Following the enormous success of the ONtrack ‘Real Careers – Rural Future’ CD-Rom, an updated version was launched by Dr Brendan Nelson, Minister for Education, Science and Training, at the Wodonga Institute of TAFE on 20 May 2003.
Almost 7000 of the updated ONtrack CD-Roms will be distributed throughout Australia to careers advisors, New Apprenticeship Centres, and other sponsors.
The updated CD-Rom showcases career opportunities in rural Australia and profiles 20 young people and their careers in 15 rural and regional industries, including farming, nursery production, finance and meat processing. The updated CD-Rom presents rural careers in a realistic and exciting light and challenges the stereotypes that many Australians may hold about careers in the rural sector.
The updated CD-Rom was produced with the assistance of Westpac Regional Banking Corporation; Australian Pork Ltd; Meat and Livestock Australia; Horticulture Australia; the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the project coordinator was Rural Skills Australia.
Rural Skills Australia with Commonwealth Government support has also developed a website to provide rural and regional career information www.ruralskills.com.au/ontrack/index.htm 
.
This innovative approach to career information provides a strong example of how partnerships between the rural industry and the Commonwealth Government can be used to address skill shortages in regional Australia.
The Minister delivered a stirring speech at the launch, saying:
“It is very important that we create a culture where young people start to see very strong messages telling them that going to TAFE, getting an apprenticeship, doing training or even just getting a job is just as important as getting a university education.
It’s time in our country we started to develop an attitude that encourages all young people to find and be their best instead of forcing them to be what they’re not and too often forcing them to go to university when there are some outstanding opportunities in apprenticeships and training in rural and regional settings through TAFE.”
The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson, speaking at the launch of the new rural careers CD Rom in May
Online registration for NET*Working 2003 is now open.
To Secure your place at the premier flexible learning professional development event in Australia, simply log on to http://flexiblelearning.net.au/nw2003 .
NET*Working 2003 will showcase the latest e-learning technology and explore current trends, issues and best practice in flexible learning in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector.
More than 600 teachers and trainers, managers and CEOs, learning resource developers, instructional designers and futurists will join NET*Working 2003 'Innovate, Initiate, Integrate' from October 22-24 at Peppers Fairmont at Leura in the Blue Mountains, 100km west of Sydney.
Presentation categories include flexible learning case studies, round table discussions, workshops and learning activities centred on themes such as blended learning, managing the leading e-learning, collaborative communities, partnerships and collaboration. For the full list of presentation categories, submission procedures and closing dates, visit http://flexiblelearning.net.au/nw2003/papers.asp .
Confirmed program highlights for this year's conference include:
- sessions by leading Australian educators and trainers and international guest speakers on the latest innovations in e-learning
- celebrity facilitated interactive workshops exploring emerging technology areas and their impact on employment, training and society
- panel discussions and hands on workshops focusing on the application of emerging technologies to flexible learning
- key note speakers will examine the issues of leadership and management in organisations embracing flexible learning business practices
- a trade exhibition showcasing the latest e-learning technologies; networking opportunities and much more!
NET*Working 2003 Project Manager Jeff Saul said the NET*Working conferences, developed under the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, were now recognised as world-class flexible learning events.
"This year is shaping up to be the best NET*Working conference yet, with nationally and internationally renowned key note speakers, guest celebrities and cutting-edge learning technology demonstrations," Mr Saul said
"Numbers are limited, so I recommend registering early to ensure you don't miss out."
NET*Working conferences are developed, managed and funded through the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, a national initiative to accelerate the rake-up of flexible learning in the VET sector
For more information about NET*Working 2003 or to submit a presentation proposal, visit http://flexiblelearning.net.au/nw2003 or email jeffrey.saul@tafensw.edu.au
The Group Training National Quality System was launched by the Commonwealth Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson on 30 May 2003. The launch was supported by Group Training Australia, the peak body representing many Group Training Organisations (GTOs), and Hospitality Training Network (HTN), currently the largest hospitality specific group training employer in Asia Pacific region. New Apprentices employed by HTN displayed their fine culinary skills as light entertainment for the guests and shared some of their practical expertise with Dr Brendan Nelson, the Minister for Education, Science and Training, and Moria Scollay, the former chief executive officer of the Australian National Training Authority. The Group Training National Quality System results from ANTA's extensive review on Group Training conducted in 2002 under the auspices of ANTA.
