Hello all
Hope you are all well. Welcome to our newsletter for June. Can you believe the end of the financial year is here already! I won’t carp on about some issue this month. Too crazy at the moment. Thank goodness Anne Maree is so organised and disciplined to prepare these news summaries each month.
One thing I would like to do is welcome our newest staff member to the Client Support Team in Melbourne. We are joined by Bree Anderson who will be assisting our users of RTO Data. Bree is just lovely and will no doubt be an asset to our new and loyal RTO Data users. Welcome Bree!
All the best 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 and Regulatory News
ASQA update
Delivery of TAELLN411. ASQA has acknowledged that advice in its news article on 17 April 2014 was inconsistent with advice previously provided by an ASQA official. It accepts that RTOs have been operating in good faith on the basis of the original advice and confirms that no action will be taken where RTOs have complied with any ASQA advice.
The good news is that this is now a moot point for RTOs wishing to deliver TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills. This is because on 1 May 2014, IBSA updated TAE10 to include TAELLN411 to the elective bank of the following qualifications:
- TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
- TAE50111 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training
- TAE50211 Diploma of Training Design and Development.
Read the ASQA news article at the link below.
http://asqa.gov.au/news/1912/delivery-of-the-unit-of-competency-taelln411—update.html
Policy update on VET accredited English courses. ASQA has recently updated its policy for providers of VET accredited English courses to overseas students on student visas. All VET accredited English courses are required to be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas students (CRICOS) as English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS). There are two recent ASQA news articles on this topic. Both links are provided below.
http://asqa.gov.au/news/1918/policy-update-on-vet-accredited-english-courses.html
Changes to course registration on CRICOS. Providers will no longer be permitted to add the same VET course on CRICOS multiple times (with varying durations and course titles). A VET course will only be approved for registration on CRICOS once. Read the ASQA news article at the following link:
http://asqa.gov.au/news/1917/are-you-planning-to-offer-a-vet-course-to-overseas-students.html
Invoicing update—annual fees. ASQA has recently updated its published information on the calculation and payment of annual registration fees. Read the full details at the link below.
http://asqa.gov.au/news/1919/invoicing-update-annual-fees.html
ASQA to automatically update scope of registration for equivalent training package products
One of the first outcomes of the VET Reform Taskforce has been released by ASQA. From 1 July 2014, equivalent training package products (qualifications and/or units of competency) will be automatically added to an RTOs scope of registration without requiring an application or any fee. This process applies to all ASQA registered training organisations (RTOs) with a training package product listed on their scope that an Industry Skills Council has superseded with a new training product that it has deemed equivalent.
The ASQA article answers all the questions you are now probably asking yourself, check it out at the link below.
http://www.asqa.gov.au/news/1923/coming-soon-asqa-to-automatically-update-scope-of-registration-for-equivalent-training-package-products.html
AQF update
Amendments to the Masters Degree Specifications. The AQF Council has approved minor amendments to the Masters Degree Specifications which comprise adjustments to the wording of the volume of learning. The amended specifications can be downloaded from the AQF website. They are effective from 1 June 2014.
International activities. The AQF Council has commenced two international projects that aim to align the AQF with qualifications frameworks in other countries/regions. The first is a joint project with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to align the AQF with the New Zealand Qualifications Framework while the second aims to align the AQF with the European Qualifications Framework.
The Office of the AQF Council has moved. Due to changes in the Commonwealth Government Ministries in late 2013, the hosting arrangements of the Office of the AQF Council have changed from the Department of Industry to the Department of Education. A change of location and new telephone numbers took effect from Monday 12 May 2014.
To read more on any of these stories click on the following link:
http://www.aqf.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/AQF-Newsletter-May-20141.pdf
Interim arrangements for VET standards and policies
A notice has been published on the website of the now defunct National Skills Standards Council (NSSC). The notice concerns the interim arrangements until the Industry and Skills Council Advisory Committee is fully operational. As expected current VET standards and policies remain in place for the purposes of regulation. Read the notice at the link below.
http://www.nssc.natese.gov.au/training_packages
AVETMISS compliant software register
The AVETMISS Compliant Software Register contains a list of publicly available student management systems or data entry tools that software vendors have registered as being AVETMISS compliant. This information is designed to help RTOs choose an appropriate system. Newbery Consulting’s RTO Data is of course listed on the register. Access the register at the link below.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/AVETMISS_software_register.html
VRQA provides new information about apprenticeships and traineeships
The VRQA has published new policy information for apprenticeships and traineeships regarding minimum hours per week for employment and training. Read more information at the link below.
http://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/apptrain/Pages/schemes.aspx
Training Package News
Recent Training Package endorsements/updates
- USFI11 Seafood Industry – Release 2.1 – 16 May 2014
- TAE10 Training and Education – Release 3.4 – 2 May2014
For details of release information go to http://training.gov.au/
FAQs for TAE Training and Education Training Package
Following on from extensive consultation regarding changes to the TAE Training Package, IBSA has published FAQs to provide some clarity on a number of commonly raised questions. Access the resource at the link below.
https://ibsa.org.au/sites/default/files/downloads/TAE%20FAQ%20notes%2020140505.pdf
Events, Resources & Funding News
Australian apprenticeship & traineeship update
Click on the links below to view the Training Package qualifications recently implemented in States and Territories.
