STAYING CONNECTED IN Australia’s biannual VET eZine
NOVEMBER 2016 VOLUME 8 | FREE
Hon Karen Andrews MP: VET Sector Update
VET Inspire Feature: WorldSkills Australia
Celebrating VET: 2016 National Skills Week
EDUCATE | INSPIRE | EMPOWER velgtraining.com
䨀漀椀渀 甀猀 椀渀 匀礀搀渀攀礀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 ㈀ 㜀 一愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 嘀䔀吀 䌀漀渀昀攀爀攀渀挀攀⸀ 吀栀攀爀攀 愀爀攀 漀瀀瀀漀爀琀甀渀椀琀椀攀猀 琀漀 愀琀琀攀渀搀Ⰰ 瀀爀攀猀攀渀琀 漀爀 猀瀀漀渀猀漀爀 琀栀攀 氀愀爀最攀猀琀 最愀琀栀攀爀椀渀最 漀昀 嘀漀挀愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 䔀搀甀挀愀琀椀漀渀 愀渀搀 吀爀愀椀渀椀渀最 瀀爀愀挀琀椀琀椀漀渀攀爀猀 愀渀搀 搀攀挀椀猀椀漀渀 洀愀欀攀爀猀 昀爀漀洀 愀挀爀漀猀猀 䄀甀猀琀爀愀氀椀愀⸀ 刀攀最椀猀琀爀愀琀椀漀渀 椀猀 渀漀眀 漀瀀攀渀 漀渀氀椀渀攀℀
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Celebrating VET: A recap of the 2016 National VET Conference
EDUCATE
7
INSPIRE
8
EMPOWER
VET sector update 6
WorldSkills Australia 10
2016 National Skills Week 16
Implementation of new audit model underway 7
Top teaching tips for vocational trainers 14
Who is Skills Impact and what do you do? 18
Celebrating VET: #2016NVC Feature 8
VET regulations: Trends and lessons learned in 2016 15
Personal branding for professional success 19
Implementation of new audit model underway
10
VET PD Events and VET eZine Glossary 20
WorldSkills Australia
16
2016 National Skills Week
© 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. Icon design by Freepik and Graphic Burger. 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 CONTRIBUTE Velg Training welcomes previously unpublished editorial contributions in the form of VET sector news, events and feature articles supplied with high quality web resolution photographs.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 2017 Media Kit. Australia’s biannual VET eZine
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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Michelle
Weaver
W
elcome to the eighth edition of our VET eZine. As we approach the summer holidays, we are reflecting on the VET PD successes of 2016 and are ramping up for another eventful year of VET PD in 2017. It has been two months since we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our National VET Conference at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on 14-16 September 2016. The theme of the 2016 NVC was ‘Celebrating VET’ and we did so by hosting over 1,300 delegates from across the country – making 2016 our largest event to date! We took the opportunity to recognise the VET sector as a whole, focusing on the positive contributions made across industries throughout the year. There has been an emphasis of late on strengthening the VET sector, with recent Ministerial statements highlighting the need to build up the quality of our national system. We need to adapt to ongoing changes within the sector, while maintaining Australia’s reputation as a world leader in education and training. In 2017, we will continue to focus on these trends, with our conference theme ‘Building Quality in VET’. The 2017 National VET Conference will take place on 13-15 September at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney. The Call for Presenters launched in October 2016 and the program will be released in March 2017. You can read more about the 2016 NVC and our plans for 2017 in Velg Training’s editorial feature, or you can contact our office on
(07) 3866 0888 or email conference@velgtraining.com for more information. I am proud to announce Velg Training’s Membership program has grown by over 10,000 Members since we released our first VET eZine over two-and-half years ago! In light of reaching this milestone, we are currently redeveloping our website with Velg Training Members at the core of our online user experience. Over 16,800 Velg Training Corporate and Individual Members have access to their VET PD records via our online Members’ Lounge portal, which also includes our popular Members’ Lunch Box webinar series, over 50 VelgCasts, weekly Member eNews and customisable resources. Membership also includes access to the exclusive online Velg Training Validation Directory, which currently has over 500 listings of RTOs with similar validation requirements and a new, comprehensive ‘Standards at a Glance’ PD tool providing short VelgCasts on each clause within the Standards. Both Members and Non-Members can access our suite of products for purchase, which includes a range of templates and webinar products for RTOs and QLD Schools. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Velg Training Members can email their request to our Resource Developer at resources@velgtraining.com who will determine whether a resource can be developed as complimentary for all Members, or as a product for purchase by both Members and Non-Members. To assist you with planning your PD calendar for the upcoming year, I would like to give you an overview of the training opportunities we will be
