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RTO Advance e:news #3 2017
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Advancing Australia's VET Sector

Curated industry news from RTO Advance. #3 2017

Dear friends and colleagues –
 
The Business Council of Australia has made a strong stance recently, declaring it is ready to make 2017 'The Year of Vocational Education', a vision we should definitely all embrace!
 
Business leaders are recognising that VET is no longer a “second-best alternative to a university degree” and that a vocational qualification should not only be valued equally, but that “the VET sector is a crucial piece of Australia’s economic and social infrastructure. It prepares workers for rapid economic change and helps to keep Australia competitive in a global market”. The BCA has said it will stand behind all politicians, industry groups and providers who have a common aim of ensuring all Australians “can access world-class training that unlocks the opportunities of the future economy” and recognise we have a singular opportunity through bipartisan effort and industry cooperation to make Australia’s VET system “the envy of the world.”


In an excellent thought piece entitled “An Education Worth Having”, Chief Executive Officer at The Foundation for Young Australians, Jan Owen AM, has written on her belief that “our young people are not being prepped for the real world” and the perils of an outdated, ‘one size fits all’ education system. She advocates for politicians and industry to do more “to address the challenges that young people face, set them up for a changing future and equip them to take our country forward.”

This view is backed by research released by The Mitchell Institute, ‘Preparing Young People for the Future of Work’ which outlines that “Australia's education system is not preparing students for twenty-first century success.”

It’s obviously time for us as an industry to advocate strongly for the role high quality vocational education will play in the future success of Australia. Things are moving positively forwards already, with the Senate passing legislation for a
VET Student Loans Ombudsman to provide an ‘independent umpire’ for the sector, and the recent appointment of Craig Robertson as the new Chief Executive of TAFE Directors Australia - a seasoned industry expert with “a front-row seat to VET policy development” over the last decade and more.
 
This is all great news for our industry, as recent analysis has revealed there is enormous
opportunity for Australia to take its world-leading vocational education and training overseas, to cope with increasing demand for training in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Latin America.

To this end, the Australian Government is laying the foundation for greater skills and training collaboration internationally, and is engaging with key countries in the Asia-Pacific region on vocational education and training through its International Skills Engagement Plan and National Strategy for International Education 2025.

We’ll leave you on that very positive note, and add in a happy note of our own – we have refreshed our RTO Advance website this month to provide you with easier and ‘at-a-glance’ access to our services. This includes RTO Consulting Services, RTO Compliance & Audit, VET Learning & Assessment Materials development, as well as assistance for registered training organisations to become CRICOS registered for international students. You can also keep up to date with our monthly industry news via our online blog.
 

 
Best regards
Judith Bowler
Educational Strategist & Founder
FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Huge Opportunity for Australia to Train Students Overseas
 
A new report by KPMG reveals major opportunities for TAFEs and private vocational colleges to educate large numbers of students in countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Latin America unable to meet their growing need for training. The report finds that Australia has strong or very strong capacity to offer training in nine key areas of vocational education in high demand overseas. there is a strong need for upskilling in aged care, tourism, health services and construction in most of the countries examined in the study. Furthermore it finds there is strong demand in some countries for training in agriculture, basic manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, retail and wholesale, and childcare in some of the countries studied.


READ ABOUT 'THE GLOBAL DEMAND FOR SKILLS' REPORT HERE >>


 


MEDIA RELEASE - SENATOR BIRMINGHAM
The global demand for service skills puts Australia in the box seat.

 
“This important and comprehensive report will assist the Turnbull Government and the International Educational Council in shaping future training and education opportunities for Australia,” Minister Birmingham said. “China, India and Indonesia are experiencing growing demand for skilled labour in construction, aged care and tourism sectors which offers significant opportunities for Australia.

READ HERE >>
 

Australian Government's National Strategy for International Education 2025
 
The National Strategy for International Education 2025 will enable Australia’s international education sector to be more adaptive, innovative and globally engaged. It will strengthen our internationally recognised education system, increase global partnerships and drive collaboration with local communities and international partners. The National Strategy has been developed in consultation with the sector and across all levels of government.
 