2/05/2014: http://aatinfo.com.au/getattachment/71006522-491c-4333-9b2c-e79affb59356/file.aspx
16/05/2014: http://aatinfo.com.au/getattachment/7726b2c2-2006-4dd1-a1be-ba74f74a6523/file.aspx
30/05/2014: http://aatinfo.com.au/getattachment/c564bb32-b232-4d9e-8ce1-f17af2c0ed4d/file.aspx
Australian apprenticeship & traineeship service provider search
A new feature – Service Provider Search – has been launched on the AAT Information website. This resource is a central point facilitating searches for service providers active in Australian Apprenticeships. Any service provider with an interest in promoting their Australian Apprenticeships related activities on this free service can create an account to post general information about their services and key contact points. To find out more go to the following link:
http://www.aatinfo.com.au/What-s-New—FAQ/What-s-new-on-this-site-
More information on the Industry Skills Fund
The VET Reform Taskforce published some additional information about the $476 million Industry Skills Fund on 23 May 2014. The Fund is a key element in the Australian Government’s competitiveness agenda and will provide up to 200,000 training places and support services, including literacy and numeracy and mentoring. Read more at the link below.
http://vetreform.industry.gov.au/news/more-information-industry-skills-fund
New resources for NSW’s Smart and Skilled
If you are planning to make an application to deliver training under Smart and Skilled take note of some recently added resources by State Training Services. These include: the release of 2015 prices and fees; Information sessions scheduled; the release of an overview for training providers. To find out more go to the following link:
http://www.training.nsw.gov.au/smartandskilled/deliver_training.html
Less students in publicly funded training in 2013: preliminary data
In a media release from the NCVER it reports that the total number of students enrolled in publicly funded training for 2013 decreased 3.4% to 1.88 million students from 1.94 million in 2012. Read the media release at the following link:
Media Release 27 May 2014
Recent VET publications
2014 NMC Technology Outlook for Australian Tertiary Education: A Horizon Project Regional Report
The New Media Consortium and Open Universities Australia
The 2014 NMC Technology Outlook for Australian Tertiary Education: A Horizon Project Regional Report is a collaborative research effort between the New Media Consortium and Open Universities Australia to help inform Australian education leaders about significant developments in technologies supporting teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in tertiary education.
http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2014-technology-outlook-australian-tertiary-education-EN.pdf
Early impacts of the Victorian Training Guarantee on VET enrolments and graduate outcomes
Felix Leung, Rong Zhang, Duncan McVicar, Cain Polidano
The impact of the first round of Victorian demand-driven reforms, referred to as the Victorian Training Guarantee (VTG), on enrolments and training outcomes is the focus of this report. The VTG reforms were introduced to create a more responsive training market and were implemented between July 2009 and January 2011. Subsequent reforms introduced in Victoria in 2012 are not part of this analysis. A particular focus of this report is on impacts for Indigenous students, those from a non-English speaking background and students with a disability. The impact of the VTG on enrolments and training outcomes for students from different age groups is also considered.
Research Report 19 May 2014
Other News of Interest
Budget 2014-15
We know you’re possibly sick and tired of hearing about the budget but Issue #149 of The Scan on 15 May 2014 provides a good summary of the Budget implications for the tertiary education section as well as the responses from a range of sector participants.
http://the-scan.com/2014/05/15/the-scan-149-15-may-2014/
Qld Parliament passes laws for access to TAFE assets
Laws passed in the Queensland Parliament on 8 May 2014 will see an independent body established to manage TAFE assets called the Queensland Training Assets Management Authority. TAFE properties will be managed on a “commercial basis” and some could be sold. Read the ABC’s news article at the following link:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-09/qld-parliament-passes-laws-for-body-to-manage-tafe-assets/5441008
Kangan and Bendigo TAFEs to merge
A planned merger has been announced between Victoria’s regional Bendigo TAFE and the major Melbourne-based Kangan Institute. Read more at the following link.
http://the-scan.com/2014/05/21/kangan-and-bendigo-to-merge/
Senate inquiry urges change to TAFE funding
The Senate Education and Employment References Committee inquiry into TAFE has recommended a new funding formula for TAFE to reflect the actual cost of service delivery, and a reversal of funding cuts by the States. Read more at the link below.
http://the-scan.com/2014/05/22/senate-inquiry-urges-change-to-tafe-funding/
Commission of Audit missed opportunity on VET
…or so says Peter Noonan of Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy. Read his opinion as published in The Scan on 22 May 2014.
http://the-scan.com/2014/05/22/commission-of-audit-missed-opportunity-on-vet/
Qld TAFEs’ new executive
The Chief Executive Officer of TAFE Queensland, Jodi Schmidt, has announced the appointment of six General Managers. Read more in the TDA Newsletter at the link below.
http://www.tda.edu.au/cb_pages/newsletter_26_may_2014.php
The financial viability of Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) in doubt
As reported in The Scan on 28 May 2014, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) suffered financial losses of more than $30 million in 2013, prompting the auditor-general to express doubt that it can survive. Read the article at the following link:
http://the-scan.com/2014/05/28/nmit-hits-a-wall/
International student numbers are up in higher education and down in VET
International student data as at 31 March 2014 show significant increases in student numbers from Nepal and India, with many coming through streamlined visa arrangements for higher education study. On 31 March 2014, there were 366,914 student visa holders in Australia. There were 223,102 higher education students (an increase of 13.7% from 196,188 in March 2013) and 69,405 VET students (down 0.8% from 69,405 in March 2013). Read more at the link below.
http://the-scan.com/2014/05/29/international/
The news articles presented in this edition of VET News have been researched and prepared by Anne Maree Newbery.
Copyright © 2014 Newbery Consulting All rights reserved.