the 'greening' of tafe – how an obsolete tafe site was

4 – Issue 1 | March 2016

Issue 1 | March 2016

Back to the FutureNew data shows TAFE remains the dominant provider of key skills

Research by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has unveiled the clearest picture to date on key aspects of TAFE, including market share, student preferences, program completions and the impact of VET FEE‑HELP.

The research shows that TAFE is the main provider in key areas of government‑funded training, despite open market competition over recent years.

The NCVER analysis shows that while TAFE’s market share dropped almost 22 per cent across Australia between 2010 and 2014, the 57 TAFE institutes are still the provider‑of‑choice for government‑funded training in core skill segments of the economy.

The findings come from a TDA‑commissioned analysis by NCVER of its data on government‑funded training for 2010–2014, and its Total VET Activity (TVA) 2014 data, released last November.

The Total VET Activity 2014 report was the first of its kind, collating data on the national training market, following mandatory reporting by TAFEs, dual sector universities, enterprises and private providers delivering VET qualifications or courses.

New report by NCVERThe new report, ‘Trends in public and private VET provision: participation, financing, and outcomes’, will be provided to TDA members.

The emergence of TAFE as the dominant provider across the majority of skilling qualifications is one of the important findings from the further analysis of the NCVER data.

TAFE remains the major provider of government‑funded training across the majority of skilling qualifications.

TAFE is the major provider in traditional areas such as trade apprenticeships, as well as in a number of significant qualifications – Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE) and Certificate III in Children’s Services, and Aged and Community Health.

TAFE delivered more training than private registered training organisations (RTOs) in public‑funded VET delivery across the spectrum: Certificate I (60 per cent), Certificate II (60 per cent), Certificate III (50 per cent), Certificate IV (57 per cent), Diploma (73 per cent), and non‑Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) (95 per cent).

TAFE completions higherTAFE’s share of program completions was higher across most fields of education, including IT, Creative arts, Health, Architecture & Building, Agriculture, Engineering and Hospitality.

TAFE produced more than half of Australia’s total completed qualifications, while private colleges produced one‑third, and ‘other RTOs’ one‑tenth.

The data also underlines the significant market distortion created as a consequence of the registered geographic location of private colleges, and the VET FEE‑HELP loans debacle.

From its TVA data, NCVER identified that the headquarters of private providers were concentrated in the eastern states (77 per cent). Of the 2,577 private providers nationally, 759 were headquartered in Queensland, 684 in NSW and 533 in Victoria. The private providers were mostly small (up to 100 students) or medium (up to 1,000 students) in size while all TAFEs were large (over 1,000 students).

The NCVER analysis also demonstrates the extraordinary growth in VET FEE‑HELP loans to private training providers, especially from 2013–2014.

Annual VET FEE‑HELP payments to private providers soared from $17 million in 2009 to $1.4 billion in 2014. Over the same period, annual payments to public providers increased from $8.5 million to $355 million. Notably, the payments to private sector providers jumped from $498m in 2013 to $1.4bn in 2014.

In total, over the six‑year period from 2009–2014, private providers snared $2.3 billion in VET FEE‑HELP from the Commonwealth, almost 75 per cent of the total.

The private providers’ share of VET FEE‑HELP payments rose markedly in 2014, when they secured 80 per cent of the total, against 20 per cent share for TAFE.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%51.3%

Training packageprograms

Nationally accreditedcourses

29.3%

7.7% 7.6%3.1% 0.9%

TAFE

Private RTO

Other

Source: NCVER*

Program completions by type of qualification 2010–2013 (%)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

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Private RTO

Source: NCVER*

Program completions by selected fields of education, 2013 (%)

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Privateproviders

TAFE

Source: NCVER*, data provided by the Australian Department of Education and Training

Growth in VET FEE-HELP loans, 2009–2014 ($’ million)

* The data in the three charts relates to government funded training

TAFE FuturesQuarterly magazine of TAFE Directors Australia Issue 1 | March 2016

All the facts – what new data says about TAFE’s national contribution

Student loans – the experts say how and why policy went wrong

Remote training – Kimberley Training Institute meets unique challenges

VET in the Pacific – promoting sustainable economic growth

Solid foundations – developing the skills employers most want

Page 4 Page 8 0 Page 18 Page 21

The ‘greening’ of TAFE – how an obsolete TAFE site was transformed into an Asia Pacific showcase



In this issue

Event diary

7 – 8 April, 2016Group Training National Conference Adelaide

20 – 22 April, 2016AVETRA 19th Annual Conference Sydney

15 June, 2016Group Training Association of NSW & ACT Skills Conference Sydney

4 – 6 July, 201625th National VET Research Conference ‘No Frills’ Rockhampton, Queensland

18 – 19 August, 2016Victorian TAFE Association State Conference Melbourne




Research by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has unveiled the clearest picture to date on key aspects of TAFE, including market share, student preferences, program completions and the impact of VET FEE‑HELP.

The research shows that TAFE is the main provider in key areas of government‑funded training, despite open market competition over recent years.

The NCVER analysis shows that while TAFE’s market share dropped almost 22 per cent across Australia between 2010 and 2014, the 57 TAFE institutes are still the provider‑of‑choice for government‑funded training in core skill segments of the economy.

The findings come from a TDA‑commissioned analysis by NCVER of its data on government‑funded training for 2010–2014, and its Total VET Activity (TVA) 2014 data, released last November.




TAFE remains the major provider of government‑funded training across the majority of skilling qualifications.


TAFE delivered more training than private registered training organisations (RTOs) in public‑funded VET delivery across the spectrum: Certificate I (60 per cent), Certificate II (60 per cent), Certificate III (50 per cent), Certificate IV (57 per cent), Diploma (73 per cent), and non‑Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) (95 per cent).


TAFE produced more than half of Australia’s total completed qualifications, while private colleges produced one‑third, and ‘other RTOs’ one‑tenth.

The data also underlines the significant market distortion created as a consequence of the registered geographic location of private colleges, and the VET FEE‑HELP loans debacle.


The NCVER analysis also demonstrates the extraordinary growth in VET FEE‑HELP loans to private training providers, especially from 2013–2014.

Annual VET FEE‑HELP payments to private providers soared from $17 million in 2009 to $1.4 billion in 2014. Over the same period, annual payments to public providers increased from $8.5 million to $355 million. Notably, the payments to private sector providers jumped from $498m in 2013 to $1.4bn in 2014.

In total, over the six‑year period from 2009–2014, private providers snared $2.3 billion in VET FEE‑HELP from the Commonwealth, almost 75 per cent of the total.

The private providers’ share of VET FEE‑HELP payments rose markedly in 2014, when they secured 80 per cent of the total, against 20 per cent share for TAFE.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%51.3%



29.3%

7.7% 7.6%3.1% 0.9%

TAFE

Private RTO

Other

Source: NCVER*


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

IT

Creat

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Private RTO

Source: NCVER*


0

300

600

900

1200

1500

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Privateproviders

TAFE


Growth in VET FEE-HELP loans, 2009–2014 ($’ million)

* The data in the three charts relates to government funded trainingNews in brief and Welcome to TAFE Futures Page 3

How did it come to this? The student loan experiment that imploded Page 8

International experts gather in Canberra for TAFE innovation summit Page 5

Remote training delivers local jobs in boom industries Page 10

Back to the Future – how TAFEs are leading the way Page 4

TAFE on the agenda in election year Page 12

Ugly duckling now award-winning international centre Page 7

Expanding by degrees – the distinctive features of higher education in TAFE Page 13

Staff skills underpin TAFE innovation Page 6

There’s always innovation happening here Page 14

The power of international education Page 16

TAFE scholarships program nearing half million dollar milestone Page 17

VET supports capacity building and economic development in the Pacific Page 18

Young competitors gearing up for Australia’s ultimate skills challenge 0

National award winner shares critical keys to success Page 21

19 August, 2016 NSW TAFE Managers Association Conference Taronga Zoo, Sydney

1 – 2 September, 2016VET Development Centre Teaching & Learning Conference RACV Torquay Resort, Victoria

4 – 6 October, 2016TDA National Convention Melbourne

6 – 8 October, 20162016 WorldSkills Australia National Competition Melbourne Showgrounds

17 November, 2016Australian Training Awards Darwin, Northern Territory

TAFE Futures

Publisher: Martin Riordan [email protected]

Editor: John Mitchell [email protected]

For editorial or advertising inquiries, please contact Bob Bowden, Foresight Communications

Phone (02) 9241 2811 Email: [email protected]

Subscriptions: [email protected]

Published by TAFE Directors Australia

Address: National Secretariat Sydney TAFE – Ultimo College PO Box 707 Broadway NSW 2007

Phone: (02) 9217 3180 Email: [email protected] Website: www.tda.edu.au

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New federal minister for vocational trainingTAFE Directors Australia (TDA) has extended its congratulations to the new Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Senator Scott Ryan.

Senator Ryan recently replaced the former minister, Luke Hartsuyker, who was appointed only last September.

TDA Chief Executive, Martin Riordan, said a priority would be fixing the VET FEE-HELP crisis, while guaranteeing security for students, and quarantining loans to low-risk quality VET providers.

“This is the fourth federal minister with responsibility for vocational education and training under the Coalition government and it does raise concerns,” he said.

Queensland delivers its first six‑star hospitality graduates Queensland’s first six-star hospitality students have graduated from training, in preparation for an international tourism influx, as part of the $3 billion Queen’s Wharf project in Brisbane.

TAFE Queensland and the Star Entertainment Group are founding partners in the Queensland Hotel and Hospitality School which developed the six-star hospitality program to meet demand for high end skills.

The resort development includes five new hotels, 50 bars and restaurants, as well as retail, entertainment and public event spaces.

The first 14 graduates will be part of a workforce that is expected to reach 8,000 people when operations commence.

TAFE Illawarra trades team to help rebuild Nepal A trades team from NSW TAFE Illawarra Institute is heading soon for Nepal to help in the redevelopment works following the devastating earthquakes in 2015.

