TDA URGES RETHINK ON ROLE OF TAFE IN SKILLS AND INNOVATION
TAFE Directors Australia has lodged submissions to two of the Australian Government's key inquiries examining skills development and innovation.
TDA advocated that the 450,000 new training places should not be delayed or reliant on final agreement for states and industry co-investment, and detailed wider issues with the progress on skills reform in response to
'Skilling Australia for the Future', the Rudd Government's new training roadmap policy.
In its submission, TDA refutes any suggestion that part of the responsibility for Australia's skills shortage rests with 'unresponsive training providers'. It urges that the new approach to skills development be built in parallel with the next generation of VET reform, building on the successes achieved since 1992.
To read the TDA submission to 'Skilling Australia for the Future', click
here.
In its second major submission, TDA says that TAFE institutes across Australia have the capacity to play a greater role in developing innovative solutions, which can improve efficiency and accelerate technological transfer.
The Review of the National Innovation System was recently announced by the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator the Hon Kim Carr.
TDA's submission says that the capacity to tap into TAFE innovation is under-utilised and that this is largely a consequence of the 'teaching-only' basis of TAFE funding. In Australia, R&D and innovation have largely been quarantined to higher education, research institutions and agencies.
The review, being chaired by Dr Terry Cutler, was provided with a copy of the interim report prepared for the recent OECD mission, which catalogues outstanding examples of innovation by TAFE institutes across Australia.
To see the submission to the innovation review, click here.
To see the Interim Report on TAFE innovation click here.
To see the Media Release on the submissions, click here.
SPECIAL BULLETIN - 2020 SUMMIT
A Report from the Chair, Deb Daly - TAFE Directors Australia
There is a real challenge in bringing 1,000 bright and eager Australians together, often with disparate views across the ten areas of focus that were under the microscope at the historic Australia 2020 Summit.
While there was passionate disagreement in some corners over solutions to vexing challenges, there was also widespread agreement around a number of key issues.
To read the full report, click here.
REFORM URGED FOR VET IN SCHOOLS
The Future Directions in Vocational Skills for Youth National Forum has profiled policy opportunities to reform VET in schools.
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The National Forum was a special joint initiative between TAFE Directors Australia and the Australian College of Educators.
The Minister for Employment Participation, the Hon. Brendan O'Connor MP, delivered the Keynote Ministerial Address, and Rebecca Cross, from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, outlined the first round offers in May 2008, and implementation strategies for the $2.5 billion Trade Training Centres in Schools program. |
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For pre reading of speeches and presentations, click here
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH TDA
TDA has been welcomed to Parliament House by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon. Julia Gillard MP.
Minister Gillard hosted Deb Daly (Chair), and Martin Riordan (CEO) and Wayne Collyer (Deputy Chair, CEO Swan TAFE) for a meeting on TAFE and new legislation.
For more information about the meeting click
here.
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Photo: (left to right) Martin Riordan, TDA CEO, Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon. Julia Gillard MP, Wayne Collier, TDA Deputy Chair and CEO Swan TAFE, and Deb Daly, TDA Chair. |
INDUSTRY ALIGNMENT BETWEEN AUSTRALIAN TAFE AND CHINESE INSTITUTES
The NSW Minister for Education and Training, the Hon. John Della
Bosca MP hosted the boards of TAFE Directors Australia and the
Australia China Business
Council, at a special Chinese New Year reception at State Parliament
in Sydney. For more information about the event click
here.
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