Newsletter 29 August 2011

    Click here to register

    TDA 2011 National Conference - begins this Sunday

    A record response to the TDA 2011 National Conference being staged in Sydney next week augers well with its theme ‘Balancing the Big Issues’. The TDA Conference will feature one of the largest delegate responses, and support from TAFE corporate suppliers.

    International delegates debating green skills and sustainability issues include Marcy Drummond, Vice President for Workforce and Economic Development at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC), and Dr Mary Spilde, President, Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon (a board member of the US League of Innovation), and leadership of the Canadian, US and UK Colleges showcasing trends for Colleges meeting higher-level workforce qualifications with degrees.

    The Conference will open on Sunday evening with entertainment from singer/songwriter, Tim Freedman, ahead the release of his new solo-album.

    To book your place, click here. Registrations close 2 September. The full Conference program is now on the website.

    There are still a limited number of places left at the Sydney Opera House for the TDA Conference Gala Dinner, featuring Therese Rein, Founder and Managing Director of Ingeus. Book here.

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    Amendments to VET Regulator Bill

    The Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Senator the Hon Chris Evans, has introduced to Parliament a set of amendments to the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Bill 2011.

    The amendments follow consultations with TDA and other VET industry stakeholders resulting in closer alignment of the legislation with TEQSA, and briefings from incoming Acting Chief Commissioner Chris Robinson, regarding issues on quality and risk. 

    View the Amendment Bill 2011 here.

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    Panel announced for National Trade Cadetships – congratulations to Elizabeth McGregor

    An expert panel has been appointed to lead the development of the Federal Government’s National Trade Cadetship program, which was announced during the 2010 Federal Election.

    TAFE NSW – North Coast Institute Director, Elizabeth McGregor, was named as one of the Panel members, and will join representatives from industry, government, academia and unions on the panel with Chair, Professor Denise Bradley. The NTC Panel met late last week, and TDA congratulates Elizabeth McGregor on this important appointment.

    Elizabeth McGregor is also a member of the National VET Equity Council (NVEAC), and A/Chair of the Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (NSW).

    Click here for more information.

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    Minister Evans creates Skills & Workforce Development Roundtable

    TAFE Directors Australia has attended the second meeting of what has been announced as a Skills and Workforce Development Roundtable, following up announcements for a National Partnership Agreement coinciding with renegotiation of the Commonwealth State VET Agreement, effective 1 July 2012.

    Martin Riordan, CEO of TDA, attended the meetings with the most recent held in Melbourne, chaired by Robert Griew, Associate Secretary, DEEWR. Leading VET stakeholder members include Skills Australia, Australian Industry Group, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the AMWU, AEU and ACPET. Further meetings of the Roundtable are anticipated in October 2011, and Q1 2012.

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    Disconnect between access and equity in universities

    The latest ’Good Universities Guide’ has revealed a disconnect between those universities who have a high rating for offering credit for TAFE students and those with a high rating for access for the disadvantaged.

    According to The Australian, of the 12 universities which gained a five-star rating for credit given to TAFE students, only four were also in the top group for providing access to the most disadvantaged groups. Those universities included: Charles Darwin, Charles Sturt, Murdoch and Tasmania.

    Click here to view the entire article.

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    Indigenous employment initiative widened

    Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, Senator the Hon Mark Arbib, has expanded access to funding for the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) to 1 July 2012.

    A Request for Tender had been released on AusTender to expand the number of organisations which could deliver Indigenous job and business support projects.

    Click here for more information.

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    Mongolian delegation joins TDA conference

    A high-level delegation from the Mongolian TVET system will be attending the TDA National Conference next week as part of a two week program organised by TDA.

    The delegation will also visit TAFE institutes in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia, and participate in three roundtable discussions on priorities and opportunities for partnerships.

    Mongolia is experiencing a significant period of growth, with some of the world’s largest mineral deposits about to be developed, and a major priority for the government is to ensure the benefits include a revitalised vocational training sector.

    Later this year TDA will lead a delegation to Mongolia as part of an on-going commitment to mutual cooperation and exchange. These initiatives are strongly supported by the Australian government with Austrade and AEI providing additional support and advice.

