Staying Connected in VET eZine | February 2015 | Volume 3 by Velg Training

STAYING CONNECTED IN Australia’s quarterly VET eZine

FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 3 | FREE

Assistant Minister Birmingham on VET in Schools

VET

2014 ATAs Feature: Michelle Weaver’s experience

Foundation Skills: an update on the NFSS Project

EDUCATE | INSPIRE | EMPOWER velgtraining.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

National Leadership Award 2014 Australian Training Awards Feature

EDUCATE

INSPIRE

EMPOWER

New national Standards are here. Is your RTO ready? 6

Behind the scenes at the 2014 Australian Training Awards 10

Gen Success great for Gen Y 18

Preparing secondary students for work 7

Inspiring excellence in VET 14

Australia India Skills Mission 20

WAVE celebrates women and girls in adult and vocational education 16

The economic imperative for increased workforce participation 8

New Standards FAQs

Women in VET

Get involved: NFSS Project 19 VET PD Events 22 VET eZine Glossary 22

Skills Mission

© Velg Training All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without explicit written permission of the editor, except in the case of brief quotations and other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the editor at the address below, with the subject “Permissions Request”. Publication design by Amy Lynch. CONTACT Velg Training Pty Ltd. 1/52 Jeffcott Street Wavell Heights QLD 4012 Australia | 07 3866 0888 | enquiries@velgtraining.com SUBSCRIBE To subscribe to Staying Connected in VET eZine visit velgtraining.com. CONTRIBUTE Velg Training welcomes previously unpublished editorial contributions in the form of VET sector news, events and feature articles supplied with high quality web resolution photographs. All submissions will be published at the editorial committee’s discretion and may be used in Velg Training’s weekly eNewsletters upon confirmation with the contributor. news@velgtraining.com ADVERTISE Advertising space is limited and bookings will be confirmed upon receipt of payment on a ‘first in, best dressed’ basis. Advertising bookings do not guarantee editorial submissions will be published. For more information, view the Terms and Conditions of Contract in the 2014/15 Media Kit.

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Michelle

Weaver

appy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the Christmas holidays and caught up on your rest during the summer months. This marks our third edition of Staying Connected in VET eZine, the online magazine for Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. It has been a whirlwind past few months – I experienced the highlight of my career in VET to date, as I accepted the National Leadership Award at the 2014 Australian Training Awards (ATAs) on 21 November 2014. I was honoured to be recognised by my peers at the Adelaide Convention Centre, which just so happens to be the location of our 2015 National VET Conference! It was my first time at the Awards and I go into detail about my overall ATA experience, including why you should consider applying, in the Inspire section of this edition. The Velg Training team has been busy updating the online resources for our Members and clients, which include regular updates on the new Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, increasing our VelgCasts, launching Australia’s largest Mentoring Program for the VET sector, Mentoring Mondays, and preparing to host our first completely online and live Virtual VET Summit this month for practitioners across the country. As I write this, we have reached over 1,000 followers on the Velg Training Facebook Page. This is something I am particularly proud of as we started it off as a channel in 2012 to show what happens ‘behind the

scenes’ in our Brisbane office and at our nationwide Professional Development (PD) events. On behalf of the Velgy Bunch, I’d like to say a big ‘THANK YOU’ for connecting with us online: from wishing our team members a happy birthday to participating in our social media competitions, we love to hear from you! Our Membership program has also hit the double digits – 10,000+ Corporate and Individual Members have signed up to gain access to our exclusive Members Lounge chock full of resources, templates, webinars, our weekly eNews, regular Member Alerts and discounts on Consulting, Products and PD events. Our new suite of short and sharp Velg Training podcasts, VelgCasts, are also available to our valued Members. There are over 40 easy to download audio clips keeping busy VET professionals up-to-date on the go. In addition to the above, Velg Training’s complimentary online Industry Validation Directory is underway to further support our Members, acting as a virtual directory for those who nominate to be included – further details coming soon! The team is hard at work preparing to launch our first ever Virtual VET Summit to reach delegates across the country at home, at work or wherever they choose to login to join us online for two days of jam-packed VET PD on 24-25 February 2015. Lois Penney, our National Conference & Events Manager, has moved on from Velg Training in 2015 and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours. Dimity Redcliffe, our Marketing, Conference & Events Manager, has taken over her role and will be

managing our complete program of events, both online and face-to-face. Many of you may know Dimity as one of the faces behind our social media channels or from our previous National VET Conferences, the webinar program or contacting the office over the years. Dimity’s voice was often the first voice you would hear on the other end of the phone, having started with us as an Admin Officer over six years ago. We will all be hard at work this year to ensure our first Conference in Adelaide is another memorable experience for our delegates, presenters and sponsors. We are in the midst of preparing our two-day program for ‘Reconnecting VET’ and if you haven’t already secured your space, the Early Bird Catches the Worm offer expires on Tuesday 31 March 2015 so be quick! If you have any questions for us about the National VET Conference, you can contact our office on (07) 3866 0888 or email conference@velgtraining.com. I would like to thank all of our article contributors and eZine advertisers for your continued commitment to Australia’s VET sector and for helping us start the year off with another informative edition for our readers.