NSW VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year 2015 and Head Teacher of Building and Construction: Civil Engineering and Surveying Troy Everett has teamed up with fellow TAFE teacher and project mastermind Keith Bourke and a small team of young building and construction apprentices.

“It’s a way to both help people in need and inspire young tradies to use their skills to build a better future, not merely for themselves but for others less fortunate,” said Troy Everett.

Australia Day honour for Susan HartiganMs Susan Hartigan, the former TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute Director, has been awarded the Public Service Medal in the 2016 Australia Day Honours.

The award for outstanding public service to vocational education and training in New South Wales notes that under her leadership the Western Sydney Institute grew from around 84,000 enrolments in 2006 to over 160,000 enrolments in 2014.

Letters to the EditorTAFE Futures welcomes ideas, comment and feedback. You can write to us at [email protected]

Welcome to The launch of TAFE Futures in election year 2016 will focus on the important issues shaping quality for vocational education and training in Australia – for TAFE and beyond.

I would like to thank all those who have supported this initiative.

We will focus on issues. But an even bigger focus will be on the people who bring innovation to our sector.

We will look hard for ideas on improvements – in TAFEs, with our private and group training partners, in industry, and from experience both here and overseas.

Let’s be frank. There is shrinking media on education.

This presents a real responsibility for TAFE Directors, who are well placed in our TAFE network to encourage greater awareness and clearer debate on the issues affecting quality.

As noted in this first issue of TAFE Futures, TAFE remains the dominant means of delivery to industry and students, and is number one for offshore vocational education delivery in key Asian markets.

During my own sabbatical study visit last year, based at a polytechnic university in Shanghai which has enjoyed a long-term TAFE partnership, it became clear that Australian peak bodies like TDA need to redouble efforts to reach out. Our TAFE people are leading innovation here and overseas, and helping to deliver $20 billion a year in export earnings.

To achieve this rounded vision, I am indebted to Dr John Mitchell, one of the sector’s most respected researchers and columnists, as the guest editor for the inaugural edition of TAFE Futures.

John has written widely on vocational education and skills. He nurtured, too, his own research firm, JMA, and is now partnering with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), demonstrating genuine ability to investigate capability with evidence-based analysis.

John Mitchell worked closely with our TDA Secretariat, and with former Canberra journalist and communications consultant Bob Bowden, to bring this publication to fruition.

So how will TAFE Futures open up discussion about the future?

A federal election demands time and space to adequately consider party policies and pledges.

History tells the sorry tale of major gaps between policy pledges and reality. This has too often driven funding constraints by governments, and seen MPs ducking for cover on costs and detail.

This election period will be critical to probe more deeply into what drives Australia’s tertiary education sector.

TAFEs are not only leaders and innovators in vocational education, but increasingly specialists in new higher education qualifications.

That’s why our launch deliberately coincides with the joint TDA/LH Martin Institute Innovation and Applied Research Roundtable.

We have supported education leaders from Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to address the Roundtable. We want to explore their own experience in innovation with industry partners, and applied research in a modern non-university context.

Late last year TDA joined with LH Martin Institute to host an expert study mission to Canada to examine the applied research in degree programs, and higher level research with industry.

TAFE leaders Jodie Schmidt (CEO, TAFE Queensland) and Mary Faraone (CEO, Holmesglen Institute) led the mission for TAFE, and joined with recently appointed Deputy Director of LH Martin Institute, Dr Ruth Schubert, to undertake the review.

The results showed major gaps between experience in Canada, New Zealand and EU markets, and that of Australia, where applied research is largely quarantined to universities.

The mission spurred this Roundtable, and will surely be the start of efforts to broaden interest in innovation, STEM and related topics.

I also commend the TDA-commissioned research published in this issue, arising from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) analysis on TAFE.

I believe that this research amplifies other surveys which show that households and industry retain a great trust in TAFE student qualifications.

Finally, I’d like to invite our readers to contribute their ideas and feedback, as part of a genuine exchange for the benefit of all of us involved in this space.

I hope that you enjoy this inaugural edition of TAFE Futures.

Martin Riordan Chief Executive TDA

http://[email protected]




Research by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has unveiled the clearest picture to date on key aspects of TAFE, including market share, student preferences, program completions and the impact of VET FEE-HELP.

The research shows that TAFE is the main provider in key areas of government-funded training, despite open market competition over recent years.

The NCVER analysis shows that while TAFE’s market share dropped almost 22 per cent across Australia between 2010 and 2014, the 57 TAFE institutes are still the provider-of-choice for government-funded training in core skill segments of the economy.

The findings come from a TDA-commissioned analysis by NCVER of its data on government-funded training for 2010–2014, and its Total VET Activity (TVA) 2014 data, released last November.




TAFE remains the major provider of government-funded training across the majority of skilling qualifications.


TAFE delivered more training than private registered training organisations (RTOs) in public-funded VET delivery across the spectrum: Certificate I (60 per cent), Certificate II (60 per cent), Certificate III (50 per cent), Certificate IV (57 per cent), Diploma (73 per cent), and non-Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) (95 per cent).


TAFE produced more than half of Australia’s total completed qualifications, while private colleges produced one-third, and ‘other RTOs’ one-tenth.

The data also underlines the significant market distortion created as a consequence of the registered geographic location of private colleges, and the VET FEE-HELP loans debacle.


The NCVER analysis also demonstrates the extraordinary growth in VET FEE-HELP loans to private training providers, especially from 2013–2014.

Annual VET FEE-HELP payments to private providers soared from $17 million in 2009 to $1.4 billion in 2014. Over the same period, annual payments to public providers increased from $8.5 million to $355 million. Notably, the payments to private sector providers jumped from $498m in 2013 to $1.4bn in 2014.

In total, over the six-year period from 2009–2014, private providers snared $2.3 billion in VET FEE-HELP from the Commonwealth, almost 75 per cent of the total.

The private providers’ share of VET FEE-HELP payments rose markedly in 2014, when they secured 80 per cent of the total, against 20 per cent share for TAFE.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%51.3%



29.3%

7.7% 7.6%3.1% 0.9%

TAFE

Private RTO

Other

Source: NCVER*


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

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TAFE

Private RTO

Source: NCVER*


0

300

600

900

1200

1500

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Privateproviders

TAFE


Growth in VET FEE‑HELP loans, 2009–2014 ($’ million)

* The data in the three charts relates to government funded training


International experts gather in Canberra for TAFE innovation summitIn early March, Canberra Institute of Technology will host the Innovation and Applied Research Roundtable, with TAFEs and industry partners exploring their role in the federal government’s $1.1 billion innovation and science agenda.

Local and international experts are meeting in Canberra to examine the place of Australia’s TAFEs in the new innovation agenda, and more specifically, their role in applied industry research.

Applied research has typically been associated with the university sector. The high-level meeting will examine the growing evidence from Canada, New Zealand and the UK about the contribution that public colleges are making to industry innovation.

Organised by TAFE Directors Australia and the Melbourne University’s LH Martin Institute, the Innovation and Applied Research Roundtable is scheduled to be opened by the newly appointed Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Senator Scott Ryan.

Industry leaders, peak bodies and representatives from vocational education and training (VET) will discuss how the sector becomes more engaged with the federal government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA), released last December.

In addition to the $1.1 billion funding for NISA, the Commonwealth will spend $9.7 billion in research over 2015–16, with around $3.2 billion in business R&D and the majority of the balance going to research in universities ($2.8 billion) and research agencies.

The roundtable format will encourage thinking around the ‘four pillars’ of NISA – culture and capital, collaboration, talent and skills, and government as an exemplar.

“Even the question of what defines applied research in VET is surprisingly contentious,” said the CEO of TAFE Directors Australia, Martin Riordan.

“We know it is not the same as university-based research, or the commercialisation of research, and that it has a strong practical focus on solving real problems in industry and testing solutions,” he said.

“Canada, Germany and the UK have all made significant advances on this front, and there are lessons we can learn from their experience.”

...the pattern of innovation in Australia makes enterprises more reliant on VET for innovation than in many OECD countries.

TDA joined LH Martin Institute late last year for a study mission to Canada on applied research. The mission found that some 6,000 small and medium-sized enterprises were partnering with public community colleges to develop new or improved products, services, technologies and business processes, covering over 1,000 areas of research specialisation. There are approximately 2,500 faculty and staff engaged in applied research, and some 32,000 students, including more than 7,000 who received support to pursue an entrepreneurial idea.

Australia’s own NISA blueprint states that Australia lags behind other OECD countries in innovation output, with the lowest level of industry-research collaboration.

The NISA vision outlines a range of initiatives to turn around this mediocre innovation effort, including measures to build research links between

universities and industry, and funding for schools to develop Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills.

Curiously, the VET sector was largely overlooked in the document, with just a single reference in a fact sheet about developing ‘specialised training options by working more closely with the vocational education and training sector’.

Yet research has demonstrated that the pattern of innovation in Australia makes enterprises more reliant on VET for innovation than in many OECD countries.

In Australia, there are a number of good examples of applied research in the TAFE sector.

The Textile and Fashion Hub is a collaboration between the Textile Fashion Industries of Australia and Bendigo Kangan Institute, which provides high-end training for enterprises in Melbourne. The hub provides R&D facilities for businesses and prototypes new designs before they are taken to market.

The Mechanical Engineering Centre of Excellence at TAFE NSW and TAFE SA’s Mining and Petroleum Services Centre of Excellence are examples of public and private sector cooperation that support skills development and innovation.

Melbourne Polytechnic is engaged in collaborative applied research projects with the wine industry as part of its viticulture program.

A ground breaking partnership between Melbourne’s Holmesglen and a private healthcare provider, Healthscope, is creating a health education precinct, with cutting-edge health and education facilities, including a 300 bed acute-care hospital on Holmesglen’s Moorabbin campus.

The Canberra summit is intended as a first step in advancing innovation capability in the TAFE sector, as part of a broad national strategy.

It will tackle issues around the development of applied research capability in VET, including measurement, funding, international linkages, and integration with the broader innovation agenda.

