Vocational choices to expand under landmark HSC reforms
A major HSC shake-up will see an expansion of VET in senior secondary school and will enable students to count more vocational subjects toward an ATAR.
The changes include:
- Abolishing the current system of classifying HSC courses as Category A or Category B Vocational Education and Training (VET) so more courses can contribute to a student’s ATAR from 2025.
- Piloting more HSC exams online, starting with the new Enterprise Computing and Software Engineering exams from 2025.
- Introduction of a learner profile to showcase a student’s extra-curricular achievements holistically, not just their exam results.
- Clearer course overviews that link skills and knowledge to careers so Year 10 students will have a greater understanding of the skills they will develop when they are selecting their HSC subjects.
The changes are in a bid to make students more “job ready” after school and to make vocational courses equally as “valued’ as the more traditional ones. It will also give students who study vocational subjects greater chances of attending university.
The Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the Gonski-Shergold review of the VET sector identified current HSC and ATAR arrangements as a barrier to developing a pipeline of job-ready high school graduates.
The Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the reforms will bring the HSC into the 21st Century and make sure senior students develop the skills and knowledge relevant for the jobs of today and the future.
“We must start valuing vocational and academic pathways equally, and recognise all students need the skills to thrive in modern workplaces.”
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SafeWork NSW conducting forklift safety blitz
SafeWork NSW has commenced a three-month forklift safety blitz which will see inspectors conducting workplaces visits to conduct compliance safety checks.
In the last twelve months, 133 serious injuries and two fatalities involving a forklift have been reported to SafeWork NSW.
SafeWork NSW inspectors are providing forklift safety advice and warning businesses and drivers that if they are doing the wrong thing, they will be held accountable.
SafeWork NSW says while inspectors will be issuing fines for safety breaches, they will also be building strong working relationships to embed a culture of forklift safety.
SafeWork NSW’s forklift hazard webpage has a comprehensive range of resources for forklift operators, staff who work near forklifts, and employers. It includes posters, guides, videos and toolboxes with case studies for educational talks with workers.
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GTO completion rates beat direct employment, new report finds
Group training organisations (GTOs) in NSW are achieving significantly higher completion rates for apprentices than firms that employ apprentices directly, a new report has found.
The report found that completion rates for GTOs are up to 15 percentage points higher than in situations where employers engage apprentices directly.
The study was prepared by consulting firm Social Outcomes for the Apprentice Employment Network (AEN), NSW & ACT.
It says that GTOs in NSW achieve a completion rate of 65% compared to 59% for those directly employed by a business. However, the data also shows that an average of 7% of apprentices across Australia, and 9% in NSW, who start with GTOs, transfer to direct employment in the same occupation and ultimately complete their qualifications.
“While this is a substantive success in terms of apprenticeships brokered by GTOs, it is recorded as a GTO ‘cancellation’ in the data,” the report says.
“This means that effective completion rates for NSW GTOs are up to 74%, i.e. up to 9% higher than the data reports. In other words, GTOs are achieving up to 15% higher completion rates than direct employers.”
The report outlines the significant benefits in using GTOs including the mentoring and support for apprentices and trainees, and their ability to make good matches between apprentices and trainees with host employers.
See The Value Proposition Report on Group Training Organisations
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Timber revival sweeping commercial construction
Sydney’s first prefabricated timber hotel has been snapped up by a local operator for about $30 million before even opening its doors to customers, according to the Financial Review.
The Clancy hotel at 202-210 Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills is the first to adopt an innovative timber structure that is becoming increasingly popular for its aesthetic appeal and sustainability.
Comprising 38 rooms over six levels, a rooftop area and two ground-floor shops, the hotel was built out of cross-laminated timber (CLT) by Sydney-based Alessi Design and Build.
It is close by the Tech Central precinct, near Central Station, where tech giant Atlassian's headquarters (pictured) will be the world's tallest timber tower.
The Clancy’s construction had its challenges. Given a lack of access to the site, much of the CLT structure was built off site and lifted into place by cranes. The finished hotel includes exposed timber throughout the property.
Image: Architecture studios SHoP Architects and BVN drawings of Atlassian's headquarters which will be the tallest hybrid timber tower ever built when completed in 2025. Image courtesy Dezeen.
