Newsletter: 12 May 2008

• RUDD GOVERNMENT SKILLS PLAN LAUNCHED IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
• BLUEPRINT FOR NSW TAFE REFORM
• MAJOR SHIFT IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S TRAINING SYSTEM
• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WILL BE HERE TOMORROW. WILL YOU?
• FASTER TRAINING COULD PLUG AUSTRALIA'S SKILLS GAP
• SKILLSONE TAKES OUT WEBBY AWARD
• BUSINESS GROUP BACKS AUSTRALIAN TECHNICAL COLLEGES
• FORMER MITSUBISHI WORKERS SWITCH TO MINING INDUSTRY
• NEW TRAINING CENTRE FOR OIL AND GAS
• $30K VET SCHOLARSHIP REOPENED
• DIARY DATES

RUDD GOVERNMENT SKILLS PLAN LAUNCHED IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Western Australia will be the first state to pilot a key element of the Rudd Government's skills initiative, aimed at giving workers the chance to upgrade skills and improve their qualifications.

The Productivity Places Program (PPP) is central to new national arrangements to boost training places under the Skilling Australia for the Future initiative, identifying new training places in locations of demand for skills and training.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard and WA Minister for Education and Training, the Hon Mark McGowan jointly unveiled the plan to deliver 1,000 new training places in identified skill shortage areas.

The PPP is a key step in delivering 450,000 new training places over the next four years. This initial element of the PPP saw 20,000 training places made available for job seekers from April.

To see Minister Gillard's media release, click here. 

[Return to Top]

BLUEPRINT FOR NSW TAFE REFORM

Less red tape and better delivery of frontline services will result from a realignment of TAFE NSW, according to the Director-General of Education and Training, Michael Coutts-Trotter.

A blueprint detailing the realignment, which was developed after months of consultation with more than 2,500 stakeholders, is being sent to all TAFE staff for comment.

Key features of the reform will see TAFE Institutes able to develop local arrangements to meet industry needs and more training delivered in the workplace and online.

To see a copy of the Director General's media release, click here.

[Return to Top]

MAJOR SHIFT IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S TRAINING SYSTEM

A major Skills Strategy being undertaken by the South Australian government would shift the training system to one driven by the needs of industry, regions and the State economy. 

Employment, Training and Further Education Minister, the Hon Paul Caica said the training system had been traditionally oriented around what training providers supplied, and the requirement that students come to them. 

The Government has committed to 25% of all vocational training to be delivered in the workplace by 2012.

To read the Minister's media release, click here.

[Return to Top]

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WILL BE HERE TOMORROW. WILL YOU?

That was one of the questions posed by Katherine Teh-White, Managing Director, Futureye, to participants in the Sustainable Futures for TAFE VTA Conference, attended by TDA's Martin Riordan and Pam Caven. The Conference at the Gordon Institute of TAFE, Geelong in Victoria on Friday 9 May challenged Victorian TAFE CEOs, senior managers and Council members to integrate ideas of sustainable development into their business and into their training. 

Keynote speakers stressed the urgent need for matters of sustainability to be of much higher priority for governments, businesses, communities and individuals.  Some of the immediate measures discussed by speakers for the education sector included collaboration within and across tertiary institutes aimed at providing quality educational programs; embedding sustainability into every aspect of the institute's operations (Swinburne University); and developing sustainability units of competence (the Green Apprenticeship program developed by Business Skills Victoria).

For access to the Conference papers go to the Victorian TAFE Association website at: www.vta.vic.edu.au

[Return to Top]

FASTER TRAINING COULD PLUG AUSTRALIA'S SKILLS GAP

New style, faster apprenticeships could be an answer to Australia's skills shortage, according to research from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

The report 'Accelerated apprenticeships: Apprentice, employer and teaching staff perspectives' suggests that faster trade training has potential benefits for workers and employers.

To see the report, click here. 

[Return to Top]

SKILLSONE TAKES OUT WEBBY AWARD

SkillsOne has won the international Webby Award for excellence on the internet. The peer-reviewed award was for SkillsOne's 'The Australian Channel' in the Associations category.

The international judging panel included David Bowie, Richard Branson, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Groening, and Jamie Oliver. The Australian Channel has experienced strong interest with downloads of videos reaching more than 50,000 in April. 

For more information, click here.

[Return to Top]

BUSINESS GROUP BACKS AUSTRALIAN TECHNICAL COLLEGES 

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has called on the Rudd Government to use the example of Australian Technical Colleges (ATCs) as a model for its upcoming plan to develop trades training centres in the nation's secondary schools.

ACCI's recommendation is contained in a policy statement, 'Australian Technical Colleges - a Useful Model for Trades Training in Schools. 

ACCI says the integration of ATCs into the mainstream VET system should ensure that trades continue to be promoted as a genuine alternative to university, and that students studying trades are not disadvantaged if they wish to later switch to other post secondary study.

To see the ACCI report, click here.

[Return to Top]

FORMER MITSUBISHI WORKERS SWITCH TO MINING INDUSTRY

Seventy former Mitsubishi Adelaide plant workers are to embark on accelerated apprenticeships in the mining industry under a new South Australian government program.

The arrangement will see TAFE SA training up to 350 apprentices over the next five years in accelerated apprenticeships in Automotive Mechanical Technology, which will lead to skilled jobs in the maintenance and repair of heavy vehicles.

The Premier of South Australia, the Hon Mike Rann said the training program would recognise the workers' existing skills and enable them to complete their apprenticeships in about 30 months, compared with the standard four years.

To see the Premier's media release, click here.

[Return to Top]

NEW TRAINING CENTRE FOR OIL AND GAS

A new facility at Challenger TAFE in Western Australia is expected to produce thousands of highly trained oil and gas workers over coming years.

The $21 m Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training (ACEPT) will also provide world-class training for the mineral and chemical processing industries.

The centre is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and WA governments.

To read the media statement, click here

[Return to Top]

$30K VET SCHOLARSHIP REOPENED

As foreshadowed at the 2008 AVETRA conference, one of the Ray Barker Fellowships is being re-advertised. The fellowship is a grant of up to $30,000 to undertake a project on the current state of VET research and how research can influence the development of VET policy and practice.

The project was originally open only to AVETRA members but is now open to a broader pool of applicants. The closing date for applications is 23 May.

Details can be seen at: www.avetra.org.au

For information, contact, President, Erica Smith on 03-5327 9665 or e.smith@ballarat.edu.au

[Return to Top]

DIARY DATES

AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
iAwards: Australia's ICT Industry Awards

MANUFACTURING SKILLS AUSTRALIA
Workplace Assessment workshops for NSW, Vic, SA, Tas, NT 

[Return to Top]

| Copyright Statement|   Disclaimer|  Privacy Statement|