Key Element 1: Vocational education and training (VET)
Vocational education and training Vocational education and training (VET) in Schools programs have emerged as a major pathway for senior secondary students in recent years. Previous reports have documented the development and widespread growth of these arrangements. The next major stage in the development of this pathway is to ensure that VET in Schools programs become a fully integrated and sustainable feature of senior secondary schooling.
The Review of the ANTA VET in Schools Program provided a useful range of areas for assessment of program sustainability including:
- the establishment of infrastructure
- absorption into schools’ and systems’ recurrent budgets
- adjustment to schools’ operation and culture
- the establishment of certification arrangements and access to tertiary entrance
- efficient delivery
- routine links with industry.
The achievement of sustainability across government and non-government school sectors in all states/territories represents the next major challenge for VET in Schools programs.
VET in Schools programs will comply with the Australian Recognition Framework (ARF) and progressively implement training packages. Compliance with the ARF will increasingly occur in an environment of strengthened quality assurance arrangements. Qualifications delivered through VET in Schools programs will need to be indistinguishable from qualifications delivered by other providers. State/territory authorities will work progressively to ensure this compliance. The progressive introduction of training packages on an industry basis indicates that the transition to full implementation will take a number of years.
VET in Schools qualifications will be recognised for tertiary entrance purposes and will be increasingly accepted in the employment market. In order for VET in Schools pathways to be accessible for all students it is necessary to establish satisfactory arrangements concerning tertiary entrance. Some progress has been made in this area but there is a need for more universal application. Acceptance of VET in Schools qualifications in the employment market requires employer confidence in the quality assurance arrangements.
This element of the new framework includes the relatively new pathway of school based apprenticeships first introduced in 1998. Programs conducted under these arrangements are based on a formal training agreement between the employer and the trainee. To further expand opportunities for school students through this pathway a number of issues require further attention including:
- more effective accommodation of the arrangements within school operations
- appropriate levels of coordination between the diverse partners to these arrangements
- recognition of student achievement in senior secondary certificates and tertiary entrance arrangements
- consideration of the potential of recognition of part-time employment associated with training in these arrangements.