facilitating to ‘Educate, Inspire and Empower’ the VET sector in 2017. Registration is now open for the third round of Australia’s largest Mentoring Program for the VET sector – Mentoring Mondays. Streams are tailored to RTO Managers, RTO Administrators, Trainers and Assessors and QLD Schools. We have also announced the dates for our 2017 VET Summits. The 2017 Virtual VET Summit for RTO Managers and for Trainers and Assessors will be presented live and online on 14-15 March 2017 and the QLD Schools VET Summit for RTO Managers and VET Teachers will be held on 4 August 2017 in Brisbane. We have rolled out our workshop and webinar programs for the first half of the year and will continue to release additional topics over the coming months. If there is a face-to-face or online training session you would like to see repeated in 2017, you can register your interest with our Events Team by visiting the ‘On Demand’ section of our website. As always, I would like to thank all of our article contributors and eZine advertisers for their continued commitment to supporting excellence in Australia’s VET sector, and for collaborating with Velg Training. On behalf of the Velgy Bunch, we wish you all the best for the remainder of 2016 and thank you for celebrating VET over the past year with us. We look forward to working with you in the New Year. Here’s to continuing to build quality in Australia’s education and training sector!
Michelle Weaver CEO/Founder of Velg Training
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 4
news@velgtraining.com Australia’s biannual VET eZine
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR elcome to our final edition for 2016. Thank you for taking the time to read our latest VET eZine, which covers recent developments and events impacting the VET sector.
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presenters have shared their expertise with us as part of our regular Inspire and Empower sections, and Michael Hartman of Skills Impact shares their SSO journey to date.
Volume 8 features articles to Educate our audience from the Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills the Hon Karen Andrews and ASQA’s Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Chris Robinson.
At the back of the publication you will find our regular round up of VET PD Events and a VET Glossary to help you with the acronyms used throughout.
We have included articles from WorldSkills Australia and National Skills Week about their recent events, and as Michelle mentioned, our 2016 National VET Conference is also profiled. A handful of this year’s conference
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We hope you have enjoyed each edition to date and we look forward to sharing this latest edition with you via our Issuu account and social media channels. Velg Training Members can see each eZine edition profiled in the weekly Member eNews when it is released. If you are a Non-Member, you can still access timely VET news each
week by signing up online for our free Subscriber Bulletin. Feedback is always welcome and if you have requests for future articles, please email us at news@velgtraining.com. The next edition of our VET eZine will be published on Thursday 6 April 2017. Bookings are now open for advertisers in the 2017 editions. Happy reading! Amy Lynch Editor, Velg Training
Did you know? This FREE eZine is sponsored.
Connect with Velg Training’s database of 30,000+ subscribers!
Velg Training works with advertisers from across the VET industry to publish our quarterly eZine and enable our readers stay connected in VET!
Download our 2017 Media Kit. Book your ad by Friday 24 March 2017.. Email us: news@velgtraining.com.
Velg Training’s new website launching soon! We are very excited to announce that we’ll be launching a brand new website! The latest news, events, resources and member benefits you’ve grown to love, refreshed and improved to further assist your day-to-day life in the VET sector. The new website will also include features, such as: • • • •
job board; PD upload storage and export; personalised content and recommendations; more user-friendly interface and experience;
• improved membership account admin features; and • a one-stop shop for VET resources, news, research, templates and much more!
part of this upcoming launch!
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EDUCATE
VET sector update
by Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills the Hon Karen Andrews
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he VET system is part of Australia’s great education highway, one that leads to many destinations. It is my mission to make sure that when you do exit the education highway, you are on the road to a job in one of the occupations where skills are in high demand. I have enjoyed the opportunity to engage with the stakeholders who are part of this education journey – whether they are the training providers supporting students or employers offering a destination for skilled graduates.
different stages in their careers – from young people just starting out, to those seeking to extend their skills or to retrain. During the 2016 WorldSkills Australia Competition, I witnessed the excellent outcomes and opportunities available through VET – an inspiring display of skills that illuminated the vast array of options in vocational education.
