News
As the 2010 election campaign launches into full swing, TDA has presented six key policy measures to both the government and opposition, outlining the key opportunities and challenges facing TAFE Institutes into the next political term.
In response to the 2010 Federal Election, TDA has brought together the key opportunities and challenges facing its members, as outlined in six key policy measures.
The 2010 Federal Election will be a chance for TAFE Institutes to establish how the major parties will deal with industry's push for big increases in funding to overcome Australian skill shortages. TAFE Directors Australia will be releasing a special Election 2010 Manifesto ahead of the poll on 21 August.
High-profile education leaders have been announced in key positions to help set up national quality assurance and regulation in the higher education and VET sectors.
A delegation of TAFE Directors have returned from a six-day Mission to China, which included briefings on the outcome and evaluation of the Australia-China Chongqing VET Project, a joint symposium with the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), and a special event in the Australian Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo.
It was an historic week in politics last week, with the Hon Julia Gillard announced as the new Prime Minister. TDA congratulates Ms Gillard on her new role.
Former Federal Minister, Mr John Dawkins AO has been appointed as the Chair of the National Quality Council, which oversees approvals on Training Packages and key quality indicators across the VET sector.
TDA invites members to complete a survey in response to the Productivity Commission's study into the VET workforce.
State education and training ministers advanced the moves toward national VET regulation at the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) meeting last week.At the meeting held at Central Institute of Technology in Perth, the ministers agreed to the drafting of an agreement and supporting legislation to progress VET reform and national regulation.
National data has recorded that Trade apprenticeships dropped drastically in the year leading up to December 2009, according to statistics released from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).
The new Board of TAFE Directors Australia has been confirmed, following state and territory nominations. Bruce Mackenzie, CEO of Holmesglen Institute of TAFE (VIC) was elected Chair, along with two Deputy Chairs, Dianne Murray, Institute Director Illawarra Institute of TAFE NSW, and Stephen Conway, Executive Director of TAFE SA South.
Reminder.The TDA Annual General Meeting will be held this Friday, 28 May at TAFE Ultimo, Sydney, from 2.00pm. Ahead of the AGM, TDA invites members to join Board members for a light lunch, which will include an address by Peter Noonan, VET consultant and member of the Bradley Review of Higher Education Panel.
The Federal Budget delivered a number of strong measures that benefit TAFE institutes. In particular the introduction of performance funding was a great win for TDA and TAFE Institutes.TDA applauds the $130 million of funding allocated to the top 100 registered training organisations (RTOs), including the 59 TAFE institutes to drive specific performance benchmarks, raise the quality of teaching, lift student achievements and expand access to training, particularly for disadvantaged Australians in skills shortage areas.
A summary of the key skills and training initiatives that were announced in the 2010 Federal Budget.
Professor Kwong Lee Dow, Chair of the Expert Panel on Tertiary Education in Victoria, warned Australian educators that national educational targets may be achievable, but equity targets will be threatened without TAFE taking part in higher education delivery.Professor Dow, speaking to the Victoria TAFE Association 2010 National Conference, said inspection of TAFE facilities during the Panel's review demonstrated that TAFE was -more than equal to the task- of satisfying facility and programme needs. -Let's not underplay the base from which we are ableto start,- said Professor Dow. -We are not going to get better campuses and better equipment; we have good facilities.-
The government has announced a delay in releasing the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) to replace the Migration Occupations in Demand List. Due for release last Friday, the new SOL will now be released during May, a move which will add to uncertainty for students and providers.
TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) and Universities Australia (UA) have commissioned a project designed to support a more cohesive national tertiary education system. The joint TDA/UA project was commissioned in September 2009 and aims to augment the connections between the vocational education and training (VET) and higher education (HE) sectors. It seeks to identify how the two organisations could facilitate an enhanced range of student pathways to support the attainment of the participation targets proposed in the Bradley Review of Higher Education and endorsed by COAG.
Some 21% of Australian's enrolled in study attend a TAFE Institute according to new Australian Bureau of Statistics data. As of May 2009, there were 2.7 million people aged 15-64 years in some form of education. Between May 2008 and 2009, the number of apprentices reduced by more than 20,000.
TAFE Directors Australia has recommended that TAFE play a greater role in the training of resource industry employees. The call was made in TDA's response to the National Resource Sector Employment Taskforce (NRSET) discussion paper 'Resourcing the Future'. NRSET, led by the Parliamentary Secretary for Western Australia, The Hon Gary Gray MP, was set up to help secure the future workforce requirements in the resources sector, particularly those arising from the $50 billion Gorgon LNG Project.
Victorian TAFE Institutes will be the key to supporting greater demand for higher education according to a new report on the state's tertiary education system. The report headed by former University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kwong Lee Dow, says that Victoria should rely on existing TAFE infrastructure rather than building or expanding universities. It says that regional TAFE Institutes should follow their city counterparts and develop their capacity to engage in higher education.
