tafe_teacher_-_summer_2022

THE AUSTRALIAN

TAFE TEACHER VOL 56/3

SUMMER 2022

Jobs and Skills Summit Celebrating National TAFE Day What can we learn from VET teaching in Nordic countries?

Major win for future of TAFE

But we need to keep the pressure on

REBUILD WITH TAFE TO SOLVE SKILLS SHORTAGES

© AEU 2022 Authorised by Kevin Bates, Federal Secretary, AEU 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank, Victoria, Australia 3006

Contents 5

JOBS AND SKILLS SUMMIT

The Official Journal of the TAFE Division of the Australian Education Union VOL56 • N0.3 • SUMMER 2022

Australian TAFE Teacher (ISSN: 0815-3701) is published for the Australian Education Union by Heads & Tales.

The magazine is circulated to all TAFE members of the AEU nationally.

22 VET DEV

Heads & Tales, Ground Level, Building 1, 658 Church St, Richmond 3121 Tel: (03) 8520 6444 • Fax: (03) 8520 6422 Email: tafeteacher@hardiegrant.com AEU and subscription enquiries: Australian Education Union Federal Office, PO Box 1158, South Melbourne Victoria 3205 Tel: (03) 9693 1800 • Fax: (03) 9693 1805 Email: aeu@aeufederal.org.au facebook.com/AEUfederal @AEUfederal Editor Kevin Bates Publisher Fiona Hardie Account manager Christine Dixon Art directon & design Dallas Budde Printer Printgraphics Printgreen Circulation: 11,000 Copyright rests with the writers, the AEU and Heads & Tales.

No part of this pub­lication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright holders. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily the official policy of the AEU.

08

MEETING THE MINISTER

Your national TAFE Council Executive members: Federal TAFE President Michelle Purdy

Features

Federal TAFE Secretary Maxine Sharkey

05

JOBS AND SKILLS SUMMIT TAFE was the big winner but we need to keep the pressure on

22

08

MEETING THE MINISTER Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O'Connor shares his plans

24

12

NATIONAL TAFE DAY This year’s event was more about celebration than survival.

16 18

REBUILD WITH TAFE Our fight for growth UPSKILLING WITH TAFE VET teaching in Nordic countries

VET DEVELOPMENT Valuing VET in skilling and reskilling Australia MENTAL HEALTH TAFE Teachers are at the front line of a mental health crisis in VET

Regulars

04

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

26

AROUND AUSTRALIA

ACT Karen Noble aeuact@aeuact.org.au • 02 6272 7900 • aeuact.org.au NSW Philip Chadwick mail@nswtf.org.au • 02 9217 2100 • nswtf.org.au NT Vacant admin@aeunt.org.au • 08 8948 5399 • aeunt.org.au QLD Dave Terauds qtu@qtu.asn.au • 07 3512 9000 • qtu.asn.au SA Angela Dean aeusa@aeusa.asn.au • 08 8172 6300 • aeusa.asn.au TAS Simon Bailey support@aeutas.org.au • 03 6234 9500 • aeutas.org.au VIC Elaine Gillespie melbourne@aeuvic.asn.au • 03 9417 2822 • aeuvic.asn.au WA Gary Hedger contact@sstuwa.org.au • 08 9210 6000 • sstuwa.org.au

www.aeufederal.org.au T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E T E AC H E R • 3

President’s column

From the president As we end the year, we look to 2023 with high hopes and an urgent need for pledges to become reality.

to gain qualifications that lead to meaningful employment across a huge range of industries.

The value of TAFE lies in its connection to community and support for students, so it is little surprise that highlights of the evening were hearing from two TAFE teachers who spoke of their extensive teaching experience and how TAFE has changed the lives of so many students. Western Australian Geoff Cain, a dual AEU and Australian Michelle Purdy AEU Federal TAFE President

A

fter years of campaigning, it feels fitting that one of the first big announcements from the new federal government involved $1.1 billion for TAFE and the much talked-about Jobs and Skills Summit rang with a rallying cry of support for TAFE from across government and industry.

This meant that National TAFE Day on September 6 was celebrated at Parliament House in Canberra under a banner of positivity that has not been seen in the previous nine years.

Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor, who we spoke to for this issue of TAFE Teacher on his vision for his portfolio, also gave the National TAFE Day address in Canberra where he laid out the new government’s commitment to see TAFE returned to its rightful place as the anchor vocational education institution for Australians.

It was heartening to hear the ALP’s genuine commitment to the rise of TAFE, which supports lifelong learners 4 • S U M M E R 2022

This unique opportunity allowed unionists, politicians and their staff to exchange ideas and address concerns for both funding and programming in an honest and open way.

We must take every chance to help inform the minister and the ALP government of the many difficulties faced by TAFE nationally and propose solutions so we can ensure the longevity of TAFE and its rightful place at the heart of

“Once a great leveller, TAFE courses are now beyond the reach of many who should be the primary beneficiaries of this public good.”

Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) long term union member credited both the AMWU and TAFE for saving the life of one daughter and providing a pathway to a good career for his other daughter. He spoke from the heart about the benefits of a public TAFE education and the outstanding support provided to students.

Victorian TAFE teacher Carolyn Pearce then caught the attention of all those in attendance, with insightful, and very relatable commentary on her experiences as a TAFE teacher and the many benefits for students who come to TAFE for their education.

vocational education in Australia.

This is also why the Rebuild with TAFE campaign must continue – to make certain that TAFE can continue to create a lasting impact for students and communities into the future.

With the year coming to an end, I want to thank members for their hard work and dedication throughout the past 12 months.

As we look towards 2023, we can celebrate what we can collectively achieve when we support each other and work together.

Summit

Jobs and Skills Summit

TAFE was the big winner from the Albanese government’s Jobs and Skills Summit, but we need to keep the pressure on.

Article by Correna Haythorpe

S

eptember’s Jobs and Skills Summit – the first such summit since the Hawke ALP government of the 1980s – rightfully recognised TAFE from the outset. The first major commitment made at the summit was a $1.1 billion package on TAFE agreed to by federal and state governments for TAFE in 2023 and accelerated delivery of 465,000 fee-free TAFE places, as well as ensuring that TAFE is restored to its rightful place as the anchor institution of quality vocational education. This is a big win for members and there is no doubt that the AEU’s Rebuild with TAFE campaign objectives are a priority for the Albanese government.

Across the board, participants at the Summit shared the recognition that you can’t discuss jobs without discussing

skills and vocational education, and that TAFE was invaluable for Australian education.

Highlights of the event included the strength of the union movement at the summit – the AEU was part of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) delegation that consisted of 34 unions voicing the needs of working Australians and their families. This was an invigorating and welcome change compared to the previous federal government.

The summit’s tripartite approach of bringing unions, government and industry together to form solutions was key to its success. The sense of hope that filtered through the room as issues focussed on opportunities for people in terms of access to lifelong learning, career pathways and workforce participation, as well as for workers to have a voice through unions and collective bargaining.

Coming out of the summit, the prime minister committed to 36 immediate initiatives, including the TAFE announcement; modernising Australia’s workplace relations laws to make bargaining accessible for all workers and businesses; amending the Fair Work Act to strengthen access to flexible working arrangements, make unpaid parental leave more flexible and strengthen protections for workers against discrimination and harassment; and improving access to jobs and training pathways for women, First Nations people, regional Australians and culturally and linguistically diverse people; amongst others.

Overall, the Jobs and Skills Summit provided the opportunity for all of us to come together to find solutions for the future, for workers, for employers, for students – and for TAFE. T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E T E AC H E R • 5

AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe’s speech at the 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit.

I

t is a privilege to walk and learn together on Ngunnawal Ngambri country and I pay my respects to the elders past and present as well as acknowledge the elders of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are here with us today.

Prime Minister, your announcement yesterday of a $1.1 billion package for TAFE sent a strong message to Australia about the importance of TAFE with respect to jobs and skills and it was heard by our members, the TAFE teaching workforce and certainly by the students of Australia.

Building and investing in the skills and capacity of our national labour market is critical to creating greater economic and social opportunity in Australia. Yet it’s been nine long years for TAFE. The Coalition government had no coherent plan for skills or migration, largely leaving it to individual employers to set the course with dismal learning outcomes and economic results and a demoralised workforce.

Vocational education and training (VET) is the foundation of our broader skills system and it needs to be a core part of our workforce’s development strategy and be properly integrated into our overall tertiary education and training system.

Investing in skilling and reskilling Australians is a priority we share with employers and all beneficiaries of an efficient and effective national education and training system have a responsibility to contribute, aided by appropriate supports and incentives.

But the VET system has fragmented – it has been underfunded and run down.

It does not provide a holistic picture of skill needs and is not integrated with industry policy.

