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Fast Facts

Edition 288

New Units of Competency – Intellectual Property, including Copyright

Invitation to participate in consultation

You are invited to contribute to a national project to incorporate Intellectual Property into the national vocational education and training (VET) sector.

Intellectual Property Australia (IPA) recognises the importance of education and training on Intellectual Property (IP) so that businesses can protect their proprietary knowledge, a key component of success in today’s competitive global market. A research report, commissioned by IPA in 2007, recommended that training in IP should be included in national vocational education and training.

Precision Consultancy (www.precisionconsultancy.com.au) has been contracted to develop units of competency in relation to IP, to be incorporated into national Business Services qualifications. These units will also be able to be included in qualifications by other industry groups. 

Precision Consultancy would like to consult widely about business and training needs in relation to IP.  If you are interested in being involved in this exciting project, either by providing your expertise in relation to IP, or discussing your industry needs around IP, please contact Chris Harrigan, Research Consultant, Precision Consultancy on 03 9606 0118 or christopher@precisioconsultance.com.au to schedule a face-to-face or telephone meeting, or to include you on our data base to receive project updates.

Registration open for 2008 VELG National Conference

Registration is now open for 2008 Vocational Education Learning Group National Conference to be held on 7 and 8 August 2008 on the Gold Coast.

The conference, themed ‘Striving for Excellence in Vocational Education’ will focus on:

  • the progress of the AQTF 2007
  • what the ‘Quality Indicators’ will have unveiled
  • how to achieve the next registered training organisation level of ‘Excellence’ through the implementation of the Excellence Criteria.

Key learning areas to be addressed will include quality indicators, external and internal auditing, and the Excellence Criteria.

A Panel Session will discover the achievements of the 2007 VELG Funding Grant Winners in the last 12 months. A range of elective sessions will be designed to aid registered training organisations in their pursuit of excellence in vocational education and training.

A fantastic networking opportunity will be provided at the FREE Welcome Function (with an open bar and nibbles!) on the Thursday evening (7 August, 2008).

REGISTER NOW so you don’t miss out on what is set to be one of the year’s best vocational education forums.

Registrations close on 25 July 2008.

For more information contact Melissa Upson, Voc Ed Learning Group, on
07 3010 9334, natconference@velg.com.au or visit www.velg.com.au

Reframing the Future Forums: Enterprises Enhanced by VET

Reframing the Future is facilitating interactive forums in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart during August 2008.

The forums will enable training providers (RTOs) and practitioners to discover strategies to assist enterprises to diagnose, predict and tailor training to fit their workforce development needs.

Participants will also have an opportunity to explore strategies for developing new skills and capabilities for working with enterprises.

The forums will be of high value to people with responsibility for improving their training organisations’ structures, cultures and processes or for building the capabilities of training organisation staff.

To download a detailed information flyer and an expression of interest form, visit www.reframingthefuture.net

Two forums will also be held in Melbourne in November in conjunction with Reframing the Future’s New Ways of Working in VET Forum 5.

For more information contact Suzy McKenna on 08 8207 9688, Suzy.McKenna@tafesa.edu.au or visit www.reframingthefuture.net

Growth In Australian Vet Students Variable

Growth in student numbers in Australia’s public vocational education and training (VET) system varied between the states and territories in 2007.

Today’s release of Australian vocational education and training statistics: Students and courses 2007 shows the largest increases occurred in Tasmania (up 5.0%), Northern Territory (up 4.3%) and Western Australia (up 3.7%).

Strong growth also occurred among Indigenous students (4.5% increase) and students from non-English speaking backgrounds (5.1% increase).

A profile of student enrolments also shows that the national training system continues to be popular with younger people (43.2% were aged 24 years and under) and a significant number of students study part-time (88.1%).

As well as data focused on students and participation, the release also includes statistics on courses and qualifications, subject results and the type of funding delivered in 2007.

Studying higher level certificate III and IV qualifications continues to be a popular choice, the statistics showing that almost 30% of enrolled students undertook a certificate III qualification.

In 2007, compared with 2006 the number of students undertaking a certificate IV qualification increased by 6.2% to 188,700.

Overall, 1.67 million students were enrolled in Australia’s public VET system in 2007, which equates to one in nine people in Australia aged 15 to 64 years undertaking training within the system.

Management and commerce was the most common field of education (20.3%) followed by Engineering and related technologies (16.7%).

To download a copy of the Australian vocational education and training statistics: Students and courses 2007 please visit Publications

For further enquiries, please contact Anna Payton 08 8230 8467 or Chris Booth 08 8230 8440 / 0402 218 186

Nominations now open for the 2008 Trades and Skills Teacher of the Year

The 2008 Trades and Skills Teacher of the Year Awards are now open.
Nominate a Trades or Skills teacher you think deserves recognition for
the commitment, expertise and hard work they undertake to ensure their
students are trained to the highest industry standards.

The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence is awarding prizes of $5,000
to outstanding Trades or Skills teachers in the following areas:

  • Automotive
  • Manufacturing
  • Building & Construction
  • Metals & Engineering
  • Electrical
  • Mineral Resources
  • Hospitality & Personal Services
  • Rural and Farming

One overall winner will be crowned Australian Trades and Skills Teacher of the Year at the Australian Training Awards in Darwin on 20 November, 2008.

For further information please contact Pip McConachie, Colvin Communications (02) 8314 7178 or 0402 448 745.

Industries sign up for e-learning revolution

Industry sectors across Australia are taking a long-term view of building the skills of their people by embedding e-learning into workforce development.

Preliminary funding of approximately $600,000 has been allocated to Australian industry groups and businesses to integrate e-learning into their workforce training plans and practices.

Funded through the Industry Integration of E-learning business activity of the national training system's e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), several industry sectors will work with employers in their industries to advance e-learning and make workplace training less costly and more efficient.

Five industry sectors –stainless steel, medical technology, dairy, water and independent supermarket and liquor – have each received $100,000 this year with future funding of $100,000 earmarked for each industry sector over the next two years.

The three-year vision for this funding is designed to bring about long term and sustainable advances to e-learning in each industry sector.

In addition, Aged and Community Services Australia will be funded $50,000 for a one-year industry sector project to develop a strategic workforce development plan incorporating e-learning for the aged care sector.

Furthermore, a business cluster associated with the fertiliser industry has received a one-year grant of $48,900 for e-learning solutions that will be trialled with two major employers.

Industry Integration of E-learning Business Manager Jenny Dodd said, there had been significant industry interest in developing e-learning solutions and the selected projects demonstrated the variety of industries that could benefit from incorporating e-learning into the delivery of workplace training and development.

Visit http://industry.flexiblelearning.net.au throughout the year for updates on the progress of these projects.

For information about the 40 industry e-learning demonstrations developed between 2005–2007, visit the E-learning for Industry website. This industry-focused website provides rich resources, such as an online Practical guide to e-learning for industry where businesses can discover how to make e-learning work in their organisation.

For more information about industry use of e-learning contact Jenny Dodd, Industry Integration of E-learning Business Manager on (02) 6207 4955 or email: industry@flexiblelearning.net.au

For more information about the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, telephone (07) 3307 4700, email: enquiries@flexiblelearning.net.au or visit: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au

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