In September, I had the opportunity to speak at the Velg Training National VET Conference. It was a great chance to participate and ‘Celebrate VET’ and its ability to meet the skills needs of the Australian economy. There were so many engaged participants there who, like me, believe in the value of VET.
I understand there is work to highlight the fantastic careers and opportunities available through the skills sector. The Turnbull Government has taken major steps to restore confidence in VET. Introduction of the new VET Student Loans program is a key step in bringing back faith in the VET sector. Confidence in the outcomes of education and training is critical to participation, both for students and employers.
For me, it is critical that Australians understand that VET provides fantastic opportunities to develop skills for a fulfilling career, both for themselves as individuals and for the nation. As we know, VET does this for people at
I understand the success of VET is built on quality of delivery and strong outcomes that produce the skills needed for the Australian economy to prosper in the 21st century. That’s why the Government has invested in pilot
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programs to test new ways of delivering apprenticeships in a modern world. Projects like these will help ensure the sector is well equipped to meet the challenges of the future and evolving needs of industry. In November, I will be meeting with my Ministerial colleagues at the COAG Industry and Skills Council to discuss a national plan for VET. I will also be presenting awards to the sector’s best and brightest at the 2016 Australian Training Awards. This event provides another opportunity to celebrate the strengths of our system. In the meantime, I will continue to engage with stakeholders to further my mission to raise the status of VET and ensure it is delivering good quality, strong outcomes for students, employers, industry and the economy. In 2016, the Hon Karen Andrews MP was appointed Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills. Karen is passionate about VET and encouraging the study of STEM subjects. They are at the core of her agenda to ensure people are trained for the jobs of the future. education.gov.au
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EDUCATE
Implementation of new audit model underway Chris Robinson, Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Australian Skills Quality Authority
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y the time this edition of Velg Training’s VET eZine arrives in your inbox, ASQA will already have undertaken the first audits under its new audit model.
training provider. This includes asking them about the training and support they received, their assessment experiences and the completion of their training.
ASQA has been engaging with the sector about its new audit model for a number of months.
This information will be used by ASQA to inform the scope of the audit, identify any areas of concern and support evidence or identify any variance from the evidence you provide during the audit process.
The new model is considerably different to audits undertaken in the almost five-and-a-half years since ASQA was established. To put it simply, the audits undertaken by ASQA in the future will focus on the practices and behaviours of RTOs, as well as checking on the compliance of RTOs’ systems and processes. The model reflects ASQA’s enhanced risk-based approach to regulation, which sees regulatory resources targeted towards providers that have been identified as posing the greatest risk to the quality of Australia’s VET and international education sectors. One of the most exciting aspects of the new model is the enhanced input from training providers’ current and former students in the audit. ASQA will survey students to collect information about their experiences from the time they first decided to enrol with your
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ASQA has adopted a three-stage implementation for its new audit model. After each stage ASQA will evaluate the audits undertaken and look at possible enhancements in an effort to further strengthen the model before its full implementation next year. Detailed information about the new model can be found on ASQA’s website. I urge all training providers to visit the site and familiarise themselves with the model. In closing, as many of you would know, I am retiring and will leave the position of Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of ASQA at the end of the year. I have been involved with VET and education more generally for almost
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my entire career. I was immensely proud to be appointed as ASQA’s inaugural Chief Commissioner and to work with my fellow Commissioners – Dianne Orr, Michael Lavarch and Mark Paterson – and ASQA staff to realise the many benefits of national regulation of the VET sector. I have said it before and I will say it again – Australia’s VET sector is a world-leader. It is made up of thousands of people who are passionate about providing training and assessment that helps people get jobs and helps businesses find skilled employees. As with many industries there are the bad apples – those whose nefarious practices give the rest of the sector a bad name. However, I am confident that in the years ahead the high-quality providers will outshine the poor providers and the domestic and international markets will continue to see the positive contribution VET makes each and every day. The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is 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/audits
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Celebrating VET: 2016 National VET Conference