Victoria's efforts to recognise TAFE's role as a vital player in easing the skills crisis by implementing a university-style fees and loan system has resulted in a fall in student numbers according to an editorial in The Age last week. The editorial says the apparent reason for the decline in student numbers for diploma and advanced diploma courses, is the tripling of course fees to support the changes.
Government funding for vocational education and training has declined by more than 12% between 2003 and 2008 according to two new reports from Australia Education Union (AEU). AEU surveyed 2,600 teachers and managers from TAFEs across Australia. The survey was accompanied by a research paper from the Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) at Monash University.
TDA is very pleased to announce the signing of a formal agreement between the Chilean Ministry of Education and TDA for the BECAS Chile Technical Scholarships program. The agreement sets out the terms and conditions under which TDA will support BECAS Chile in managing Chilean vocational students who are selected to spend up to eighteen months studying in TAFE Institutes.
A $660 million funding boost each year to 2025 will be needed to provide the future workforce needs through tertiary education according a new Skills Australia report. Australian Workforce Futures - A National Workforce Development Strategy says that the additional funding which is currently being met by recent government programs, will need to be maintained until at least 2020 to provide a 3% per annum growth in enrolments in both higher education and VET. Although the proposed distribution of the funding between the two sectors is not yet clear. The report also warns of the dangers of declining VET funding.
A new federal government resources industry taskforce has raised the prospect of using more non-accredited and on-the-job trades training to build future skills needed in the mining and energy sectors.The National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce discussion paper, Resourcing the Future, says the possible reforms are part of an overall approach aimed at delivering a better qualified, more mobile workforce with common skills standards
Director of the Sydney Institute of TAFE NSW and TDA Board Member, Pam Christie, has been announced as the new Deputy Director-General of the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET).
The recent decision to revoke the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL), announced by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator the Hon. Chris Evans has created a strong reaction both in Australia and around the world.
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. View TDA's response...
TDA has submitted ideas and priorities for the 2010-2011 Federal Budget to the Federal Treasurer, the Hon Wayne Swan MP. The suggestions included the introduction of an 'at risk' performance funding initiative, a structural adjustment fund for TAFE Institutes, funding to support the participation of low socio-economic status students in TAFE, funding for the implementation of green skills, and allocated research funding. See the submission.
TAFE Directors Australia congratulates Chisholm Institute of TAFE Director and Chief Executive Officer, Virginia Simmons, who was awarded an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia 2010 during Australia Day celebrations this week.
TDA has signed an agreement with the USA's Community College specialist affiliate international agency, the Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) to enhance student and teacher mobility between the two countries.
TAFE Directors Australia welcomes its members and stakeholders to an exciting 2010. This year we welcome TDA's new Chair, Bruce Mackenzie (CEO of Holmesglen Institute of TAFE). Previously, Bruce has served as Deputy Chair, Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee.
Bruce Mackenzie will become Chair of TAFE Directors Australia, after serving as Deputy Chair and Treasurer, and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee of 'TDA'. Bruce Mackenzie is CEO of Holmesglen Institute of TAFE (VIC)
TDA has responded toof a new National Regulator for vocational education and training, and outlined its position on the interim report released by the Baird Review into international student regulation.
COAG today agreed to establish a national regulator for the VET sector which will be established under Commonwealth legislation. The regulator will be responsible for the registration and audit of registered training providers, and the accreditation of courses.
The Senate Inquiry into the Welfare of International Students published its report on 25 November. The Committee's sixteen recommendations cover most areas of concern including access to accurate information, employment entitlements, transport concessions and professionalism of agents.
At the meeting of the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE), in Canberra last week, Ministers agreed to the establishment of a national regulator, replacing historic arrangements for states and territories to manage training regulation.
The 2009 Mick Young Oration and Parliamentary Dinner to be held this week in Canberra is fast approaching a full house with a wide range of politicians, government officials, industry representatives and TAFE Directors and staff attending.
Tickets are still available for the Mick Young Oration, the third annual lecture hosted by TDA acknowledging the contribution of the Mick Young Scholarship Trust. The 2009 Oration will be delivered by the Federal Treasurer, the Hon Wayne Swan MP
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, addressed the National TAFE Day celebrations at Parliament House last week. Ms Gillard highlighted the importance of TAFE through its history as a quality provider, and its role in providing the future skills vital to a sustainable economy.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, has announced that relevant green skills will be included in all apprenticeships and vocational education training packages by March, and all other courses by the end of 2010.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, and the Minister for Employment Participation, Senator the Hon Mark Arbib MP, have announced a $100 million Apprentice Kickstart program aimed at supporting up to 21,000 people entering traditional trades this summer.