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE >>

 

 
International Skills Engagement plan for Australian government's strategy for VET collaboration with Asia-Pacific region
 
The Australian Government is laying the foundation for greater skills and training collaboration internationally, and is engaging with key countries in the Asia-Pacific region on vocational education and training (VET).This supports the Australian Government’s National Strategy for International Education, particularly through the areas of:

Goal 5: Strengthening partnerships at home
Goal 6: Enhancing Mobility
Goal 8: Promoting excellence
Goal 9: Embracing opportunities to grow international education


DOWNLOAD THE PLAN HERE >>
 
VET SECTOR NEWS

 
 
ASQA HIGHLIGHT
Interview with Chief Commissioner of ASQA, Mark Paterson AO
 

 
"Mark Paterson joined the Australian Skills Quality Authority in May 2016 as the Commissioner of Regulatory Operations. He assumed the role of Chief Commissioner on 1 January 2017. Previously, he served as Secretary of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (Cth), and later, as Secretary of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Cth). We spoke to Mark about recent changes to the auditing model used by ASQA to assess compliance of RTOs with the national standards."
 
ACPET NEWS
ACPET National Manager of Policy and Programs Neil Miller speaks on key policy issues
READ HERE >>
REPORTS


An Education Worth Having

Jan Owen AM, Chief Executive Officer of The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA)
 
"Our young people are not being prepped for the real world. The candid confessions in the ABC’s series My Year 12 Life reveal some of the challenges which an out-dated education system creates by sticking with a ‘one size fits all’ approach to learning.

Following on from the FYA’s 2014 Renewing Australia’s Promise report, an updated report card for 2016 serves as “an urgent reminder that far more needs to be done to address the challenges that young people face, set the up for a changing future and equip them to take our country forward. To turn the growing risk into opportunities, young people need to be placed at the centre of the national policy discussion.”
 
 


Preparing Young People for the Future of Work
Mitchell Institute

"Australia's education system is not preparing students for twenty-first century success. Young Australians are studying for longer than ever before but are disengaged and struggling to find permanent jobs. Young people entering technology-rich, global, competitive job markets need different skill sets to what our education system has traditionally valued."
 

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE >>
 

Narrow Training Sells Students Short
LH Martin Institute

The crisis in Australia’s training sector means TAFEs need to develop their own courses tailored to an unpredictable future. Vocational education is traditionally supposed to train people in the skills they need for specific jobs, but what happens in a fast-changing world when those jobs disappear and we can’t even know for sure what the future jobs will be?

READ THE REPORT HERE >>

FEATURE ARTICLES


Ways education can adapt to economic demands
READ HERE >>

Learning Analytics: why it's important to measure training
READ HERE >>

RESEARCH
Internationalisation of Higher Education Handbook
DUZ Academic Publishers
 
Approaching the issue of internationalisation from an institutional perspective, and specifically designed as a source of information and references, this Handbook is a valuable tool for any higher education institution. It is specifically created for those involved in implementing internationalisation strategies in higher education. Many university leaders, international office managers and policymakers use this Handbook in over 40 countries around the world.
 



Rebooting Learning for the Digital Age
Higher Education Policy Institute, UK

What’s next for technology-enhanced higher education? Just as elite sports teams are able to analyse what helps to boost performance, learning technologies and data-rich approaches can help identify what works in learning and teaching. This publication highlights some of the key areas in which digital technology can support efforts by higher education leaders and policymakers to boost student outcomes and enhance the student experience.

READ MORE HERE >>
 

INDUSTRY EVENTS

EduTech Australia
June 2017

National VET Research Conference 'No Frills'
5-7 July 2017
Hobart, Tasmania


2017 APIEF & ACPET National Conference

23-25 August 2017
Brisbane

National Skills Week
28 August - 3 September 2017
 
Copyright © 2017 RTO Advance, All rights reserved.


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