantaged;
See the House of Representatives report.
TAFE joins COPHE and Navitas higher education students to meet Senators – campaign for Commonwealth support
A group of higher education students from private higher education providers and TAFE met with Senators at Parliament House last week to call for Commonwealth funding to support students studying in non-university settings.
The meeting, jointly organised by the Council of Private Higher Education (COPHE) and TDA, highlighted how specialist non-university higher education providers are meeting the needs of an increasing diverse range of students.
The students met with a number of Senators and were welcomed by Education Minister, Christopher Pyne and Victorian Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie.
The group included two TAFE students, Asha Davidson, studying a Bachelor of Forensic Science (Crime Scene Examination) at Canberra Institute of Technology, and Rylin Richardson, doing an Associate Degree of Civil Engineering at Southbank Institute of Technology, Brisbane.
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Back row, left to right: Navin Sundara, Angus Mauger, Dean Warwick, Minister Pyne, Senator McKenzie, Hugh Cox, Asha Davidson and Rylin Richardson.
Front row, left to right: Teale Blessington, Georgiane Deal and Kathryn Phillips
Australia and India sign transport and logistics partnership
Australia and India will work more closely in developing skills in the transport and logistics sector under a new industry partnership.
The Transport and Logistics Industry Skills Council (TLISC) and the Logistics Skills Council (LSC) of India signed a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) to extend industry engagement and skills development.
The CEO of TLISC Robert Adams said the agreement would open the way for greater collaboration between the two countries in addressing critical skills and workforce challenges in the sector.
A history of NSW TAFE reform – Parliamentary Research Service
A research paper by the NSW Parliamentary Research Service has documented the major changes to NSW TAFE, including the latest Smart and Skilled reforms.
The paper, TAFE organisation and funding in NSW: past and present, says “Substantial questions remain about the outcome of the new arrangements”.
“In the second half of the twentieth century, post-school non-university education was delivered by the public sector. By the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century, delivery has increasingly become the province of commercial providers.”
See TAFE organisation and funding in NSW: past and present.
TDA selects representative on aged care committee
TAFE Queensland Gold Coast (TQGC) senior executive, Deb Blow, has been selected by TDA as its representative on the Department of Social Services’ Aged Care Workforce Advisory Group.
Deb is Director of TQGC’s Faculty for Community Services, Health and Nursing, and has some 25 years’ experience in the health and community sector.
TDA was delighted with the response from members to fill the single position.
Deb has worked in rural and remote, Indigenous communities, aged care, theatre, surgical and intensive care nursing.
She has wide experience working with government, including as a board member of Gold Coast Medicare Local, a member of the Primary Care Partnership Council and the Queensland Clinical Education and Training Council.
Training package consultations open
The Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council (CSHISC) has opened public consultation on draft components for HLT Health and CHC Community Services Training Packages.
This will be the final chance to view and provide comment on components for Direct Client Care, Community Services, Community Development and Cross Sector Units. Consultation is open until 12 December.
Following the review these components will be submitted for final endorsement to the Industry and Skills Council Advisory Committee in June 2015.
See CSHISC’s consultation website.
Diary Dates
NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council
2014 Conference
DATE: 12 December
LOCATION: Aerial Function Centre, Sydney
DETAILS: Click here for more information
Victoria University
Financial Sustainability in VET
DATE: 25-26 February 2015
LOCATION: Victoria University City Convention Centre, Melbourne
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
Australian Workplace Practitioners’ Network
Foundation Skills at Work
DATE: 18-20 March 2015
LOCATION: Melbourne, Victoria
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
EduTECH
National Congress & Expo
DATE: 2 & 3 June 2015
LOCATION: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
Western Sydney Careers Expo
DATE: 18-21 June 2015
LOCATION: Showground, Sydney Olympic Park
DETAILS: Click here for more information.