Michelle Weaver CEO/Founder of Velg Training

The Velgy Bunch celebrating at our Australian Training Awards morning tea

Stay Connected in VET - the team at Velg Training can’t wait to hear from you! 1/52 Jeffcott Street, Wavell Heights Qld 4012 (07) 3866 0888

news@velgtraining.com

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

e’re only in the second month of 2015 and there has already been plenty of activity to Educate, Inspire and Empower our readers – the Abbott Government did a cabinet reshuffle creating a new Department of Education and Training on 23 December, the new Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 started rolling out and there is currently a series of national VET Reform consultations underway. The Department of Industry’s skills responsibilities shifted to Minister for Education and Training the Hon Christopher Pyne and Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, with the former Assistant Minister for Education the Hon Sussan Ley taking over the Health portfolio. As part of this flurry of changes, we are happy to welcome both Minister Pyne and Senator Birmingham to the VET portfolio and feature Senator Birmingham’s first opinion piece for the sector touching on the current progress of the new VETiS framework in our Educate section. We would also like to thank Minister for Industry the Hon Ian Macfarlane for his continued cooperation in contributing to our first edition of Staying Connected in VET and

featuring as a Keynote Speaker at our 2014 National VET Conference. A special congratulations to Velg Training’s CEO, Michelle Weaver, as the recipient of the 2014 National Leadership Award at the ATAs. Visit our Inspire section to read her first person account of the event and learn how you can get involved in 2015! This month’s edition also features articles from ASQA’s CEO and Chief Commissioner, Chris Robinson, covering their series of information sessions about the new Standards in late 2014. ACCI has written an article to Educate employers and Assistant Minister for Employment the Hon Luke Hartsuyker has contributed his first opinion piece to Empower jobseekers. Other perspectives include our regular ‘Inspiring excellence in VET’ section with this edition exploring gamification, interpreting research findings and implementing templates in your RTO for 2015. We feature articles from WAVE, an update from the NFSS Project, a recap of the Australia India Skills Mission, our regular VET Glossary and upcoming industry events. Our readership continues to grow with each edition and our database

of Members and subscribers has increased to over 30,000! Your VET contacts are more than welcome to join in reading this free resource — they can subscribe to our E-Alerts and free Subscriber Bulletin where we link to each new edition or join directly via our Issuu account. The next edition of our VET eZine will be published in May — you can expect a full recap of our 2015 Virtual VET Summit, updates about Mentoring Mondays and our calendar of events, as well as the release of our program for the 2015 National VET Conference. If you have any future editorial or advertising requests, please do not hesitate to contact me at news@velgtraining.com. Amy Lynch Editor, Velg Training

Reader tip:

Visit our VET Glossary for a list of acronyms

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New national Standards are here.

Is your

RTO

ready?

nless you have been living under a very large rock for the past few months, you will know that implementation of new national Standards for the VET sector has commenced. Prospective RTOs have been subject to the new Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 since 1 January 2015 and existing RTOs will need to comply from 1 April 2015. The new Standards can be grouped into three categories: training and assessment; obligations to learners and clients; and governance.

website to provide a one-stop-shop for RTOs wanting information about the new Standards. This new space has been very popular with close to 24,000 page views in its first week alone. It will be continually updated as new information is finalised. In November and December 2014 more than 4,000 people attended one of the 31 information sessions ASQA hosted to provide information and guidance about the new Standards. Copies of the presentations given at the sessions are available on ASQA’s website and SlideShare account.

More than 4,000 people attended one of the

31 information sessions ASQA hosted There are a number of differences between the new Standards and the Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2012, including more detail about assessment, new obligations around third-party arrangements, clearer and more detailed requirements around marketing, and new requirements around trainers and assessors. ASQA has been working to provide RTOs and the wider VET sector with information and guidance, and has created a dedicated space on its

Videos of the presentations made at the sessions will also be uploaded so RTOs can revisit the information provided. ASQA has also published a comprehensive Users’ Guide to the new Standards. A pre-print version of the guide has been available for download from the ASQA website since November and was handed out at the information sessions. All RTOs registered with ASQA should have now also received a copy of Version 1.1 of the guide. This version contains

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a number of minor updates and revisions; however, the content largely remains the same. This version of the guide is now also available on the ASQA website. Through the information sessions and enquiries received to its Info Line on 1300 701 801, ASQA has received more than 200 FAQs. ASQA has been publishing responses to these questions progressively on its website since late December. I encourage all RTOs to visit the site and have a look. If you have a question that hasn’t been asked, please contact the Info Line. ASQA is committed to enhancing the information and guidance it provides to RTOs. In the coming months we will be using the feedback provided through the information sessions and recent survey to develop new and updated resources such as videos and webinars. I urge all RTOs and VET sector stakeholders to keep an eye on the ASQA website for announcements about these and other resources as they become available.

