Following the November Australian National Training Authority Ministerial Council (ANTA MINCO) meeting, State and Territory Training Ministers supported model clauses for training legislation which will guarantee nationally consistent training requirements and standards across Australia. MINCO agreed to seek approval to amend State and Territory vocational education and training legislation to initiate the national training system and ‘single gauge’ legislation by 1 July 2004.
Currently, employers and apprentices who move between States deal with jurisdictional compliance differences and cumbersome red tape within the different State and Territory vocational education and training systems.
With strong support from industry, this landmark decision to introduce model clauses in training legislation will mean that employers and apprentices will get consistently high quality vocational education and training regardless of where they live and where they may move to in the future.
For more visit:
www.dest.gov.au/ministers/nelson/nov02/n238_151102.htm
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Between 24-26 October 2002, over 12,000 school students, teachers, industry representatives and members of the public attended the WorldSkills Australia National Competition Expo in Newcastle. The competition, the largest of its kind in Australia, saw more than 600 of Australia’s highly skilled young people between the ages of 16 to 25 years compete in over 50 trade and skill categories to showcase best practice and vocational skills.
After almost 18 months of regional and state competition around the country involving some 4,000 young Australians, 600 finalists advanced to the national competition for the opportunity to compete and represent their country at the International Skills Olympics in St Gallen, Switzerland in June next year.
WorldSkills Australia encourages skills excellence among young people and challenges their trainers and employers to encourage these young people to achieve. It also promotes the value and status of vocational education and training.
The popular competition promotes excellence in the vocational education and training (VET) system, engages corporate Australia on the benefits of VET reform and is a great opportunity for young people to compete against each other in a spirit of sharing, comparing and development.
Competition categories featured world’s best practice in trade and skill areas including building and construction, hospitality, client services, electrical and electronic, automotive, computing, technology and engineering. To preview some of the competition categories click to view photos.
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The WorldSkills National Competition Expo, officially launched by Mr Ken Ticehurst MP, Member for Dobell, on behalf of Dr Brendan Nelson MP, Minister for Education Science and Training, featured more than 100 trade exhibits. The exhibits provided a wide range of information to young people about pathways and vocational careers as well as an opportunity for industry members and employers to glimpse the latest in trade and skill development occurring within the highly competitive marketplace. |
For the third year in a row, the National VET in Schools Competition Finals were also held as part of this event. This competition involved year 11 students undertaking vocational education and training as part of their secondary studies. Competitions ran in 11 trade categories including business administration, commercial cookery, construction, tourism, information technology and primary industries such as agriculture and horticulture.
The Commonwealth Government, through the Australian National Training Authority, provided $500,000 to WorldSkills Australia to coordinate the regional and national competitions. In addition to the Commonwealth funding provided to support WorldSkills Australia, New Apprenticeships were proud sponsors of the event and promoted the world-class vocational education and training pathways available to young people in this country.
The Commonwealth congratulates all finalists and national medallists for their commitment and outstanding achievement. For a list of this year’s national medallists visit www.worldskills.com.au/nationalresults.html .
Stepping Forward – improving pathways for all young people is a declaration signed by ministers for Education, Employment, Training, Youth Affairs and Community Services from the Commonwealth and all States and Territories. In the Declaration, ministers have outlined their shared vision of an Australia where young people are nurtured and challenged and can realise their full potential. They have made a commitment to working together to develop practical ways to increase the social, educational and employment outcomes of Australia’s young people.
The Declaration was developed by the Ministerial Sub-committee on Young People’s Transitions, established by the Commonwealth-State Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in July 2001 as part of MCEETYA’s response to the Footprints to the Future report.
To accompany the Stepping Forward Declaration, the MCEETYA Ministerial Subcommittee also developed a national stocktake of initiatives supporting young people at risk: Stepping Forward – sharing what works. The Stocktake demonstrates the extensive activity of the Commonwealth, State and Territories supporting young people in transition and addressing the issues for vulnerable young people raised in the Footprints to the Future Report.
MCEETYA has now asked its Transitions for School Taskforce to develop an Action Plan to implement the Declaration and promote an effective national approach to transitions for young people. The Taskforce will report to Ministers out-of-session in late 2002.
