Registrations open for the 2008 Australian Training Awards Presentation Dinner
The 2008 Australian Training Awards will be held at the Darwin Convention Centre on 20 November. To register your attendance and witness the best in Australian training, visit the Register to attend page.
Australian Training Awards will be presented in the following categories:
- Employer of the Year
- Prime Minister’s Small Business of the Year
- Australian Training Initiative
- VET in Schools Excellence
- Large Training Provider of the Year
- Small Training Provider of the Year
- Australian Apprentice of the Year
- Australian Apprentice (Trainee) of the Year
- Stella Axarlis Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year
- Vocational Student of the Year
In addition to these categories, the Australian Training Awards provides a platform for presentation of the following awards:
- Institute for Trade Skills Excellence Trade Teacher of the Year Award
- Australian Flexible Learning Framework Innovative Business Award
- The inaugural National Centre for Vocational Education and Research VET Researcher of the Year Award
Contact Emma Gaughwin on (02) 6240 5408 or email
emma.gaughwin@deewr.gov.au for more details.
Grant funding for Registered Training Organisations
DEEWR is calling for applications for funding up to $50 000 (GST exclusive) for RTOs to develop and implement ‘Fast-Track Apprenticeships’.
Applicants should address:
- how proposed activities will reduce the completion time of an apprenticeship (not just off-the-job components), and still meet the high quality demands of industry, employers and apprentices;
- how they will work with industry and local employers to ‘fast-track’ apprenticeships; and
- how they will address skill shortages within regions as well as industry demand.
For more information, visit
http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/RTO/Fast_track.aspBrokerage funding for Fast-Track Apprenticeships
DEEWR is calling for applications from lead organisations to broker ‘fast-track’ apprenticeship models/activities to alleviate skill shortages. These models/activities should increase the number of apprenticeships completed on demonstrated competence rather than time served.
Only lead organisations that have been operating an effective, nationally recognised fast-track model in the proposed industry for at least five years are eligible for funding. These organisations should have demonstrated broad development, promotion and implementation of this model with industry on a regional and/or national level.
For more information, visit http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/RTO/Fast_track.asp
Apprentice and trainee numbers increase
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research has released the March 2008 quarter apprentice and trainee statistics for the Australian vocational education and training system.
Overall, there were 425 800 apprentices and trainees in-training as at 31 March 2008, an increase of 2% from the previous year.
Statistics comparing apprentice and trainee activity for the year ending 31 March 2008 with the previous year show:
- the number of people commencing an apprenticeship or traineeship increased by 5% to 280 700
- the number of people completing an apprenticeship or traineeship rose by 2% to 145 800
- the number of people cancelling or withdrawing from an apprenticeship or traineeship grew by 6% to 135 400.
As at 31 March 2008, the number of people undertaking a ‘traditional trade apprenticeship’ was 198 100. Compared with a year earlier, there was a 9.5% increase in commencements for ‘traditional trade apprenticeships’.
For more information please go to
Australian vocational education and training statistics: Apprentices and trainees, March quarter 2008.
what matters, read it, love it!
what matters is a series of free brochures that provide vocational education and training (VET) professionals with the most up-to-date research findings about e-learning.
The series is used to publicise the key findings from research undertaken by the national training system’s e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), and includes:
To keep up with the
what matters series, subscribe to the Framework’s monthly e-newsletter,
Flex e-News, or to order a copy of
what matters email Annie Fergusson, Benchmarking and Research Business Manager at
fergusson.annie@saugov.sa.gov.au or call (08) 8204 0809.
For more information go to the
what matters series.
For more information about the
Framework, its products, resources and support networks, contact: (07) 3307 4700, email:
enquiries@flexiblelearning.net.au .
VET programs boost employment prospects
Participation in Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs improves the employment prospects and earning power of recent school leavers, a report released today by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) concludes.
There are benefits to young men and women in undertaking a VET program rather than entering the workforce without any form of post-school education and training, with completion of a program providing even greater benefits.
The VET pathways from school to work taken by more than 6000 young Australians were examined. Data were collected annually from 1995 when the study's participants were in Year 9, until 2004 when most were aged 23 and had entered the workforce. By that age, approximately 20 per cent of school leavers had done no post-school study or training, 40 per cent had commenced a university course and 40 per cent had undertaken a VET qualification.
All three VET pathways analysed – apprenticeships, traineeships and non-apprenticeship VET programs (mainly TAFE courses) – provide greater access to full-time employment. Of the young people who were employed, many more of those who had completed a VET qualification said their job was part of their intended career path.
The findings suggest that young women who complete a traineeship are more likely to find full-time employment than those who do no post-school study. Young men who complete apprenticeships experience very high levels of full-time employment and earn substantially higher wages than those who do no post-school study.
Traineeships are particularly important post-school pathways for Indigenous Australians and for those living in rural and remote areas.
Students who do not complete secondary schooling and who do no post-school training experience relatively poor labour market outcomes.
ACER's chief executive Professor Geoff Masters said the study underlines the importance of career advice in the early years of secondary schooling, when students form intentions about their future study and work.
“A lack of clear information about potential VET qualifications and careers is likely to lead to individuals having poorer labour force outcomes than they might otherwise achieve,” Professor Masters said.
Further information and additional findings are available in the report, VET Pathways Taken by School Leavers by David D. Curtis. The study is research report number 52 in the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), a program funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) with support from state and territory governments.
Australia’s cultural melting pot adds diversity to workplace skills
With 30 per cent of Australian residents born overseas and more jobs than ever in services, the importance of cross-cultural training for employees has never been greater.
New research by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) says employers are increasingly likely to favour workers who can interact with people of different cultures.
However, in his report ‘Cross-cultural training and workplace performance’ researcher Robert Bean says that the vocational education and training (VET) sector is presently not well geared up to deliver cross-cultural training on the scale required.
NCVER Managing Director Tom Karmel says the research highlights the positive experience of VET graduates with cross-cultural training as well as employers’ support for it.
“The increasing cultural diversity of the Australian population and workforce means that the ability to work across cultures is becoming a necessity for many workers,” Dr Karmel said.
Although employers acknowledge the benefits of a culturally competent workforce, Bean's work suggests that many are yet to see cross-cultural competencies as part of a generic skill set.
To stay ahead of the game, the research suggests VET authorities consult with client industries and enterprises to assess the need for cross-cultural components in programs.
However, any growth in demand for cross-cultural skills will need to be matched by further training of existing VET staff and recruitment of experienced cross-cultural trainers.
For more information download a copy of Cross-cultural training and workplace performance,
Professional development opportunities: Assessment Validation & Survey Writing Workshops
Voc Ed Learning Group (VELG) will be running two new workshops for RTO staff to attend during October and November 2008. Feedback from previous VELG workshops in 2008 has indicated that people were eager to learn more about assessment validation and survey writing as forms of ‘Continuous Improvement’ under the AQTF 2007 Essential Standards for Registration.
For more information regarding these workshops please visit www.velg.com.au
Striving for Excellence Conference – 13 October 2008
QTIC Skills Link will be holding its annual conference for teachers and trainers of tourism and hospitality on Monday 13 October 2008.
Our aim is to provide an opportunity for teachers and trainers to update their industry knowledge and skills through a series of workshops and information sessions. It will be hands on and informative and a great opportunity to network with a range of training providers and industry!
For details please visit QTIC Skills
WELL on the way! – 2008 Conference
A National Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) Practitioners’ Conference will be held on Wednesday 12 November and Thursday 13 November, at Bankstown District Sports Club, NSW, Australia.
For further information email Kath at MESAB – mesab@mesab.com.au
This Conference is supported by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
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