The voice of industry, both unions and employers, is essential to our national skills and training systems success, and needs to be heard at every level of the system.

Jobs and Skills Australia, as a newly established, independent tripartite 6 • S U M M E R 2022

CRITICAL CHECKLIST FOR OUR PRIME MINISTER Build and invest in the skills and capacity of our national labour market The foundation of our broader skills system, Vocational education and training (VET), needs to be a core part of our workforce’s development strategy Invest in skilling and reskilling Australians with an efficient and effective national education and training system The voice of industry, both unions and employers, is essential to our national skills and training systems success, and needs to be heard

“Australia’s system for apprenticeships and other on-thejob training can be world leading but needs to be reinvigorated, expanded, adapted and supported to meet workforce needs now and into the future.”

The independent tripartite body, Jobs and Skills Australia, needs authority as well as the resources to assess skills shortages and carry out workforce planning We also need to invest in the TAFE teaching workforce, pay teachers more and encourage a range of industry experts to move into the TAFE sector Australia’s system for apprenticeships and other on-the-job training can be world leading but needs to be reinvigorated

PICTURED (right) The letter to the Prime Minister, submitted on behalf of the AEU and 20 other organisations.

Summit

body, needs the resources to assess skills shortages and carry out workforce planning. It also needs the authority to help coordinate skilled migration – to ensure that this complements rather than undermines our skills system. TAFE has a strong social contract to our communities but it must be backed by governments to fulfil that contract. We need to rebuild TAFE as the centre of the VET system by guaranteeing public funding for TAFE. We also need to invest in the TAFE teaching workforce, pay teachers more and encourage a range of industry experts to move into the TAFE sector.

Australia’s system for apprenticeships and other on-the-job training can be world leading but needs to be reinvigorated, expanded, adapted and supported to meet workforce needs now and into the future, including in digital skills with increasing digitalisation requiring enhanced and portable skills across industries and between related industries. And we need to support increased uptake and completion of apprentices and traineeships by a Commonwealth-funded 50 per cent wage subsidy directed to both employers and employees, including retention bonuses and apprenticeship support with the creation of a National Apprenticeship Advocate.

Next Tuesday is National TAFE Day, and we will be celebrating and recognising the awesome TAFE teaching workforce right across the country and I ask you all to join with us on the day and celebrate TAFE for the incredible public institution it is.

CORRENA HAYTHORPE is the AEU Federal President.

T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E TE AC H E R • 7

Q&A

Meeting the minister By investing in skills we can capitalise on the demonstrable connection between a trained and skilled workforce, and a more productive economy. At the Jobs and Skills Summit, we reached common ground on identifying some of the key challenges facing the skills and training sector. The next step is to make lasting change and progress.

Maxine Sharkey and Michelle Purdy:

Maxine Sharkey:

The Jobs and Skills Summit certainly focussed the media and other attention on skills, trades, TAFE and Vocational Education and Training (VET). What are your major takeaways and learnings from that process?

Brendan O’Connor: Access to education, training and lifelong learning gives people control over their own destiny and the Albanese government understands that. Good jobs, strengthening families and communities, and education and training is a crucial element of a person’s employment prospects. That is why the government, and I as minister, are focused on the structural, systemic and cultural challenges facing the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

There is clearly a need to more effectively provide the skills that workers and employers need now and in the future.

Coming into government we have inherited one of the most acute skills shortages out economy has seen. Key to this challenge, among other reforms, is to restore TAFE as the heart of the vocational education and training sector.

Ensuring we have a fit-for-purpose VET sector will be critical to teach and train our existing and future workforce.

Brendan O’Connor: The Jobs and Skills Summit brought Australians together and as part of that process we agreed on immediate and more longer-term actions to help build a stronger economy and a stronger Australia. It is crucial to invest in our most important asset – our people. We will work towards reducing barriers to employment so that all Australians have the opportunity to participate to their full potential.

The importance of a skilled workforce benefits not just individuals, but us all, economically and socially and there was genuine consensus on this at the summit. Outcomes from the summit in my portfolio included: • Agreement from federal, state and territory governments on a $1 billion 12-month National Skills Agreement, commencing in 2023 to strengthen the TAFE sector.

• Resetting negotiations for a five-year National Skills Agreement to commence in 2024 based on guiding principles agreed by national cabinet and skills ministers.

Article by Maxine Sharkey & Michelle Purdy

What would you like to achieve in this portfolio?

8 • S U M M E R 2022

• Developing a comprehensive blueprint with key stakeholders to support and grow a quality VET workforce.

• Reinvigorating foundation skills programs to support workers and vulnerable Australians to gain secure employment choices and navigate a prosperous and fulfilling working life.

• Exploring options to improve the apprenticeship support system and drive up apprentice completions.

• Including specific sub-targets for women in the Australian Skills Guarantee and ensure it includes a focus on the need for digital skills.

• Reforming the framework for VET

Photography by Rohan Thomson (Pew Pew Studio)

AEU federal TAFE president Michelle Purdy and federal TAFE secretary Maxine Sharkey caught up with Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor for a Q&A on TAFE, VET and his priorities in the portfolio.

qualifications to ensure they are focussed on giving students and workers the transferrable skills they need now and in the future.

• Working with industry and unions to develop a digital and tech skills compact to help us meet our target of 1.2 million tech-related jobs by 2030.

PICTURED (above) Brendan O’Connor at the 2023 Jobs and Skills Summit.

Michelle Purdy: You have

mentioned the need for more support for students, in the context of the high non-completion rates for apprentices and trainees, along with the general student population. Can you expand on your thinking regarding additional support needed?

Brendan O’Connor: Australian apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity to earn and learn, obtaining valuable on the job lessons working side by side with those that

have years of experience. It’s a pathway into meaningful, well-paid and secure jobs. But Australian apprenticeship completion rates have declined steadily over recent years, with just over 55 per cent successfully completing their apprenticeship or traineeship. It’s clear the system we inherited isn’t working.

The new Apprenticeship Incentives System provides direct assistance to apprentices with $5,000 paid over the first two years. This is when apprentices report the greatest financial pressure, when their wages are lowest and when they are most likely to drop out of their apprenticeship.

T H E AU ST RAL IAN TAF E T E AC H E R • 9

Q&A

10 • S UM ME R 2022

“It is hard to ensure TAFE is at the heart of the VET sector without supporting the capability of the TAFE workforce, including its teachers.”

Maxine Sharkey: We already have

a shortage of qualified TAFE teachers around the nation and with the government’s recent announcement of fee-free TAFE places, what do you think could be steps to employing more TAFE teachers?

Brendan O’Connor: The Jobs and Skills Summit highlighted the pressure education and training systems are under to attract and retain skilled educators. Without educators, we can’t tackle the skills shortages we are seeing. Without them, we can’t ensure qualifications are more relevant to the jobs of today, and that people have skills that transfer between occupations. To address this, the Australian government will work with the states and territories to develop a comprehensive blueprint

Photography by Rohan Thomson (Pew Pew Studio)

We have also announced additional support to improve retention and completion rates. We are investing $38.6 million to deliver additional in-training support, mentoring and peer support for women in trades that traditionally have low levels of participation by women, and additional contacts to ensure young apprentices receive a check-in phone call in the first three months of their apprenticeship.

As an outcome of the Jobs and Skills Summit, I have tasked my department to work with all stakeholders to review the non-financial supports for apprentices and employers to identify ways to improve completions. The department is currently developing a discovery paper for release in 2022, to form the basis of consultations. The outcomes from this paper will inform policy on the Apprenticeship Support System.

for the VET workforce, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the VET sector. The VET Workforce Blueprint will support the sector to attract and retain the workforce needed to deliver on critical and emerging skills needs.

The blueprint will identify effective strategies for workforce issues, such as attraction, retention, career development and succession planning. I expect the blueprint will identify any early action we can take to ease workforce pressures as well as longer term strategies for a sustainable VET workforce and will be developed in close consultation with state and territory governments, educators, including TAFE teachers, VET peak bodies, unions and industry peak bodies – because a collaborative, tripartite approach will be critical to its success.

Maxine Sharkey: TAFE is highly

casualised. While we do need some teachers to come in and out of industry for short periods, it is hard to justify casualisation levels like 77 per cent of the teaching workforce in NSW, for example. What are the levers available to the federal government to assist more secure employment for TAFE teachers?

Brendan O’Connor: It is hard to ensure TAFE is at the heart of the VET sector without supporting the capability of the TAFE workforce, including its teachers.