Both the Declaration and the Stocktake are available on the MCEETYA website: http://www.curriculum.edu.au/mceetya/stepping_forward.htm .
The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) is currently conducting a client satisfaction survey to assess the quality of services provided by New Apprenticeships Centres (NACs) to employers and New Apprentices. Similar surveys were held in 1999 and 2001. The New Apprenticeships Support Services (NASS) contract requires DEST to measure the level of employer and New Apprentice satisfaction with the services that NACs provide.
Market Solutions was chosen after an open tender and commenced interviewing employers and New Apprentices on 17 October 2002. Pre-survey letters were sent out to employers and New Apprentices in all States and Territories to advise them of the possibility of being contacted to take part in the survey. Names were chosen randomly from Departmental records of employers and New Apprentices (apprentices and trainees) who have dealt with a New Apprenticeships Centre in the past six months.
All information collected by the survey is confidential and no individual response will be able to be identified. DEST is bound by the Commonwealth Privacy Act and Market Solutions is bound by the Market Research Society of Australia code of ethics and strict confidentiality principles. Employers and New Apprentices have been assured that personal details will not be used for any other purpose.
If you need further information, please contact the New Apprenticeships Client Support line on 1300 367 847
Master Builders Australia held the 2002 National Building and Construction Awards on 24 October at the National Museum of Australia.
The evening is the principal event on Master Builders Australia’s calendar and provided the opportunity for industry, government and all those who have assisted the Master Builders to meet and recognise the achievements and innovations of the past twelve months.
Mr Ben Johnson, Branch Manager, New Apprenticeships Branch represented the Department of Education, Science and Training and presented the National Apprentice of the Year 2002 Award. Jamie Fry, a fourth-year carpentry apprentice with the MBA South Australian Group Training Company, took out the prestigious award.
Other awards presented at the National Awards evening included the National Lifestyle House for Seniors Award; the National Environment and Energy Building Efficiency Awards; the National Export Awards; and various awards in the housing, civil and commercial sectors.
For further information on the awards, including the winners, please see the attached link to the Master Builders Australia website: http://www.masterbuilders.com.au/awards.html .
As part of the 2002-2003 Budget, the Commonwealth Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson, announced two new initiatives to build on Australia’s high skill base. These two initiatives are additional incentives available to employers who take on New Apprentices. Further details of these incentives are provided below.
Innovation Incentive
From 1 January 2003 an additional commencement incentive will be made to employers who employ a New Apprentice in a qualification that is in information technology or other highly skilled occupations at the AQF level III or IV. The innovation incentive will be $1,210. The industries that may attract the new incentive include qualifications in aeroskills; electricity supply; electrotechnology; film, radio and multimedia; food; information technology; laboratory operations; plastics, rubber and cablemaking; seafood; telecommunication; water and gas.
School based New Apprenticeships
From 1 January 2003, incentives will be available to employers of School based New Apprentices. A commencement incentive of $825 will be paid to employers who commence a New Apprentice who is school based in addition to the standard commencement incentives. In addition, a retention incentive of $825 will be paid to employers who employ their School based New Apprentice within six months after they have completed Year 12.
A Review of the New Apprenticeships Incentives Programme, foreshadowed in 2001 election policy statement “Skilling Up Australia”, was undertaken in 2002 in line with the election commitment of ensuring that the employer incentives should be targeted and as simple as possible.
Following extensive public consultations earlier this year and analysis of over 100 subsequent submissions from 260 organisations, Dr Brendan Nelson MP, Minister for Education, Science and Training, announced new initiatives aimed at reducing the red tape and simplifying processes for businesses to take on a New Apprentice with the view to encouraging a stronger focus on New Apprentices completing their training.
New arrangements will allow employers to claim their incentive payments (a total package of $4,400) in two, rather than three stage points with the payment being redistributed for employers to receive 20% of their incentive when they sign on a New Apprentice and 80% payable when New Apprentices complete their training.
