Newsletter 12 September 2011

    Minister Evans affirms TAFE as central to Australian education, but pushes for reform

    The Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Senator the Hon Chris Evans has indicated that TAFE would remain central to Australia’s VET system, but flagged that reform was required, when speaking at the 2011 TDA National Conference in Sydney.

    Both Federal and State Parliaments were represented at the conference with keynote addresses from:

    Speaker presentations and papers, as well as photos from the Conference will be available here soon. An occasional paper, bringing together contributions from speakers, will be distributed in October.

    Early delegate responses were extremely positive, with high satisfaction levels for content across the plenary and workshop sessions. Some of the initial comments include:

    “The best conference ever.”
    “The conference was stimulating with great networking opportunities and connections made.”
    “Superbly organised and very interesting, engaging discussion.”

    The Conference was hosted by TAFE NSW, in Sydney.

    The conference stimulated interest from the media including the following articles:

     

    TDA Chair, Stephen Conway

    Minister for Tertiary Education, Jobs, Skills, and Workplace Relations, Senator the Hon Chris Evans

    TDA CEO, Martin Riordan, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, the Hon Sussan Ley MP, and TDA Chair, Stephen Conway

    NSW Minister for Education, the Hon Adrian Piccoli MP

    Campus President, Broward College, Florida, Dr Barbara Bryan

    Managing Director, Ingeus, Ms Therese Rein

    Chilean Ambassador, HE Pedro Pablo Diaz

    Chair of the National Skills Standards Council, and Chair of the Australian Qualifications Framework Council, the Hon John Dawkins AO

    Chair Mongolian TVET Agency, Mr Byambasuren, Minister Evans, and Chief Executive of Holmesglen Institute, Bruce Mackenzie.

    United States guests speaking on a green skills panel

     

    Gala Dinner at the Opera House

     

     

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    Box Hill Institute joins with Centre for Adult Education 

    Victoria’s Box Hill Institute has announced Ministerial approval for a new partnership with the Centre for Adult Education (CAE), which will cover senior secondary certificates, short courses, pre-accredited training, vocational education and training (VET), and higher education. 

    The two organisations will become one entity in an unprecedented partnership which will begin in January 2012. The Victorian Government has endorsed the partnership, which was announced by the Minister for Higher Education and Skills and the Minister Responsible for the Teaching Profession, the Hon. Peter Hall MLC.

    Box Hill Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Maddock, said:

    “This exciting new model sets the standard for the future of vocational and higher education both in Victoria and nationally. Our resulting partnership confirms and complements our common goals to provide quality vocational education and provide an enhanced learning experience.”

    Click here for a media release from Box Hill Institute and the CAE.

    Click here for a media release from the Hon Peter Hall MLC.  

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    Australian education assistance for Japan

    The Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator the Hon Chris Evans, has officially opened applications for the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Program for Japan, encouraging tertiary students, academics and professionals from both countries to apply.

    The education package includes a new, ongoing program of 10 Endeavour Award scholarships each year for Japan, with a focus in 2012 on assisting the disaster-affected areas of eastern Japan.

    It also includes a one-off assistance program, the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Program for Japan, aimed at assisting the recovery of Japan’s education system through short-term, two-way education exchange between Australia and affected areas of Japan (including Tokyo).

    The Program is designed to provide opportunities for students, academics, researchers and professionals in Australia to travel to the affected areas to study or to continue or enhance their collaboration in education with their partner institutions and vice versa.

    This information is also available here.

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    NSW Budget - $2.2 billion for vocational education and training

    A total of $2.2 billion of the NSW Budget has been directed to vocational education, largely through TAFE NSW, to improve skills and qualification levels across the state.

    The Budget will see a $718 million deficit for 2011-12, and is forecast to return to the black in 2012-13, with a forecast surplus of $200 million.

    A total of $98 million is dedicated to capital works funding for TAFE NSW, which will go towards nine major new building developments at Albury, Enmore, Kingscliff, Lidcombe, Maitland, Nirimba, North Sydney, Orange and Tamworth, and the continuation of 21 major projects.

    Click here for more information.

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    TAFE Institute leader representing Australia at APEC

    Deputy Vice-Chancellor (TAFE) of Swinburne University, Linda Brown has been chosen to represent Australia at the APEC Women and the Economy Summit, to be held in San Francisco from 13-16 September.

    The Summit has been convened by the United States Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton.

    Ms Brown was chosen by the Department of Foreign Affair as one of five women to attend the Summit, and was chosen for her expertise in the fields of education, diversity and sustainability.

    TDA congratulates Linda on this achievement.

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    Australian Pacific Technical College – Prime Minister’s announcement

    The Prime Minister, Hon Julia Gillard, has announced the extension of funding for the Australian Pacific Technical College.

    Speaking at the 42nd Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland, New Zealand, on 8 September, Prime Minister Gillard announced that Australia will provide $152 million over four years to continue to support the college.  

    This builds on the $149.5 million Australia has already provided over four years for the operation of the college to 30 June 2011. This assistance has helped 3,172 students graduate.

    Campuses in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu offer courses in eight industry sectors including the health, automotive, manufacturing, construction, engineering, tourism, hospitality and community services sectors. The college also encourages women into non-traditional roles, giving them an opportunity to pursue careers in the Pacific.