The Albanese government will legislate a fair, objective test to determine when a worker can be classified as casual, so people have a clearer pathway to permanent work. People who work regular hours will have the choice to be permanent, and receive access to paid leave entitlements, if this is what they want. Workers who prefer to remain casual and receive the casual loading will be able to do this instead too. It’s important to acknowledge that for state government employees who are not coved by the Fair Work Act, employment conditions are ultimately a matter for state governments. We will of course be

“As part of the Jobs and Skills Summit, a $1 billion one-year National Skills Agreement was announced to provide an additional 180,000 fee-free TAFE places in 2023, with costs shared with the states and territories.”

PICTURED (opposite, left to right) Michelle Purdy, Brendan O’Connor and Maxine Sharkey at the Jobs and Skills Summit.

working with states and territories, unions and industry to develop the VET Workforce Blueprint that will identify strategies to address issues such as attraction, retention, career development and succession planning.

Michelle Purdy: The AEU

is heartened by the commitments made by the federal ALP and the government’s elevation of TAFE in the national skills arena. Can you share any aspirations to lower the barriers caused by high

course fees to Australians seeking to gain Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma qualifications that are not in a skills shortage area currently and so not a part of the fee-free courses?

Brendan O’Connor: The Commonwealth is working collaboratively with states and territories to put forward proposed reforms that genuinely benefit students, TAFEs and employers. As part of the Jobs and Skills Summit, a $1 billion one-year National Skills Agreement was announced to provide an additional 180,000 fee-free TAFE places in 2023, with costs shared with the states and territories. This is on top of around $1.6 billion that was transferred to states and territories for skills and workforce development every year, and significant government investment in supporting apprentices and other Australians undertaking training. In the immediate term, fee-free TAFE will support people into education and training who might otherwise not get the opportunity due to the cost or because they need wraparound support. Priority courses reflect where the openings in the labour market are right now. The next steps will be working on a longerterm response to build a VET system that supports Australians to obtain the skills they need to prosper in a modern economy. We have an agreed a set of guiding principles with states and territories that include putting TAFE at the heart of the system, ensuring all Australians have access to the education, training and support they need to get well-paid, secure jobs, and that no Australian is left behind. If students are missing out on opportunities because they can’t afford education and training, it needs to be fixed.

T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E T E AC H E R • 1 1

G N I T A R B CELE Y A D E F A T L NATIONA

12 • S U M M E R 2022

TAFE Day

National TAFE Day has been a rallying point for the AEU’s unrelenting campaign to defend TAFE in the face of concerted attacks. What a difference a change in government can make.

Article by Kevin Bates

T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E TE AC H E R • 1 3

Photography by Rohan Thomson (Pew Pew Studio)

N

ational TAFE Day 2022 on Tuesday 6 September was celebrated with events held across the nation’s TAFE campuses highlighting the pivotal role of TAFE in providing high quality vocational education. Following the announcement of more than $1 billion for TAFE the week prior, this year’s event was more about celebration than survival.

With this announcement and intense media attention on the central role of TAFE at the Jobs and Skills Summit ringing in their ears, TAFE workplace representatives from AEU branches and associated bodies travelled from across Australia to gather in the nation’s capital. The goal was to meet with politicians to continue the yearslong lobbying exercise to convince decision makers to invest in TAFE to rebuild our community.

Despite the good news, there is still much work to be done for governments to understand just how depleted TAFE has become after nine years of the Coalition government and why more needs to be committed to rebuild TAFE.

TAFE Day

The atmosphere was nothing short of electric. After years of similar lobbying events, it was clear that something significant had changed and we could sense the momentum developing around us.

Meetings with representatives of the Australian Greens and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) allowed direct contact with those who will shape the future of TAFE. Powerful stories of the many challenges faced, and the successes won despite a history of barriers placed before TAFE, visibly moved the politicians present and empowered AEU delegates to redouble our efforts.

With federal parliament sitting for 14 • S UM ME R 2022

“TAFE holds a unique place in the Australian community … It is an iconic public institution ...”

just the third week since the election of the Albanese government, a special celebration was also held in Canberra co-hosted by the AEU and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), giving members from all over Australia the opportunity to engage with members of parliament, staffers and each other in a less formal setting.

The day culminated with a reception hosted by the AEU and our colleagues at the AMWU and attended by 40 members of parliament and senators, including representatives from the ALP, Greens and independents, as well as delegates.

Speaking on the night were Australia Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)

president Michele O’Neil, AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe, AEU federal TAFE president Michelle Purdy, members Carolyn Pearce and Geoff Cain, AMWU national president Andrew Dettmar, as well as Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne. Minister for Skills and Training, Brendan O’Connor provided an address that summed up the mood of the entire day’s events – that the government would commit to TAFE to be restored to its place as the anchor of vocational education in Australia. We are hopeful that this commitment is deep, and we will continue to use our voices to ensure it is heard.

“What a difference a change of government makes, especially when it makes for the happiest National TAFE Day.”

TAFE holds a unique place in the Australian community. It is an iconic public institution that has served our communities for 140 years. The AEU and our allies have always known how important TAFE is. Our determination to campaign to win back the support TAFE needs to do its good work is finally being rewarded. What a difference a change of government makes, especially when it makes for the happiest National TAFE Day. KEVIN BATES is AEU Federal Secretary

T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E TE AC H E R • 1 5

President’s column

UPDATE

Rebuild with TAFE In past years we were fighting for our survival, this year we are fighting for growth.

Article by Maxine Sharkey

F

ollowing National TAFE Day and ahead of the October federal budget, the AEU presented prime minister Anthony Albanese with an open letter signed by 21 organisations representing hundreds of thousands of people, and with signatures of over 1500 TAFE supporters calling for an ongoing commitment to TAFE from the federal government.

It is gratifying that the new federal government has been listening to the 16 • S WUI NT M MEERR 2022 2022

urgent need to support TAFE and pledging to champion TAFE as part of the efforts to address the skills shortage crisis Australia is facing.

Much of this awareness has come from the voices of members who have been dedicated to letting their political representatives know the value and essential function of TAFE. However, we still have a long way to go to ensure a positive future for TAFE. The next steps for the Rebuild campaign will ensure the government

doesn’t waiver from a commitment to establish guaranteed funding to TAFE in the next budget.

The “idea” of TAFE having some guaranteed funding is being considered by the government, but at present there is a lot of motherhood statements with little detail and no timelines for action.

First and foremost, we still need to challenge contestability and ensure that TAFE remains accessible, affordable and properly resourced.

Rebuild with TAFE

“The funding for TAFE needs to be broader and not solely focussed on the short-term future, which is what these fee-free course offerings do.”

Free TAFE courses are good because this money is committed to TAFE and not private providers, but this announcement does not break down the contestable funding model – in fact, it entrenches it by quarantining only some money from contestability. Contestability remains one of the biggest issues in TAFE funding and this still hasn’t been addressed by governments.

The funding for TAFE needs to be broader and not solely focussed on the short-term future, which is what these fee-free course offerings

do. While they will help to address the current skills shortage areas, government must work towards a sustainable plan for the future to ensure longevity for high-quality vocational education and that there is no subsequent skills shortage in different areas in a few years’ time.

There also needs to be a commitment to the wrap-around service TAFE provides to ensure learners are successful; things like language, literacy and numeracy support, counselling, library services (with librarians in them), disability teacher

consultants, and more. TAFEs have been so drastically underfunded for so long that there is much to catch up and urgent investments needed in teachers, training, facilities, infrastructure and course offerings.

So please continue to sound the alarm and ensure your local state and federal politicians understand that the need to #RebuildwithTAFE remains as urgent, despite the positive announcements of the past couple of months.

MAXINE SHARKEY is AEU Federal TAFE Secretary.

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Upskilling

What can we learn from VET teaching in Nordic countries?

Quality, opportunity and status are hallmarks of VET in Finland and Norway. As VET teachers become increasingly endangered in Australia, lessons learnt from overseas could provide the starting point Australia needs to reinvigorate educational opportunities this essential sector.

A

s an advocate of TAFE teachers I have an enormous amount of respect for the VET teaching profession – those who have mastered their crafts over a lifetime before turning their hand to teaching and “giving back” to their trade. However, the apparent unwillingness of education leaders to do what is needed to raise the status and standing of vocational education in society, including elevating the status and standing of the VET teaching workforce is a crucial failure that will have long lasting impact on future generations.

Access to VET teacher training

Until early 2021, I was the course coordinator of the only initial teacher education (ITE) university program in Australia specifically designed to recruit and upskill tradespeople to become qualified VET and technologies secondary school teachers. To my lament, the course did not survive the COVID-19 pandemic, and along with its closure, came the loss of opportunity for tradespeople to gain a professional VET and technologies secondary school teaching qualification in Victoria. Now, I could talk for a long time about 18 • S U M M E R 2022

“… Teacherqualified VET teachers are today so rare, they are literally referred to as an ‘endangered species’ by the national authority responsible for teaching standards …”

PICTURED: (opposite) Automotive department, VET school in Finland.

why the closure of this program is problematic, but I boil it down to three areas of particular concern: (a) quality of VET teaching and learning available in schools, (b) opportunity for VET trainers to gain a secondary teaching qualification, and (c) the low status of VET in society.

