This post was originally published on this site
As a South Australian resident, I have just through an election that has seen a return of a Labor government after just 4 years in opposition.
During the campaign there was much concern over the costs of the various party’s election promises with talk about initiatives for business growth, building hubs of technology and innovation, concern for the environment, increased spending on health and infrastructure, ambulance ramping, a return of the supercars race to Adelaide streets, whether or not we should build a new entertainment centre and even creating a brand-new ‘African Oasis’ at Adelaide Zoo along the banks of the River Torrens. There were the usual promises about increasing apprenticeships and traineeships too.
One of the things that slipped under the radar for me was a Labor proposal to build five technical colleges – three in metropolitan Adelaide and two in regional South Australia. As the Labor Party’s policy paper notes:
“The technical colleges will cater for year 10 – 12 students who want to complete their SACE [South Australian Certificate of Education], undertake vocational training and start working.”
One of the motivations appears to be to improve school completion rates, especially for those who may disengage early (another article in this issue of VDC News touches on this). It is also, perhaps, designed to address the relatively low uptake of VET in schools options in South Australia compared with other states such as Western Australia and Queensland.
The proposed technical colleges will:
- “Be inked to an existing secondary school, to ensure that the students have access to all the subjects and support they need to complete their SACE
- Be associated with a TAFE campus for direct support in the quality of vocational education and training courses. They will also connect to industry training providers as appropriate
- Have high quality equipment and spaces, and
- Be located to maximise opportunities for students.”
This sounds very worthy, but why do I have a sense of déjà vu? Sadly, I’ve been round long enough (too long!) to remember the Australian Technical Colleges (ATCs) funded by the Federal Government during the Howard era between 2005 and 2009. Amongst other things, this initiative was an attempt by the Federal Government to get more ‘skin in the game’ federally in vocational education. Those with either an interest in VET history, or who are just a bit nostalgic, can take a look at a 2007 report by the Australian National Audit Office on the ATC program here.
So, let’s see how this South Australian initiative plays out. It’s not entirely new, because the state has been looking at how to make VET in schools better as this previous VDC news article highlights. For me, however, the real issues remain perceptions of community esteem of VET as an equal but different study option and a recognition of its value in peoples’ learning and career pathways by careers advisors, schools, parents and the community more generally.
New trades colleges proposed in South Australia by Hugh Guthrie | VDC