Communiqué for the COAG Skills Council Meeting (20 September 2019)
In the last COAG Skills Council Meeting in Melbourne on 20 September 2019 all federal, state and territory skills ministers unanimously agreed that the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), Australia’s national VET regulator, should “improve its engagement with the VET sector” and expand its role in helping to educate training providers. The inaugural meeting of […]
Read MoreVET ministers announce changes to the Australian Skills Quality Authority
Sharing the most recent announcement from the Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business and The Hon Steve Irons MP, Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships. The Australian Government today announced reforms to the agency responsible for regulating the vocational education and training sector, the Australian […]
Read MoreThe biggest threat to the education and training sector in Australia is bad regulation!
It is very important to evaluate the training and auditing systems to find out what is working and what is not. If true monitoring and evaluation is not happening, it will be really difficult to identify gaps in the system. Irrespective of the type of organisation (public or private), it should be independently audited at-least […]
Read MoreCongratulations VOCEDplus for completing 30 years
Courtesy: VOCEDplus! It all started in 1989, with two print publications, Initiatives in Technical and Further Education and TAFE Projects in Progress. These articles were merged to become the Vocational Education and Training Research Database, a resource for the TAFE sector available through print and diskettes. Over the past three decades, the database has undergone […]
Read MoreAustralian Government’s new Deregulation Task Force announced
COAG agreed to work together to reduce regulatory and bureaucratic barriers across the federation so that businesses can grow and create more jobs. Leaders committed to improving the design and efficiency of business regulation to support jobs and investment in the interests of the community. The Commonwealth’s Deregulation Task Force will work with state, territory […]
Read MoreInterview with The VET Gurus – John Price, Angela McGregor, Kerri Butter
Response from John Price regarding VET Sector Newsletter. John Price John started his career in education and training over 40 years ago. He was the Head of the School of Printing and Graphic Arts, became a TAFE Queensland Professional Development Coordinator and mentored many new TAFE teachers through their Diploma in Technical and Further Education. He […]
Read MoreNew ESOS Regulations for CRICOS-registered providers
The Education Services for Overseas Students Regulations 2019 (ESOS Regulations) commence on 1 October 2019. They replace the current 2001 regulations. The ESOS Regulations commence on 1 October 2019. Registered providers must comply with the ESOS Regulations from 1 October 2019, including by giving information in the Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS). […]
Read MoreThe VET Sector News
Integration is the key to the future – TROY WILLIAMS Australia needs an integrated tertiary education system in which higher education plus vocational education and training operate as one but they retain their separate identities. The rationale is strong. Those entering the workforce today are likely to have three or four careers before they retire, […]
Read MoreUnpacking ASQA audit reports and files (Part 1)
Let’s look into what is actually going on in the audits and ASQA practices. We are referring here a number of examples from the audits conducted and the matters discussed in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by the Australian Skills Quality Authority. 1. ASQA Auditor considering online documents on a Google drive as “Student Portal” and […]
Read MoreConducting validation in your training organisation
What is validation? Explanation: Checking that the assessment tools, methods, judgement, evidence and processes to ensure that the training product meets: Principles of Assessment – i.e. valid, reliable, flexible and fair Rules of Evidence – i.e. valid, authentic, current and sufficient The judgment made by the trainer/assessor is benchmarked* with colleagues or industry experts There […]
Read MoreThe VET Sector News – September 2019
ASQA’s Sample AQF documentation gets updated to meet the requirements of third-party arrangements The ASQA Fact Sheet Sample AQF documentation has been updated for a clarification in light of recent Third Party arrangements guidance. https://www.asqa.gov.au/news-publications/publications/fact-sheets/sample-aqf-documentation The fact sheet now states “Only the name of the issuing organisation (your RTO) can be included on testamurs/statements of […]
Read MoreNo Regulation or Bad Regulation – has ASQA failed as a VET Regulator?
We are starting this article by quoting the now very famous speech of MP Laming in the Australian Parliament: I rise after a nationwide investigation into the performance of ASQA … This is not just a domestic issue; this is about brand Australia … This aggressive and adversarial conduct is an enormous concern”. The […]
Read MoreVET accredited course leads the way
There are two different kinds of training products delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs) within the VET industry: training packages and VET accredited courses. According to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA): “A VET accredited course has been assessed by ASQA as compliant with the Standards for VET Accredited Courses 2012 and the Australian Qualifications […]
Read MoreVET Delivery to Secondary School Students
Vocational Training offers learners the chance to gain the required knowledge and skills to work effectively in the workplace and be part of the workforce. Vocational education and training (VET) provide this opportunity through industry-developed training packages or accredited courses while learners are still studying at school. These courses are usually delivered in years 10, […]
Read MoreVET & Higher Education –Two Pillars Of One Tertiary System
With the Australian Government’s recent and welcome focus on Vocational Education and Training (VET), some stakeholders have seen this as a pitch against the value of the higher education system. When the Prime Minister said “VET is as good as uni” he was simply saying what is self-evident, that for different people, for different employers […]
Read MorePrivate registered training organisations vs Public providers
Please note: We have a number of TAFE and Government providers as our clients, and the reason for publishing this article is not to damage them or their reputation. All facts mentioned in this article are facts that have been established through reports. The main aim is to look into why the regulatory body is […]
Read MoreInterview: Tamara Simon: Australia’s Only Dedicated RTO Business Coach from ‘Take Another Look’.
Here is a copy of our interview with Tamara Simon – Australia’s Only Dedicated RTO Business Coach. Bio Tamara Simon is the Australia’s Only Dedicated RTO Business Coach who knows the key to RTO success lies in your Business Strategy, People Performance and Systems Simplification. Tamara has taken countless RTO CEOs, RTO Managers and RTO […]
Read MoreAustralia has a tech explosion, but there is a lack of workers and facilities
Australian workers could make thousands of dollars more every year by leaving their current work and reskilling in the technology sector, a new study has disclosed. Australia will have an extra 100,000 technology jobs in five years time, as the digital sector ramps up its contribution to economic growth. But local IT graduates and skilled […]
Read MoreASQA’s Regulatory Strategy 2019–21
Highlights: The strategy identifies two target areas and five strategic initiatives Target area 1: Trainer and assessor capability, identified as a critical concern for the VET Sector in three consecutive years (2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018 -2020) Target area 2: VET in Schools Strategic Initiative 1: Recognising and supporting quality in the VET sector Strategic Initiative […]
Read MoreInterview: Troy Williams, Chief Executive Officer at the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA).
Here is a copy of our interview with Troy Williams, Chief Executive Officer at the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA). Troy, in a nutshell, what has been your experience of working in the training and education industry? It’s diverse. From the perspective of a provider, in the late 1990s I established a Registered Training […]
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