Although VET in Schools (VETiS) or VET Delivered to Secondary School Students (VDSSS) has been around since the mid-1990s, to date Australia has been unable to create a sustainable or productive enough way of producing the quantity of ITE or teacher-qualified VET secondary teachers needed to resource the nation’s secondary schools. In fact, teacher-qualified VET teachers are today so rare, they are literally referred to as an “endangered species” by the national authority responsible for teaching standards, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)1.

At this point, someone usually reminds me that VET trainers are able to work in schools so long as they have a special authority or Permission to Teach (PTT).

PTT is something school principals can call on in times when they can’t find suitably qualified teachers to teach their programs. It enables them to employ non-qualified teachers (trainers) to fill in during times of teaching skill shortages.

Photography by Karen O’Reilly-Briggs

Article by Karen O’Reilly-Briggs

PTT is supposed to be implemented only on the proviso that the candidate can demonstrate that they are enrolled in, and working towards a full teaching qualification. Today however, at least in Victoria, these rules have been changed so that VET trainers no longer need to demonstrate that they are enrolled in a secondary teaching qualification2 . In fact, VET teachers are so rare that they have been given their own special category of PTT. But given the importance of VETiS programs to the nation, it is worth considering why is it that VET school teachers are so rare.

“One of the striking differences between Australia and Nordic countries is the high level of respect, and social regard afforded to VET education and VET teaching staff more generally.”

VET teachers are an endangered species

One major reason why VET teachers are on the “endangered species” list is due to the absence of viable or accessible undergraduate ITE programs for tradespeople and other VET professionals to enrol in so they can become qualified VET secondary school teachers. This problem has become so serious that it is no longer possible for tradespeople to find an undergraduate ITE program that offers a VET specialisation and two years of advanced standing in recognition of their trade qualification and industry.

Unless Australia does something to address this issue, and fast, we will be needing to upgrade the conservation red flag from “endangered” to “near extinct”.

So why should TAFE teachers care? Well, if you don’t teach VET in schools, and you have no intention of ever teaching VET in schools then it may not concern you directly at all. However, for anyone that does care or may one day like to teach their vocational to young people in schools, there is a very good chance that they will end up doing the work of a teacher but without access to the same pay, conditions or professional opportunities enjoyed by every other school teacher in Australia. In other words, they are likely to end up working as “second class” teachers in schools, which brings me back to my point about the social status of VET and VET teachers in society. Issues that underline the dereliction of suitable pathways to the point where it is now almost impossible for a VET practitioner to achieve professional parity with general teachers in schools. And spoiler alert, it will not be possible to raise the status and standing of VET in society while VET and those who teach it are treated as second class citizens.

Fuelled by determination to do something to avoid this fate, I applied for a Victorian Department of Educationsponsored International Specialised Skills (ISS) Institute Fellowship to find out how other countries go about producing qualified VET secondary school teachers, and in May this year, I was on my way to Norway, Sweden and Finland to try and find out what their best practice looks like. Following are a few things that I learned about VET in Norway and Finland that may be of interest.

Status of VET and VET teachers in Nordic countries

One of the striking differences between Australia and Nordic countries is the high level of respect, and social regard afforded VET education and VET

teaching staff more generally. VET upper secondary teachers are not only industry experienced – many hold craft or “journeyman” trade qualifications – but they are highly educated as well.

Finland and Norway are world famous for their social equity, high rankings in the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) scales, free education systems, and the high levels of trust and respect afforded their teaching workforces. There is a strong commitment to life-long learning and their education systems have been carefully designed so that there are “no dead ends”.

In Finland, the teaching profession is revered, and teachers hold what has been described as heroic status in part due to the important role they have played in T H E AU ST RAL IAN TAF E TE AC H E R • 1 9

Upskilling

history helping to establish Finland’s independence and the formation of Finnish national identity. Both Finland and Norway have upper secondary VET pathways that are well established and an integral part of their secondary schooling systems. VET secondary school teachers in these countries not only enjoy high levels of education and social status – on par with their academic counterparts – but also receive the equivalent pay, conditions and professional opportunities as general (academic) teachers in schools. Australia would also do well to take note of the popularity of VET in schools in Norway.

Today, over half of all Norwegian upper secondary school students (51 per cent) choose to study a VET pathway to the workforce, making VET in schools more popular than academic pathways to university – quite an achievement!

Becoming a VET secondary teacher in Norway

In Norway, ITE-qualified VET teachers are responsible for all school-based upper secondary VET, and all ITE (or student-teacher) programs are regulated at a national level by the Ministry of Education and Research. There are two types of VET teacher education programs: (a) a three-year Bachelor level program, and (b)a one-year post-graduate program achieved in combination with an academic degree from a university.

In Norway, the majority of VET teachers hold a trade (or journeyman’s) certificate, at least two years of industry experience (post-trade), as well as two years of higher vocational education (at a pre-university level). A vocational teaching qualification also opens up opportunities for VET teachers to pursue research education at masters and doctoral levels. An important role of VET teachers is to help develop their schools as institutions of learning and education in a democratic society with inclusive cultures.

2 0 • S U M ME R 2022

“VET school teachers in Finland are trusted professionals renowned for their diligence, and who hold key positions to develop and change the way curriculum is offered.”

Becoming a VET teacher in Finland

Finns are quite conscious of the link between the public image of VET and the perceived quality of training on offer. As one of the most respected professions in Finland and the high status of teaching makes it a very competitive field to enter. VET teachers in Finland are highly educated and a recent report indicates that only about one fifth of applicants are accepted into VET teacher education programs. There are nationwide qualification requirements for VET

REFERENCES 1. Building a high quality and sustainable dual qualified VET workforce: www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/national-review-of-teacherregistration/building-a-high-quality-vet-workforce.pdf?sfvrsn=552d93c_2 2. Victorian Institute of Teaching PTT policy: www.vit.vic.edu.au/sites/ default/files/media/pdf/2022-04/Policy_VIT_PTT.pdf

teachers in Finland. They must have a bachelor level degree (or equivalent), three years of industry experience and a pedagogical teacher education of one academic year, although this timeframe is flexible. In occupations where no bachelor-level qualification exists (e.g. with trade qualifications), it is still possible to enter a VET teacher education program so long as the candidate has achieved the highest possible qualification in their occupational field and at least three years of industry experience. Finnish legislation steers teacher qualification requirements, and the content of VET teacher education programs is frequently updated by the universities of applied science that offer it (Nordic countries have both regular universities and universities of applied science). VET school teachers in Finland are trusted professionals renowned for their diligence, and who hold key positions to develop and change the way curriculum is offered. The role of the VET teacher is as much about instilling professional ethos in their students as it is about teaching them a vocation.

VET teacher programs are set up so that candidates can be employed by a school while simultaneously completing their teaching qualification, much like an internship arrangement. Finland has a very high level of trust in their teachers, and the intellectual challenges of the curriculum and satisfaction in the knowledge that they have been admitted into such a highly respected profession means that very few teachers leave the profession once admitted.

“As a country presently reeling from teacher shortages, we would do well to learn from Finland, where VET teachers are so highly respected that only 20 per cent of applicants are accepted into teacher education courses.”

Conclusion

So, what can Australia learn from VET teacher education in Nordic countries? As a country presently reeling from teacher shortages, we would do well to learn from Finland, where VET teachers are so highly respected that only 20 per cent of applicants are accepted into teacher education courses. And further, as the nation struggles to encourage more

PICTURED (opposite) VET school in Finland; "Babies" in the storeroom for health care students at Finnish VET school.

young people to pursue VET in schools as pathways to the workforce, we might like to stop and consider why it is that VET is so popular in Norway that the majority of young people, supported by their parents, purposefully choose to study VET ahead of academic pathways to university.

Although my fellowship report is still in progress, it is fair to say that Australia has a lot to learn from our Nordic friends when it comes to the high-quality VET in schools. These countries clearly value education, and value their VET teachers so much so that they have implemented specialist teacher education programs that encourage – not stifle – vocational professionals from not only gaining a professional teaching qualification but achieving the same opportunities and levels of prestige as general teachers in schools.

DR KAREN O’REILLY-BRIGGS is an International Specialised Skills (ISS) Institute Department of Education and Training (DET) Fellow, Victoria University Adjunct Fellow, Secretary of the Australasian Vocational Education and Training Association (AVETRA), Academic Course Manager – Education at Box Hill Institute, and industry experienced and qualified metal engineering and pressure vessel welding tradesperson and former trade teacher. Her ISS report on VET in Nordic countries is forthcoming.

