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Spirits were high in Adelaide on 17 August, when 22 employers from around Australia received awards at a celebratory dinner at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The Ministers Awards for Excellence – Employers of New Apprentices recognise the invaluable contribution that Australian employers make to providing quality training in their local communities through New Apprenticeships. |
For the first time since the Awards commenced four years ago, they have encompassed employers not only in rural and regional areas, but also in metropolitan areas.
The Gala Dinner Presentation was a spectacular event with approximately 250 attendees, who celebrated well into the evening, and included Award winners, their guests, representatives of the New Apprenticeships Centres, and representatives of peak bodies.
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Winners were diverse in company size and industry - ranging from ION Automotive in Lavington, NSW which employs 353 New Apprentices, through to Tiaro Meats and Bacon, QLD with 3 New Apprentices. Industries represented by the winners included local government, digital media, hairdressing, childcare, automotive, engineering and butchery. |
The winning employers each received $5,000, a certificate and a unique hand-crafted award. Representatives from the New Apprenticeships Centre (NAC), which supports each winning employer, were also recognised for their work.
Wendy McDowell, manager of the Awards process and celebrations, noted that the quality and enthusiasm of the employers nominated for the 2004 Awards was very high and next year's Awards should be even more competitive.
Keep an eye on the New Apprenticeships website to nominate for the 2005 Awards, or express your interest to your New Apprenticeships Centre.
For more information on the Awards and New Apprenticeships visit www.newapprenticeships.gov.au 
An independent evaluation report of the Australian Government’s Career and Transition (CAT) Pilot is now available.
The evaluation found students who participated in the CAT Pilot had more confidence, had a greater sense of purpose and direction and in many cases, were encouraged to stay at school rather than possibly dropping out with no plans for work or training.
Between April 2002 and April 2003 more than 37,000 young people aged 13 to 19 were assisted to find and achieve their own potential through sound careers advice and guidance. During this time the CAT Pilot assisted 24,000 young people to develop a Learning Pathways Plan. Each Learning Pathways Plan helps a student recognise their career goals and develop a plan, including matching courses of study to help them achieve their career aspirations. The Learning Pathways Plans have raised awareness in the community of how important these career and transitions issues are for young people. Ultimately, young people have become more actively engaged in planning their own careers.
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The evaluation found the CAT Pilot has encouraged government and non-government schools to adapt school curriculum to put a greater emphasis on career and transition learning.
Community Partnership Committees, established as part of the CAT Pilot, have used local knowledge and networks to engage community agencies and industry in the lives of young people and ensure that services are effectively co-ordinated. |
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On 26 July the independent evaluation of the Partnership Outreach Education Model (POEM) Pilot was released confirming its overwhelming success in assisting young people who have disengaged from education to return to study and work.
Since 2002, POEM projects have assisted more then 2500 young people ranging from 13 – 19 years of age. These projects have been coordinated by a range of community, government, education and employment organisations.
The approach of each POEM project has been tailored to local community needs and strengths, finding alternative pathways to re-engage young people in a way which makes sense to them, their families, and their peers.
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Eighty per cent of young people participating in POEM were completely disconnected from learning before taking part in the projects. In 2002 and 2003 40% of young people who graduated from POEM went on to mainstream education and training; 19% to employment or New Apprenticeships and 10% to another programme including Job Network or CDEP.
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The POEM Pilot fosters an appreciation of lifelong learning by providing positive and welcoming learning environments, enabling this highly vulnerable group of young people to experience educational success.
View the POEM and CAT Evaluation reports |
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VET Priority Places Programme (VETPPP) is in full swing around the country with most brokers now having contracted their Registered Training Organisations to arrange the courses and provide the training. So far courses have become available in Business; Information Technology; Retail Operations; Aged Care; Home and Community Care; Disability Care and Production Horticulture.
There has been a lot of interest from potential participants and the brokers are confident that the programme will be a great success. Commencements have gradually begun and it is expected that this will grow rapidly over the coming months as more courses become available.
