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Time to seek quality in Australia’s reform of vocational education

Time to seek quality in Australia’s reform of vocational education Quality Outcomes for VET Conference 26 November 2013 Martin Riordan Chief Executive Officer, TAFE Directors Australia. Time to seek quality in Australia’s reform of vocational education. The role of TAFE Directors Australia.

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Time to seek quality in Australia’s reform of vocational education

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  1. Time to seek quality in Australia’s reform of vocational educationQuality Outcomes for VET Conference 26 November 2013 Martin RiordanChief Executive Officer, TAFE Directors Australia

  2. Time to seek quality in Australia’s reform of vocational education

  3. The role of TAFE Directors Australia TAFE Directors Australia represents 61 publicly funded TAFE institutions: • represents its members on key government policy bodies • organises an annual conference & seminars • keeps members informed via a weekly email newsletter; and • makes submissions to key government enquiries.

  4. TDA’s argument in a nutshell TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) argues that, while the current Quality Standards must be improved, improvement of the standards in itself will not guarantee consistency in quality of delivery nationally. TDA advocates that regulation by the Commonwealth government should focus on quality outcomes through a more consistent risk-based regulatory framework

  5. National Charter for TAFE.Fair and adequate funding of TAFE servicesQuality criteria are substantially enhanced as the basis of value for money in public funding in a competitive VET systemGovernance enables flexibility and responsivenessRecognition of the innovation and leadership roles of TAFE, including its pivotal position in rural and regional Australia

  6. Why change is needed • TDA supports the National Skills Standards Council’s (NSSC) resolve to lift the quality bar • Poor quality delivery by some providers, has • resulted in significant reputational damage to the sector • impacted on employers’ confidence in VET qualifications

  7. What does TDA mean by a quality VET system? A quality VET system is characterised by: • Courses are well written and structured to meet individual, industry and community needs • Students consistently achieve the required level of competence • Students are engaged in relevant, meaningful and challenging learning experiences • Educational and operational systems, facilities and support systems are benchmarked with other RTOs and accord with student expectations and course requirements

  8. What does TDA mean by a quality VET system? And: • Teachers and assessors are well qualified and expert in their vocational field • TAFE institutes are recognised as low risk and given delegation to alter their scope of registration • A transparent and risk based regulatory system VET system

  9. The Australian Vocational Qualifications SystemEndorsed by Ministers as a basis for drafting new standards on 7 June 2013

  10. TAFE Directors Australia response TDA supports • the focus on education and training • the principles to guide the drafting of the standards • recognition of reduced regulatory burden on ‘high performing’ providers • raising the bar for entry of new providers.

  11. Towards quality across all LTOs • Quality, transparency and responsiveness - are essential in the competitive training market • TDA supports the development of the MySkills website and the Unique Student Identifier (USI) • TDA also urges that the regulatory impact statement be fast-tracked, to accompany any consideration of new standards of new standards

  12. Quality measures in Training Packages TDA members reject greater specificity in Training Packages because such measures: • would impose an unreasonable administrative impost on TAFE institutes, • not necessarily improve responsiveness to their diverse range of clients • the quality of Training Packages is uneven • There is a good argument for a more collaborative approach by developers and educators to achieve Training Packages that lend themselves more to quality delivery and assessment

  13. Regulating in a tertiary environment • A merger between ASQA and TESQA unlikely in the foreseeable future. • identification of commonalities between the agencies, although TDA does not support a university centric model as a basis for regulation. • reduce the reporting burden In a risk based approach to audit, • TAFE institutes should be recognised as low risk providers and consistent with this should be granted delegation to alter scope of their registration • Action is required to streamline regulation and ‘red tape’ impacting technical and further education, and VET providers.

  14. The VET regulatory framework • Amended NSSC standards for the regulation of LTOs • A review of the processes and procedures of ASQA • There should be one national regulator for vocational education and training, not three

  15. Conclusion Time to seek quality in Australia’s reform of vocational education: Australian VET needs a culture of quality, not of compliance. Armajit Basi, CEO, New College Nottingham, UK at TDA’s 2013 conference said of his college, “we can show demonstrable improvements in the quality of teaching and learning, student retention, success and progression”. Where are these measures in the Australian standards or in regulatory practice?

  16. Thank you mriordan@tda.edu.au

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