T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E TE AC H E R • 2 1

VET Development Centre

Valuing VET in skilling and reskilling Australia Vocational education and training is invaluable, not only to students but to communities and the economy. So why aren’t schools and parents championing it?

Article by Hugh Guthrie

T

here is consensus that vocational education and training (VET) is a very important post-school educational destination. In the lead up to the Jobs and Skills Summit the three major employer bodies – Australian Industry Group (AIG), Business Council of Australia (BCA) and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) – and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) put out a joint statement describing the importance they place on skills development and training, which we know is VET’s bread and butter.

2 2 • S UM ME R 2022

In that statement, the groups point out that investing in skilling and reskilling Australians is a priority they all share, and they believe VET is particularly important in this process.

In addition, they called for a greater focus on lifelong learning and for key issues such as foundational, digital and 21st century skills to be better addressed. However, these foci are already part of the “mission” for TAFE and VET education providers, and what the sector needs is for schoolteachers and parents to better understand what VET can offer to not only students but the wider community too, and that VET is a viable tertiary education option for many different career choices.

Don’t let VET be undervalued

A “what if” paper published in VOCEDPlus1 pointed to VET having an undeserved lack of esteem compared with universities.

Common concerns from those with little or no knowledge of the VET sector and the career pathways it affords includes whether VET leads to second best and low-paying careers and whether VET is only for less able, non-academic students and dropouts.

But while these negative stereotypes are proven to be unfounded, it has created lasting stigma with damaging flow on for TAFE and VET across the board.

REFERENCES 1. What if we could eliminate the stigma?, VOCEDplus 2. Billett, S, Choy, S & Hodge, S 2019, Enhancing the status of vocational education and the occupations it serves, Griffith University, Brisbane http://hdl.voced.edu.au/10707/525502 3. Ranasinghe, R, Chew, E, Knight, G & Siekmann, G 2019, School-to-work pathways, NCVER, Adelaide www.ncver.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/6547412/School_to_work_ pathways.pdf, summarised by NCVER’s John Stanwick in The Conversation: Most young people who do VET after school are in full-time work by the age of 25 4. Sourced from: http://vdc.edu.au/vdc-news/valuing-tafe-in-queensland/

Researchers at Griffith University2 concluded that the “relatively low status of VET and the occupations it serves is a significant impediment for realising VET’s economic and employment goals.

This status influences young people and parents’ decision making about post-school pathways, and government, community and employer support.”

It’s hard for outsiders to understand the full spectrum of all VET does because of the breadth of its offerings.

People typically understand the trades and what they involve but tend to be far less aware of the very wide range of education and training opportunities VET affords, from teaching foundational skills, including basic literacy and numeracy, to vocational skills for occupations where there are critical skill shortages, to providing paraprofessional training and upskilling. For example, we need more awareness that TAFEs also offer tertiary courses which are rated highly when compared with universities, and that rate very highly in terms of learner engagement and student support.

The Griffith University study found parents – and others – have outdated ideas about VET and what it can offer individuals, communities, employers and industry. This means that VET is not promoted as much as it should be as an attractive option for young people.

The established and myopic view that having a university education is the key pathway to success and stability, means that familial and societal expectations may prevent students from considering VET study options that may better suit them, and in fact find them in a more financially stable position sooner.

This is supported by data from Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY Y06) analysed by National Centre for Vocational Education

“More than 80% of young adults who did a short spell of postschool education or training … were in full-time work by the time they were 25.”

Research and summarised by senior research officer John Stanwick in The Conversation, finding: “More than 80 per cent of young adults who did a short spell of post-school education or training (such as a certificate or diploma), or went directly into work, were in full-time work by the time they were 25. This was compared to 64 per cent of those who studied at university first.”3 For many young people, VET represents a better pathway into learning and career that has more immediate returns and can better meet their personal interests and preferred ways of learning, but we aren’t selling this well enough to those with influence. Therefore, those helping individuals make career choices at school and throughout their lives should think carefully about young people’s ambitions, interests, strengths and abilities and the role VET studies could play in helping fulfil those.

Busting myths

Finally, to realise how important VET is, there needs to be some further myth busting. These myths include lack of earning potential and employment opportunities for VET graduates and their value to employers, the economy and society more broadly. Not only can VET provide students with a faster, more cost-effective pathway to complete a qualification and enter the workforce, VET has a broader economic benefit too. In Victoria for example KPMG concluded that “every $1 spent by Victorian TAFEs and dual sector universities supports $2.19 of value-added in the Victorian economy.”

For Queensland “every $1 spent by TAFE Queensland, combined with the attraction of international students and the upskilling of the workforce, supported $2.55 of value-added in the Queensland economy.” 4 That’s good news for everyone, and it’s time that decision makers and influencers take the incredible value of VET seriously.

HUGH GUTHRIE is a practitioner and researcher in the VET sector and writer for the VET Development Centre (VDC).

VDC was established by the Victorian government in 2005 and, as a leader in the professional development of the VET sector, prides itself on delivering quality, professional and relevant programs for the vocational education workforce in Victoria and across Australia.

T H E AU ST RAL IAN TAF E T E AC H E R • 2 3

Mental health

Head in the right direction:

Mental health and wellbeing in the spotlight TAFE Teachers are at the front line of a mental health crisis in VET students – but often need support themselves.

Article by Fran Molloy

A

cross Australia, dedicated teachers are at the front line of a growing crisis in student mental health and wellbeing.

Australian government statistics show that over two in five (44 per cent)1 Australians aged 16-85 will experience a mental health concern during their lives, with 20 per cent experiencing a mental health concern in the previous year.

“Teachers are telling us, anecdotally, that the proportion of their students who have significant learning problems or mental health issues, is on the increase,” says former TAFE teacher David Terauds, now an organiser with the Queensland Teachers’ Union.

Research backs up these reports that the problem is growing, with a major study by ANU researchers released earlier this year showing a significant increase in the proportion of people aged 18-24 experiencing high levels of psychological distress, from 14 per cent in 2017 to 22 per cent in 20202.

And as we approach the second anniversary of the COVID pandemic, the fallout from the associated isolation, lockdowns and stress on learning is impacting both students and their teachers.

24 • S U M ME R 2022

Increased teaching load “We’ve seen a significant growth in the sheer numbers of students that teachers are supporting, particularly in the apprentice and trainee space,” says AEU federal TAFE president Michelle Purdy, also a TasTAFE Aboriginal Support Officer.

With numbers in some courses climbing to over 100, teachers face time pressures that limit their interactions with students both in block and on workplace visits, Purdy says.

“It’s hard enough for teachers to fit in the everyday demands of their job, and when there’s an increasing number of apprentice or traineeship students presenting with mental health issues, teachers do not necessarily have the skills to deal with that,” she says.

“Teachers do their best to provide support to those students on top of a heavy teaching load, but there’s also declining numbers of specialist student support staff to whom students can be referred.”

Move to online makes personal connection more difficult Purdy says that the nature of vocational teaching has changed significantly, with most courses now having some sort of online component.

“In many courses, particularly outside of trades, most of the theory is now done online,” says Purdy, adding that student learning platforms such as Canvas also host a large proportion of studentteacher communication, which can be disengaging.

This model reduces the time that teachers spend with their students face-to-face to sometimes a few hours a week, she says.

“When teachers aren’t in the same physical space as their students, it’s more difficult to build that personal relationship where you can pick up issues early on.”

Students having difficulties might stop attending, cut classes (whether online or face- to-face) or stop sending in work for assessment, she says.

“With less time to get to know your students, it’s harder to have personal conversations about what’s going on in their life, and what kind of support you can provide,” Purdy says – causing stress for both students and for their teachers.

Global perspective on online learning In a 2021 study on the global impact on higher education from the pandemic from the University of Alberta, education scholar Stephen Murgatroyd writes that as online learning replaced face-to-face learning, technology vendors claimed it was “a moment of transformation when

REFERENCES 1. Retreived from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-healthservices-in-australia/report-content/impact-of-mental-illness 2. Biddle, N. and Gray, M., Tracking wellbeing outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2022): Riding the Omicron wave: https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/ docs/2022/2/Tracking_paper_-_January_2022.pdf 3. Murgatrotd, S., The precarious futures for online learning 4. The Conversation Yes, adult literacy should be improved. But governments can make their messages easier to read right now: https://theconversation.com/yes-adult-literacy-should-beimproved-but-governments-can-make-their-messages-easier-to-read-right-now-164621

colleges and universities shifted from being predominantly about interpersonal relational teaching and learning, to becoming technology-enabled, hybridlearning organisations.”3 But Murgatroyd cautions there is little evidence that technology innovations improve teaching and learning, and that “the transformation conversation is more about privatisation, efficiency and scale than it is about authentic learning and engaged teaching.”