Last month two of the brokers, SkillsPlus in Melbourne and Centacare in Perth, launched their VETPPP Contracts. Both launches were well attended and highlighted the enthusiasm these brokers have about the VETPPP.
| Remember, Adam Vella, the Olympic bronze medal winning plumber?
Well, courtesy of Group Training Australia and Jim Whiteside, CEO of Australian Training Company, here’s a report on the group training apprentices and trainees who are performed at the Olympics.
Loudy Tourky – women’s diving – two bronze medals (Cert.II Sport & Recreation Traineeship)
Kerry Wyborn – Australian women’s softball team, silver medallist (Cert II Sport & Recreation traineeship).
Other sport and recreation group training trainees performing in Athens include Heather Garriock (women’s soccer), Belinda Snell (the Opals basketball team), Brett Holman (the Ollyroos soccer team) and Clinton Hill (800 metres).
Great to see the trades represented at the Olympics.
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On Wednesday 25 August, at the National Forum for Careers Practitioners, an innovative website and guide were launched. The website and guide will help more than 200,000 Year 12 students across the country answer the question of “what next?” |
Across the country, Year 12 students and their families are making crucial decisions about their options for 2005. This new, informative pocket guide, Year 12 – what next? and associated website
http://www.year12whatnext.gov.au/ will make moving on from Year 12 a much easier process.
| The guide and its website provide quick and easy access to key information to support year 12’s in their planning and decision making. They also highlight the range of rewarding, highly skilled and sought after positions available through vocational education and training (VET), New Apprenticeships and university. |
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School careers advisers and teachers nationally are encouraged to use these important, new resources to help their students find out about the vast array of post-school study options available to young Australians, particularly through VET.
Year 12 - what next? will be distributed to every Year 12 student.
If you have any queries about this resource, please e-mail the National Framework for Education Taskforce secretariat at: schoolsframework@dest.gov.au
Or nominate a colleague to win a free conference package!
The VETnetwork Australia Conference, Stand and Deliver: delivery strategies for vocational learning will be held at the beautiful Wrest Point Convention Centre in Hobart, Tasmania from Wed 17 – Fri 19 November 2004.
To register for the conference go to http://www.vetnetwork.org.au/ and either register online, or download the form and post it in. You can also nominate a colleague to win a free conference package thanks to the Australian National Training Authority’s sponsorship of the registrations competition.
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This competition will allow one person from each state and territory to win free conference registration, admission to the welcome reception, and a free pre-conference tour! Winners will be determined on the basis of need.
This site also has details on the VETnetwork Australia Excellence Awards (the DEST 'quiet achiever' awards). |
Remember the Conference in Brisbane, 2002? Then you won't want to miss Hobart 2004!
See you there...
Lisa Paul, Deputy Secretary, Department of Education, Science and Training, opened the 2004 National New Apprenticeships Centres (NAC) Conference on 18 August.
The conference, which was held in Adelaide on 18th and 19th August at the Adelaide Holiday Inn on Hindley, was acknowledged by delegates as a great success.
Keynote speakers and workshop presenters focused on the theme of the Conference, ‘Success through Linkages’, and discussed strategies for improving linkages between NACs and stakeholders in the VET and transitions sectors, particularly in relation to servicing Indigenous Australians, people with disabilities and mature workers.
Over 120 delegates attended, representing New Apprenticeships Centres, State Training Authorities, and peak employer and industry groups.
Australian Training Products (ATP) is holding a series of free workshops for VET coordinators & trainers, librarians, school teachers, booksellers and content creators in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart.
Starting Monday 1 September in Adelaide, Finding & Customising Support Materials will address where to find a wide range of training materials nationally available. In the second half of the session the means of customising and value-adding to available support materials, including toolboxes, will be demonstrated and practiced.
The Assessment Strategies - Finding & Adapting Materials workshop is ideal for teachers and trainers new to the VET sector who would like ideas on how to develop and find quality assessment materials. A hands-on session, it will focus on how to use available support materials for developing appropriate supporting documentation, and examine various assessment strategies.