    TDA congratulates Barry Peddle PSM, appointed Chief Executive Officer of the phase II project (www.aptc.edu.au ), which follows a successful career heading TAFE NSW Institutes, and as a past Chair of TDA.

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    Draft Qualification Standards

    The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has released the draft Qualification Standards for public consultation.

    The Qualification Standards will be applied by TEQSA under the new quality assurance and regulatory arrangements for the higher education sector.

    A public consultation draft of the Standards and feedback form are now available here.

    Stakeholders are invited to submit comments on the draft Qualification Standards by 5pm, 15 September 2011. The feedback received will be considered by the Minister for Tertiary Education in developing the first set of Threshold Standards.

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    PPP still in the spotlight

    The Minister for Tertiary Education, Jobs, Skills and Workplace Relations, Senator the Hon Chris Evans, says the government has learned from the mistakes made through the Productivity Places Program, and is trying to improve funding transparency and focus on higher education qualifications for future policy initiatives.

    The Australian says although the program has been effectively wiped out in recent Budgets, industry says the PPP still matters because it helped to drive the change to competitive funding.

    Click here to view the article.

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    State Training Awards winners

    States and Territories across Australia have recognised their top apprentices, trainees, training institutions and employers, in the various training awards that have been held over the past month, and continue around the country.

    To see the winners and nominees from the awards, click on the relevant states and territories below:

    New South Wales and South Australia will hold their awards ceremonies in the coming week.

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    Scholarship participants share their education journeys with MPs

    The Mick Young Scholarship Trust recently took 26 scholarship recipients and TAFE support staff to Parliament House in Canberra to share with MP’s and Ministers how the scholarships have changed their lives.

    The group was flown to Canberra from across Australia by Virgin Australia to attend the inaugural ‘Mick Young’s Legacy Comes to Canberra’ event. 

    Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, Wayne Swan, spoke to the group of his time working for Mick Young during the 1980s, while Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti welcomed guests and celebrated the impressive achievements of each MYST scholarship recipient.

    Click here to view an article from the in-flight Virgin magazine.

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    TAFE Queensland’s new workplace health and safety resources

    New resources have been produced by TAFE Queensland to enhance good workplace health and safety practice amongst apprentices.

    The resources comprise an Australian-first teachers’ guide and a pocket-sized ‘TAFE Take 5’ booklet for apprentices to identify and rectify workplace safety issues.

    The teachers' guide will assist TAFE Queensland teachers in implementing and maintaining a systematic approach to workplace health and safety in a teaching, learning and assessment environment.

    To complement the teachers’ guide, every TAFE Queensland apprentice will receive the ‘TAFE Take 5’ booklet, to assist them in assessing potential hazards on the job. 

    The resources will be dispatched to all TAFE Queensland institutes in the coming weeks. For more information, contact SkillsTech Australia on telephone (07) 3244 0778.

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    Diary Dates

    FORESTWORKS
    Annual Industry Development Conference - Productivity & Competitiveness
    DATE: 13-15 September, 2011
    LOCATION: Hyatt Hotel and Parliament House, Canberra
    DETAILS: More information here

    2011 NSW TRAINING AWARDS
    Presentation Event
    DATE: 15 September, 2011 – 6pm
    LOCATION: The Ballroom, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour
    DETAILS: Tickets available here

    EyeQ 2011
    ‘eyecons of e-learning’ conference
    DATE: 16 September, 2011
    LOCATION: Brisbane
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    AGRIFOOD
    2011 National Conference
    DATE: 22 September, 2011
    LOCATION: Brisbane
    DETAILS: Click here for more information.

    INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF SECTOR SKILLS ORGANISATIONS
    2011 Conference
    DATE: 3 October, 2011
    LOCATION: Royal Society of Arts, Covent Garden, London
    DETAILS: Click here for more information.

    AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
    2011 Conference
    DATE: 11-14 October, 2011
    LOCATION: Adelaide Convention Centre
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    AUSTAFE National Conference
    2020 Vision
    DATE: 12-14 October, 2011
    LOCATION: Canberra
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    AUSTRALIAN FLEXIBLE TRAINING FRAMEWORK
    ePortfolios Australia Conference 2011
    DATE: 17-18 October, 2011
    LOCATION: Perth
    DETAILS: Click here for more information.

    CS&HISC
    Making a Difference... 2011: Breaking Through the Barriers
    DATE: 19-20 October, 2011
    LOCATION: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    GROUP TRAINING AUSTRALIA
    Looking ahead - Group Training National Conference
    DATE: 19-21 October, 2011
    LOCATION: Grand Hyatt, Melbourne
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    2011 ATMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE
    DATE: 9-10 November, 2011
    LOCATION: William Angliss Conference Centre, Melbourne
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    AAIR FORUM
    Australasian Association for Institutional Research Forum “Let the sunshine in”
    DATE: 9-11 November, 2011
    LOCATION: Sea World Resort, Gold Coast
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    TERTIARY EDUCATION FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (TEFMA)
    Grounds for Learning Workshop
    DATE: 14-16 November, 2011
    LOCATION: Monash University, Clayton Campus, VICTORIA
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    STRATEGIC REGIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
    ‘For innovation’
    DATE: 18 November, 2011
    LOCATION: The Glasshouse, Port Macquarie
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

    2011 AUSTRALIAN TRAINING AWARDS
    DATE: 25 November, 2011
    LOCATION: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank
    DETAILS: Click here for more information

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