Chris Robinson is the Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of ASQA, the national regulator for Australia’s VET sector. ASQA regulates courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved quality Standards are met. asqa.gov.au

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EDUCATE

Preparing secondary students for

WORK A

s the new Minister responsible for VET, I want to see young people engage with their passion and make a career out of it. The days of training for training’s sake are gone; today’s VET system must deliver high quality training that provides a clear line of sight to a job. For the first time in over a decade a national approach to VET in secondary schools has been reviewed and revived. The result is Preparing Secondary Students for Work – a framework for vocational learning and VET delivered to secondary students. The framework was informed by nine roundtables, convened by my predecessor, and developed by a national working group of representatives from each state and territory, the Catholic and independent education authorities, the training sector and industry. Preparing Secondary Students for Work has widespread support and was endorsed by State and Territory Ministers on 12 December 2014. The framework marks the start of an exciting phase for students who choose to pursue a vocational pathway to their preferred career and for those who develop and implement VET programmes in our secondary schools. I am confident the framework will provide a platform for the change required to elevate the status and quality of the vocational pathway.

Australia’s quarterly VET eZine

by the Assistant Minister for Education and Training

Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham

This framework aims to ensure that the vocational pathway is just as valued and celebrated as the academic pathway.

The framework also complements broader VET reforms that seek to develop our country’s skill base and improve our competitiveness and productivity.

The framework marks the start of an exciting phase for students who choose to pursue a vocational To achieve this, the framework outlines four interrelated components: • clarity of terminology, purpose and expected outcomes; • collaboration to meet the needs of students, schools and employers; • confidence in the quality, value and long-term benefit of vocational learning and VET; and • core systems that are efficient, streamlined, and support the best interests of students. The reality is that not every job requires a university degree, and not every student wants one. Forty percent of school leavers go on to university, but we must ensure that there are clear and meaningful pathways in school for the remaining 60 percent. In 2015, the national working group will develop a number of practical tools to support the implementation of the framework and quality outcomes for students, employers, parents, schools and training providers.

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Offering students solid vocational training in their secondary schooling is one of the best ways that our government can help young people navigate the sometimes confusing pathway from school to a rewarding career. I look forward to working with schools, training organisations, education authorities and employers as we roll out the framework and lift the standard and status of the vocational pathway. Simon Birmingham has served as a Liberal Party Senator for South Australia since May 2007, and in December 2014 he was appointed to serve as the Assistant Minister for Education and Training in the Abbott Ministry, with specific responsibility for vocational education, apprenticeships, training and skills. ministers.education.gov.au

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EDUCATE

The economic imperative for increased WORKERS WITH DIFFERENT INDUSTRY BACKGROUND

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

MEN NOT AT WORK

INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS

WOMEN RETURNING TO WORK

UNEMPLOYED YOUTH

maximise the number of people in the workforce to keep pace with an economy MATURE set to continue expanding AGED UNEMPLOYED WORKERS into the foreseeable future. This workforce will have to be smarter and better skilled to cope with changes in operating environments, competitive pressures and economic circumstances. Recent research conducted by ACCI into skills shortages identified that there espite the Global Financial Crisis is a need for many industries to look and a general downturn in beyond the traditional sources of new conditions across the country, a recruits and consider non-traditional number of industries still report sources of skilled labour such as difficulties in attracting and retaining women returning to the workforce, skilled labour, with the prospect mature-age people, people with that an aging workforce will present disabilities, Indigenous Australians and more challenges. In contrast, more unemployed young people. than two million Australians receive The barriers faced by people welfare payments and remain outside traditionally underrepresented in the of the mainstream workforce, with labour market are well documented, the participation rate in Australia well as are the benefits to the individual below comparative countries such as and the broader community that come Canada and New Zealand. Unemployed from employment participation for and underemployed Australians all Australians. What is not so well represent a substantial untapped known are the barriers that employers resource for the Australian business can face in engaging employees from community to meet its future skills and culturally and linguistically diverse labour needs. backgrounds and the benefits that an The supply of skilled overseas labour employer can gain through diversifying to meet our domestic skills needs is their employment base. by no means assured. Australia faces ACCI has undertaken a campaign increasing competition from other to increase awareness amongst economies seeking skilled migrants employers of the benefits they can as well as the economic growth of bring to their organisation when they emerging economies, Employ Outside the Box. which are often the source countries The Employ Outside the Box initiative for skilled migrants. sets out clear benefits that employers Cyclical pressures on the labour can tap into when they look beyond market create fluctuations in the their traditional sources of labour and supply of labour over time, but in the hire new staff from one of the many longer term, Australia will need to groups of Australians who traditionally

WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION

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have low employment participation. The Employ Outside the Box initiative also provides employers with a clear and systematic approach that they can take to examine their workforce needs and strategies and advice on how best to recruit and ultimately retain workers from non-traditional sources of labour. Government, community groups and community-based service providers often focus solely on the supply side of the equation in employment participation. The catchcry of “employers need to do more” or “they’re not pulling their weight” often accompanies any campaign to increase the participation of people from diverse backgrounds. Instead, it is important to focus on the business case of employing people from the disadvantaged groups, along with information and advice on how to make the connections and where to access assistance. This information can be supported by identified employer “champions” to promote the benefits and will build an enthusiasm for engagement that no amount of regulation can achieve. Further information on ACCI and the Employ Outside the Box initiative can be found on the ACCI website.