Want to get your training materials published? If so Getting Published by ATP is the session for you! Targeted at content developers, the session will consider the sorts of materials the national VET market is looking for, quality assurance guidelines, publishing agreements and return on investment. There is also a specially targeted program Librarians – Finding Materials for Staff, to support those responsible for seeking out and ordering a range of support materials for staff.
For a complete list of dates and times in each state go to www.atpl.net.au/ and click on the Dates and Events calendar (top right). Attendees can also register online at: http://www.atpl.net.au/index.aspx?tab=Home&zone=calendarevent&mode=listevents .
Western Australia workshops coming November. Seats strictly limited.
For more information:
Ricci Hoffman
Public Relations / Communications Officer
Australian Training Products
Ph: 03 9655 0615
Email: hoffmanr@atpl.net.au
Web: www.atpl.net.au
Australian Training Products is the national not-for-profit provider of training materials to the VET sector.
A dynamic new national network is close to completion as ANTA seeks to boost forward planning for the nation’s skill needs.
Seven of 10 national industry skills councils have now been declared by the ANTA Board, with a brief to develop partnerships between industry and government to develop a highly skilled workforce for Australia.
ANTA Board chair David Hind says the skills councils will provide leadership in skilling Australians within their industries, working together across industries, and in providing input to government to use in meeting emerging skill needs.
“We’re operating in a rapidly changing social and economic environment and we’ve got to use new ways to continue to build our nation’s skills and competitive enterprises,” he says.
“The councils are the first phase of pro-active, adaptable and resilient advisory arrangements for the sector.
“Working with ANTA, the councils position skill issues as integral to all significant national cross-government economic and social policy initiatives,” he says.
The role of the councils is to channel industry “intelligence" about training needs into the VET system as well as boost training within the fast-growing industries themselves.
The councils will:
- assist industries, enterprises, and their workforce to integrate skill development with business goals; and
- support high quality, nationally recognised training products and services, including enhancing innovation and efficiency in their development.
The seven councils declared are:
- Agri-Food Industry Skills Council represents the people and businesses who feed Australia – from paddock to plate. This includes almost 140,000 businesses, with more than half-a-million employees in the farming, grazing, meat and seafood industries, as well as manufacturing, food and beverage processing, pharmaceuticals, racing and bloodstock exports.
- Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council (CS&H ISC), the official voice on the training needs of Australia’s fourth fastest-growing industry combination. The community services and health industries include aged care, children’s services, disability work, Indigenous health workers, community support work, and non-clinical mental health.
- ElectroComms and Energy Utilities Industry Skills Council, which covers electro technology, lifts, communications, gas, and the electricity generation and transmission and distribution sectors.
- The Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council covers the full range of business skills, from core and specialist financial and business services including management, through to telecommunications, information technology and printing.
The council also represents the more creative fields of music, film and television, visual arts and design.
- Resources and Infrastructure Skills Council, which covers all of the industries involved in the resources supply chain, from exploration, extraction, and primary processing to the civil construction sector, which uses extractive industry products like sand and gravel.
- Service Industries Skills Australia (SISA), which covers Australia’s burgeoning services industry, including the retail and wholesale, sport and recreation, tourism, hospitality, hairdressing, beauty therapy, and funeral services sectors.
- TDT Australia, which will cover the transport and logistics, maritime, and aviation sectors and replace the former training advisory body.
For more information contact Angela Allen, ANTA. Ph: (07) 3246 2388, fax: (07) 3246 2490, email: allena@anta.gov.au
website: www.anta.gov.au/vetItabs.asp
Lean and agile…..It sounds like an Olympic athlete, but it’s actually the profile of the modern Australian manufacturer. And, like any elite athlete, this $80 billion industry is using groundbreaking training techniques to make sure it remains in the medals.
Manufacturing contributes more to Australian production than any other industry, exporting more than half its production and employing almost a million Australians.
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The industry encompasses everything from heavy engineering to textiles, and has faced extraordinary pressures over the past decade to stay competitive - reduced tariff protection, increased competition from imports; an ageing workforce; an image problem turning off new recruits; tougher occupational health and safety (OH&S) and environmental regulation, and more advanced technology. |
Manufacturers and their workforce have responded by changing work practices and adopting new technology ---- becoming “lean and agile”. The manufacturing workforce of today is smaller, but four times as productive, as that of the 1960s, with a sometimes painful move towards more elaborately transformed manufactures, niche products requiring highly technical skills, and processing of our “natural endowments” --- food, and minerals, for example. This has seen dramatic change in the skills required of manufacturing workers across all sectors of the industry.