Other outcomes of the Review, which come into effect from 1 July 2003, include changes to incentives available to rural and regional employers, disadvantaged mature aged workers and people with disabilities as follows:
- Incentive for Rural and Regional Skills Shortages will be paid at the commencement of Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) III and IV, rather than at progression from AQF II to AQF III or IV;
- Living Away From Home Allowance (LAFHA) will be increased to $77.17 per week and extended to second year and paid at half the rate;
- Additional $825 will be paid at the commencement and another $825 on completion for New Apprentices over 45 years old who are welfare dependant, returning to the workforce or have been made redundant; and
- Disabled Apprentice Wage Subsidy will be extended to trainees so that all eligible employers of New Apprentices with a disability can access this important assistance.
Payments to Group Training Organisations (GTOs) have also been simplified and will come info effect from 1 July 2004. The additional incentive for GTOs for trainees will be phased out over two years and be replaced with a completion incentive for Certificate II New Apprentices who completed with a GTO. In addition, GTOs will be eligible for the same incentives as other employers. At present, unlike other employers, not-for-profit GTOs are not able to access the standard completion incentive payment.
A full report on the Review is available on the New Apprenticeships website at www.newapprenticeships.gov.au/naip/consultation_report.pdf 
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The 2002 Australian Training Awards were presented on 14 November 2002 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.
The Australian Training Awards are the annual national finals of training awards presented in every State and Territory. Hosted by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), the gala event was attended by over 900 guests.
The Awards are an opportunity for a range of people from industry and government to come together and recognise the high achievement in Australian vocational education and training.
For 2002, awards were presented in two categories – student awards and organisation awards.
A list of the awards and their winners are listed below:
Student awards category
- New Apprenticeships Apprentice of the year – presented to Aaron Carle, New South Wales;
- King Gee New Apprenticeships Trainee of the year – presented to Tara Harding, Queensland;
- Vocational Student of the year – presented to Susan Meli, Victoria; and
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the year – presented to Gary Richardson, Queensland.
Organisational Awards category
- The Australian Training Initiative Award – presented to West Pilbara College of TAFE and Cheeditha Community;
- Employer of the Year – presented to Thiess Pty Ltd;
- Prime Minister’s Small Business of the year – presented to Alf’s Smash Repairs;
- Large Training Provider of the year – presented to Institute of TAFE Tasmania;
- Small Training Provider of the year – presented to Traineeship Advisory Services Australia; and
- VET in School Excellence Award – presented to Benalla College, New South Wales.
For further information on the award winners see the ANTA website at: http://www.anta.gov.au/vetWinners.asp .
The Australian Indigenous Training Advisory Council (AITAC) held its Partners in a Learning Culture Conference on the Gold Coast from 6-8 November 2002.
The three-day conference was the first for AITAC, an advisory body to the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Board on training issues for Indigenous people, and was attended by over 250 delegates in the training sector.
The theme of the conference was Partners, Priorities and Performance.
The aim of the conference was to raise awareness of issues that relate to vocational educational and training outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It aimed to do this by:
- Providing understandings of current systems in place
- Presenting the latest research in learning
- Exchanging ideas in vocational education and training
- Establishing and strengthening professional networks
- Showcasing products, programs and workshops.
The conference was highly successful and well received by all delegates.
For further information on the Partners in a Learning Culture national strategy, please visit the ANTA website at: http://www.anta.gov.au/daplearning.asp .
Australia’s first vocational education and training portal,
http://www.training.com.au/ , will be launched in June 2003. The client focussed VET portal will provide a seamless service entry point for Australian businesses and enterprise registered training organisations (RTOs) with services progressively expanding to all RTOs, learners and the general community.
The driver behind the development of the portal was the need for a modern business solution to navigation and transaction difficulties between clients and the national training system.
The prototype, cooperatively developed by Commonwealth, State and Territory VET departments, ANTA and industry, was completed in September this year and focus group usability tests are scheduled for the near future.
Further information about the portal is available from Suzanne Flynn at ANTA on (07) 3246 2433 or flynns@anta.gov.au.
3 February 2003
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This page was last updated on: Monday, 09 February 2004
Department of Education, Science and Training.