The study points out that governments worldwide now expect higher education systems to “do more with less;” and as institutions increasingly rely on part-time contingent teaching staff, the nature of the teacher–student relationship changes.

“Placing the learner at the centre and marginalising the work of teaching, shifts attention away from the teacherstudent-knowledge relationship, towards the relationship between the student and “content,” isolating the learner from community, peers, social networks and challenge,” warns Murgatroyd.

Student stress on the rise Dr Vivienne Decleva, a nurse educator at Victoria University Polytechnic with a PhD in adult education and postgraduate qualifications in positive psychology, has worked in the TAFE sector since 2006.

Decleva says that she has seen a big change in the student cohort over the past decade and a half, and says that many students come into class, exhausted from work and looking after family as well as keeping up with study.

“Many of our students are in much more difficult circumstances that they were in ten years ago, experiencing a lot of stress and needing compassion and far more support.”

Decleva points out that vocational teaching has a strong emotional component as teachers model the behaviours that their students will take into future workplaces – and that how students are taught is even more important than what they are taught.

“Teachers who bring students into the profession of nursing help to develop them as a person before they develop them as a nurse, giving them a lot of support, a lot of encouragement, a lot of acceptance, modelling empathy and good communication, so our students learn to adopt those behaviours because they trust us,” she says.

Decleva says that there is now greater awareness by both teachers and students, of the role of mental health in education.

Teaching is a demanding profession – but it is also a vocation, she says, and since teachers give a lot of themselves because they love what they do, they’re more vulnerable to burnout.

“It can be soul-destroying when you don’t feel supported or acknowledged for the work that you have done and can really burn you out and make you tired.”

Workload intensification

BE YOU SUPPORTING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS IN TRAINING

David Terauds agrees that today’s vocational students are more stressed overall – and adds that this extends to teachers too, particularly when structural change across most courses has led to intensified workloads.

“Providers have increased the number of units that teachers have to deliver, which also increases the associated assessment and the associated preparation, so while the nominal hours may still be the same, the workload is much higher,” he says.

Providers are looking at how to deliver units more cheaply, he adds – so shifting work online to reduce class-hours is often the only option when there are caps on student numbers in classes.

But with the quality of much of the online learning materials not always great, many students find it challenging to learn online without support, particularly if they have low motivation, or face a digital divide or low literacy.

According to the OECD, over 40 per cent of Australian adults have literacy levels below the international standard needed to participate in work, education and society.4 “What ends up happening is the deferral of workload into an unpaid space when teachers are endeavouring to do the best they can for students by sacrificing their own time – and that’s leading to burnout and to increased teachers leaving the profession,” Terauds says.

Michelle Purdy concurs – adding that structural changes aimed at cost-cutting, such as the introduction of teachers in tutoring or assessment-only roles, has been stressful for both students and teachers.

“More and more of our students are presenting with mental health issues, and we need better resources in place to help teachers support their students – but also to support the teachers themselves,” she says.

Beyond Blue’s Be You initiative has been designed to support teachers to build mental health in pre-service educators.

Australian early childhood research shows that relationships between parents/carers, teachers and children can directly emotional development.

Be You covers mental health and suicide prevention in pre-service education through the tertiary and Vocational Education Training (VET) sectors for teachers and early childhood staff. Be You is expanding their VET resources to support pre service teachers to increase their confidence in topics related to mental health and wellbeing. This includes those doing the courses CHC30221, CHC50221, CHC30221 and/or CHC40221.

“The VET pilot confirmed just how critical teachers and educators are in building learner engagement with Be You, and the impact that Be You can have in equipping pre-service educators to feel better prepared to support the mental health of children and young people, as well as their own wellbeing,” says Geri Sumpter, head of Be You delivery at Beyond Blue.

The initiative supports educators with free, accredited professional learning, access to tools and resources to help educators meet national, state and territory requirements, priorities and standards, with extensive resources including tools to help support learning communities through critical incidents, such as bushfires.

Be You’s resources are at: beyou.edu.au/get-started/vet T H E AU ST RAL IAN TAF E T E AC H E R • 2 5

Around Australia

Around Australia ACT

Karen Noble CANBERRA Institute of Technology (CIT) remains in limbo with significant matters under investigation relating to procurement and contracts from over the last five years with a complexity and systems consultant. An interim CIT chief executive has been appointed and many executive positions back filled, short term, by people from other parts of the ACT government.

Some director positions have been permanently filled and CIT educators and managers look forward to the return of some normalcy with a priority on education, teachers and students.

In the lead up to the national Jobs and Skills Summit in September, AEU ACT participated in the ACT Jobs and Skills Forum on Friday 26 August. The ACT senators and federal members convened the Forum with strong representation from unions, welfare/community sector, TAFE, higher education, business and technology.

The discussion included strong messages, from many perspectives, about issues of disadvantage in the population that lead to poor engagement with training, completions and employment.

In the ACT noted barriers are housing, transport, childcare, cost of living.

Currently it is easier to get a low paying job and earn some money in preference to study, especially in sectors where qualifications are not mandated. Additionally, 2 6 • S U M ME R 2022

several people raised issues relating to LLND, (including having a device, internet and knowing how to use them), needing school hours placement/work shifts (especially for one adult households, while childcare is unavailable or unaffordable).

There was some discussion about "skilled migration" and the need for more effective skills recognition (where merited) but also the challenges of housing and cost of living in the ACT. CIT began considerations for the future fee-free TAFE places and, at the same time, is considering its capacity for JobTrainer 3. Many teaching areas report shortages of equipment, teachers and Campus based learning environments suitable to respond to the potential increase in enrolments.

Workplace safety and teacher workload are all concerns.

Additionally, teachers continue to work with students from previous years, impacted by COVID delays, and slowly course completions are being achieved.

Planning for the new Woden Campus continues with discussions about to focus on learning and working spaces.

For staff, activity based work (ABW) seems to have been taken off the agenda, which is a relief to many staff, teachers especially, who prefer to have an allocated work area.

Bargaining with the ACT government and other ACT unions on the core conditions is slow and steady.

The ACT AEU is working to strengthen its messaging to CIT members through a

redesigned website and, in these testing times, reminding members that they are the front line with students. We are experienced teachers, we know what we are doing, and we keep going. As teachers we look forward to having the workforce and resources needed to be part of the solutions for the nation’s skills and jobs.

NSW

Phillip Chadwick SHORTLY after the NSW government handed down its 2022-23 budget, which included a revised wage cap of 2.53 per cent plus the legislated annual increases of 0.5 per cent in the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) for all NSW public sector employees, NSW became the only jurisdiction that includes the federally mandated SG increase as part of the annual salary increase – effectively forcing NSW public sector workers to fund their own SG increases.

Given that July inflation figures of 6.1 per cent and expectation for inflation to reach 7.75 per cent by the end of the year this offer is pay cut in real terms for all NSW public servants, including TAFE teachers.

Since the forced move from state to federal industrial relations systems TAFE teacher salaries increases have stalled.

Despite being in the Fair Work industrial relations system, the NSW government has continued to apply the NSW public sector wages policy to TAFE employees. The policy requires public sector employees that seek an annual salary increase of more than the amount prescribed by the state government to trade off employee related cost savings (conditions). For all but the last two of the previous 10 years the prescribed amount has been around 2.5 per cent per annum which was close

to inflation rate at the time.

However, TAFE NSW pursued an approach of while only offering a salary increase of the prescribed amount of 2.5 per cent still went after trade-offs in working conditions such as increases in annual teaching hours and the introduction of employment classification (trainer) with inferior salaries and conditions. TAFE teachers successfully defended conditions, but this came at a cost.

In 2013, a step 13 TAFE teacher and the equivalent Band 2.3 (step 13) schools classroom teacher salary was on parity of $89,050.00 pa. Now in 2022, a Band 2.3 (step 13) schools classroom teacher salary has increased to $109,978.00 in comparison to step 13 TAFE teacher on $102,762.00 or a step 9 Teacher in a TAFE Children’s Centre on $99,322.00. TAFE salaries have fallen behind the salaries of the equivalent banding in schools and of the salaries of the trades and professions they teach.

It is no wonder TAFE NSW is finding it so hard to attract and retain teachers and the current salary offer will do nothing to address this.

Consequently, on the commencement of bargaining, NSWTF put a claim in for an immediate salary increase of 7 per cent with no loss of conditions to bring TAFE teachers into parity with their school colleagues. This increase as a percentage would then flow on to other related employee classifications within the relevant enterprise agreements (EAs).

Astonishingly most apprentices and trainees have greater job security than their TAFE teachers, with more than 70 per cent of NSW TAFE teachers employed as casuals. In addition to the salary increase the union sought to increase job security for casual employees covered under the TAFE Commission of NSW Teachers

and Related Employees EA, the bulk of which are part time casual teachers, as well as the inclusion of some long-standing administrative arrangements into the body of the agreement.