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A core group of key national industry bodies have banded together to generate the workforce required to sustain the industry. Using funds from the Australian National Training Authority, they have identified and refined a new set of skills and qualifications for lean and agile manufacturing workforce and begun a professional marketing campaign to entice young Australian blood into their ageing industry. |
Bob Paton heads the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Industry Training Advisory Body, one of the group of government-funded manufacturing training organisations. He has been a leading figure in the industry for two decades, and an advocate for the work that’s known as the “competitive manufacturing initiative”. One of two major elements is the new Competitive Manufacturing Training Package. Soon to be available, it will offer cross-industry qualifications with a focus on innovation, leadership and improving technological process. It’s aimed squarely at people who are responsible for developing or implementing manufacturing practice systems. Qualifications range from Certificate II, aimed at group leaders on the workshop floor, through to the advanced diploma for managers.
“This is all about breaking down traditional rigid occupations and allow multi-skilling and cross-skilling. I use the analogy of ‘If you’re a good salesperson you can sell any product’. This also applies to manufacturing practice skills – they are essentially the same, irrespective of the final product.”
“If we’ve got people with these generic skills that apply no matter what sort of manufacturing you’re talking about, it will help the industry overcome cyclical shortages in specific areas. It also gives people with these skills better job opportunities, career paths, and in the end, means a more profitable business for their employer,” says Paton.
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The new training package will also meet the need for higher level skills base for planners and managers of maintenance and processes.
“It brings together the systems thinking, creative thinking and interpersonal skills that a manufacturing organisation needs to be viable in the 21st century.” |
The second element of the competitive manufacturing initiative is also about a future workforce ---- or the threat of not having one at all. Australia’s ageing workforce is impacting on all industries, contemplating increasing competition among themselves for the shrinking pool of new, young recruits. Industry-commissioned research showed that manufacturing was behind the eight ball because of an image problem. Young people believe a career in manufacturing means long hours, low- status work in a dirty and male-dominated environment. Unfortunately for the industry, the people who influence young people’s career choices – parents, career counsellors and teachers – have the same ideas.
The manufacturing bodies decided to employ some modern techniques of their own, and engaged a market research firm to tackle their image issue ---- leading to the national Make it! campaign that’s changing those perceptions and bringing new, young faces into manufacturing enterprises.
Celeste Howden is from Manufacturing Learning Australia, another industry training body, and closely involved with Make it!, which has also been promoting the training agenda to manufacturing employers.
“Research shows that young people want to work in a more collaborative way, that they value relationships in their workplace, and want access to training and promotion,” Ms Howden said.
“We need to reinforce with employers that young people expect training in their workplace and this is going to be critical to the future of their businesses.”
The initiative is continuing, and will soon become the core work of the Manufacturing Industry Skills Council, a new national body that will replace Paton’ and Howden’s organisations and others, giving the manufacturing industry a single, consolidated voice.
The final word lies with the people at the heart of the initiative – Australia’s manufacturing enterprises. Blundstone is the country’s largest manufacturer of heavy duty and work protective footwear at its factory, tannery and onsite skills centre in Tasmania.
“Blundstone operates in one of the most competitive sectors of the Australian economy,” says chief executive officer Steve Gunn.
“We run a modern operation with the latest technology, organised along modular manufacturing formats, which gives us flexibility, short production times, improved quality, and increased productivity.
“We need our employees, especially our team leaders and supervisors, to have a strong understanding of manufacturing systems and our supply chain. While the technical skills are very important, in this day and age, we need more.
“The skills in the Competitive Manufacturing Training Package are going to give us this.”
www.cmi.org.au 
www.makeit.net.au
www.blundstone.com
Media inquiries:
Jan Martin
ANTA media
(07) 3246 2412
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