ACCI is the leading voice of business in Australia, speaking on behalf of over 300,000 businesses, both large and small, which in total employ over four million people. acci.asn.au

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Behind the scenes at the 2014 ATAs

Velg Training’s founder and CEO, Michelle Weaver, is the Winner of the 2014 National Leadership Award. This was presented at the 20th Annual Australian Training Awards, the peak national Awards for the country’s VET sector, in Adelaide on 21 November 2014.

pplying for an award of any kind can be an intimidating process. You are filled with both anticipation and fear, as you put yourself on paper to be judged as an individual and as a business. It all started with the application – I had never applied for an ATA and 2014 was the year I decided to go for it. Velg

I was on a high from attending the September event in our home base of Brisbane, where I had the opportunity to reconnect with our Members, presenters, sponsors and delegates. It was an exciting few weeks as I prepared to fly down to Canberra in mid-October for the panel day interview, which gave me the

wait before we flew down to Adelaide for the main event in November. On the day of the Awards, I had the chance to meet all of the other Finalists from across the 18 categories, as well as the previous winners who shared their experiences and achievements over lunch at the Adelaide Oval. The calibre of individuals was outstanding

It was brilliant to receive support from previous winners who mentored us as a group and encouraged all of the Finalists throughout the process Training had just celebrated a decade in Australia’s VET sector, our National Conference was getting bigger each year and we were growing across the board with our Membership program, consulting services and PD events. When I was selected as a Finalist, it was announced at our 2014 National VET Conference.

opportunity to reflect on what I have achieved over the past decade. It was brilliant to receive support from previous winners, including 2013 National Leadership Award recipient Paul Rasmussen. The ATA team mentored us as a group and encouraged all of the Finalists throughout the process. After undergoing the three-person panel interview, I had another month to

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and it was a great opportunity to network and make new connections. We then walked over to the stunning new Convention Centre to view the ballroom where the Awards’ ceremony would take place that evening. We staged a mini dress rehearsal, with all of the Finalists practicing going up on stage, including direction on where photos would be taken after each category’s winner was announced. It was unnerving to be part of such a major event in our sector but the team

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INSPIRE FEATURE

Trip to the panel day in Canberra Making my acceptance speech in Adelaide - what a crowd!

Group photo with the Award recipients hosting the Awards made everyone feel comfortable and relaxed, so I left the rehearsal feeling at ease. A few of my Velg Training team members had flown down from Brisbane to show their support. I rehearsed my speech as I got ready for the main event, looking forward to that evening’s celebrations. We had a great table, shared with St Columban’s College, Caboolture. The National Leadership Award was the second one called and when they announced my name I was thrilled. Being called up early in the night took the pressure off and we enjoyed the rest of the event with our tablemates. It was St Columban’s College’s third go at the ATAs and this year was their first win – so we were all cheering for Queensland that night! The evening’s entertainment featured performances from two young Indigenous Australian singers from remote communities in Adelaide; Zaachariah Fielding and Kristal West, whose group ‘ZK’ were finalists during

Australia’s quarterly VET eZine

Part of my team at Velg Training the 2014 season of The Voice. Kristal was also the South Australian Finalist for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Award at the 2011 ATAs. The event was very well organised and Adelaide is such a lovely city – I can’t wait to bring our 2015 National VET Conference to South Australia for the first time this September. It is an honour to be the 2014 recipient of the National Leadership Award. I have won previous national and state business awards, but to be recognised by your peers in a field I am so passionate about, is the ‘cherry on top’! When I started my business over a decade ago to bring information to Queensland Schools about the VET sector, I couldn’t have dreamt how many milestones we would achieve over 12 years. Applications are currently open for this year’s ATAs and close on Friday 29 May 2015. I would strongly encourage all of those thinking of applying to go for it!

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Good luck with your submission and please do get in touch if you have any questions about my experience at the ATAs via LinkedIn or email michelle@velgtraining.com. For more information and to view the complete list of winners from the event, visit the ATA website, Facebook Page and Twitter account @AusTrainingAwards.

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP! Search the event hashtag on Twitter

#ATA2014

View Velg Training’s social media channels for photos and posts from the event!

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28/01/2015 7:51 pm

ARE YOU COPYRIGHT COMPLIANT? The start of a new year is the perfect time to review your copyright compliance. Many educational institutions are unsure of how they can reach and maintain best practice in copyright management, especially when it is difficult to know what’s going on in all classrooms at all times. With a Copyright Agency Educational Statutory Licence, RTOs have the freedom to legally share knowledge and information with their students and colleagues. Does your RTO have the coverage that it needs?

ENJOY THE

FREEDOM AND CONVENIENCE THE EDUCATIONAL STATUTORY LICENCE GIVES YOU

FREEDOM

Source and share an abundance of both Australian and international digital and hardcopy copyright material such as textbooks, images, newspapers and graphs.

CONVENIENCE

RISK MANAGEMENT

With the licence you will no longer need to identify and search for copyright owners, gain permissions, negotiate terms of use or maintain records when you make a copy.