TAFE NSW responded by rejection of all claims and after just six one-hour bargaining meetings TAFE NSW advised they would by-pass the union and put the offer as is with a nominal expiry period of 12 months directly to an EA ballot.

Accordingly, both TAFE TA Council and NSWTF’s State Council have voted to reject the TAFE NSW offer. NSWTF directed TAFE members to Vote No to reject the offer in the forthcoming EA ballot and launched an extensive Vote No campaign to force TAFE NSW back to the bargaining table. In response Federation immediately lodged a Protected Action Ballot Order (PABO) with Fair Work. TAFE NSW made no objections to the PABO which was promptly approved by Fair Work.

Following a seven-day access period the EA ballot retuned a resounding “no” vote result of 73 per cent with a participation rate of 59 per cent.

On September 2 the Protected Action Ballot (PAB) opened supported by extensive member information through SMS, email and surface mailouts.

That Saturday 27 activists gave up their time to make more than 2000 phone calls, have more than 1200 conversations and leave more than 900 voice messages in support of a “yes” response to the PAB. The union’s PAB result confirmed the members resolve to move to take protected industrial action.

The participation rate was the highest on record since the move into Fair Work. Eight questions were asked on the type of action TAFE members were prepared to take for

the purpose of supporting claims in negotiations for a replacement enterprise agreement that ranged from simple actions such as wearing union campaign material at work to stop work periods of up to one day. Members supported all eight actions with an average of 95 per cent “yes” response.

NSW TAFE teachers commenced protected Industrial action for the first time under Fair Work legislation on September 15 with a ban on engaging in work-related communications outside of regular work hours and the distribution, display and wearing of union and industrial campaign material.

From the following Monday, bans were extended to the performance of any duties at TAFE NSW exceeding 35 hours in a given week; and the collection and/or entry of data in data error reports; missing marks; and Smart and Skilled rejections. Members also held a series of one hour stop work meetings across 18 metropolitan and regional colleges.

NSW TAFE teachers now join a growing list of workers outraged by the NSW government’s wages cap. The government’s refusal to engage in meaningful negotiations has left NSW TAFE teachers little choice other than to take action.

QLD

David Terauds BARGAINING has been limited during 2022 however following QTU representation at CQUniversity (CQU) regarding the need to maintain equity with TAFE Queensland, CQU awarded an administrative pay increase of 3 per cent to VET educators effective 4 July 2022. This is a significant win for CQU VET educators particularly coupled with access to the full 17 per cent standard CQU superannuation payment for all staff.

The university took the opportunity to publicly make a “final” headline pay offer of 1 per cent, 2 per cent and 2 per cent for all staff in addition to

the administrative increase provided to VET educators.

QTU TAFE Executive, while appreciative of the 3 per cent admin pay increase, has determined that any headline increase will need to factor in that the state government has increased the state wages policy to 4 per cent, 4 per cent and 3 per cent (including for public school teachers) over the next few years.

Outstanding QTU log matters include nontraditional delivery workload and head of course classification. Consultation to review non-traditional modes of delivery, workload and a risk assessment for proposed class size increases in hospitality and nursing is under way.

For TAFE Queensland the contract for Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) delivery was due May to June this year, with a new contract issued following the expiry of the current contract in June 23. Before the federal election, advice was that the minister and the opposition had been briefed and there would be no departure from projected T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E TE AC H E R • 27

Around Australia

dates for the issuance of the tender. However, following the election and the change of government there is contradictory advice as to the status of the tender and whether it will proceed as previously advised.

It seems the VET efficient pricing model from which the revised AMEP contract was meant to derive its funding basis has been rejected by the new government. This indicates further work needs to be undertaken to revise the proposed business model.

A Queensland Audit Office (QAO) report found that TAFE Queensland faces financial challenges as revenues have deteriorated over the last four years. Based on current projections, this is likely to continue because of a deeply flawed market model of funding. Public providers are forced to compete while providing services and commitments not applying to its competitors, such as providing training in rural and remote areas and “thin” training markets. Private providers have the option to cease delivery making a loss. The government’s approach has been to cover extra costs due to competitive disadvantage faced by TAFE rather than funding to establish TAFE Queensland as the premier provider of vocational education and training. QAO also identified that CQU is the only tertiary education institution in Queensland that made a loss over the past two years. This is likely to continue into the foreseeable future.

TAFE Queensland is conducting a change process for delivery of the Cert III in Business to establish a “virtual business college” commencing January 2023 under TAFE Queensland Gold Coast. This concentrates all regional traditional/hybrid delivery in Cert III in Business under 2 8 • S U M ME R 2022

a singular administration entity. Delivery via zoom is not self-paced study, rather its traditional delivery mediated via video conference. The Cert IV in Training and Assessment has transitioned to a similar model and is managed by TAFE Queensland South West.

Consultation with effected staff and local consultative committees (LLCs) commenced across impacted regions.

SA

Angela Dean OUR recently elected state Labor government and Minister for Education, Skills and Training, Blair Boyer MP, has adopted a consultative approach with the AEU, the likes of which we have not experienced with the past two consecutive state governments. This is welcome news for members, as consultation with frontline vocational education and training (VET) experts has been lacking in key planning for the skills and training needs of our state.

Previously successive governments and TAFE SA leadership have been hyper focused on a contestable VET market in SA, with budget driven progress indicators the only measure of success used in TAFE SA over the past 10 years. For too long the voice of the VET experts in our state has been ignored by governments, so we are seeing a glimmer of hope that the professional voice of our vocational educators is now finally being respected.

In addition, to this new consultative approach, the state government has recently announced a full review of TAFE SA and its operations. The AEU and other key stakeholders will have representation on the TAFE Review Committee, to help shape the terms of reference for the review.

This a welcome opportunity for our TAFE members, as well as community and industry members to provide feedback and participate in forums to help shape the future of TAFE SA. It will also give a vital platform to address

ongoing concerns on the current TAFE SA leadership’s inability to fully adhere to the current enterprise agreements and TAFE SA policies and procedures.

The SA government has also released more information on their promise to invest in new TAFE and technical colleges. The government has committed $208.8M over four years to establish five technical colleges across SA. The technical colleges will support students in Years 10 to 12 to complete their SACE while undertaking VET in specialist state-of-the-art facilities. The first technical college will open in 2024, with the remaining four set to open by 2026.

The technical colleges will be run together with nearby high schools to support students to complete their SACE while getting VET qualifications. They will include brand new buildings built close to TAFE SA campuses and other key local training infrastructure and will be tailored to the needs of the local industry, region, and community, and accept enrolments from public and private schools.

They plan to work with the local industry to make sure there’s a pathway straight to work and support local businesses with schoolbased apprenticeships and traineeships offer quality VET, working closely with TAFE SA and other not-forprofit training providers.

The proposed locations for the technical colleges include: • Port Augusta – Port Augusta Secondary School or TAFE SA Port Augusta campus • Mount Gambier – TAFE SA Mount Gambier campus • North-east metro – The Heights School • Inner-west metro – Findon High School • Inner-south metro – TAFE SA Tonsley campus

Potential industry areas for the technical colleges: • Sustainable technologies: hydrogen, wind turbine, solar • Building and construction: construction, plumbing, electrotechnology • Health services and education: health support, disability, aged care, early childhood, education support • Engineering and transport: automotive, advanced manufacturing and engineering, civil construction, resource and infrastructure • Primary industries: agriculture, aquaculture, conservation and land management, forestry, animal care, horticulture, maritime • Food and hospitality: food processing, hospitality and tourism • Digital technologies: industry 4.0, ICT and cyber Through consultation, premier Peter Malinauskas noted that the change in the decision for co-location with TAFE SA in Mount Gambier rather than Mount Gambier High School was due to local advocacy and the available space on the TAFE SA grounds. We hope that future local consultation and advocacy may impact the still determining location for the technical collage at Port Augusta.

While there is hope on our state for a better future for TAFE SA and the VET skills development that is so desperately needed to address our skill shortage, we are yet to receive a clear commitment for guaranteed funding for TAFE in SA. Now is the time for our government to truly listen to our call. It’s time to respect the professional voice of our TAFE SA educators and support staff; and include their voice in key decision making for future of TAFE SA. It’s time

to invest in a robust TAFE SA workforce. It’s time to reinvest in TAFE infrastructure. It’s time to listen to industries’ call for more education delivery in TAFE SA. It’s time to listen to the community’s call for more accessibility to educational delivery at all TAFE SA campuses across our state. It’s time to rebuild with TAFE!

