Welcome to the February VISTA Newsletter.  The past two months has seen much newspaper and television coverage about our education and training system but unfortunately, the coverage hasn’t been all that positive. Thanks to Mary Hoffman and Dan McGuire this newsletter has pulled together some of the articles reported in the popular press and some analyses from specialist press for your reading. However, whilst VISTA has been noting that there has been a lot of coverage, it is felt that the role, function and achievements of the broader VET sector still largely go unnoticed within the popular press. Hence the VISTA committee has taken up this challenge for the forthcoming annual residential conference.

Annual Residential Conference

The annual VISTA residential conference (through popular demand) will be held again at Silverwater Resort, San Remo on 23 – 25^th May. Titled “VET –the Invisible sector?”,  the conference will focus on the challenges facing the VET sector in the establishment of the emerging Tertiary Education Sector.  Much of the education debate in the popular press focuses on higher education and schools.  The VET sector appears to be the silent sector.  The conference is taking the opportunity to highlight the critical role that the whole VET sector (from ACE, TAFE, private RTOs, enterprise RTOs and schools) plays in ensuring COAG goals and challenges are addressed.   Confirmed key note speakers include Rev Tim Costello (CEO World Vision), Dr Francesca Beddie (Director of Research NCVER), Lisa Smith (Minds at Work) and Emeritus Professor Kwong Lee Dow (chair of expert panel on Victoria’s Tertiary Education Sector), ACER on student movement into VET from schools and ACFE.  Awaiting confirmation is Mr Robin Shreeve (CEO Skills Australia) and many more. Speakers will be presenting from DIIRD / Skills Victoria and ACFE and there will be 24 workshops led by VET practitioners sharing experiences of great practice across the sector.  Registrations will be open from 19^th March via the VISTA web site.

 March Activities

March is a busy month for VISTA activities with two fireside chats (John Mitchell and Associates on the e learning capabilities of the contemporary VET practitioner – 11^th March and Geoff Gwilym, CEO of the Transport and Logistics Industry skills Council - 25^th March).  VISTA is also reaching the regional areas running a series of one day workshops on “Secret Trainers’ Business”.  The workshops, led by Tania Tytherleigh, will be held in  Bendigo.  The planned workshops for Geelong and Morwell have been postponed until further notice.  Visit the events section of the VISTA web site for more information and registration.  

 Virginia Simmons AO

Along with all Victorian VET professionals, VISTA was delighted to see Virginia Simmons conferred with the Member of the Order of Australia (AO) in this year’s Australia Day Honours’ list.  Virginia’s leadership is inspirational to everyone who has had the opportunity to work with her.  Through her professionalism she has raised the appreciation both within and outside the sector of the importance of VET as a critical contributor to this nation’s well being. By example Virginia  established the highest  standards for all VET colleagues to aspire to and VISTA is delighted that Virginia has been duly recognised.  

VISTA has received many requests for a printable version of this newsletter.  Good News! Dan McGuire has formatted a printable version and VISTA members can access it here

Changes to the apprenticeship system are a "quantum leap" in training reform, writes John Ross (Campus Review  25 Jan 2010) These changes included: strengthening  apprenticeship participation and support systems while reducing red tape for employers; improving apprenticeship pathways by reforming pre-apprenticeships and making it easier for people to start, defer and restart apprenticeships; introduction of  nationally consistent standards for training plans and to improve arrangements for competency based progression and completion by apprentices and COAG also agreed to start work on a unique student identifier system. "This will help ensure that current and prospective students have a complete record of their educational achievements across jurisdictions during the course of their studies,"

The COAG statement also outlined a review of incentives for apprenticeships and traineeships with more money directed to highly skilled trades and skill shortage areas, while mentoring and support arrangements will be strengthened for out-of-trade apprentices.

In The Australian (January 21, 2010) it was reported that Carol Nicoll, former head of the Industry Skills Development Group and senior Australian Education International official, will be the new chief of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC).