A Copyright Agency licence allows our students to have access to a diverse range of learning materials in a timely and ﬂexible manner. Being licensed also allows Navitas English to give something back to authors and publishers. Helen Zimmerman Executive General Manager, NAVITAS ENGLISH

Copyright infringement can occur at the click of a button. A licence is an effective way of increasing and/or maintaining copyright compliance.

For more information, please contact our Educational Licensing Team on (02) 9394 7600 or email educationlicences@copyright.com.au

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Inspiring excellence in VET Gamification in learning program design It’s easy to dismiss ‘gamification’ as the latest trendy, marketing buzzword. The term is sometimes associated with the transformation of serious educational content into something frivolous. Some ‘gamification’ techniques seem like tricks designed to push students through content that is otherwise ineffective by offering artificial and extrinsic rewards for doing so. It is easy to argue that these are bad things, but the core ideas underpinning gamification are good. As with any design, gamification must be applied thoughtfully and judiciously to be successful. Define your success criteria Be clear about the goals you want your students to meet when designing your content. A reward for completing a quiz should be more effective than that for visiting every page, as the former

demonstrates an understanding of content rather than simply completing each page with little or no engagement. Common gamification techniques Tell a story with your content. Lending context to actions required by the student can encourage an understanding of why certain actions are required in certain scenarios. Levels can be good for showing linear progress through content while badges are best for highlighting individual achievements that may be non-linear. Gamification should be about learning, not technology Simply using a high-tech solution to a problem doesn’t make it more effective than a low-tech solution. Gamification is an approach to design that makes your content more game-like. It is not about using better technology, or about creating a game that contains

learning. It is about using game elements to improve the learning experience.

eWorks supports businesses and training organisations in all aspects of e-learning delivery. Their services include a complete e-learning delivery system (TrainingVC), access to ready-made content mapped to VET competencies (VET Commons), custom content development, consultancy across the e-learning spectrum (educational and technical) and comprehensive staff training (online or face-to-face). eworks.edu.au

Applying VET research to your organisation There’s an old saying that ‘knowledge is power’. This is especially true for the competitive training market in Australia. That’s why it’s important for training organisations to use research and information to their benefit. Grow your business and understand your market Information such as which courses and qualifications are in demand, or which have good graduate outcomes can help you understand the needs of your customers. In addition, the latest research

into teaching, assessment and student support models can help trainers improve their practice. There’s a lot of research out there, but where to find it? The Australian training sector is blessed with high quality research and information. Online resources like VOCEDplus make it easy to access Australian and overseas research on key topics, often with practical guides and resources that can be used by providers. NCVER also provides Australian research, statistical and survey data, all easily accessible on its portal. Overseas agencies like UNESCO-UNEVOC run e-forums where training professionals can contribute and discuss the latest practice and research in VET. Research seminars and conferences are now available that focus on practitioners’ needs. NCVER runs regular events that offer opportunities to understand the issues facing practitioners, and how

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research and data can help optimise and transform training. Undertaking your own research can be valuable It can seem daunting but initiatives to promote ‘action-oriented research’ by practitioners are supported through organisations like AVETRA. It is establishing an Educator Hub aimed at VET educators and practitioners who are interested in ‘practice-based research or inquiry’ and NCVER through its Building Research Capacity program.

Philip Loveder is the Manager, Research Operations at the NCVER. He has over 25 years’ experience in educational research, business development and commercialisation of knowledge-based services in VET and higher education. ncver.edu.au

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INSPIRE

Updating your templates to align with the new Standards It can be an overwhelming process when a new set of Standards are endorsed to then even think about looking at all the policies, procedures and templates that you have developed over the years. Start with the following simple steps to streamline your updating process and make the move to the new Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 that little bit easier. Go through your list of existing documents and slot these in to the last three columns in a different colour so you know it is an existing version. This will indicate to you that if you have noted you need a Marketing Material Register, and you already have one, that you will not need to do a new one! Simply review what is in your existing documents against the list of items in the new Standards to make sure everything is covered. Do this for each existing document.

Make a list of all of the documents you already have and group them under headings, for example ‘Complaints and Appeals’. Create a table with five columns: a. Topic b. Relevant Standards/Clauses c. Policy or Procedures d. Templates e. Forms Go through the Standards and populate the first column, for example Clauses 1.13 – 1.24 would be ‘Trainers and Assessors’. These topics will align with most of the group headings from your existing documents.

Refer to the table for any new documents or templates that are required once you have updated your existing documents, then move on to developing those. Remember to refer to the Users’ Guide for assistance.

List the relevant Standard(s) in the second column for easy reference, as you create each topic. Go through the Users’ Guide and work down from the top of your list of topics to populate the remaining columns with any policy, procedure, template or form that you will need.

Kerri Buttery has worked in the VET sector for over 16 years as a Trainer/ Assessor, RTO Manager and Senior Lead Auditor with the QCAA. She has authored several Business Education textbooks and has experience lecturing and tutoring at Queensland University of Technology. Kerri is currently employed by Velg Training as a Consultant and Member Resource Developer. velgtraining.com

Velg Training’s Members Lounge and product range are currently being updated to include documents and templates that align with the Standards.