Incubating ideas: Bendigo Kangan Institute fashion hub provides R&D facilities for business



FROM THE EDITOR:

Staff skills underpin TAFE innovationPrime Minister Turnbull’s recent promotion of innovation was welcomed around Australia, as we all would agree that innovation will enable the creation of a more vibrant future for us and the next generations. Further, the Prime Minister’s implicit encouragement for us to focus on where we are currently being innovative and to look for ways of becoming even more innovative provides a timely rationale for the first issue of TAFE Futures, which I am delighted to edit.

Unpacking TAFE innovationInnovation abounds in TAFE, as evidenced by the articles throughout this issue of the magazine. But rather than be vague about the nature of those TAFE innovations, it is worth naming or labelling the different types of innovation on display in the magazine and asking what TAFE skills and processes underpin the various innovations and what benefits are accruing from these innovations. Such commonsense theorizing about innovation will not only help us all to value more highly the capacity of TAFE to deliver innovations, but it may also inspire more people, inside and outside TAFE, to meet the Prime Minister’s challenge of bringing about even more innovation.

Hence, dotted through the magazine, break-out boxes and quotations highlight the nature of the innovation – for example, whether it is an innovation in process, product or organisational change – or the TAFE skills involved in the innovation – for example, skills in product development, enhancement or implementation – or the benefits arising from the innovation – for example, benefits for learners, industries or communities.

Labelling or citing good practice in TAFE innovation stops us from simply describing a TAFE activity as yet another good news story and forces us to analyse why the successes were achieved. For instance, it is worthwhile unpacking aspects of innovation on show in the article on how knowledge about green skills training is being shared with Asian Pacific countries. First, the green skills article describes two different types of product innovation: ground-breaking courses in sustainability and greens skills and a cleverly refurbished educational facility at the Northern Sydney Institute that is now a public symbol of TAFE’s commitment to sustainability, of ‘walking the talk’.

Second, the green skills article points towards a range of contemporary TAFE skills – besides expertise in course design – that underpin the various innovations, including skills in forming industry partnerships and skills in working arm-in-arm with companies that want to meet sustainability benchmarks. And third, the green skills article records the numerous benefits already arising from TAFE innovation, ranging from the impact of this green skills work on China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Canada and New Zealand to the impact closer to home, on the $6 billion Barangaroo project in Sydney’s CBD.

Some other major articles in this issue highlight the underpinning staff skills in innovation that enable TAFE to deliver quality services in complex settings in regional and remote Australia. The article on Kimberley Training Institute provides insights into the diverse range of challenges that Institute is meeting, from working with major resource companies to ensure the future success of oil and gas projects, to helping people gain employment in the flourishing agricultural sector in East Kimberley. Notably, the Institute’s Managing Director Karen Dickinson specifically praises the skills of her staff in meeting the challenges: “We are able to attract the most amazing, skilled people, often those who are passionate about the environment and about Aboriginal people, and giving them the chance to succeed.”

Similarly, the interview with Christine Robertson, Pro Vice-Chancellor VET, Charles Darwin University, reinforces the specialist abilities of TAFE staff to provide high quality services in complex settings. In response to the question about the key reasons for the success of her VET section, she immediately focuses on the commitment and skills of her staff:

“What I’m observing is a really strong commitment from our training delivery teams to working with Indigenous communities and meeting needs of Indigenous learners. Our trainers will consider any opportunity and work with communities to find a solution. And we’ll do that for a single student. If one student has a passion, we’ll work with them to identify the skills and qualifications. It’s part of the DNA in how we think about VET at CDU.”

Another major article in this issue provides insights into the skills of award winning TAFE NSW Sydney Institute teacher Lyn Wilson who has managed for over 20 years the Petersham College Foundation Studies section. Like Karen Dickinson in the Kimberley region and Christine Robertson in the Northern Territory, Lyn believes that a one-size-fits all approach to training is inappropriate; rather, the key to success often lies in a highly customised program, tailored to meet the specific needs of industry and the student.

How not to innovateIf innovation is the major theme in this edition of the magazine, the other theme is one that is gaining all the attention in the mass media. Policy experiments in VET in recent years have wrought unprecedented damage on the sector, most recently with the explosion in funding for VET FEE-HELP and the associated rorting of the scheme by dodgy training providers. Our hearts go out to the thousands of students exploited by these rogues.

Innovation theory can help us analyse these policy failures. A careful reading of the comment pieces in this issue by Andrew Norton, Jim Barron, Mary Leahy, Peter Noonan and Denise Boyd reminds us that innovation in policymaking generally needs to follow the same rules as innovation: for instance, adequate research needs to be conducted about different options before committing to a major program; new programs need to be monitored and then modified in response to user feedback; and if the innovation fails, that needs to be admitted and better processes need to be used for subsequent policy development. Sadly, the pieces by Norton et al. comprise a ‘how-not-to’ guide to policy development, and highlight the lack of evidence behind the policy innovation. Collectively, the

pieces describe, arguably, the greatest policy disaster the sector has experienced.

TAFE Directors Australia has sought hard facts about the extent of the experimental shift of funding away from the public provider and, in more and more cases, into the hands of rogue operators, some of whom are now in the sights of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (see page 4).

While the failed policymaking needs to be exposed, ultimately there is more value to be gained from focusing on the rigorous, effective approaches to innovation taken by experienced and highly capable TAFE staff, working in collaboration with their students, communities, employers and industries. I invite you to use aspects of innovation theory (e.g. types of innovation; skills for innovation; benefits of innovation) to look at each of the TAFE achievements recorded in this edition, particularly staff skills. Such skills are required for each phase of an innovation, from analysing early tentative ideas, to selecting a product or process for invention, to eventually field-testing and then implementing a robust product or process.

Fortunately for Australia, TAFE has built those core skills for innovation, applying them effectively in the remotest parts of the continent as well as in the CBD and suburbs of our capital cities and overseas. This issue of the magazine provides a taste of the vast amount of innovation in the TAFE sector across Australia and internationally, and hopefully that taste should whet the appetite of people like the Prime Minister who want to know about, celebrate and build on existing innovative capabilities in Australia.

Dr John Mitchell Managing Director, John Mitchell & Associates


Ugly duckling now award‑winning international centre How TAFE is delivering ‘green’ skills across the Asia Pacific An international project to promote an environmentally sustainable VET system has shone a light on one of Australia’s most innovative TAFE campuses.

It’s a building once described as ugly, obsolete and ‘brutalist’.

So, it’s hard to imagine that same concrete bunker is now a showcase for environmental sustainability in the TAFE system, right across the Asia Pacific.

Built in 1967 at St Leonards on Sydney’s lower north shore, the once ugly duckling is now a bustling hub of activity at TAFE NSW’s Northern Sydney Institute’s Learning and Innovation Campus.

Renamed the Cameraygal building, after the local Indigenous people, it boasts a string of architectural awards and is a focus of green learning, technology and industry partnerships.

Pivotal role of TAFE and industry across APECLast November it was the setting for a high level international meeting on the development of green skills across Asia Pacific’s vocational education and training system.

Delegates from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Canada and New Zealand converged on Sydney, as part of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) project for the ‘Systematic Design of Green Skills Development’ in the VET sector.

The project is led by TDA’s research partner Professor Liu Yufeng from China’s Central Institute of Vocational Training and Education (CIVTE), part of the Ministry of Education.

As part of an APEC regional project, CIVTE China was tasked with identifying new green skills specialties that can become a central part of teaching and learning, while creating an international green skills exchange among APEC economies.

Linda Condon, the coordinator of the TDA-led green skills network across Australia’s TAFEs, said the visit demonstrated the priority being placed on green skills training in VET across the APEC region.

“It shows the enormous appetite for specialist knowledge on sustainable practice and learning, and the pivotal role of Australia’s TAFEs and industry in helping that to take shape,” Ms Condon said.

Professor Liu said the TDA-hosted workshop was a great success.

She added: “This APEC project is so important. It is very significant not only in regard to our society but in the way we encourage everyone to take action to contribute to a more sustainable future.

“In China, we started on this process several years ago but people haven’t attached much importance to it. But now because of the focus on environmental damage and pollution, we need to attach more importance,” Professor Liu said.

Northern Sydney Institute leadershipThe choice of the Northern Sydney Institute as the focal point for the APEC delegation seems obvious.

It was the first vocational training provider in NSW with ISO 14001 certification across all campuses and it offers sustainability and green skills courses which make it a leader in education for sustainability.

The CameraygaI building embodies best environmental practice across its operations, featuring solar panels and recyclable materials. It was awarded a National Commendation in the Sustainable Architecture section of the 2015 National Architecture Awards.

The St Leonards campus is also home to three centres of excellence in vocational training – health, digital media and information technology.

The Northern Sydney Institute CEO Alison Wood said the institute’s vision is to be a leader in both environmental management and education for sustainability.

“The repurposing of the Cameraygal Building demonstrates the institute’s commitment to this vision,” Ms Wood said.

Barangaroo exemplarThe APEC delegates also heard about the importance of TAFE’s industry partnerships, both in ensuring that training is relevant to industry’s needs, and in helping businesses to meet critical environmental sustainability benchmarks.

The role of TAFE in a green construction partnership was highlighted by Lend Lease, the developer of the $6 billion Barangaroo project in Sydney’s CBD.

TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute has been a key partner in this training as part of the Barangaroo Skills Exchange, which is providing more than 10,000 accredited qualifications and some 500 apprenticeships.

Ro Coroneos, Lend Lease’s Manager for Community and Social Strategy, told the audience that the on-site, flexible learning was critical to meeting both the skills needs and the sustainability requirements of the project.

“It’s about the technical skills, the know-how and the environmental outcomes, but also the social outcomes,” Ms Coroneos said.

“We do have climate change and we do have to leave places better than we found them,” she told delegates.

China learning from TAFEProfessor Liu believes there are things the Chinese model of vocational education can learn from TAFE.