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he 2016 National VET Conference was Australia’s largest annual VET gathering yet, with more than 1,300 VET professionals coming together over three days at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on 14-16 September 2016. This year’s theme was ‘Celebrating VET’ and marked the 10th anniversary of Velg Training’s Annual National VET Conference. The focus was on putting the people working hard behind the sector’s scenes in the limelight. All areas of the sector were celebrated at the conference, and acknowledgement also given to those people who work hard behind the scenes to deliver quality vocational training and assessment experiences for learners. Master Classes were held again this year but were run as pre-conference sessions, offering an additional full day of ‘hands on’ PD which focused on providing practical ‘takeaways’. The new three-day event format for the NVC was a great success and we look forward to offering delegates a similar experience in 2017. Day 1 of the National VET Conference featured a sparkling opening fireworks display as Velg
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Training’s Director of VET Content Development, Kerri Buttery, gave the official welcome to delegates. In her keynote speech, Kerri also paid homage to those who have made the sector what it is today. This included Michelle Weaver, John Dwyer, Carol Hunter, John Price, Marc Ratcliffe and all Sponsors, Presenters and delegates, who have been involved with the National VET Conference over the years. Other keynote presentations were delivered by ASQA’s Chief Commissioner and CEO, Chris Robinson, and Velg Training’s Marketing, Conference & Events Manager, Dimity Redcliffe. Motivational speaker and acclaimed comedian, Jimeoin, took to the stage to get the crowd in the celebratory spirit before kicking off an action-packed two days. Velg Training’s conference app again provided an interactive timetable, session information and resources for over 70 sessions and attendee feedback features. This made conference PD planning a quick and easy process. Registration this year was a seamless process, assisted by over 20 TAFE students.
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Video screens in the Exhibition Hall allowed Sponsors to view the Plenary sessions from their booths, ensuring all delegates had access to VET PD throughout the event. The elective sessions featured Policy & Reform, RTO Management & Compliance, Training & Assessing, and VET Shapers topics, as well as the launch of two new streams; LLN and SSOs. The popular Policy & Reform stream featured presentations on the USI and VET on the International Stage. VET presenters spoke about the new VET training and committee roles, including the AISC; Training Packages; Accredited Courses; Industry Skills Fund; AASNs; and VET-FEE HELP. RTO Management & Compliance sessions covered everything from techniques to improve student learning, training package development and implementation, quality competency based assessment and copyright in the digital environment, through to conducting effective training product reviews and planning and scheduling effective validation. The ever-popular Guru Bar was bustling with activity throughout
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the conference. Delegates took the opportunity to participate in ‘speeddating’ style Q&A sessions with 13 Consultants who were on hand with expert advice on topics ranging from assessment to CRICOS. Delegates enjoyed meal breaks while continuing to interact with sessions in the PD Theatre, which was another feature making a repeat appearance at this year’s event. If a more relaxing break was needed, there was the opportunity for a little pampering at the RnR Bar, where students from Evolve College offered hand and neck massages on both days. The dazzling Welcome Function at the end of Day 1 brought the ‘Big Top’ to the Gold Coast, with a circus-themed party hosted by Marc Ratcliffe and Jason Ash of MRWED. Delegates stepped right up to enjoy live entertainment and fun and games throughout the night of food, drink and dancing. It was the first time the Welcome Function was hosted in the Exhibition Hall and it provided another opportunity to network with our Sponsors well into the evening in a lively, yet relaxed environment. Day 2 commenced with keynote sessions from two WorldSkills Australia Apprentices who shared
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their inspirational stories and an address from the Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills the Hon Karen Andrews, who shared insights into her vision for the VET sector as part of her newly appointed portfolio. Delegates were also introduced to the new Regulator, VET Success and eLearning streams on the second day, all of which were incredibly well received. Social media interaction was at an all-time high with posts popping up on the #2016NVC live feed, as well as from competition entries to win the $5,000 travel voucher from Velg Training and multiple other prize giveaways from various Sponsors including The Learning Resources Group. We saw significant growth with our National RTO Network LinkedIn Group increasing to over 12,400 members, our Twitter account climbing to over 2,700 followers and Facebook Page growing to surpass 1,400 likes!
where they supported both Presenters and delegates throughout the event’s proceedings. The Velgy Bunch would like to thank all Sponsors, Exhibitors, Presenters and delegates for making this year’s conference a success and for providing feedback to help us plan next year’s event. You can preview this year’s feedback and gallery on the Velg Training website. Save the date for our 2017 National VET Conference on 13-15 September 2017, where we will focus on ‘Building Quality in VET’! The event will be held at the ICC Sydney, Australia’s first and largest fully integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment centre. We look forward to seeing you there!