Described as a leading government strategist with a deep understanding of education policy, Dr Nicoll will take up the top post at the beginning of February when the ALTC‟s foundation executive director, Richard Johnstone, steps down.

Read the full story at:

Julia Gillard’s graduates of 2025 are currently in pre-school. So what do universities and VET providers need to bear in mind as they prepare for the next generation?  Julie Hare (Campus Review Jan 25 2010) reporting on Mark McCrindle's analysis of the Z generation describes them as post literate, post structured, post segmented, post lifestage, post milestone, post linear. These are the students who will fill the additional places created to meet the government's participation and equity targets.

Changes to skilled migration rules will significantly affect VET

The Commonwealth Government is changing the rules for skilled migration. The rules allow people to enter Australia and study in areas of skill shortage and then apply for permanent residency. Sometimes, after residency has been granted, the individuals do not work in their designated area and may have had no intention of doing so.
This decision to tighten up the rules, as well as the damage to Australia's reputation following the recent attacks on Indian students, is expected to reduce the number of overseas applications, in particular those from India which is our single largest source of students. [Reference 1]
Changes include a new skills occupation list which is being drawn up and is expected to be released in April. It will include a number of high skill areas such as engineer-ing and nursing [Reference 4] and some skills, including hairdressing, hospitality and accounting (VET areas),  are expected to be excluded from the list.
According to Education Minister Julia Gillard the decline in student visa applications “…is expected to impact mainly on the VET sector” while new data suggests that universities have been unaffected. [Reference 3].
Small specialised RTOs with international students will need to review their operations. The Opposition spokesperson on Immigration, Scott Morrison, says “It's quite clear there will be many colleges I suspect that will go out of business”. [4]
RTOs may perhaps have opportunities to influence government at a state level through the new migrant plans which state governments have been asked to develop. [Reference 2] What would these look like and what interest groups would be consulted are key questions.
Transition arrangements for current international students give them 18 months to obtain work experience and find a sponsor employer, which would lead to permanent residency [2]. RTOs with extensive industry and enterprise networks may be able to position themselves to support students in their endeavours.
All VET institutes will need to review what they are offering, what their competitors are doing and study carefully the skills list which is due out in April.

Thanks to Mary Hoffman for this article.
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www.safe-t1.net.au

The SAFE-T1 website (www.safe-t1.net.au) is jam packed with information and activities about OHS. Designed for young workers and their teachers, the website includes
• Information about  OHS, young workers’ rights and responsibilities, common hazards and much more
• A section for students which clearly explains OHS information
• Resources for you and your students to use – websites, lesson plans and activities with worksheets, links, WorkSafe Victoria’s young worker ads, and much much more. Links to VCAL curriculum provided
• News
• Blog – a chance to find out about current OHS issues and incidents, have your say or get your students to comment (and practice their literacy skills).
Through the SAFE-T1 project, your students can:
• apply for one of the SAFE-T1 2010 Small Grants (go to www.vala.asn.au/smallgrants.htm)
• enter the Term 1 T-shirt competition – see News on the SAFE-T1 website – www.safe-t1.net.au
• try this game ‘Operation Bodge Dab - Don’t be a zombie at work’
Keep checking the SAFE-T1 website for new activities, updates on workplace incidents involving young people and more competitions.
The SAFE-T1 website is being developed by the Victorian Applied Learning Association (VALA) with funding from WorkSafe Victoria.
For more information, contact VALA’s Project Manager, Jan Hagston, at jan@vala.asn.au

IBSA Professional Development workshops and Product update

IBSA Professional Development workshops and Product update.  For more details [Click Here]

Press Releases - Hon Bronwyn Pike, Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation
20,000 FINANCIAL SERVICES WORKERS RECEIVE TRAINING BOOST Monday 1st March 2010

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Press releases The Hon Julia Gillard: Deputy PM; Minister for Education

Baird review into International Students final report 9 March, 2010

Speech: Address to Skills Australia  5 March, 2010
Launch of Australia’s Workforce Futures: A National Workforce Development Strategy

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Indian-based agents selling Australian education courses say the market is struggling and will worsen as migration residency rules are tightened.

