Hello everyone,
Welcome to the news for Aug 2015. Please take note of the VET Reform section. This initiative may take some time, but I personally think if would be a very positive move to centralise the funding into the federal Government.
Enjoy the news and good training!
Joe Newbery
As always we invite new subscribers at: Subscribe to VET News
If you have some news, send it to us at: news@newberyconsulting.com.au
Compliance & Regulatory News
ASQA Update
ASQA suspends registration of two Melbourne-based RTOs. On 5 August 2015 ASQA took the decision to immediately suspend the registration of St Stephen Institute of Technology and Symbiosis Institute of Technical Education.
This followed the resolution of Operation Aristotle, a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Border Force (ABF) and ASQA which has seen three people charged over alleged involvement in a large scale fraud.
http://newsroom.border.gov.au/releases/three-charged-and-millions-of-assets-seized-in-joint-agency-investigation
http://asqa.gov.au/news/2861/asqa-suspends-registration-of-two-melbourne-based-rtos.html
Transition period extended for HLT51612 Diploma of Nursing. In response to a request from the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council, the ASQA Commissioners agreed to extend the transition period of the HLT51612 Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2) for an additional 18 months on the endorsement of the replacement HLT training package qualification. See the link below for a list of all qualifications that have approved extended transition periods.
http://asqa.gov.au/vet-registration/meet-the-requirements-of-ongoing-registration/maintain-a-current-scope-of-registration.html
CHC – Community Services (Release 2.0). This revised training package release includes some significant changes to qualification structures. I you have a qualification on your scope from CHC 08, then you need to review these changes.
http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/CHC
Amended FAQ response about overseas students undertaking additional training. ASQA has recently published a new response to a frequently asked question: ‘Can an overseas student who holds a student visa undertake additional study at the same time as their principal course?’ An overseas student in Australia on a student visa can undertake additional study at the same time as their principal course. However, any course they undertake must be registered on CRICOS and the student must have a confirmation of enrolment (CoE) for all study they undertake.
http://asqa.gov.au/faqs/frequently-asked-questions.html#cricos-elicos-compliance/can-an-overseas-student-who-holds-a-student-visa-undertake-additional-study-at-th
VET reform update
COAG lays groundwork for Commonwealth takeover of VET. Federal and state leaders have agreed to consider a proposal to shift responsibility for VET from the states to the Commonwealth. Following the recent COAG leaders retreat in Sydney, the meeting Communiqué outlined plans to consider a historic change in VET governance.
Quite ironically, the premiers of the two states that have not referred powers to ASQA, Western Australia and Victoria, have been tasked with bringing VET reform proposals to the next COAG meeting before the end of the year.
https://www.coag.gov.au/node/524
Expression of interest for skills service organisations. The Australian Government has invited applications for funding to be a skills service organisation. Skills service organisations will provide a range of independent activities to support industry reference committees to review and develop training products, including training packages.
http://www.senatorbirmingham.com.au/Media-Centre/Media-Releases/ID/2775/New-Support-to-Deliver-Job-Relevant-Training-Products
TAC update
Compliance Recognition Program. Similar to ASQA’s delegated regulatory authority, the TAC has announced its Compliance Recognition Program (CR Program) which is designed to provide RTOs that consistently demonstrate compliance, a degree of flexibility by removing the requirement for RTOs to submit applications or fees to the Council for amendment activity to their scope of registration.
http://www.tac.wa.gov.au/registration/CRP/Pages/default.aspx
Notification of third party agreements. In a special bulletin, the TAC has reminded its RTOs of their obligation to provide notification of all third party agreements and provided a link to the required notification form.
http://www.tac.wa.gov.au/newsandevent/Pages/TAC-Special-Bulletin—Third-Party-Agreements.aspx
Training Package News
TGA updates
Training package changes. There are new releases of the following training packages:
SIS10 Release 3.1: 21 July 2015
CSC Release 1.0: 3 August 2015
CPC08 Release 9.1: 5 August 2015
CHC Release 2.0: 6 August 2015
MEA Release 1.2: 6 August 2015
HLT Release 2.0: 6 August 2015
Events, Resourcing & Funding News
Australian apprenticeship update
Click on the links below to view the Training Package qualifications recently implemented in States and Territories.
http://www.aatinfo.com.au/getattachment/c7c3874b-6388-4686-bddc-1e33ed806789/file.aspx
Farewell dinner for Skillaroos
The 2015 WorldSkills Australia Skillaroos were officially farewelled at a ceremony in Sydney before heading off to the 43rd WorldSkills Competition in São Paulo, Brazil.