As passionate advocates of VET, Velg Training supported a work placement opportunity for over 20 TAFE students. Velg Training staff members worked alongside the students, all of whom made a valuable contribution to the overall success of the event. Students were on hand for Conference registration and elective sessions
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INSPIRE
Young champions celebrate their victories at the nation’s largest trades and skills competition by the Shadow Minister for Vocational Education the Hon Sharon Bird
by Brett Judd, CEO of WorldSkills Australia
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he nation’s best young apprentices, trainees and students from 60 trades and skills have been named at the 2016 WorldSkills Australia National Competition. Supported by the Victorian Government, the 2016 National Competition was held from 6-8 October at Melbourne Showgrounds. This event was the culmination of months of training for over 500 competitors aged 16 to 24 years, who earned their spot in Melbourne after medaling at the regional level in 2015. After spending a combined total of 16 to 20 hours across three days completing projects aligned with national training packages, their hard work paid off when 159 gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the competitors. “It was a real celebration of the strengths of our vocational training system, and was a great demonstration
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of what a skills resurgence would look like,” said WorldSkills Australia CEO, Brett Judd. “There were some incredible highlights of diversity and regional successes. Melinda Lethbridge from Swinburne University of Technology was the first female to win the Fitter and Turner category; Illawarra mechanic Louise Azzopardi made history by being the first female entrant and gold medalist in the Heavy Vehicle Mechanics category; and Dusti-Lee Franchi from South Metropolitan TAFE (Perth) took out gold in Vehicle Painting. These are all traditionally male-dominated trades, so these are amazing results.” WorldSkills Australia has announced the members of the 2017 Skills Squad – an elite group of competitors who will be assigned dedicated training mentors in the hope of representing Australia as a Skillaroo at the 44th WorldSkills
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Competition next October in Abu Dhabi. While the Skills Squad gears up for their next big challenge, the 2017 cycle of WorldSkills Australia competitions will commence with a series of Regional Competitions held across the country. The young hopefuls that compete at this regional round will aim to progress onto the 2018 National Competition in Sydney and the International Competition to be held in Kazan, Russia the following year. View a full listing of results from the 2016 WorldSkills Australia National Competition. WorldSkills Australia is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1981 that provides young Australians aged 23 and under the opportunity to gain new skills, compete against their peers at a regional, national and international level in their chosen trade, and fast track their skills and career development. worldskills.org.au
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Velg Training recognise that owning and managing an RTO goes beyond maintaining compliance and developing training and assessment materials. Business development, human resource management, marketing, innovation and entrepreneurship all play their own part in the growth of a successful RTO. For this reason, Velg Training will be hosting its very first VET CEO Conference in 2017 with a range of sessions based around strategy and planning, managing growth and leadership. Stay tuned for further details!
#VETCEO v攀氀最琀爀愀椀渀椀渀最⸀挀漀洀 2
Australia’s bi-annual VET eZine / APRIL 2014 / VOLUME 1
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Inspiring excellence in VET Building foundation skills: Top teaching tips for vocational trainers by Ann Leske and Chemène Sinson
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ocational trainers—you—are in an ideal position. Your training offers a work context that gives depth and reason to the foundation skills needed for the workplace. Learners need you to bolster their foundation skills so they can perform work tasks with confidence. This article offers five tips to help you get started with building your learners’ foundation skills within your vocational training. Set your eye on the future We are in the Infotronics age—an age of unprecedented, constant change in today’s workforce, as signalled by recent reports by the CSIRO and CEDA. Research by the Foundation for Young Australians tells us that 70 per cent of employers need workers to work proactively in the online environment, develop new and innovative ideas and solutions and interpret data. This is the ‘real world’ of work, for which we must prepare our learners. It places new foundation skill demands on VET graduates. To set your eye on the future: stay in touch with current and emerging trends in the industries in which you train; and pitch your training at ‘workplace reality’—identify and teach both the vocational and foundation skills learners will need to succeed in today’s constantly-evolving workplace. Make friends with the ACSF and the CSfW Foundation Skills include: 1. LLN in the Australian Core Skills Framework; and 2. employability skills in the Core Skills for Work framework. Each document provides hundreds of performance (skill) descriptions. Use them to help you: • interpret pre-training assessment results; • identify the particular foundation skills needed for work; and • isolate foundation skill requirements for summative assessment. Ann Leske is an LLN teacher and consultant and Chemène Sinson is a VET (TAE) instructional designer, trainer and consultant, trading as LLN In-Sight and Blackwater Projects, respectively. They have combined their complementary areas of expertise to form LLN and VET Meeting Place – a specialised website to support LLN and VET trainers to embrace foundation skills development within vocational training. Ann and Chemène also offer consultancy services and regularly present at conferences and special events. llnandvetmeetingplace.wordpress.com
