Workplace Development

Government-appointed Advisory Group ask for apprenticeship system reform

Nearly 12 months after it was established, the Apprenticeships Reform Advisory Group has delivered a suite of recommendations that could change Australia’s apprenticeship system. Apprenticeships are gaining a lot of attention at present in various states, at the national level, and internationally too. There’s too much going on to pack into one brief newsletter article

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Australia’s ageing workforce and the need to customise VET delivery

As Australia’s population is aging and are staying in the workforce longer, VET has a role to play in engaging/reengaging mature age workers. In 2012 the CSIRO released Our future world: Global megatrends that will change the way we live which identified six critical changes that will influence Australia’s future. What makes these changes critical

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Continuing Professional Development

Governments across Europe have devoted a good bit of thinking time to designing professional development arrangements for VET teachers and trainers. The designs vary markedly, as is demonstrated in Professional development for VET teachers and trainers a Briefing Paper released in July by CEDEFOP (the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training).  Despite the

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Pathways to higher education

Pathway programs are now a key element in Australia’s attempts to improve access to undergraduate studies for disadvantaged students. A recent report examines the effectiveness of sub-bachelor pathways and enabling programs. The 2014-15 Budget, the Commonwealth government proposed to uncap sub-bachelor programs and provide Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) for students enrolled in them. The proposed

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Recognising TAFE’s strengths in applied research

Applied research is gathering momentum in the TAFE sector. An earlier newsletter article (RedSpace: thinking) looked at Red:Space, TAFE Queensland’s Centre for Applied Research and Innovation, and reported on a recent Innovation and Applied Research Roundtable held at Canberra Institute of Technology and hosted by TAFE Directors Australia and the LH Martin Institute. Applied research

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Study captures VET sector diversity

LH Martin Institute report, Profiling institutional diversity across the Australian VET sector provides an insight on the changes that have occurred over time as policy has evolved, particularly the evolution of contestable markets. The Institute’s study was supported by TAFE Directors Australia and the Australian Council for Private Education and Training. The report’s key finding are:

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