“We know that the Australian TAFE system is very open and we want to share in the experiences.

“We also know that TAFE has a lot of partnerships with industry and it is important to understand the benefits of this approach and to share that understanding,” Professor Liu said.

“At the moment in China, we are in the process of building a modern vocational education system.

“We know how much this building embodies the concept of green skills, not only in the building, but also in the curriculum.”

The Cameraygal building

Professor Liu Yufeng

Sustainability in design and teaching

Lend Lease’s Ro Coroneos



Andrew Norton, Higher Education Program Director, Grattan Institute

Higher education HELP is one of Australia’s great policy successes, the inspiration for income contingent loans in other countries. But VET FEE-HELP is a financial disaster that should not be copied anywhere. There are important lessons here in applying policy tools designed for one context to other settings with important differences.

The most obvious lesson is that market conditions need to be considered carefully. Regulation of VET FEE-HELP and higher education FEE-HELP did not originally differ significantly. But in higher education the market was much less open to providers with poor practices.

The public universities can compete strongly on brand and price, as for domestic undergraduates public subsidies make them cheaper than the private alternatives. While growing, private providers are mostly contained in niche markets. In vocational education, the TAFE brand provides less market protection and private providers can compete on price. The vocational education private sector expanded very rapidly in a way that private higher education could not, and has not.

VET FEE-HELP is a financial disaster that should not be copied anywhere

Even without scandalous behaviour, VET FEE-HELP would have been – and importantly, will be – financially troubled. This is because HELP’s repayment system was designed with bachelor-degree graduates in mind. The initial threshold for repayment, which is $54,126 for 2015–16, is arguably too generous for higher education graduates and is certainly inappropriate for vocational education.

In Grattan Institute work released last year, we estimated that about 40 per cent of money lent through VET FEE-HELP to people who did complete their courses was unlikely to be repaid. Given high non-completion in vocational education, this estimate understates the true level of VET FEE-HELP bad debt.

A major reason for high projected bad debt is that female diploma holders tend to have low earnings. They have high rates of part-time work and are over-represented in low-pay occupations. For every age group, the median income for a

female diploma holder is below the current initial repayment threshold.

In principle, vocational education students should have access to income contingent loans. But for this to be financially feasible, HELP repayment thresholds must be set below the likely future incomes of borrowers.

Dr Mary Leahy, Centre for Vocational and Educational Policy, Melbourne Graduate School of Education

Wind back the clock to 2007. While higher education students had access to income contingent loans, VET students paid their course fees up-front. This was seen as creating an unnecessary barrier to participation in vocational education at a time when the economy needed a more highly skilled population. Although lower than university fees, VET course fees were increasing rapidly and VET students were far more unlikely to come from affluent families.

It was argued that an income contingent loan would make it easier for VET students to invest in their education. More vocational education would create a more productive workforce and support economic growth.

The option of deferred fees would still ensure students contributed to the cost of their education and limited public funding would be allocated efficiently. With access to good information and plenty of courses to choose between, students would make good rational choices, selecting high quality courses leading to secure jobs.

Fair, efficient and effective, what could go wrong?

A demand driven system was created. However a good part of the demand was generated by providers who signed up students in courses that generated maximum profits.

a qualification is not like a can of soft drink. The consequences of choosing the course are far more costly

It became possible to sign up thousands of students regardless of their capacity to complete the qualification. Providers could receive up-front payment of inflated course fees through

VET FEE-HELP without the bother of providing much of an education. The students carried a debt even if they never started let alone completed the qualification. A massive amount of public funds was spent with very little return.

The federal government’s changes to VET FEE-HELP and the banning of incentives are making a difference. Legal action and the cancellation of registrations are forcing out some of the very worst providers. These actions will curb the excesses but will not address the underlying problems in the sector.

VET FEE-HELP is one part of a market based approach to the provision of vocational education. However, the assumptions underpinning this education market are seriously flawed. There is a large body of research demonstrating that we simply do not behave as rational economic agents. We do not always make carefully reasoned decisions based on a thorough assessment of all the relevant information. When our circumstances are difficult we tend to make riskier decisions. A qualification is not like a can of soft drink. The consequences of choosing the course are far more costly. Yet it can be difficult to assess the quality of a course and the value of a qualification before graduation.

The architecture of the VET sector must take into account evidence of the way we form preferences and make decisions. It must also assess the impact of profit-seeking behaviour. The pressure to extract a profit introduces significant risks when there are limited opportunities to cut costs without compromising the quality of provision. If we do not examine the evidence of systemic failure we will merely shuffle the deck chairs on a sinking ship.

Jim Barron, CEO, Group Training Australia

For those of us who work in the vocational education and training (VET) marketplace and are all too aware of the massive funding challenges confronting it, anger is mixed in equal parts with sadness when it comes to assessing the damage inflicted on the sector by the VET FEE-HELP debacle. Anger that a relatively small group of individuals and organisations are blatantly rorting hard-earned taxpayer funds and placing at risk the qualifications of thousands of students and jobseekers, and sadness that a universally admired and acclaimed VET system is seeing its quality-dividend compromised by these rorters who have no concern for good VET practice, good VET practitioners and good VET employment outcomes.

How did it come to this? The student loan experiment that imploded Australia’s world-regarded VET system has been dogged by the unfolding student loan scandal, and the public left stunned at the antics of unscrupulous private colleges and their brokers.

It raises the question as to how a well-intentioned plan to extend student access to skills became one of our biggest public policy failures, and what we have learned from the mistakes.

Here, experts reflect on the causes and the implications of the VET FEE-HELP experiment.


Lessons must be learnt. We need to return to first principles – back what works, stop treating VET like a laboratory and cease with the high risk experimentation. VET is fundamental to the fabric of our society and way of life – and public policy should recognise that. We have a number of policy challenges before us:

• How to more strategically link schools, vocational education and training and higher education policy;

• How to construct a meaningful and workable vocational learning pathway and careers advisory resource across our school systems;

• How to place VET on the same ‘pedestal’ as a university education and better promote its value proposition; and

• Which level of government should have ultimate administration, funding and policy responsibility for VET.

anger is mixed in equal parts with sadness when it comes to assessing the damage inflicted on the sector by the VET FEE-HELP debacle

With strong political leadership and considered policy responses, VET’s current policy dilemma, as evidenced by VET FEE-HELP, will be successfully dealt with. We need to get on with the business of sensible reform - designing and implementing policies that will not only underpin, but strengthen and grow Australia’s vocational education and training system – the best of which has always demonstrated a capacity to innovate, be agile and smoothly adapt to a changing labour market. Fundamental to any future VET landscape must be a strong and vibrant group training sector, doing what it does best – delivering quality employment and training opportunities to thousands of trainees and apprentices and working with tens of thousands of micro, small and medium-sized businesses.

Denise Boyd, Director of Policy & Campaigns, Consumer Action Law Centre

The combination of deregulation and uncapped government funding for student loans has created a consumer protection disaster.

Since the expansion of the VET FEE-HELP student loan scheme and the introduction of demand-driven funding, our Centre has received an increasing number of student complaints relating to private vocational education and training (VET) colleges and education brokers. These students have typically ended up with thousands of dollars of debt after salespeople disguised as ‘career advisors’ signed them up to unsuitable courses.

Most complaints we receive from students relate to unfair contracts, poor quality and unsuitable courses, aggressive marketing tactics and high course costs.

These costs can be significant, and we question the pricing model, particularly for online courses. A Diploma of Leadership & Management at AIM with a VET FEE-HELP loan costs $23,880. The same course at TAFE Queensland Brisbane costs just $7,080.

High-pressure sales techniques are driven by the commissions paid to brokers, an incentive for brokers to sign up students to unsuitable courses. Courses are sold, not bought, and the consequences are low completion rates. The 2014 three year completion rates for online VET FEE-HELP courses were a paltry 7 per cent.

a consumer protection disaster

Access to justice isn’t easy, accessible or fair. Domestic students have to use a court-like, adversarial tribunal process, which is formal, costly and intimidating. We want to see a national industry ombudsman scheme, paid for by the industry and free for consumers to use, established to resolve disputes between students and colleges.

During 2015, the federal government implemented significant reforms to the VET FEE-HELP training market. The Minister for Vocational Education and Skills has announced there will be a fundamental redesign of the scheme for 2017. We are encouraging the inclusion of the following protections in the new scheme:

• Reforms should apply to all courses

• Opt in for students who have been cold called or door knocked to confirm enrolment;

• Bans or restrictions on commission sales models;

• Increased enforcement activities; and

• Establishment of an industry ombudsman.

We have an opportunity this year to protect students from predatory practices and poor quality courses, and ensure taxpayer funds are used appropriately.

Peter Noonan, Professorial Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University

Over the last four years, VET FEE-HELP has created major distortions in the VET funding system.

In 2014 the Commonwealth outlaid as much on VET FEE-HELP ($1.7 billion) as it did through payments to the states for VET funding delivery ($1.6 billion). However, there were only 250 VET providers registered to offer VET FEE-HELP in 2014, with six of those providers accounting for 50 percent of VET FEE-HELP revenue. Sixty percent of VET FEE-HELP enrolments were in two fields, namely management and commerce and society and culture.

VET FEE-HELP has very likely delivered windfall profits through massive public subsidies to those providers where fees far exceed costs. With the average annual tuition fee for a VET FEE-HELP rising from just under $5,000 to over $12,000 from 2011 to 2014, and the shift towards an increasing proportion of courses delivered online, an assumption of increasing profitability would not be unreasonable.

These public subsidies arise from the cost of borrowings to the Commonwealth and the likelihood the loans will never be repaid. That 40 per cent or more of the loans issued will be written off is a reality that most analysts accept, but the Commonwealth has not yet acknowledged; in the mean-time the loan book sits incongruously as an asset on the government’s balance sheet.

Meanwhile the vast majority of the over 1,800 providers receiving public funding to deliver VET courses and their students are not covered by VET FEE-HELP.