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Outstanding women in mining honoured at NSW awards
The first female mine manager at Australia’s largest producing gold mine - Newcrest Mining’s Cadia Valley Operations - has been named the Exceptional Woman in NSW Mining for 2022.
Health, Safety and Environment Manager at Cadia Valley Operations Lyndsay Potts was named Exceptional Woman in Mining at the NSW Minerals Council’s Women in Mining Awards in Sydney last week.
Lyndsay has juggled an impressive career while raising three young children and has used her leadership role at Cadia to strongly advocate for women in mining, including in her role as Cadia’s ‘Inclusion Leader’.
Hetherington’s Tamara Woods was named NSW Exceptional Young Woman in Mining.
Emily Jaques from Newcrest Mining’s Cadia Valley Operations received the Technological Innovation Award for developing the world’s first application of HydrofloatTM technology for the recovery of sulphides.
Michelle Wetherell from CMOC-Northparkes Mines was awarded the Gender Diversity Champion Award for her work in overseeing the introduction of the company’s parental leave program which resulted in a one hundred percent return to work rate.
The Outstanding Trade, Operator or Technician Award was presented to Casey Martin from Alkane Resources - Tomingley Gold Operations, a pioneer for women seeking to forge a career in mining.
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Image: From left, Tamara Woods, Michelle Wetherell, Casey Martin and Lyndsay Potts.
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New videos help explain school-based apprenticeships and traineeships
The Educational Pathways Program (EPP) has released a series of videos that help to explain the benefits of School Based Apprenticeships.
The EPP was launched as a pilot in 24 schools in 2020. As a result of the successful pilot phase, the project has been expanded to cover an additional 121 high schools from Term 1, 2022, and continues until 2023.
See and share the videos:
What is a School Based Apprenticeship?
A guide for helping students navigate school-based apprenticeships and getting a head start on a trade qualification.
What is a School Based Traineeship?
An introductory video on everything you need to know about school-based traineeships; what they are, how they work and all the benefits.
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ASQA extends transition for formwork qualification
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) has agreed to extend the transition period of CPC31511 - Certificate III in Formwork/Falsework until 31 December 2023.
The extension is granted to all ASQA registered training organisations (RTOs) delivering the qualification.
It was demonstrated to ASQA that learners would be genuinely disadvantage if they were required to transition to the replacement qualification as the significance of changes would not provide the expected learning outcomes for existing learners.
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National Skills Week just weeks away
The 2022 National Skills Week will take place 22-28 August with the theme, A Universe of Skills: Go Beyond Your Imagination.
National Skills Week, now in its 12th year, is dedicated to raising the profile and status of vocational learning, dispelling outdated myths and raising awareness of the myriad of rewarding, lucrative and prestigious career pathways available.
The challenge is to provide potential students, parents and carers with clear information on possible career pathways, training options, emerging new skills areas and VET courses.
To get involved, you can register your event on the National Skills Week website so others can attend.
See what organisations have done for past National Skills Weeks.
Participate in #bestjobsever program, share social media posts celebrating the week (or to make it easier use our social media templates), or write some content on success stories and emerging new careers.
Click here for more ideas on how you can get involved.
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Latest Smart and Skilled update
The latest Smart and Skilled update for June is now available.
It includes details of the extension of the fee-free apprenticeship initiative, the NSW Skills List update, changes to traineeship and apprenticeship fees for 12 qualifications, and exemption to Skilling for Recovery training deferrals for North Coast flood-affected students.
See the June Smart and Skilled update
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SafeWork NSW excellence awards open for entry
SafeWork NSW has opened entries to the inaugural Work Health and Safety Excellence Showcase.
The Showcase replaces the Annual Safe Work Awards that have run for 17 years.
NSW businesses that have demonstrated outstanding work health and safety management will be recognised in the awards.
Small, medium or large, business, industry association and trade unions are able to apply. Entries close 14 October.
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Events Diary
31st National VET Research Conference ‘No Frills’
National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)
6-8 July 2022, Online
More information
National Skills Week 2022
22-28 August 2022
More information
NSW Training Awards
9 September 2022
Sydney Town Hall
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NSW Master Builders Association Excellence in Housing Awards
10 September 2022
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Community Colleges Australia National Conference
13-14 September 2022
Sydney
More information
TAFE Directors Australia Convention 2022
Courage, Change and Challenge - the Future of TAFE
15-17 November 2022
Adelaide
More information
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