Senator the Hon Scott Ryan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training and the NSW Minister for Skills John Barilaro were on hand to farewell the 25-strong team at a ceremony at TAFE Sydney Institute.
https://ministers.education.gov.au/ryan/2015-worldskills-australia-skillaroos-farewell-dinner
National Skills Week
Now in its fifth year, National Skills Week aims to raise the status of practical and vocational learning, highlighting the talents, the skills, the career pathways and the value of apprentices and trainees across Australia. Events are planned from 24-30 August 2015.
http://www.nationalskillsweek.com.au/
Conference season is upon us
Here are some of the upcoming conference events in our industry.
- Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) 2015 National Conference and Asia
- Pacific International Education Forum: 26-28 August 2015, Melbourne
- International Network on Innovative Apprenticeship (INAP) Conference: 1-2 September 2015, Ballarat
- TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) 2015 National Conference: 10-11 September 2015, Hobart
- Velg Training 2015 National VET Conference: 17-18 September 2015, Adelaide
- Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL) 2015 National Conference: 24-25 September, Adelaide
Recent VET Publications
SkillsDMC: Environment Scan 2015 mid-year update
SkillsDMC has issued an update of its E-Scan for 2015. The update highlights that despite some recent negative sentiment towards the outlook for Industry, the Mining Industry continues to perform to expectations.
http://www.skillsdmc.com.au/files/services/escan/2015EScan_midyear.pdf
Lessons from VET providers delivering degrees
Highlighting the strategic, capability and operational reasons why traditional vocational education and training (VET) providers move to the delivery of higher education qualifications in their own right, this report shows that delivering in the niche market areas where they already have strengths and constantly reviewing their higher education delivery are key elements of good practice.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/wps/portal/vetdataportal/restricted/publicationContent/
Click here for research summary: good practice guide:
http://www.ncver.edu.au/wps/portal/vetdataportal/restricted/publicationContent/
Other News of Interest
New CEO appointed to TEQSA
The federal government has appointed a high ranking UK official, Anthony McClaran, as the new CEO of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). Mr McClaran has been appointed for a five year term starting on 12 October 2015. He is currently the CEO of the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.
Announcing the appointment, the Minister for Education and Training, Christopher Pyne said Mr McClaran had led UK agencies through periods of significant change and external challenge.
https://ministers.education.gov.au/pyne/chief-executive-officer-appointed-teqsa
Are vocational streams the key to producing a more adaptable workforce?
Structures within the labour market shape the educational pathways and outcomes of graduates. However, the links between qualifications and jobs in Australia are sometimes weak. Education and training in vocational streams, rather than in specific occupational tasks, could result in a more sustainable and adaptable workforce.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/wps/portal/vetdataportal/restricted/insightArticle/
Fixing AVETMISS data errors
NCVER has developed the new fact sheet Fixing Validation Errors. Using a common error that is triggered in the AVETMISS Validation Software (AVS) as an example, the fact sheet outlines the steps for identifying and fixing the error which can be applied to all other error codes.
Access the fact sheet here: http://www.ncver.edu.au/wps/portal/vetdataportal/restricted/supportContent/
Education exports worth $18.1 billion
In a media release on 7 August 2015, the Minister for Education and Training the Hon Christopher Pyne announced that preliminary figures show that exports from Australia’s international education services sector reached a record high of $18.1 billion in 2014-15. The Minister said that this is up 14.2% on 2013-14 numbers and shows that Australia’s booming international education sector continues to go from strength to strength.
https://ministers.education.gov.au/pyne/education-exports-worth-181-billion
The news articles presented in this edition of VET News have been researched and prepared by Anne Maree Newbery.
Copyright © Newbery Consulting 2015, All rights reserved.