Over the past two years VET funding under the Commonwealth/State agreements has fallen, with subsidies reduced or removed for many courses.

As a consequence, fees in most subsidised VET courses are increasing and in some states the coverage of subsidised courses has reduced. The fees for many Certificate III and IV courses now exceed $3000 and $4000 (and even more in some instances). However, VET students enrolled in Certificate level courses can’t access income contingent loans and have to pay these fees upfront (or institution dependent payment plans).

This anomaly creates a fundamental inequity for these VET students compared to higher education students and VET Diploma and Advanced Diploma students who can access income contingent loans.

As of 1 January, the changes to VET FEE-HELP may well have the short term effect of substantially curtailing funding flows, but this is not a long-term solution.

VET FEE-HELP has very likely delivered windfall profits through massive public subsidies

A Mitchell Institute proposal for a new national VET funding framework across the tertiary sector would link direct course subsidies and student contributions through income contingent loans within a transparent overall pricing structure including recognition of the costs of the role of the public TAFE system. It would allow for some fee flexibility linked to cost differences in delivery strategies and public and private benefits.

Fees for non-subsidised courses with access to income contingent loans would also have to be set with regard to costs and benefits, not simply at levels that providers think they can get away with – while passing the costs and risks to student and the taxpayer.

The Commonwealth should bring together its policy work around higher education funding including fee deregulation, the review of VET FEE-HELP and future responsibility for VET funding to develop a new tertiary funding system in Australia focussed on equity of access and quality of delivery and outcomes.



Remote training delivers local jobs in boom industriesKimberley Training Institute services a special part of Australia – an area larger than some European countries – which means unique challenges for everyone.

“Because a good deal of our training is in land based activities around agriculture, horticulture and land management, a lot of our training happens in the workplace or on country,” Ms Dickinson says.

“It’s much more meaningful for the students to be participating in their town, workplace or community. Because students may need some intensive support, there is more of a focus on blended delivery including face to face, experiential, and training in the workplace or on country.

“We also work in partnership with other agencies such as Kimberley Land Council in land management, and CSIRO in fire management, to make sure delivery represents best practice,” Ms Dickinson says.

The approach of KTI certainly appears to pay dividends. Ms Dickinson points to data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) showing that 76 per cent of unemployed people who undertake training at KTI end up in a job following the training – almost twice the national average.

“Our absolute focus is on supporting people to move into employment. It is paying off and we have the statistics to prove it,” she says.

Recruiting the right staff might seem a challenge in such a unique environment, but it does seem to entice people with special skills and determination.

“We are able to attract the most amazing, skilled people, often those who are passionate about the environment and about Aboriginal people, and giving them the chance to succeed.

“It’s very encouraging that our feedback surveys demonstrate that students love our facilities and they love the quality of our lecturers.”

This passion also seems to be reflected in enrolments, with overall student numbers up 8 per cent in 2015 and Indigenous students up 15 per cent to a record high.

The number of students enrolled in foundation skills and Certificate I, II and III courses is also the highest on record.

A $50 million capital works program has just been completed over five years and includes significant upgrades and new facilities for many campuses and the state of the art Broome Maritime Simulation Centre.

Ms Dickinson moved to her position at KTI six years ago after working for the federal government in the Northern Territory for three years and prior to that, a long history working in health in Western Australia.

“I didn’t have a background in vocational training but I really wanted to be able to work in an area where my experience would have a real impact.”

It’s very different to anything she has experienced. So what’s the attraction?

“We take calculated risks, we try to do things differently and there is a big focus on innovation.

“I love the variety – every day presents new and unique challenges.”

Karen Dickinson

Karen Dickinson’s ‘patch’ at the northern tip of Western Australia covers an extraordinary 425,000 square kilometres – three times the size of England and almost twice the size of Victoria.

The Kimberley region also has the potential to encompass some of the country’s biggest resource projects.

Ms Dickinson is Managing Director of Kimberley Training Institute (KTI), with campuses stretching from Broome on the west coast, inland to Derby and the desert towns of Fitzroy Crossing and Hall’s Creek, and north to Kununurra on the Northern Territory border.

This massive swathe of land is rich in people, culture and national wealth.

The skills and training that support the thriving resource exploration and agricultural sectors largely falls to TAFE, in partnership with industry and local communities.

The region is undergoing a skills transformation. While the slump in iron ore prices has impacted further south in the Pilbara and other parts of the state, the Kimberley is at the centre of enormous project developments in oil and gas, centred on the Browse and Canning Basins, while agriculture is flourishing in the East Kimberley.

The major energy developers include Inpex, Shell, Buru Energy and Woodside, all fuelling demand for trained people to support a future booming export industry.

While the number of direct jobs in the energy sector will be relatively small, the big demand will be among the sub-contractors and support services, including warehousing, logistics, maritime activities and hospitality.

Australia’s emergence as one of the world’s largest exporters of LNG has placed new demands on KTI as the region’s principal training provider.

“Well in advance of the skills actually being required here, we work with the companies and their subcontractors over several years with a suite of qualifications to support local people to get involved in the industry,” Ms Dickinson says.

“We focus a lot on skill sets rather than full qualifications. It’s a change we made about five years ago to provide the workforce and those entering the workforce with the essential skills for the job,” she says.

In East Kimberley, there is a strong rural focus, based on training in agriculture, horticulture, conservation and land management.

“The relationship with our industry partners is critical because they rely heavily on us to help them build relationships and partnerships with the local people, whether that’s the land councils or the traditional owners.

“Around half of our students are indigenous and we have a mutual interest in wanting to support young people and build skills so they can move into productive employment.

“So service delivery includes everything to support these key industries, from commercial cookery, to transportation, logistics, civil construction, and infrastructure.”

Given the remoteness of the region, there are special challenges in the delivery of training that make KTI quite different from many TAFE institutes.


Working with Buru Energy to diversify jobsKimberley Training Institute (KTI) works closely with Buru Energy, an ASX listed oil and gas exploration and production company, focused on the petroleum resources of the Canning Super basin.

Buru has been working with KTI and the Yungngora community for three years. Yungngora is a small Aboriginal community of about 300 people located 280 km east-south-east of Broome.

KTI has provided a variety of training which fits with employment in the community. Local traditional owner, Thomas, was supported to establish his own civil construction and labour hire business. He now employs locals to work in the sector.

KTI is also assisting with re-establishing a community arts group, training locals in arts and art administration. Others, trained in security, are now protecting the mine site.

Future plans include training community members in building maintenance to enable the community to tender for Western Australian government housing maintenance work.

Agriculture is another growth area, and KTI is supporting the community with its training needs to establish a healthy and viable agriculture business.

A key part of the plan is to ensure that the community doesn’t rely on mining alone.

We take calculated risks, we try to do things differently and there is a big focus on innovation

Some aspects of innovation at Kimberley Training Institute (KTI)

Some types of innovation: • product innovation: KTI specialises in training for skills sets directly related to local jobs

• process innovation: in developing courses for industry, KTI helps industry partners build relationships with land councils and traditional owners

Staff skills in innovation: • partnering: KTI staff work with companies for several years before big projects commence, to

develop and deliver a suite of relevant qualifications

• customising: to provide students with intensive support, KTI staff use a range of delivery methods, including face to face and experiential methods, and training in the workplace or on country

Some benefits of innovation: • jobs filled: 76 per cent of unemployed people who undertake KTI training end up in a job; almost

twice the national average

• major projects: KTI graduates are assisting enormous projects in oil and gas in the Browse and Canning Basins

• booming industries: KTI graduates are also assisting the flourishing agricultural sector in East Kimberley



TAFE on the agenda in election yearThe Hon Sharon Bird MP, Shadow Minister for Vocational EducationOver the last year the media has been full of stories documenting the serious issues in communities across our country with the closures of TAFEs, reductions in staffing, ever increasing course costs and unscrupulous private providers and brokers preying on vulnerable people – this must not be allowed to continue. TAFE must be backed by governments as it is critical to our future.

Labor has always been the party of TAFE. Gough Whitlam instituted the Kangan Report into TAFE which resulted in additional Commonwealth investment for TAFE infrastructure, quality improvements, staff development and equity programs.

The Hawke and Keating Governments strengthened TAFE through establishing a framework for an ongoing dialogue between industry and the training sector which has been a contributor in our two decades of uninterrupted growth.

The last Labor Government increased Commonwealth annual funding for VET by 25 per cent in real terms with over $19 billion invested over five years as well as investing in TAFE campus infrastructure and technology upgrades.

Last year, on National TAFE Day, Labor Leader Bill Shorten and I announced Labor’s plan to back TAFE into the future by developing a comprehensive National Priority Plan that defines the unique role of TAFE as our public provider and delivers on this by working with the states and territories to provide ongoing guaranteed TAFE funding.

TAFE must remain an essential part of Australia’s skills and training sector as it plays a vital role in servicing our regions, industries in transition and disadvantaged groups.

As the Australian economy changes, the jobs of the future will change. Our trades will involve more technology-based skills and workers will need training in these skills to be more effective in the workplace and to remain competitive in the employment market. New trades and professions will emerge and require quality training programs and upskilling courses.

It is therefore absolutely critical that we invest in supporting our national asset – our public TAFE sector.

There are challenges in the way the vocational educational sector is funded which has led to the decline of the TAFE sector nationally. Over the last year it has become clear that there has been a failure in the market and we have seen the proliferation of opportunistic and sub-standard training providers costing the taxpayers and students millions of dollars. This needs to stop.

Vocational students need to have access to good quality training but we need a better system in place to ensure TAFE’s viability and strength into the future. The fundamentals of an effective market are clearly missing and no amount of regulation, as important as it is, will change this. Labor believes the market must find stability through a predominant public provider, complemented by a quality private sector.

Under Labor’s plan for TAFE, a Shorten Labor Government will work with Premiers and Chief Ministers on a comprehensive National Priority Plan that defines the unique role of TAFE and places it squarely as the public provider within the VET sector

– as the cornerstone of our economy’s need to train and retrain its workforce and to deliver on improving the participation, productivity, innovation and growth efforts required for the nation. We will work with the states and territories to rebalance the contestable and non-contestable funding model to ensure it

delivers the outcomes that are intended. Labor believes there is a place for contestable funding but we must get the balance right.

