TDA - Newsletter: 8 February 2010

Newsletter: 8 February 2010

Skilled migration list overhaul to increase highly-skilled migrants
National survey of VET workforce capabilities released
TDA on Green Skills Implementation Group
2010 Intergenerational Report – education and training key to productivity
Queensland signs training MoU with Abu Dhabi
Seeking survey participation
Austrade extends registration for Philippines VET showcase
U.S. Budget – pledge to lift funding for more U.S. college graduates
Private college closure
TVET Policy in the Pub event – tonight!
Diary Dates

Skilled migration list overhaul to increase highly-skilled migrants

The Federal Government has announced that it is revoking the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) and replacing it with a new scheme to focus on highly skilled work. Read a media release here.

A new Skilled Occupations List (SOL) will be developed by Skills Australia, and reviewed annually. It will be introduced mid-year and focus on high value professions and trades.

The changes will have a significant impact on international students and the private college sector which has catered to the large numbers of applicants studying course on the MODL in recent years.

The industry is warning that there will be dislocation to private colleges and possible job losses as international students for selected courses dry up.

Click here to read a news article from ABCNews.

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National survey of VET workforce capabilities released

According to a recently released report from John Mitchell & Associates, the current skill levels of the average Australian VET trainer and assessor meet only 80% of professional work requirements.

By 2014, the current skill levels of the average Australian VET trainer and assessor will meet only 62% of requirements.

Another key finding from the survey is that current professional development opportunities meet only 55% of VET trainer and assessor’s professional needs. A press release is available to view, and link to the report can be found here.

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TDA on Green Skills Implementation Group

The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP has assembled a Green Skills Implementation Group to assist in the achievement of the Green Skills Agreement announced in 2009.

The Green Skills Agreement will ensure that every apprentice who commenced training after 1 January 2010, will graduate with a core set of green skills – as endorsed by COAG in December last year.

TDA will be represented by Dr Garry McDonald, the Manager of the National Centre for Sustainability, Swinburne University of Technology, at the first meeting of the Implementation Group to be held in Canberra, 24 February. A report of the first meeting will be published in a future TDA Newsletter.

Along with TDA, the group will include state and territory training authorities, the Australian Chamber of Commerce, the Australian Industry Group, Universities Australia, Adult Learning Australia, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Council for Private Education Training.

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2010 Intergenerational Report – education and training key to productivity

Federal Treasury’s 2010 Intergenerational Report highlighted education and training as one of the key elements in raising Australia’s productivity. View the report here.

The report suggests achieving best practice in workforce productivity will require improved early education, increased higher education completions through better youth transitions and adult learning, and improvements in literacy and numeracy.

It also predicts that over the next 40 years, apprentice participation rates will increase for males (aged 14-28) and females (aged 14-18). For other vocational education and training, participation is projected to increase for those aged 15-18, and remain unchanged for those over 18 years of age.

To read The Treasurer’s speech from the launch of the Report click here.

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Seeking survey participation

Members are invited to participate in a survey aimed at evaluating the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) Program.

The LSAY Program monitors the progress of several groups of young Australians as they move from school into post-secondary education and work, and is managed and funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

The survey takes approximately 10 mins and is strictly confidential. It can be accessed here. For further information, please contact Ellen Vasiliauskas on (07) 5471-1330.

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Queensland signs training MoU with Abu Dhabi

Queensland Premier, the Hon Anna Bligh MP, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Abu Dhabi that will see more students from United Arabs Emirates (UAE) studying at Queensland training institutes.

Under the agreement, up to 200 UAE trainee nurses will complete their studies at Southbank Institute of TAFE and Queensland University of Technology each year, with the first intake to begin in July.

For more information click here.

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Austrade extends registration for Phillipines VET showcase

Registration for a Study in Australia - VET Showcase to the Philippines 2010 has been extended to 15 February. The Showcase runs from 26 - 28 March 2010.

The Philippine market is emerging as a stable and high-growth market for Australian VET education. In the last three years, commencements in VET have grown by an average of 50% annually and over 400 pre-screened potential students attended the last Austrade sponsored event in 2008.

For more information and to apply online click here, or contact Benjie Garcia or Martin Ferreyra.

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US Budget – pledge to lift funding for more U.S. college graduates

The United States Administration has pledged an historic lift in funding in support of President Obama’s American Graduation Initiative which will widen students’ access to Community Colleges.

The Graduation Initiative is aimed at giving the U.S. the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

President Obama, along with VicePresident Biden and his wife, Jill Biden - who wasa former lecturer at a Community College - have toured Colleges speaking ofthe special role the Administration requires for Colleges to lift education attainment levels.

The American Association of Community Colleges has published a summary of the education components of the Federal Budget yet to pass Congress.

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Private college closure

The closure of GEOS English language colleges in five States has resulted in the activation of the English Australia Tuition Assurance Scheme. English Australia is the national association for public and private English language colleges.

Displaced students are currently being advised by English Australia on alternative tuition options and all TAFE Institutes and their agents should refer any students affected by the closures to contact English Australia.

Contact details and further information can be found here.

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TVET Policy in the Pub event – tonight!

TVET Australia is holding its first Policy in the Pub event for 2010 on tonight from 4-6pm @ Honey Bar, South Melbourne. Click here to view the flyer.

The event is titled ‘Who should decide who comes to this country?’, and will feature speakers including Mark Cully (Chief Economist, Department of Immigration and Citizenship), Julie Moss (Former Chair, NQC International Action Group) and Andrew Norton (Research Fellow, Centre for Independent Studies).

Click here to visit the Policy in the Pub website.

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