TDA is pleased to announce that the Treasurer, the Hon Wayne Swan MP, will present the 2009 Mick Young Oration at Parliament House Canberra, 18 November.
At its most recent meeting, the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) agreed to progress national VET regulatory arrangements and promote a National VET Regulator at the COAG meeting in December.
Colleges could be regulated for the number of international students they enroll, and the concentration of students from individual countries, according to an issues paper released as part of the Baird Review into the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000.
TDA Members are invited to join the upcoming TDA Mission to UK Colleges and the 2009 UK Birmingham Conference due to take place 7-22 November 2009.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, is hosting from today an International Student Roundtable in Canberra, to discuss student experiences and concerns.
TAFE Directors Australia recently held its National Conference on the GoldCoast. Delegates can access speaker presentations and photos from theConference here.
The Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, spent the past week in India seeking to restore confidence in international education, and outline regulatory responses by the Australian Government.
This is the final week to book for the TDA09 National Conference, to be held 3-4 September on the Gold Coast.
Final registrations are taking place for the TDA09 National Conference. The Conference, to be held 3-4 September on the Gold Coast, has an outstanding line-up of keynote international and domestic leadership that will highlight perspectives based around two themes: Positioning TAFE to meet the challenges of the global marketplace , and 'One Tertiary' sector - implications for domestic and international markets
Professor Peter Coaldrake, the incoming Chair of Universities Australia, will be a guest speaker on day two of the TDA Annual Conference next month, focusing on -One Tertiary- reforms in the post-Bradley environment.
The Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, has announced a $94 million initiative to provide green jobs and skills to young people during the economic downturn.
Dr. Jill Biden, teacher and advocate of Community Colleges, and wife of the US Vice President, has made an historic Welcome Address to the UNESCO Higher Education Conference 2009.
A group of TAFE executives will visit Singapore in August to participate in the APEC Women Leaders' Network meeting.This year's theme "Women and Sustainable Development in APEC" is in line with APEC 2009's focus on sustaining growth and connecting the region.
Two international perspectives from the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training will be aired in keynote addresses at TDA09, the TAFE Directors Annual Conference on the Gold Coast in early September.
Official National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) data shows Australia's 58 TAFE Institutes are experiencing the impact of an increased focus on training and skills flowing from the economic downturn, with student enrolments at record levels, and big increases in Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma and higher subjects across the TAFE Institute network.
TAFE Directors Australia has issued a Board Communiquéurging Federal, State and Territory leaders to agree to tightened licensing and quality of VET providers, to support last week's Darwin COAG International Student Strategy announcement...
TDA has welcomed COAG'sand outlined recommendations that Federal, State and Territory agencies respond with a series of measures to strengthen the quality of student experience whilst they are studying in Australia. To view a Communique outlining the measures
Australia's TAFE Institutes have been given a clear message that sustainability in skills and training will be a key theme for the next round of funding under the Education Investment Fund.
Minister Gillard announced key reforms surrounding the future of the VET sector and TAFE's role in tertiary education in her speech at the BIG Skills Conference.to view the speech.to view TDA's response.
TDA has responded to the Bradley Review of Higher Education with its report: 'Three pillars: The key to the quality of an expanded Australia tertiary sector'. The report responds to the key characteristics of an effective tertiary education and training system set out in the Bradley Review. To view the report & nbsp;. & nbsp;View an attachment to the submission & nbsp;.
The Federal Government hasannounced $400 million to supportthe back-log in TAFEinfrastructure improvements, andto support moves toward greenskills projects as a part of the$4.7 billion 'Nation Building'stimulus package.
TDA has presented a detailedsubmission to the House ofRepresentatives ParliamentaryStanding CommitteeInquiry, 'Combining school andwork: supporting successful youthtransitions'.
The Bradley Review of HigherEducation report provided variousrecommendations impacting TAFEInstitutes. On 30 January 2009,the Deputy Prime Minister includedTDA in a special roundtablediscussion on the Review. TDA hassought views from members on theReview, and a further discussionwill take place at the TDA boardmeeting in Sydney on 12 February2009.
TDA celebrates its 10thanniversary with a special2-day 'TAFE meets Parliament:Skills Innovation 2020' forumand Parliamentary Dinner 16-17September 2008.
the Government's expert panel on the Review of Australian Higher Education yesterday released the Review of Australian Higher Education Discussion Paper.
A national consultation will seekto bring clarity to the operationsof the new $11B EducationInvestment Fund - a central partof the 'education revolution' withthree infrastructure fundstotaling $40B proposed in lastweek's Federal Budget.
TAFE has taken centre stage in Budget 2008 with the announcement of an $11 billion Education Investment Fund, for TAFE and VET special projects. The Fund would be established from the next two financial years' Budget surpluses.
TAFE Directors Australia haslodged submissions to two of theAustralian Government's keyinquiries examining skillsdevelopment and innovation.