The Turnbull Government has been silent on TAFE and now it appears they are considering a federal sector takeover that would treat TAFE as no different to any other provider. This would seriously undermine the national effort required to support growth and jobs through nationally coordinated skills development.

In comparison, Labor is firmly committed to a strong TAFE sector.

We understand how critically important TAFE is to so many students, communities, industries and businesses. It is a national asset and we must work across all levels of government to ensure its future.

TAFE must remain an essential part of Australia’s skills and training sector as it plays a vital role in servicing our regions, industries in transition and disadvantaged groups

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Expanding by degrees – the distinctive features of higher education in TAFEUniversity is not the only way to obtain a degree. TAFEs across Australia now offer dozens of degree courses as part of their enhanced role in higher education.

It’s a little over ten years since TAFEs were accredited to develop and deliver their own degrees.

In that time, eleven TAFEs have taken the opportunity to register as Higher Education Providers – or HEPs – and deliver degree programs.

What has become clear is that higher education developed and delivered by TAFE is distinctive from that offered by universities.

“There’s a real difference in the type of students that are attracted, in the courses offered and in the way that TAFE collaborates with industry,” says Ili Pelletier, Director of TAFE NSW Higher Education.

The courses provided by TAFE are all profession-focused. They are developed in conjunction with industry and there is a high degree of collaboration to ensure that they remain relevant and suited to employment outcomes.

Courses extend across a diverse range, including Music, IT, Built Environment, Business, Early Childhood Education, Fashion, Community Services, Engineering, Forensic Science, Visual Arts, Landscape Design, Agriculture, and Aviation.

Almost all the courses entail some form of work-integrated learning – something that TAFE has provided for generations and is critical to success.

“Real workplace experience ensures that graduates are work-ready and that they develop relevant knowledge, all of which improves their employment outcomes,” Ms Pelletier said.

Admission to courses can vary, however the TAFEs involved provide direct pathways from VET programs they deliver. TAFEs ensure that students can transition smoothly from VET, with appropriate support and small class sizes.

All programs have an alternative entry process to ensure mature age learners and those currently in the workforce are able to access the programs.

In developing their degrees, TAFEs have selected programs for delivery in rural, regional and urban locations to enable access for often isolated, low socio-economic groups.

“Courses have been specifically developed to provide opportunities to students who are attracted to the applied learning approach traditionally delivered in TAFE,” Ms Pelletier said.

Approximately 85 per cent of higher education students at TAFE are mature aged, compared with approximately 25 per cent among university undergraduates.

“We hear consistently that the pathways TAFE offers to higher education help students realise aspirations that they often didn’t think were possible,” Ms Pelletier said.

“They feel supported and academically comfortable in a familiar TAFE environment, and that’s something we think can only improve their chances of success.”

TAFE higher education providers

• Box Hill Institute, Victoria

• Chisholm, Victoria

• William Angliss Institute, Victoria

• Holmesglen Institute, Victoria

• Canberra Institute of Technology

• Central Institute of Technology, WA

• Polytechnic West, WA

• Melbourne Polytechnic

• TAFE QLD

• TAFE NSW

• TAFE SA

Real workplace experience ensures that graduates are work‑ready and that they develop relevant knowledge



There’s always innovation happening hereA discussion with Christine Robertson, Pro Vice‑Chancellor, VET, Charles Darwin University

Christine Robertson Pro Vice-Chancellor, VET, Charles Darwin University

What do higher education and vocational education have in common, and can they learn from each other? While certain distinctions exist between higher education and vocational education, there are examples of integration and crossover.

This was highlighted recently, with the appointment of longstanding VET practitioner and senior education leader, Christine Robertson as Pro Vice-Chancellor, VET, at Charles Darwin University (CDU).

Ms Robertson was previously Deputy Director, Vocational Education at RMIT University in Victoria.

Here, she discusses some of the critical issues surrounding VET delivery in a university setting and in remote parts of Australia, as well as the ongoing challenge of VET reform. In the discussion she highlights the types and value of innovation provided by the TAFE staff at CDU.

After so many years at RMIT in inner-city Melbourne, what attracted you to CDU which is well-known for working across large distances and with thin markets?

My 15 years at RMIT prepared me well for working at Charles Darwin University. It was rich, diverse and fulfilling, and my focus was on educational design and development, building partnership based programs with students, industry and communities. I had the chance to work across Australia and the Asia Pacific region, including Vietnam, Singapore, New Zealand, and Fiji on a range of programs in VET. I was really attracted by Charles Darwin University which is also very diverse, with a huge reach and significant opportunity. My appointment coincided with the release of the Australian government’s Northern Australia policy and the Northern Territory government strategy on developing this region. Originally being from northern Queensland, I’ve always had a deep interest in the lifestyle, the challenges and the unique educational opportunities in Northern Australia. So the chance to go back into this environment, with a strong development focus on VET, and a positioning focus into Asia, was a terrific opportunity.

What are one-two of the outstanding successes CDU’s TAFE division has achieved recently with remote indigenous communities?

It’s difficult to identify just one or two because there is such a range of successful programs meeting the needs of Indigenous communities across VET at CDU. Thirty per cent of the VET population at CDU is Indigenous. Among the many programs, we have teams working in sport and recreation, helping remote communities to run gyms, delivering programs for rangers looking after the environment, bringing tourists into the area, delivering trades skills, hospitality, food preparation, business and retail, health and community services. There is

just an enormous range of programs that touch all aspects of Indigenous skills. The university’s mobile adult learning unit supports the delivery of training across more than 150 locations across the Northern Territory, travelling large distances from Peppimenarti, near Daly River to Finke near the South Australian border.

What were some key reasons for the success?

What I’m observing is a really strong commitment from our training delivery teams to working with Indigenous communities and meeting needs of Indigenous learners. Our trainers will consider any opportunity and work with communities to find a solution. And we’ll do that for a single student. If one student has a passion, we’ll work with them to identify the skills and qualifications. It’s part of the DNA in how we think about VET at CDU. I’m not saying that everything always runs smoothly. There is a lot of work goes into designing the programs, looking at how learners will engage with them, how culturally appropriate they are, and a constant process of evaluation and review. We celebrate student success and show our graduates how completing a VET course can lead to higher qualifications. The 2015 Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year is a CDU VET Business graduate, now studying in higher education.

What particular issues do you face in developing a Northern Territory workforce that meets the skills needs of the region?

Part of the challenge is the changing nature of the skills that are needed. It takes time to work with community organisations, businesses large and small, and government to understand what the future is going to look like. A lot of the work we do with organisations is retrospective in the sense that opportunities come up and we need to respond to them very quickly in a dynamic environment. It reflects the transient nature of the movement in

and out of the Territory. Communities are always on the move. But there is now a determined focus on diversifying and growing the Territory’s economy. This brings challenges to CDU’s VET operations because we need to respond to a diverse range of skills, we need to keep a close eye on maintaining quality, and we need to be innovative in how we design and deliver training. It’s important to remember that in the Territory’s growing economy our job is to make high impact training available to new workforce entrants and existing workers.

What innovations are currently being developed by CDU TAFE division?

There’s always innovation happening here. Online learning is being used more. One of the things we’re looking at is how we might engage students from across Australia in the opportunity to develop skills and qualifications. For instance, delivering programs through blended models - online plus extensive practical experience. An example is in our conservation and land management program, where students can do the majority of the program online and then come to Kakadu to complete the program in that unique learning environment. That’s one of the great things about our training system – we’ve got the ability to contextualise programs to meet the needs of learners and take advantage of what we’ve got here on our doorstep in the Territory. Innovation also extends to working with enterprises on problems and ideas they confront. There is room for supporting business level innovation through applied research activity. That’s a space to watch for in VET at CDU.


How do you see that the importance and status of VET has changed over your time in the sector?

That’s a really challenging question. At the moment, we’re in a critical phase in the evolution of vocational education in Australia and I don’t think we really know which way we are going. What I do know is that I continue to see high levels of creativity, energy and passion in the staff that are involved in VET in this part of the world. It’s similar to the sorts of skill, knowledge and passion that were part of the experience at RMIT. So that’s the thing that’s consistent, but what continues to change is the political and funding environment that sits around the sector and distracts us in lots of ways. It’s a challenge trying to focus on the outcomes we know we can achieve, and not on the distractions that are constantly part of working in the sector.

Working in a higher education environment, is there anything that you observe there that you’d like to see implanted into the VET environment?

The thing I’d like to see more in vocational education is a focus on supporting our educators to develop their own professional careers. Certainly part of the culture of higher education is that the focus is less on the program or the team, and more on the individual, the lecturer, on the researcher and their discipline and knowledge – how the work they do contributes to their career progression. In vocational education, the focus is much more on the industry, the workplace knowledge and experience an educator brings into the learning environment and how they deliver their part of the program within the team. I just think we’ve lost sight of focussing on our educators. In higher education, staff have the chance to pull themselves out of a teaching and lecturing workload and work on their own research and knowledge. That’s not the case in vocational education anymore.

How does that lack of opportunity for staff development play out in practice?

We scare them with compliance which can stifle innovation and creativity. And that often comes as a result of fear of being seen as not compliant with a complex set of standards and regulations. We need to shift the emphasis. Regulation in VET should promote quality rather than be a compliance burden. That’s a balance we need to work on in the VET sector.

If you could change one thing in VET, what would it be?

Probably one of the things I would try and change is VET policy generally. When you go to places like Singapore, the government has a skills policy and,

similarly, countries we would refer to as developing countries have recognised that the relationship between a skilled workforce, productivity and economic and social sustainability is dependent on the strength of the vocational education system. The Australian VET system is challenged by a lack of deep understanding amongst national and state policy makers about the highly nuanced nature of VET practice, and the sheer breadth of what is encompassed within the concept of ‘VET’. This has seen the inappropriate application of market conditions to those sections of VET which are essentially social goods rather than marketable products – entry level training, individual career development, adult literacy and other access areas.