Apply now for Membership! So many benefits

Need an expert’s opinion? Our specialist VET Consultants are here to help!

Enquire now regarding the Training Room

Stay connected in the VET Sector without leaving your desk! Australia’s quarterly VET eZine

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Promote your business | VOLUME 4 Staying Connected in VET eZine

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INSPIRE

WAVE celebrates

women and girls in

adult and vocational education

omen in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE) is partnering with Manufacturing Skills Australia to hold a significant conference on Wednesday 8 April 2015 in Melbourne. The conference is entitled ‘Leaders, teachers, learners, leavers: Women in the Australian VET market’. The WAVE conference will be held at Victoria University the day before the AVETRA conference, which will also focus on the impact of the marketisation of VET. WAVE is an NGO and the only national organisation with a focus on women and post compulsory education and training. It tries to represent the interests of educators, industry, community and students. All of these groups will be represented at the conference. In 2014, we undertook further research on ways to support women

Industry Women Central. We see an important role for WAVE in reminding all governments that

Governments must ensure there is funding

and targeted programs for women

and girls in VET and girls working in the non-traditional trades. This has been an area of concern to us, and in our recent research we focused on ‘career exploration’ and the important role played by schools in partnership with industry and community groups. We also hope to focus the conference on the inspirational work being undertaken by young women who are part of groups such as Fanelle and

they must ensure there is funding and targeted programs for women and girls in VET. This is not always the case, and WAVE has been particularly active in making submissions, writing letters and appearing at government inquiries. WAVE has a national executive and a convenor in each of the states and territories. We depend on the activism of our volunteers and members to hold events and highlight significant issues for women and girls. International Women’s Day on 8 March is always an

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opportunity to do that and this year the theme is ‘Make it happen’, an apt one for our members to take up. Membership is free or you can become a passionate supporter of WAVE for a small fee. I encourage interested women and girls to become members by visiting our website and to also join us at the conference this year.

Linda Simon has been a teacher in schools and TAFE and currently teaches VET at UTS and Charles Sturt University. She was Secretary of the TAFE Teachers Association, Federal TAFE President of the Australian Education Union and has served on the Boards of NCVER and BVET in NSW. She is currently an Executive Member of AVETRA and the National Convenor of WAVE. wave.org.au

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Upcoming Workshops

Planning for the Transition to the New Standards

John Price BRISBANE 3 March SYDNEY 10 March MELBOURNE 17 March

This workshop presents to participants a four-step RTO Transition ‘Tool Kit’ and checklist that leads the participants through the sub-activities associated with each of the four steps by using practical examples and activities. The workshop promotes the need to develop an Action Plan for post-workshop activities and provides an example of activities that will need to be planned, implemented and maintained.

Understanding Validation Requirements in 2015

John Price

Validation has always been an important practice for RTOs to conduct and now that the Standards describe the four key steps in the process of validation, need for an independent validator to be involved and the requirement to ensure the sample of assessments validated is statistically valid there is no better time to reconsider your RTO’s validation practices. Systematic Validation of assessment implies a planned, on-going and learnable approach to ensure future improvements to the quality of assessment.

Creating compliance documentation to support your online courses

Allison Miller

This workshop will enable participants to develop training and assessment templates which address key components of Standard 1 from the VET practitioners’ perspective, including clauses 1.1 - 1.4, 1.8-1: Principles of Assessment and 1.8-2: Rules of Evidence. Attendees will be provided with supporting resources and practical examples during the workshop

How to ensure your Moodle course complies with Standard 1

BRISBANE 3 March SYDNEY 10 March MELBOURNE 17 March

Allison Miller

This workshop will enable participants to design a Moodle course template or re-design a Moodle course so that it embeds the evidence which addresses Standard 1 from the VET practitioners’ perspective. Participants are encouraged to attend the morning workshop “Creating complaice documentation to support your online course”. Attendees will be provided with supporting resources and practical examples during the workshop

BRISBANE 3 March SYDNEY 10 March MELBOURNE 17 March

Gen Success great for Gen Y

by the Assistant Minister for Employment

the Hon Luke Hartsuyker

veryone recalls something about their first job. Whether it was stacking supermarket shelves, waiting tables or delivering pizzas, it nearly always left a strong impression – one way or another. Maybe we loved the job. Or maybe we disliked it, and the whole experience helped us sort out what we really wanted to do with our lives.Making the transition from school to work, and then forging a career, isn’t always easy. The Government is committed to helping young people – in concert with parents, educators and potential employers – start their working life on the right foot. One of the ways we’re doing this is by practically supporting the outstanding Generation Success programme. Generation Success is an industrydriven initiative, led by Woolworths and News Limited. As part of the programme, I took part in a business and youth roundtable discussion with the Prime Minister in April 2014. Generation Success aims to increase awareness of youth unemployment, encourage employers to hire youth, and help young people enter and advance in the workforce. Whether you’re starting your working life or

advising a young person on how to do so, you can find a wealth of information on the Department of Employment’s website. The Generation Success page features articles and fact sheets, plus links to quizzes and videos, on topics such as: • where to find the best job websites; • how to prepare for interviews; • getting into apprenticeships and work experience; and • things you should know when starting a job. The site also has links to information about where the jobs of the future are likely to be, helping young people choose the best sort of training to undertake. Research shows that opportunities for both lower and higher-skill jobs will rise in the next five years, but the strongest growth will be in the professions. Roles expected to be in demand include occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers, social workers, architects, landscape gardeners, and advertising and marketing specialists. The Government has recently introduced a number of measures to help young job seekers take up employment. Our Job Commitment