Group Training Organisations employ New Apprentices and place them with host employers and they provide continuity of employment, additional care and manage the New Apprentice’s training. The Group Training industry accounts for over 10% of the total market share of New Apprentices. It is also a strong performer in difficult markets, and is the single largest employer of Indigenous New Apprentices, New Apprentices with a disability and mature age New Apprentices.
The Group Training National Quality System includes a set of quality standards and an official Group Training logo. The Standards are intended to protect and strengthen the quality and the reputation of Group Training Organisations, ensure a consistently high level of quality of the Group Training product across Australia and increase New Apprenticeship opportunities and contribute to skill development. Group Training Organisations recognised as compliant against the National Standards are able to display the official Group Training logo helping to clearly distinguish to employers and New Apprentices and their families that they uphold the standards and are a quality organisation committed to meeting high national standards. Since 1 July 2003, the governments' Joint Group Training Program is available only to Group Training Organisations that meet the National Standards.
For further information, including full copies of the National Standards, visit: http://grouptraining.ntis.gov.au/ .
A new advertising campaign for New Apprenticeships focusing on traditional trades was launched on 27 June by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson.
The campaign focuses on dislodging perceptions of traditional trades as second rate jobs for people who are “not university material” as opposed to a career option which can lead to a potentially successful, independent and lucrative career. The commercials feature the industries of carpentry, hairdressing, cooking and plumbing. Scott Cam from Backyard Blitz appears in one of the commercials.
For further information on the new campaign visit the New Apprenticeships website at http://www.newapprenticeships.gov.au/ .
This innovative program of face-to-face and online activities covers 'virtually' the whole of Victoria! From our one-day conference and Virtual Car Rally, through to a host of metropolitan and regional activities and more than 20 case studies there will be something to engage all who participate. The themes of
'Being responsive: new clients and new industries' and
'Enablers of change: innovation and technology are explored during the week.'
Registrations are now open - visit www.tafefrontiers.com.au/flexible .
The enduring need for people to make things with their hands is explored in
Rare Trades , a major new exhibition open at the
National Museum of Australia in Canberra until 12 October 2003.
Rare Trades explores humans as tool makers and tool users; the process of transforming raw materials into useful objects and the passing on of secret and not so secret trade knowledge. The exhibition explores how technological advances relate to these old trades - and our feelings for them today. A bladesmith, blacksmith, stone tool maker, craypot maker, sailmaker, weaver, clockmaker, shoemaker, and wheelwright are among other traders featured.
Training Packages @ Work, Australia's premier source of free information about training packages and how to use them, now has a national website. Readers can subscribe via the website to receive an email version of the national version of the newsletter, or opt for state specific content.
You can also read issues online, view back issues of the newsletter, edit or update your subscription details and forward the newsletter to colleagues.
Visit http://www.tpatwork.com/
In October 2002, a group of Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) experts visited Germany to study the German VET system. A copy of the report 
from this study trip is available for download (PDF-490kb).
This study tour is an annual arrangement, taking place under an agreement between the Department of Education Science and Training and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. There have been alternating visits each year since 1997, with a group from Germany due to visit Australia for two weeks in late October 2003.
If representatives from the VET sector are interested in hosting a site visit from the German VET experts during their stay in Australia, please contact Christopher Lawson on 02 6240 7192 or via email at Christopher.Lawson@dest.gov.au.
On 11 June 2003, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) met with a number of key researchers in Darwin to share and discuss findings from their recent work and identify potential gaps that could feed into the development of an Indigenous education and training research strategy.
For further information on this work please contact Tracey Jordan at traceyj@ncver.edu.au
Jerry Schwab from ANU speaking at the Indigenous VET Research Forum in June.