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Upskill and support Introduce instructional strategies that both upskill and support learners: • upskilling strategies aim to explicitly build particular core skills (eg. teach how to skim a report to find its main idea—reading); and • support strategies include anything you do to support learner efforts (eg. provide an online ‘lounge’—a place learners can go to ask questions). Expose and explain When introducing a new work skill: • initially, expose the foundation skills together with the work skill (eg. say, “This calculation will help you to…”); • explain the range of foundation skills needed to perform the work skill. To do this you’ll need to identify the foundation skills needed, then clearly introduce and practice these throughout training; and • demonstrate each foundation skill in context of the work skill (eg. offer a live demonstration or record a ‘how to’ video that shows the steps to take and identifies challenges involved). Try this simple exercise to identify the foundation skills needed to perform a work skill: 1.
make a list of the foundation skills you think a retail salesperson needs to do their job; and
2.
when finished, compare your list to this one.
Stretch your delivery plan Plan training to extend the space between your first introduction to a new work skill, and the summative assessment, as shown in the figure below. Incorporate diverse opportunities for learners to ‘intersect’ with the material, with you and with each other. To do this, emphasise formative assessment: • monitor progress, give feedback often; and • continuously adjust training to meet learner needs.
Need help? Visit LLN and VET Meeting Place or contact llnandvetmeetingplace@gmail.com. We offer resources and information to energise your tool kit.
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INSPIRE
VET regulations: Trends and lessons learned in 2016 by Joe Newbery
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here is one thing that is certain in our wonderful industry – change is constant and so is the evolution of VET regulation and how it is interpreted. Here are a few tips based on the trends we are observing in audits and the lessons learned. Clause 1.1: Volume of Learning Ridiculously short duration courses will not be tolerated. Provide a detailed breakdown of the hours allocated in your course by their mode of delivery (eg. face-to-face, self-paced, work experience). Separate the allocation of those modes into supervised and non-supervised hours for clarity. Try to achieve an allocation of face-to-face training of 20-30 per cent of the total hours. Explain how allocated hours will be accounted for, such as using a work log-book or structured self-paced learning activities. Use the elements of Clause 1.2 in any justification why the duration of training is shorter than the recommended minimum. Clause 1.3: Facilities/Resources There are two areas of focus here. These relate to the need for learning resources in support of your allocated “self-paced study” and the need to demonstrate your work placement arrangements. If you are going to allocate some hours to self-paced study, make sure you have structured activities that support this mode of delivery. This might include recommended readings or review activities. The volume of activity needs to be consistent with the hours allocated. In terms of work placement, think of workplace inspection, work placement agreements (between the RTO and the employer), confirmation of duties, student orientation, insurance, supervision arrangements, monitoring, reporting and evidence gathering arrangements. Ensure this is all explained in your strategy.
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Clause 1.8: Assessment
Clause 3.2: AQF Certification
No particular trend here, just business as usual. If I were to identify three top tips to comply with assessment, they would be:
Cross-check your certificate format with ASQA’s Fact Sheet—Sample forms of AQF certification documentation. The document says it “has no legal status or legal effect whatsoever”. However, we have seen auditors make an RTO non-compliant on more than a dozen occasions due to their certificates missing attributes shown within this fact sheet but which are not required in the Standards or AQF. Recent examples include finding the RTO non-compliant for using the words “this is to certify that” on the statement of attainment instead of the words “this is a statement that”. Other favourites are not including a signature block on the record of results and not specifying the date of enrolment for each unit of competency. These things are not specified in the VET Quality Framework but do appear in this fact sheet. My general advice, is to have a strong regard for the fact sheet and be prepared to justify where you do not align with it.