TAS

Simon Bailey WE are now three months into TasTAFE as a Government Business Enterprise, and we are yet to see any positive outcomes. The changes made to the employment conditions have done nothing to attract more staff to the organisation.

In fact, it appears that we are still seeing experienced, highly skilled staff leave or transfer away from the organisation with remaining employees becoming despondent about their employer using two different awards and agreements.

A better approach would be to offer equivalent conditions to its employees that reflect what is being paid on the mainland. How is it that a teacher at TasTAFE in Tasmania is expected to earn $10,000 less than their

counterpart on the mainland?

Educational mangers are paid $30,000 less than their mainland counterparts for doing the same job. The same job should equal same pay.

Locally we have supervisors working at another government business that undertake training in the electrical trades area on $170,000 packages. Yet the equivalent job at TasTAFE pays a wage of $120,000.

These employees have been approached to work at TasTAFE, no guessing what their response is when they learn of the wages being offered.

Same job, same pay. With free TAFE course being rolled out in 2023 it is essential that TasTAFE address the current issues relating to attracting new staff and retaining the staff that it has. We are about to see the biggest investment into the public TAFE system in Australia in 10 years and we cannot afford to allow this opportunity slip through our fingers.

I was fortunate enough to travel to Canberra for the National TAFE Day celebrations where I joined 40 AEU members. We were involved in lobbying activities with federal and state politicians with three

key points coming to the forefront of the discussions.

The free TAFE proposal will not work unless the time is taken to ensure that the applicants have the correct skills to complete the qualification. Programs need funding for student support programs and TAFEs across Australia need to recruit new employees to meet the expected demand.

It was stressed that we do not want this to become another VET FEE Help fiasco that left students with nothing to show for their efforts and billions of taxpayers dollars wasted. Private providers are not involved in this program however they are already agitating that they need to be involved as “TAFEs can’t be trusted to deliver these programs”.

Now is the time to invest in our public TAFE system, we need to ensure that employees are paid wages that retain them in their positions, and which attract highly skilled and knowledgeable support staff, teachers and managers into the sector. Unless this is done then the private providers will have their way and be given access to the free TAFE program, and no one wants to see this happen.

T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E TE AC H E R • 2 9

Around Australia

VIC

Elaine Gillespie ON August 22, Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney launched the first Victorian Skills Plan. The plan outlines a “skills roadmap” which identifies 11 key areas of focus, alongside a commitment to produce 13 stand-alone industry reports, including education and training, health and community services and service industries to name a few. These reports will detail key challenges for industry and outline the work for the government, Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) and relevant stakeholders.

The Skills Plan shows that Victoria will need an extra 373,000 workers across 13 key industries by 2025, providing a clear picture of skills needs and job opportunities in every part of the state over the next three years. This will enable Victoria to be better equipped to build their required workforce.

The VSA has been tasked with implementing the skills plan through ongoing collaboration of the key stakeholders from industry, unions, training providers and learners. The plan delivers a roadmap for TAFEs, universities and learn locals to plan their courses to match local industry and community need. It is hoped that by arming learners and jobseekers with the knowledge of in-demand local industries and training opportunities, they will be able to make the best choices for their future.

The full plan can be found at: http://content.vic.gov.au/ sites/default/files/2022-08/ Victorian-Skills-Plan-for2022-into-2023.pdf Negotiations for a new agreement that will cover all 12 standalone TAFEs formally commenced after the notice of employee representational rights was issued on June 10.

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The current Victorian TAFE Teacher agreement took three years to negotiate and while it is hoped that the next agreement will be achieved in a timelier manner, it’s not possible to achieve this before the Victorian government moves into caretaker mode ahead of the November 26 state election.

Unfortunately, this could result in TAFE teachers going without a pay increase for at least 12 months as negotiations continue.

For this reason, the AEU Victorian branch worked with government to secure an administrative salary adjustment of 2 per cent (0.5 per cent above the current Victorian public sector wages policy of 1.5 per cent) for all TAFE staff covered by the Victorian TAFE Teachers Agreement for the first pay cycle in October.

At the time of writing this, AEU members at Swinburne remain locked out by Swinburne University preventing them from teaching their students and from being paid. The unprecedented and aggressive action by Swinburne management towards members was in response to industrial action.

Members at Swinburne have had partial work bans in place since October 2021 and have continued to run classes for students, but Swinburne – instead of settling the dispute by making a reasonable offer – advised teachers on August 11 that if the partial bans continued then they would not accept any work done by members – effectively locking them out without pay.

Industrial action became necessary due to protracted and challenging negotiations.

Swinburne management had not engaged in meaningful bargaining for some time, walking away from the table

and put out a non-union agreement to vote.

Since the successful Vote No campaign derailed management’s bargaining position, they have employed a delaying strategy in the negotiations, postponing and cancelling meetings in the hope that members will tire and accept the management's low offer.

The hostile notice sent out

by Swinburne management was clearly intended to scare and intimidate members into lifting the bans.

The AEU Vic branch has established a fund of up to $200 per day for individual members who are impacted

by Swinburne management’s decision. The AEU and the NTEU are working together in response to the employer bullying tactics and to get them to put a decent offer on the table for our members.

Over the last month, AEU organisers and reps have been blitzing TAFE campuses to discuss the negotiations and campaign and asking TAFE teachers to sign a petition asking their TAFE CEO to support claims for a better funded TAFE system to ensure high quality education and resources for students which includes funding an agreement that attracts and retains highly skilled and qualified TAFE teachers.

With a November state election, the campaign activities will increase to include delegations of members meeting with their local MPs to have conversations regarding the impact of marketisation, reduced TAFE funding, the unexpected challenges of “FeeFree TAFE” courses and the reduction in face-to-face hours that has seen many more students fail to complete their courses and many teachers over worked. The aim of the campaign is to have a TAFE funding model that covers the

actual cost of running courses and being able to maintain a high-quality education system that will attract teachers to TAFE.

WA

Gary Hedger ON August 16, after many meetings between members of the TAFE committee an inprinciple agreement between the Department of Education (DOE) and the union was reached and the final offer with improvements has been sent to all members to vote on.

The long and protracted negotiation between the parties culminated with a third and final offer from the WA government and members are still extremely angry with the offer, in particular the paltry wage offer of 3 per cent per annum for two years plus a one off cash payment of $2,500 to assist with cost of living increases.

However, DOE said in no uncertain terms that there would be no further increase in the percentage as the premier and treasurer (one and the same person) had already made changes to the wages policy since December last year.

Despite this the union has been able to negotiate with the DOE to improve and change clauses which will improve outcomes and workloads for lecturers.

The union has also been able to gain extra money for a number of important improvements for lecturers: • Increase principle lecturer positions for each college by two positions ($1.618 million over forward estimates for four years) • Pilot program to support lecturers in completing teaching qualifications • ($1 million over the life of the agreement) • Development work and

scoping time release, along with mentoring and supervising lecturers completing Cert IV ($3.8 million over the life of the agreement) • 50 new positions for a new advanced industry lecturers classification.

Further matters proposed to be covered by way of an Exchange of Letters between the parties: • Review of contracted hours for part-time employees: commitment to review contracted hours of permanent part-time employees who have consistently worked additional hours for four consecutive semesters within three months from the date of registration.

• Additional hours for part time lecturers: a process

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has been developed to offer additional hours to part time lecturers before engaging new starters.

Additional travel concessions: for the twoyear term of the agreement, eligible employees and dependents in the Kimberley and Pilbara (Districts 5 and 6) and Carnarvon or Exmouth campuses will be entitled to one additional travel concession per year; and the Goldfields (District 2) will be entitled to one travel concession per year.

Extended air conditioning subsidy: commitment to extend the existing air conditioning subsidy to commence 15 days earlier and finish 15 days later than the dates identified in the Government Regional

RE-EMERGING

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Officers’ Housing Air Conditioning Policy.

Develop implementation guidelines: development of agreed comprehensive agreement implementation guidelines to address issues of interpretation and understanding of specific entitlements.

Timetabling principles: implementation of the agreed timetabling principles Job description forms (JDF) for head of programs: commitment to review the head of programs JDF during the life of the agreement.

Class sizes and student curriculum hours: development of a revised policy which provides principles for planning and determining class sizes and

a review mechanism to manage disputes.

• Teaching timetable and overtime: commitment to develop a guidance note clarifying the process of authorising overtime.

There are still several issues raised during negotiations that need to be addressed. Then our negotiations for the next agreement start in July 2023, which is not far away.

NOVEMBER 17-18 | ONLINE

T H E AU ST RAL I AN TAF E TE AC H E R • 3 1

Communities deserve TAFEs with State-of-the-art facilities More teachers and support staff More courses to choose from And guaranteed government funding.

© AEU 2022 Authorised by Kevin Bates, Federal Secretary, AEU 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank, Victoria, Australia 3006