Crackdown on skilled migrants

The Federal Government is closing the “back door” to permanent residency through changes to the skilled migration program that will see 20,000 visa applications immediately cancelled. Minister Chris Evans outlines the Federal Government strategy

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‘Howard starved TAFEs worse than unis’

Government spending on universities and schools barely kept pace with inflation in the latter years of the Howard government. But, John Ross (Campus Review) reporting on the Productivity Commission's review into Government spending, advised spending on public VET went backwards.

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Innovation languishes when money men have the upper hand

The tendency by US manufacturers to employ managers from a finance background rather than train their own has contributed to the sector’s decline, argued Noam Schrieber, a Harvard business professor. 

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Driving capability development

Who needs to pick up the baton regarding the professional development of the VET workforce?  John Mitchell posed the question in the Campus review (Feb 1 2010). The JMA Analytics report (available to all VISTA members) concurs with the VISTA position that VET professionals must take responsibility for their own professional (and career) development requirements. 

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TAFE reels under falling funding

Vocational training may not provide much of a spring-board for meeting the new higher education targets, with unmet demand rising in government-supported VET. John Ross (Campus Review, Feb 1 2010) reported on the recently (but quietely) released 2008 National VET system report.

Ross wrote: " The report, which focuses on government-supported VET – any training by TAFEs and government-funded training by private or community providers – also shows that expenditure rates have continued to decline across the country. An average of $13.10 per hour was spent on government-funded VET in 2008, down 11 per cent from the $14.80 spent four years earlier. Victoria continued to be the most tight-fisted state, spending just $12.02 per hour, followed by NSW with $12.54 and Western Australia with $12.93. The territories were the only jurisdictions to actually increase their expenditure rates in real terms in 2008, with the Northern Territory by far the most generous at $21.75 per hour."
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TAFE says to Treasurer: Me too!

TAFEs have staked their claim to share the emerging tertiary landscape, with a $572 million pre-budget submission. John Ross reported (Campus Review, 8 February, 2010) that  TAFE Directors Australia provided a submission to the Federal government.  The submission titled , "Ideas and priorities for vocational education and training‟, calls for $464 million to be spent on compacts with TAFEs and the incorporation of TAFEs into the government's equity and structural adjustment programs. It also calls for an extra $100 million to help TAFEs implement the National Green Skills Agreement for VET, and $8 million to support research projects including a major investigation of international VET student outcomes and destinations.

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VRQA upgrades transparency

THE Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority has begun listing training provider cancellations and suspensions on its website. John Ross (Campus Review, 8 February, 2010) reported that Victoria is the only state to report on registration cancellations.  However, Lyn Glover stated that the reporting did not discern between those deregistrations due to bankruptcy or due to business decisions to cease RTO operations. Read More...

Technology shove for educators

DOES it matter if VET practitioners don’t keep up with changing technologies?  Clint Smith, Director of Learnworks and  VISTA executive member outlines to John Mitchell (Campus Review 8th February, 2010) the importance of knowing the capabilities of emerging technology and applying these capabilities in the learning environment

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Denise Ryan (The Age, 8 Feb 2010) wrote about demand for places in alternative school settings in Melbourne's northern suburbs.  Teacher Brendan Murray is fielding about five telephone calls a day from young people desperately hoping for a place at two new alternative schools opening in Preston East and Mill Park.  As the co-ordinator of the Pavilion schools, Mr Murray is also receiving constant calls from child protection, youth justice and mental health professionals in Melbourne's northern suburbs, seeking to refer young people.

Read the full story at:

The WorkPlace Coach on What Learners Want

Cooking up a great training session requires four essential ingredients, writes workplace coach Tania Tytherleigh.

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