1. Do not try to interpret a unit. If it says you need to observe the candidate five times performing a specific task, then that is exactly what the assessment activity should involve. 2. Assess all of the specified knowledge. Consider combining a competency conversation or professional discussion with the observation of the knowledge during the performance of the task. Ensure you have model answers to support the reliability of your knowledge assessment. 3. Your observation criteria in support of practical assessment should be detailed and clearly identify the observable behaviour (benchmark behaviours) the candidate should demonstrate during the satisfactory performance of the task. Clause 1.9 - 1.10: Validation The compulsory requirement to undertake a quality review of your assessment process came into effect on 1 April 2015. By 1 April 2018, you need to have completed this quality review on at least half of your scope of registration. The National VET Regulator expects you to have a plan to achieve this, including who will lead and participate in the validation, what training products you are validating and when this will occur. You also need to demonstrate the method of assessment validation you are applying and how the findings of each validation activity will be acted upon. The plan and the method are critical. You also need to start making progress towards the 1 April 2018 deadline! There are two must read documents: ASQA’s Fact Sheet - Conducting validation and the NCVER publication Maximising confidence in assessment decisionmaking: Resource kit for assessors.
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Clause 4.1: Marketing The Standard says in respect to marketing that the RTO “includes the code and title of any training product, as published on the National Register”. This is a simple one! Make sure you display the training product exactly as it appears in the training package. The first aid unit would be “HLTAID003 Provide first aid”. You will most likely be made noncompliant if you display it as “Provide first aid (HLTAID003)” or “Provide first aid”, with the code shown separately. It sounds petty but it is very clear in the Standard and is aimed at promoting consistency and clarity across providers.
Joe Newbery is the Managing Director of Newbery Consulting, which specialises in supporting training businesses to become quality-focused, compliant and successful. Joe started in VET as an Army Recruit Instructor and over the past 11 years, he has performed regulatory audits for State and National regulators within the sector and internally on behalf of clients. newberyconsulting.com.au
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2016 National Skills Week N
ational Skills Week has wrapped for its sixth consecutive year with unprecedented success! The week was launched nationally on Wednesday 24 August, at the Queen Victoria Night Markets in Melbourne by Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills the Hon Karen Andrews.
Skills displays from TAFE, industry and WorldSkills Australia took place simultaneously in the Queen Victoria Markets public sector. These displays highlighted a variety of skilled areas, including hair and beauty, bricklaying, aviation and floristry.
A private function was held for the official launch and was attended by distinguished guests including Victorian Minister for Training and Skills the Hon Steve Herbert, members of industry, media, students, parents and supporters from the VET sector.
A survey conducted among attendees at the national launch showed 94 per cent of attendees believe it is important to have a week dedicated to drawing attention to VET career pathways and its diversity. One attendee stated, “University is not for everyone and we need to focus on other opportunities for not only young people, but those looking for a career change”.
“National Skills Week showcases the vital contribution that VET makes to our daily lives. The week brings together events and activities from around Australia to celebrate the significance of our VET system,” Assistant Minister Andrews said. The event featured speaking appearances by Australian Training Award Alumni, Australian Apprenticeship Ambassadors, WorldSkills representatives, entertainment by students from AIM and Chisholm Institute and canapés by Crown College. Minister Andrews reinforced, “We need to focus on continuing to build a strong and diverse VET system for a prosperous future through training that will equip students with the skills they need to get a job.”
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Widespread state and territory launches followed throughout the week in an effort to change existing attitudes toward the VET sector and showcase it as a first choice. Hundreds of events took place across Australia including Open Days, Competitions, Info Days and Hospitality/ Commercial Cookery events, not to mention numerous events run by schools and not-for-profit organisations. The theme for 2016 was ‘New World, New Vision, Your Future’ and enlightened people about the changing nature of industry. The week focused on promoting how the information age has delivered an array of new job opportunities and exciting career avenues for all Australians.