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Bonus provides up to $6500 to young, long-term unemployed people if they get a job, and then keep that job and stay off welfare for two years. Through the Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job scheme, the Government financially supports people who move to start a job in places where work is available. Eligible job seekers can receive up to $6000 if they move to a regional area and up to $3000 if they move to a metropolitan area. Steady, stimulating and fulfilling work is empowering. Besides an income, work gives us opportunity, confidence, self-esteem, purpose, optimism and a connection to our local community. Young Australians have all this to look forward to, and I urge them to use the Generation Success resources on the Department of Employment’s website to help realise their future. Luke Hartsuyker MP is the Assistant Minister for Employment in the Federal Government. An accountant by profession, he has been the Member for Cowper, covering the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, since 2001. employment.gov.au

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Get involved in the NFSS Project 2014/15

Why Foundation Skills? ‘Foundation Skills’ refer to English LLN skills (e.g. listening, speaking, reading, writing, digital literacy and use of mathematical ideas) and employability skills (e.g., collaboration, problem solving, self-management, information and communication technology skills). How do we ensure our adult learners are best placed to take on the challenges of the knowledge economy and respond to calls from government and industry for high-level thinking, innovation and flexibility? No doubt these higher order skills are critical but in order to build any stable structure it is important to think about the foundations. This project provides a focus on the importance of English LLN and employability skills in Australia today, their place in our training and education system and their importance in not only work but also everyday life. The NFSS Project has been designed to encourage discussion about how Foundation Skills are best delivered in community, classroom and workplace settings. The project also explores the skills and expertise that Foundation Skills practitioners bring to their work. Let’s talk about it Two important groups of ambassadors are heading up the awareness raising and discussion. A Foundation Skills Community of Practice started in Australia’s quarterly VET eZine

2013. It is made up of 16 members representing a diversity of education and training environments. These members have been working with interested individuals and organisations to share their expertise and raise awareness of Foundation Skills development strategies. They have a broad network with extensive reach and have had a significant impact on Foundation Skills capacity building. During 2015, members of the Community of Practice will continue with focused project activities to support practitioners and be a point of contact. For the New Year, the project is excited to have seven Workplace Champions on board to share positive outcomes from their organisations. They will use networking and public speaking opportunities to encourage other employers to address Foundation Skills. With support from the Australian Industry Group, this pilot program aims to raise employer awareness of the benefits of addressing Foundation Skills in the workplace. Who is delivering Foundation Skills? The capacity of those who deliver Foundation Skills is another key component of the National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults (the Strategy). Building awareness is critical but to deliver on any promises and targets set in the Strategy needs a mobilised and effective Foundation Skills workforce. Two interrelated activities are underway as a means of addressing this element.

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A survey conducted by NCVER in 2014 has provided fresh national data about the diverse range of practitioners who are teaching or helping people develop their Foundation Skills, either in a paid or voluntary capacity across Australia. Stories from the Field is a complementary activity seeking practitioner’s personal perspectives about the range of credentials, experience and professional development that contribute to their professional identity. We would love to hear from anyone associated with Foundation Skills in any capacity: full or part-time, paid or voluntary, as a dedicated role or as a part of your work. To find out more about how you might link in to the work of the Community of Practice, Workplace Champions or Stories from the Field, please visit the NFSS Project website. Remember to sign up for the NFSS Project newsletter to stay in the loop regarding resources, research outcomes and upcoming workshops and events.

The NFSS Project is a joint initiative by Australian Governments. It supports priority action areas from the National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults, providing a focus for continued activity, research and promotion of the Foundation Skills that individuals will need to meet the challenges of living, learning and working in Australia now and into the future. statedevelopment.sa.gov.au/skills

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2014 Australia India Skills Mission

Photo courtesy of WSA: Minister for Industry the Hon Ian Macfarlane, with WSA’s CEO, Mark Callaghan, during the Skills Mission

he 2014 Australia India Skills Mission was a very clear demonstration of the continued commitment of the Australian Government to trans-national Standards. The need for work on Standards with India is self-evident given the opportunities that a nation of 1.25 billion people represents. The development of trans-national Standards is an important strategic step in the relationship with India around skills and labour. Standards are the basis for cementing opportunities for Australian training providers in India, facilitating the movement of skilled labour between the two countries and promoting vocational education exports. The Australian Standards-based