What is the biggest challenge facing VET in the immediate future?

It’s the issue of sustainability. How do we sustain what has been successful in vocational education? How do we ensure the work we do and the focus we have is what’s needed for the future? We get so caught up in the here-and-now, in tweaking and changing and reforming. There is also a lot of attention being given right now to assessment practice in the VET sector and we need to ensure that there is a good, open conversation between teachers and employers about what kind of assessment practice inspires confidence. That’s also really important for students. Our CDU students are in secondary schools and in remote communities. They are in workplaces and on campus. Some left school very early, some have higher education qualifications, some are returning to work. Some struggle with reading, writing and numeracy. Some are running their own businesses or plan to. We need to support our teachers to develop the capabilities to meet a very tall order in student engagement. I’ve been engaged in the sector for almost 20 years and from day one we’ve been reforming vocational education. Not a year has gone past where there hasn’t been some reform or major change that has taken our focus away from our engagement with students. So I’d like to see us take a step back and think creatively about where we are headed. It’s about being future focussed.

Some aspects of innovation in the TAFE division of Charles Darwin UniversitySome types of innovation:• product innovation: CDU combines

online learning and learning on location, e.g. in its conservation and land management program the online students come to Kakadu to complete the program

• process innovation: CDU’s mobile adult learning unit supports the delivery of learning in more than 150 locations across the NT

Staff skills in innovation: • partnering: when designing programs,

CDU staff work with local enterprises to help solve problems they are confronting

• customising: staff designs for training programs include the consideration of cultural appropriateness and how students will engage; supported by evaluation and review of the new program

Some benefits of innovation: • training relevant to a growing economy:

CDU makes available high impact training to workforce entrants and existing workers

• achieving government policy: the CDU initiatives support the Australian government’s Northern Australia policy and the NT government’s strategy on developing the Territory



Destination Australia – the power of international education Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck is the Minister for Tourism and International Education and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment.

International education is vitally important for Australia from an economic, social and cultural perspective. The government recognises this which is why the Prime Minister appointed a dedicated Minister for International Education in September – a role I am delighted to have been given.

Most Australians think of minerals or agricultural produce when asked about our top export earners, but international education is one of our largest services exports and it’s also one of five key sectors providing economic growth now and into the future. International education was worth $19.65 billion to the Australian economy last year, recording growth of 11.5 per cent from 2014. The Government is committed to putting in place the settings to support further growth.

Our TAFE providers have an important role to play if we are to realise the great benefits that will come from growth in our international education sector – not only for our economy but also in enhancing our partnerships and building firmer trade and investment links.

I undertook my carpentry apprenticeship at TAFE, so I understand the importance of a quality trade education. Now, as the Minister for International Education, I am enthusiastic about promoting our VET sector to the rest of the world. Australia’s TAFE standards are highly regarded by other countries and this recognition is helping us gain access to international markets. We rank third, after the US and UK on the list of top destinations for international students.

The opportunities for international vocational training are vast and our TAFE frameworks are well regarded internationally for their quality. Indonesia, for example, has 2.5 million people currently qualified to certificate level but it is aiming to increase this to 10 million by 2019. In the aged care sector alone, China is facing a shortfall of around 12 million aged care workers over the next five years. This provides another massive opportunity for our providers to offer training and capacity building. But these pale in comparison with India, seeking to train 500 million people by 2022.

And it isn’t just our training provision that is in demand. Indonesia has already adopted our TAFE frameworks for tourism industry training and is looking to roll out more.

The TAFE model has been particularly successful in China, with some Chinese universities now offering course credits for TAFE NSW courses.

To encourage international students the Government will introduce the Simplified Student Visa Framework from 1 July. This will create a level playing field for all providers, with risk ratings attributed, taking into account the country of origin of the student and the performance of the institution in managing international students according to visa requirements.

We are also in the process of finalising the National Strategy for International Education. This will provide a roadmap for international education over the next 10 years and outline the development and growth opportunities for international students.

China is facing a shortfall of around 12 million aged care workers over the next five years

Indonesia... has 2.5 million people currently qualified to certificate level but it is aiming to increase this to 10 million by 2019

International education was worth $19.65 billion to the Australian economy last year, recording growth of 11.5 per cent from 2014

The National Strategy will provide exciting prospects for all education providers. I’m looking forward to seeing how it will support providers to capitalise on these opportunities including delivering trans-national education, onshore, distance or blended models of learning to suit the needs of the market.

I look forward to working closely with TAFE and the vocational education sector to develop partnerships between Australia and the world, and ensure our students receive a world-class education.

The TAFE model has been particularly successful in China


Twenty-four year old Brooke Collins admits she was struggling a little before being awarded a TAFE Directors Australia National Scholarship last year.

The Perth student was working in two jobs to get by while completing a Certificate IV in Anaesthetic Technology at Central Institute of Technology.

She has now completed the course and has secured a position as an Anaesthetic Technician at Royal Perth Hospital.

“This job is my passion and I’m excited to be able to do what I love for a living,” she says.

Brooke is one of 460 students who have been awarded scholarships with a total value exceeding $442,000 under the TAFE Directors Australia National Scholarships Foundation (TDANSF), with a significant share of that coming through an agreement with TAFE Queensland.

TDA assumed responsibility for the Mick Young Scholarships in 2012. It works with institutes across Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, the ACT and Victoria, as well as through a separate state-wide agreement with TAFE Queensland.

“TAFE Queensland has been far sighted in seeing the opportunity to maximise its support for students

across its six regions,” said TDANSF Executive Officer Gretchel Trost.

TAFE Queensland has awarded 81 scholarships worth $5,000 each since July last year, with the first 20 students now having completed their qualifications and gone on to become valuable members of their community.

Jenny Dodd, General Manager, TAFE Queensland Gold Coast and TDANSF board member runs the scholarship program for all of TAFE Queensland. TDANSF is the leading vocational education training scholarships program in Australia, and Queensland TAFE the major participant.

“We have structured the program to provide flexibility in the way that students spend the scholarship money, while also creating an incentive for them to complete their training,” Ms Dodd said.

In 2015, TAFE Queensland scholarships were awarded across fourteen industry areas, including health services, hospitality, construction, engineering, business and community services.

Approximately half were awarded on merit and half on the basis of access and equity.

TAFE Queensland Gold Coast recipient, 25-year old Steven Hobbs applied for a scholarship after

completing an apprenticeship in the construction industry and is now focused on the next stage of his career, starting his own business.

“In 2015, I decided to return from a stint working overseas, and enrol at TAFE Queensland Gold Coast with the aim to upskill and complete my Certificate IV in Building and Construction,” Mr Hobbs said.

“Whilst completing my Certificate, I applied for and was awarded a merit based scholarship which enabled me to better manage my own business and commence my Diploma of Building and Construction at TAFE Queensland Gold Coast’s Ashmore Trades Training location,” he said.

Through his experiences, Steven has become a strong advocate for the program, letting others know the benefits of the TAFE Queensland Scholarships program in changing the course of people’s lives and careers for the better.

The ongoing work of the TDANSF has been made possible by the generous support of sponsors, the Blake Beckett Trust (formerly Pascal Press), the Transport and Logistics Industry Skills Council, and the Sutherland Trade Union Club.

TAFE scholarships program nearing half million dollar milestone

This scholarship changed my life and confirms that people believe in me. I’m so lucky to have that support behind me and it makes me realise how much is possible

This job is my passion and I’m excited to be able to do what I love for a living

Brooke Collins

Steven Hobbs – Apprentice Awards

Night 2015

Brooke Collins

Jenny Dodd



VET supports capacity building and economic development in the PacificVocational education and training (VET) plays an essential role in promoting the sustainable economic growth and socioeconomic development of Pacific countries.

After eight years of delivering high quality Australian VET qualifications in the Pacific, the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) is recognised not only as a key provider of training but also as a significant contributor to the growth and sustainability of the VET sector in the Pacific.

APTC is an innovative development program funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and managed by TAFE Queensland.

APTC training is delivered across five campus countries – Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa and Solomon Islands and is available to citizens from the 14 Pacific Island Forum (PIF) countries.

Certificate III, IV and some Diploma level courses are offered in aged care, automotive, construction, disability, early childhood education and care, education, electrical, engineering, garment manufacturing, health service, hospitality, painting and decorating, plumbing, tourism wall and floor tiling and youth work.

More than 9,500 Pacific Islanders have graduated with an Australian VET qualification from APTC.

A key measure of the success of APTC is the achievements of its students. APTC graduates across the Pacific are highly sought for their skills and knowledge. The employment rate for APTC graduates is 96 per cent per cent, with a majority employed in the private sector.

The high quality and employability of APTC’s graduates is attributed to the skills, experience and commitment of APTC’s tutors and trainers. APTC’s tutors and trainers are a diverse group coming from

Australia and the Pacific, working as a cohesive team across APTC’s five campus.

Australian trainers work in partnership with national trainers to deliver engaging and effective competency based training.

The partnership between local and expatriate trainers is mutually beneficial and helps to develop relationships and enhance the sharing of knowledge, training delivery methods and skills.

Many of APTC’s ex-pat trainers who have now returned to Australia have found that they developed a whole new perspective on VET. They see first-hand the valuable contribution that this type of training and education provides, to students and employers and in the long term, the economic benefit to nations.

APTC Trainer in Community Services, Youth Work and Community Development, Annie Dares, who was based in Vanuatu from 2012 to 2015, said “My high hopes of wanting to join APTC turned out to be fully justified by the experience. I was privileged to work with delightful colleagues who were very supportive professionally and personally.”

Ms Dares describes the level of job satisfaction as a trainer with APTC as “intense”.

“My students had impressive backgrounds and came from countries all over the Pacific and this made the classroom a stimulating learning environment not only for them but for me too.”