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    Chilean Ambassador and Minister for Mining to attend TDA Conference Dinner

    TDA is delighted the Chilean Ambassador to Australia, H.E. Pedro Pablo Díaz, and the Chilean Minister for Mining, H.E. Hernán de Solminihac, have accepted TDA’s invitation to the National Conference Gala Dinner next week.  

    The Ambassador is hosting the Chilean Minister for Mining who is leading a 30-strong delegation to Sydney for a two-day conference.

    For more information on our gala dinner, please visit our website. For more details on the trade delegation conference click here.

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    TDA National Alumni Gallery

    TDA will be displaying a TAFE National Alumni gallery at the upcoming TDA National Conference, to be held next week in Sydney.

    More than 40 Institutes nominated a successful TAFE graduate to be a part of a promotional initiative by TDA.

    The Alumni will be displayed at the conference, as well as at a function in Parliament House in October. Conference delegates will also get a chance to see the enormous depth of TAFE talent at the Conference Gala Dinner, with a gallery slideshow featured throughout the evening.

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    Open Education Resources survey 

    The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations is requesting participation in an online survey from the United States, which will gather information and opinions about Open Education Resources (OER) in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

    The survey is part of the Building an OER Capability in APEC Economies project, which is an APEC self-funded project that seeks to transform the learning environment and give institutions in APEC economies a competitive advantage.  

    Its goal is to raise awareness about the educational possibilities of OER in TVET and stimulate greater sharing and use of OER across APEC. 

    Participating institutions can complete the online survey here. Visit http://oer.apecwiki.org/ for more information.

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    Basic skills support ‘patchy’

    A new report says integrated language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) support in Australian vocational education and training is “inconsistent, patchy and ad hoc”.

    The report was authored by University of Technology Sydney researchers, Keiko Yasukawa and Stephen Black, and was funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). It is titled: ‘Working together: Integrated language, literacy and numeracy support in vocational education and training’. Click here to view the report.

    The report says integrated LLN support, often in the form of team teaching between LLN and vocational teachers, has long been a feature of TAFE systems, but rarely has it been investigated for research purposes.

    For more information, contact either Stephen.Black@uts.edu.au or Keiko.Yasukawa@uts.edu.au

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    Free webinar on Malaysian education market

    Austrade is holding a free webinar briefing on developments in the Malaysian education market, to be held on 29 August from 11:30am – 12:30pm. 

    The session will outline the evolution of Malaysian education market, what this means for Australian institutions, and what are the strategies to move forward in this evolving region.

    For more information, click here.  

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    Libyan scholarships students face funding crisis

    The current crisis in Libya is having a direct impact on over 650 Libyan students who are currently studying in Australia under Libyan Government scholarships.

    Apart from concerns over family and friends in Libya, the students have had their stipends suspended by the Libyan Government, as detailed in two letters from Libyan representatives in Canberra (click here and here).

    Most of these students are enrolled in postgraduate studies, and Universities Australia has indicated direct financial support for those currently enrolled at Australian universities.

    TDA has been advised a small number of Libyan scholarship students may be currently studying at TAFE institutes and will not have access to this support. TDA would like to hear from any TAFE institute with Libyan students in this situation to see what additional support it may be able to provide. Please contact peter.holden@tda.edu.au.  

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    Grounds management workshop

    The Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association (TEFMA) will hold its third Grounds Workshop from  14-16 November.

    This event provides an excellent opportunity for all those associated with grounds management at a tertiary institution to get together in a relaxed setting, away from the daily grind of operational tasks and demands.

    Implicit in the theme this year is the notion that campus grounds provide a vital backdrop as open space for students and staff alike.

    Click here for more information

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    Diary Dates

    TDC TEACHING & LEARNING CONFERENCE
    DATE: 1 September, 2011
    LOCATION: Woodward Conference Centre, Carlton, Victoria
    DETAILS: More information here

    TDA CONFERENCE
    2011 National Conference
    DATE: 5-6 September, 2011
    LOCATION: Sheraton on the Park Hotel, Sydney
    DETAILS: More information here

    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.

    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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