John Hart is the Chief Executive Officer of Restaurant & Catering Australia and has been in that position for 15 years. John currently serves as Chair of the VET Advisory Board and the National Tourism Alliance and is on the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council as well as the NCVER’s Board. restaurantcater.asn.au

system has a lot to offer India and many other countries. Therefore it is important to base the trans-national relationship on these Standards, as opposed to simply developing relationships and bidding for delivery opportunities for individual providers. This argument was well made at the

were referred to openly by India’s major enterprises including Tata and Jet Airways, to name but two. We are all at times critical of our VET system but when the opportunity is presented to reiterate the fundamentals of the system, one realises that it actually is pretty

The Australian Standards-based system has a lot to offer India and many other countries Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Global Skills Summit on Skill Development and the India Australia Skills Conference, both held in Mumbai in November 2014. Minister for Industry the Hon Ian Macfarlane attended both events and spoke about the Standardsbased approach to building the skills relationship with India. He also announced that Australia would provide ‘train the trainer and assessor’ programs that support this approach to VET. There were many examples cited of how this system best serves employers. Links between specific job roles, Standards and the delivery of training

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strong. Whilst we should never become complacent, the successes of the Australian VET system should be celebrated as they were at the Australia India Skills Summit. There are many changes afoot to training packages and the way in which they are developed and maintained. Whilst the sessions in India in November pre-dated these changes, they laid the foundations for whatever comes next in VET. These changes will make the system stronger and reinforce the relationship between Standards and job roles. This will even further enhance the Australian system as a strong foundation on which to base trans-national vocational education. velgtraining.com

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Visit www.amasatraining.org.au Call (08) 8274 6058 RTO No. 40880

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2015 VET PD ROUND UP FEBRUARY

Plan your professional development for the start of the year! We have rounded up the major VET events taking place across Australia until May 2015. 2015 Virtual VET Summit Velg Training 24-25 February 2015 online Financial Sustainability in VET 25-26 February 2015 at the Victoria University City Convention Centre, Melbourne

MARCH

Future Directions Conference Manufacturing Skills Australia 27 February 2015 at the Avalon Airport, Geelong Australian Workplace Practitioners’ Network (AWPN) National Conference 2015 Foundation Skills at Work 18-20 March 2015 at the Jasper Hotel, Melbourne Innovation in Action: The 7th Industry Development Conference ForestWorks Industry Skills Council 25 March 2015 at the National Convention Centre (NCC), Canberra

APRIL

WAVE Conference 8 April 2015 at Victoria University, Melbourne

MAY

National Meat Industry Training Conference Rural Skills Australia 25-26 March 2015 at the Novotel Sydney Olympic Park

National Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy and Assessment Conference Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) 14-15 May 2015 at the National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide

AVETRA Conference 18th Annual Conference 8-10 April 2015 at The Rendezvous Grand, Melbourne

Excellence in Professional Practice Conference Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) 21-23 May 2015 at the Novotel Brighton Beach, Sydney Visit the Velg Training ‘VET Industry Events’ listing online at: velgtraining.com/vetevents.

VET eZINE GLOSSARY

We use acronyms throughout this publication and on our website. Access your complimentary copy of our extensive VET glossary online. - Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) - Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) - Australian Training Awards (ATAs) - Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) - National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) - National Foundation Skills Strategy (NFSS) - Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) - Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) - Registered Training Organisation (RTO) - Technical and Further Education (TAFE) - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO-UNEVOC) - University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) - VET in Schools (VETiS) - Vocational Education and Training (VET) - Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE) - WorldSkills Australia (WSA)

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Need support in your role?

Join our VET Mentoring Programs! In 2015, Velg Training has launched the largest VET Mentoring Program in Australia. A suite of eight programs will be available to support the varying roles within an RTO including Managers, Trainers & Assessors and Administrators. Ongoing professional development is vital to maintain an individual’s skill, knowledge and expertise relevant to the VET sector. These Mentoring Programs will allow knowledge to be communicated and built upon over the 2015 calendar year to enhance your organisation’s continuous improvement process whilst maintaining your individual currency requirements. RTO Managers Mentoring Program (Beginner) 6 hours pre-recorded content + 6 hours live Q&A January, March, May, July, September & November 2015 RTO Managers Mentoring Program (Intermediate) 6 hours pre-recorded content + 6 hours live Q&A January, March, May, July, September & November 2015 RTO Administrator Mentoring Program (Beginner) 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A February, May, August & November 2015

Programs will include: • Pre-recorded webinars • Live Q&A webinars • Attendance certificates • Electronic resources • Industry experts • Hard-copy folder • PowerPoints

RTO Administrator Mentoring Program (Intermediate) 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A February, May, August & November 2015 Social Media Mentoring Program (Beginner) 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A March, June, August & November 2015 Trainer & Assessor Mentoring Program 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A February, April, July & October 2015 VET Coordinators Mentoring Program Queensland Schools Only 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A Term 1, 2, 3, & 4 2015 VET Teachers Mentoring Program Queensland Schools Only 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A Term 1, 2, 3, & 4 2015

Don’t forget!

We look after Queensland Schools too!

• Increase your RTO revenues • Expand into more markets • No need for additional staff • Free nationwide marketing

www.gqaustralia.com.au

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