Now in Stage 2 of the project, APTC is committed to the long term sustainability of VET by employing

Pacific Island citizens as administrators, managers and supervisors and of course trainers.

There is a focus on capability development of APTC’s workforce at all levels and transitioning local tutors to trainer roles by providing ongoing support and professional development. This focus on capacity building within the organisation is being enhanced by the employment of Specialist Vocational Training Advisors (SVTA’s).

The SVTA’s are skilled and experienced Australian VET professionals engaged to support APTC’s regional focused training delivery and to provide mentoring and leadership to local tutors and trainers as they develop their skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver competency based training.

APTC’s Centre for Professional Development supports employees through use of APTC’s Moodle-based learning system, called MyVillage. To date over 150 staff have been introduced to online professional development programs.

In its efforts to contribute to the sustainability and development of VET in the Pacific, APTC provides a unique model of cooperation and collaboration between governments, industry and the education sector.

APTC’s partnerships with national training institutions provides a platform to support and strengthen VET facilities and training provision across the region.

APTC students and staff celebrate PNG Independence Day


Meet an APTC Specialist Vocational Training Advisor (SVTA)Glyn Milhench – Built Environment

A carpenter by trade and a licensed builder in Adelaide, Mr Milhench started his VET career as a trainer in carpentry with TAFE South Australia over 15 years ago.

His career has included various roles over the years; his most recent position in Australia was working at Chisholm Institute in Victoria as a compliance coordinator.

His current role as SVTA for the Built Environment at APTC brings together his extensive experience. Mr Milhench is one of four SVTAs working at APTC and this role is a critical role in the development and support of APTC’s national trainers.

The SVTA’s role is to work in specific vocational areas to ensure that the APTC regional vocational programs have strong connections across campuses and trainers develop sustainable networks, both in Australia and across the Pacific.

Empowering its trainers to develop their practice and to create a culture of continuous improvement is critical to the success of the APTC program.

“The role is both challenging and rewarding,” Mr Milhench says.

“While satisfying today’s requirements for RTOs can be challenging, in the Pacific context, it’s really good to be part of something that is making such a positive impact on the lives of so many through improved vocational education opportunities.”

APTC’s Impact at a glance • Over 9,500 Pacific Islanders have graduated with

Australian qualifications

• Satisfaction – 99 per cent of graduates are satisfied with their APTC training

• Employment – 96 per cent of graduates found employment in their field of study

• Improved employment – APTC training resulted in improved employment (81 per cent) and increased earnings (62 per cent) for graduates

• Capacity development – 93 per cent of employers agreed APTC training has a positive impact on the technical development of their employees

• Knowledge sharing – 94 per cent of employers noted that APTC graduates helped other workers improve their work standards and/or productivity

• At APTC, 62 per cent of academic staff, 82 per cent of administrative staff and 25 per cent of managers and supervisors are Pacific Island citizens

The high quality and employability of APTC’s graduates is attributed to the skills, experience and commitment of APTC’s tutors and trainers

Clockwise from above: hospitality trades training; a traditional parade; trade graduate, Maree Katukuru.



Young competitors gearing up for Australia’s ultimate skills challengeThe next generation of apprentices, trainees and students are gearing up for their shot at greatness as they compete against the nation’s best at the 2016 WorldSkills Australia National Competition, Melbourne.

Over 500 young competitors from across the country will converge on Melbourne Showgrounds from Thursday, 6 to Saturday, 8 October for their chance to secure the coveted title of ‘National Champion’.

The 16–23 year old competitors will represent 50 skill categories in Automotive Services, Building & Construction, Business & Computing, Client Services, Hospitality Services, Metals & Engineering and Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS).

Supported by the Victorian government, the competition is set to be the largest in history, with a diverse group of competitors.

“I remember as a child cooking a lemon meringue pie with my nan,” says NSW-based apprentice chef Billy Fox.

“Watching her make the meringue intrigued me and I’ve been cooking and experimenting with food ever since.”

South Australian apprentice metal fabricator Mitchell Cummins was inspired by the encouragement and dedication of his mentors.

“My former tech/metal work teacher at Leigh Creek Area School always encouraged us to chase what we wanted, work hard and to do the best we can,” he says.

“I have always liked metal work and had done a few weeks of work experience at my current workplace. I was lucky enough to land an apprenticeship with them.”

The competitors’ journey to the national competition began at the WorldSkills Australia Regional Competitions held in 31 regions across the country.

Western Australian apprentice hairdresser Sarah Tassone first heard about the regional competition during her SAL program through seasoned WorldSkills Australia expert Alexis Scott.

Alexis encouraged her to take a chance at competing and it paid off when she won a gold medal.

“My experience competing in the regional competition was nerve-racking, exciting and rewarding all at the same time,” she said.

The young competitors will spend the coming months dedicating every spare moment to honing their skills with the support of their trainers and employers.

“It’s a huge honour to represent my region,” says Victorian-based apprentice CNC machine setter/programmer Melinda Lethbridge.

“I hope to do everyone who is supporting me in this journey proud by training hard, leaving no stone unturned in my preparation and taking all of my experience to the competition.”


National award winner shares critical keys to successTAFE NSW Sydney Institute’s Lyn Wilson has been working in the area of language, literacy and numeracy for 20 years, and she feels its significance is often misunderstood.

Award winning Sydney Institute head teacher, Lyn Wilson, believes she has learned a thing or two in her time delivering language, literacy and numeracy programs that have helped hundreds of Indigenous students.

Key among them is developing the trust of the communities she is working with, while ensuring that the training actually leads to a job.

“Word travels very fast and if you’re delivering something that’s sub standard, or a qualification instead of a job, people will hear about it,” Lyn says.

“What’s made the difference here is that people actually get jobs at the end of the program.

“Our Aboriginal coordinators have told me that in terms of TAFE qualifications, Aboriginal people are some of the most qualified people in the country, yet with the fewest job opportunities because there’s often no link between the training and jobs,” Lyn says.

Setting the benchmarkThe success of Lyn’s approach saw her receive the coveted Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice Award at the Australian Training Awards in November 2015.

The former high school teacher is passionate about the role of language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) in providing practical, work-related opportunities and changing the course of careers and lives.

For over 20 years, she has managed Sydney TAFE’s Petersham College Foundation Studies section, at one time the largest adult basic education unit in TAFE NSW.

The work that she and her team perform in collaboration with industry has set a benchmark in the delivery of pre-employment training for Indigenous students.

Companies in sectors including energy, transport, retail, aged care, banking and insurance, hospitality and manufacturing have all used the program as a means of preparing students for the workplace or fine tuning their performance once in work.

Other success factorsRather than a one-size-fits-all approach, Lyn says the key to success lies in a highly customised program, tailored to meet the specific needs of industry and the student.

“The relationship and trust of industry is absolutely vital because they have to have the confidence that you can deliver.

Companies in sectors including energy, transport, retail, aged care, banking and insurance, hospitality and manufacturing have all used the program

“We also work very closely with Yulang, the Aboriginal Education Training Unit at Sydney TAFE, as well as with the broader Aboriginal community.”

The Aboriginal pre-employment program in the energy industry – one of the centre’s flagship offerings – has a completion rate of around 80 per cent and has seen about 300 graduates progress into apprenticeships.

What makes it all worthwhile, according to Lyn, is the teamwork, the collaboration and the specialised focus that’s applied to achieve practical outcomes

“You see results and a tangible change in people’s lives. I work with an amazing group of people, they’re absolutely incredible,” she says.

The unit establishes a long term relationship with employers, extending across pre-employment support, mentoring and case management, to ensure that the investment in human skills has the best chance of success.

“We learned our lesson early on. Employers need to tell us what students need to do to help them get the job. It’s important we know every single step of the recruitment process.

“There’s often six, seven or eight stages of recruitment from psychometric testing, a literacy and numeracy test, a fitness testing, an interview and a second psych test – and all of those require foundation skills.

“We use team teaching so there’s always someone there for the students, whether it’s to deal with work, family or social issues.”

Some of the unit’s shorter courses concentrate on soft skills – building self esteem, confidence and exposing students to the language and the culture they will experience in the workplace.

Not all of it is easy. Racial discrimination is still often an unwelcome reality of the workplace experience.

“Nearly every work experience will see someone come back and say something like, ‘Someone said to me, can I be served by someone else?’”.

“It’s terribly disappointing but we need to give them the tools to deal with it so it doesn’t distress them. We learn things along the way, every bit as much as the students.”

Greater significance of foundation skillsLyn’s long experience has also led her to believe that the contemporary understanding of literacy and numeracy in the workplace is often misplaced.

“It’s sometimes thought that literacy and numeracy is about low level skills, about people who can’t read and write.

“My experience tells me that the level of foundation skills that employers require is actually quite high.

“It’s often because of literacy and numeracy problems that people lose their jobs. It’s not about not being able to do the job in a technical sense.

“A lot of employers have said to me, “I’ll do the technical skills. I just need someone with the soft skills and the communication skills’”.

“There’s now an expectation of foundation skills at a much higher level.”

One of her disappointments is that the Commonwealth no longer funds the Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program, which assisted adults to better deal with foundation skills in the workplace.

“It’s very sad because there’s recognition of the problem at a high level, but the things that underpin it such as funding and commitment just seem to have withered.

“These are not cheap programs, so for what we do, industry’s contribution is as important as Sydney’s TAFE’s generous contribution through staffing, support and infrastructure,” Lyn says.

Now, several months after winning her award, Lyn still cherishes the prize, but is mindful of the responsibility that comes with taking this successful model to a wider audience.

“This is only the third time that the award has been part of the Australian Training Awards, so it is recognition of the importance of literacy, numeracy and foundation skills in vocational training and student success,” Lyn says.

“So I guess what I feel now is a bit of a responsibility for taking that message out to industry and to other training organisations.”

That message, you’d think, will find a receptive audience.

In Profile Lyn Wilson


Australian Council for Educational Research

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2016 WorldSkills Australia National Competition6 - 8 October, Melbourne Showgrounds

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