Industry skills fund advisers announced
Chisholm Institute is one of six organisations announced today that will make up the new Industry Skills Fund Skills Adviser Network.
The $664 million Industry Skills Fund will provide industry grants for training as well as expert advice through skills advisory services.
In addition to Chisholm Institute, the other organisations that make up the Industry Skills Fund Skills Adviser Network are:
- Australian Industry Group
- MAX Solutions
- Navitas Professional
- Communications and Information Technology Training
- QMI Solutions
Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham, said the new network will invest $43 million over the next three years to provide intensive support to businesses that are looking to grow and develop their workforce.
“Beginning with 83 ISF Skills Advisers from 1 July 2015, the network will expand to 99 Advisers in 2017-18,” he said.
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Sniping over South Australia’s international education plan
The South Australian state Budget has allocated $5.7 million over four years for a Destination Adelaide campaign to market South Australia to international students.
Minister for Tourism Leon Bignell said more than 30,000 international students are enrolled across the state, with the sector is worth an estimated $972 million a year.
“This funding injection will help market Adelaide as the preeminent destination for education and create ongoing tourism and trade opportunities,” Mr Bignell said.
However, federal Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham said the initiative was undermined by the state’s new “anti-student-choice policy” which gives a preference to TAFE ahead of private colleges.
“Labor’s disastrous WorkReady scheme means that from 1 July, only 10% of new subsidised training places will be allocated to non-government providers,” he said.
“Without a strong domestic market many quality training providers won’t be around to capitalise on this new international education campaign,” he said.
Streamlined visas for international students
The federal government has announced a simplified international student visa framework (SSVF) to support Australia’s education sector.
The changes will reduce the number of student visa subclasses from eight to two, and see a simplified single immigration risk framework for all international students.
The Minister for Education and Training, Christopher Pyne and the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Michaelia Cash said the SSVF will replace both the Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP) arrangements and the current Assessment Level Framework and will apply to all international students.
It will lay out a student’s financial and English language evidentiary requirements based on two things: the immigration profile of the student’s country of citizenship and of their education provider.
“The SSVF will support the growth of the international education sector by enhancing both competitiveness and integrity while extending streamlined processing to all education sectors and all course types,” Minister Cash said.
Warning over inducements for training courses
The West Australian government has warned of “door-knockers” targeting remote communities with incentives to sign up to training courses.
Acting Consumer Protection Commissioner David Hillyard said people in regional and remote communities have been offered free laptops if they agree to undertake courses.
“Generally, those who accepted the proposal did not receive paperwork in exchange making it very difficult for the local police or Consumer Protection to ascertain if the men are representing a training provider or if they are scammers,” he said.
Since April VET FEE-HELP training providers have been banned from offering enrolment inducements to students.
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Research shows new approach to link training to jobs
Reform of training qualifications could provide workers with stronger capabilities, enabling them to adapt more quickly to a changing labour market and help reduce persistent skills mismatch, according to new research.
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) says that many graduates do not end up in jobs directly related to their qualifications.
The study examines the notion of ‘vocational streams’ and whether more transferable skills would help people adapt to changing labour market conditions.
The study, Linking qualifications and the labour market through capabilities and vocational streams is the final report from a three year program tested with four industries – agriculture, community services and health care, electrical trades and engineering, and financial services.
“We found that support for vocational streams varied greatly between the four sectors”, says co-researcher Dr John Buchanan from the University of Sydney.
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New $15 million centre for the Kimberley
New state-of-the-art training facilities have been opened at Kimberley Training Institute’s (KTI’s) Broome campus.
The $15 million trades training workshop will allow qualifications to be delivered in engineering, automotive, construction and, for the first time, civil construction.
It will also enable the Institute to open the facility to engineering apprentices by the end of the year.
WA Training and Workforce Development Minister Liza Harvey said the facilities include an industry-standard trades training centre and a world-class maritime simulation centre.
“The new trades training workshop more than doubles the previously available training space to meet growing industry needs, while the maritime simulation centre adds further value and amenity to the Institute’s already first-rate simulation equipment.”
The new maritime simulation centre recreates the control consoles of tug boats and bulk carriers, with 180-degree digital recreations of the ocean and port infrastructure.
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Left to right: Artist Martha Lee; Minister for Regional Development Terry Redman; KTI Managing Director Karen Dickinson; Yawuru representative Jimmy Edgar; and Minister for Training and Workforce Development Liza Harvey.
New tourism and hospitality centre for William Angliss
William Angliss Institute has been given $4.5 million in funding from the Victorian government to develop skills for the tourism and hospitality industries.
The Minister for Training and Skills, Steve Herbert said the funding includes $2.7 million for a regional tourism employability initiative which will provide skilled staff for regional destinations.
A second grant of $1.7 million will allow the institute to launch Melbourne’s first International Hotel School to train the next generation of hotel management professionals.
William Angliss Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Hunt said the Regional Tourism Employability project will see the Institute partnering with regional TAFEs to provide cost-effective tourism and hospitality training in regional areas.
“Students will be able to continue living in the regions, while gaining the practical skills and specialist knowledge they need to drive regional hospitality and tourism to a more competitive level,” he said.
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Left to right: Nazir Elasmar, Member for Northern Metropolitan; Caley Davies, Student Ambassador; Minister Steve Herbert; Aiden Coffey and Daniel Huang, Student Ambassadors; and Nicholas Hunt. Photo: Adam Hacking.
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NSW ministers turn first sod at TAFE Western campus
NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant and Minister for Skills John Barilaro have turned the first sod at the new Western NSW TAFE redevelopment at Mudgee.
The $6 million project will allow new services for students including administration, skills development, and learning resources, as well as dedicated spaces for interactive learning and social gatherings.
Earlier this year the project was awarded a 5-Star rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, representing excellence in environmentally sustainable design.
Canada study mission to examine community colleges
TDA and LH Martin Institute are hosting a six-day study mission to Canada, 27 September- 2 October.
The visit to Toronto and Ottawa will examine the Canadian community colleges’ applied research model.
There will be the chance to meet institutional leaders in community college to learn from their expertise, as well as with key government agencies that support the funding of applied research in the community colleges, and participate in joint workshops and symposia.
Full details and the program are here.
Diary Dates
NCVER
24th National VET Research Conference
DATE: 6-8 July 2015
LOCATION: University of Western Sydney
DETAILS: More information.
Victorian TAFE Association
2015 State Conference – Leading Transformational Change
DATE: 16-17 July 2015
LOCATION: RACV Club, Melbourne
DETAILS: Click here for more information.
2015 ACODE Learning Technologies Leadership Institute
DATE: 17-21 August 2015
LOCATION: Mantra at Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
DETAILS: More information
TAFE Managers Association 2015
DATE: 21 August 2015
LOCATION: Luna Park, Sydney
DETAILS: More information coming soon.
VET Development Centre
Teaching and Learning Conference
DATE: 3-4 September 2015
LOCATION: RACV Torquay Resort, Victoria
DETAILS: More information.
TDA National Conference
DATE: 9-11 September 2015
LOCATION: Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart
DETAILS: More information.
National VET Conference
Velg Training
DATE: 17-18 September 2015
LOCATION: Adelaide Convention Centre
DETAILS: More information.
Australian International Education Conference 2015
International education: global, responsible, sustainable
DATE: 6 – 9 October 2015
LOCATION: Adelaide Convention Centre
DETAILS: More information.
2015 AUSTAFE National Conference
Bringing TAFE and VET to the Nation’s Capital
DATE: 28 – 30 October 2015
LOCATION: Canberra
DETAILS: Contact National President