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National Skills Week is an annual event to recognise, celebrate and inform students and the wider public about the diverse careers available through vocational education and the many benefits that come with taking up vocational training.
nationalskillsweek.com.au
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Who is Skills Impact and what do you do? S
kills Impact is a purpose-built national SSO—one of five SSOs appointed by the Australian Government earlier this year. Skills Impact supports the development of national occupational skills Standards and qualifications contained within training packages. We assist industries based on grown and renewable resources (e.g. agriculture, food manufacturing, animal care and forestry). There are 2,394 training providers registered to deliver qualifications and competency units contained within the training packages that Skills Impact supports.
in the workplace in the form of units of competency. Feedback from employers, employees and RTOs is essential to ensuring units of competency accurately describe specific job roles or tasks and their associated fundamental capabilities. RTO feedback is especially important when building qualifications and ensuring that they can be effectively implemented.
Our core role is to support government recognised IRCs who are responsible for the development of the components within training packages. Skills Impact supports these committees to undertake consultation with industry and RTOs and carry out projects to improve national occupational skill Standards and qualifications as needed by industry. Visit our website to see the IRCs and training packages we work with. What role can RTOs play in the development of occupational skills Standards?
If you could change one thing in the VET sector that SSOs contribute to what would that be?
SSOs and the IRCs they support have a small but fundamentally important role to play in Australia’s vocational skills system. RTOs and employers have the critical role of supporting the learning and practice arrangements for students in VET. They also contribute to the work we do in describing performance required
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Ongoing consultation with industry and RTOs brings to light emerging workforce development needs, and any skills gaps within the current units of competency and qualifications.
The term training package is very misleading. In our role of supporting IRCs to develop occupational skills standards within what are currently called ‘training packages’, we are not developing training or prescribing how a learner should be trained. Instead, we develop occupational skills and standards, which form the basis for qualifications. These describe the skills and knowledge required to undertake specific job roles and activities in employment. We continually get asked about training and training courses by employers, employees and students. Industry incorrectly assumes we develop training courses and therefore also wrongly assume that we are responsible for the content and the quality of delivery of a learning program.
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While this confusion does not apply to those familiar with training packages, it is really very problematic for government officials, MPs, Ministers and industry leaders. They may not immediately know what is in a training package and assume (with some justification!) that it contains training course materials. I would love to see a day when the standards we work on are called what they are— occupational skill Standards and qualifications—and RTOs are recognised for their role in developing training products, materials and courses. Skills Impact’s work is supported by funding provided by the Commonwealth Government through the Department of Education and Training. Skills Impact frequently gathers RTO and industry feedback about various developments to the industry occupational skill standards we are responsible for. For more information and to access their news alerts, click on ‘subscribe’ on the Skills Impact website. Michael Hartman has been involved in work-based adult education, learning, and vocational education for 30 years. Michael has held a number of roles in the education and training sectors and bases his leadership on a wide knowledge of workplace learning, education and training, which supports him to engage and add value with both industry and VET sector stakeholders. skillsimpact.com.au
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Personal branding for professional success M
ost of us do not realise that we have a personal brand. It is how people see us think about us. What comes to mind when our name is mentioned or our photo appears. But is it the brand we want? What was our role in curating it? Or did we let it happen, free-range, as it were. Personal brand impacts our work Our brand also impacts on that of our profession or industry sector. For instance, when we see a Qantas flight attendant shopping in the supermarket in their uniform, everything you feel about Qantas comes to mind. That is how our brand impacts on our professional lives. Does your brand resonate positively? Your brand The New York Times bestselling business author Dan Schawbel tells us that our brand comprises answers to
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these three key questions: 1. What do you stand for? 2. What makes you compelling? 3. What makes you stand out? Another way of looking at it is the “Three Ps” proposition: Persona, Packaging and Product. Persona is who you are: male or female, married or single, old or young. Packaging is how you look, dress, your car, your business card. Product is what you do, write or say. Are there specific achievements that come to mind when your name is mentioned? Brand is never off duty Your brand is always on! Like the flight attendant in the supermarket, the values of the company go wherever you do. The only time your brand is off duty is when you are asleep.
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Advertise your business in the next Volume of the Staying Connected in VET eZine! Gerry Gannon has been a journalist, broadcaster, MC and media trainer in Australia for the last 30 years and is now one of the best-known speakers and facilitators in Australia. He has worked extensively in both Australia and overseas and provides media skills training to government, notfor-profit organisations and industry entities, as well as conducting speech and presentation training courses. gerrygannon.com.au
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2016/17 VET PD ROUND UP
eZINE GLOSSARY
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Plan your professional development over the coming months! We have listed the major VET events taking place across Australia and in select international locations, until April 2017.
We use acronyms throughout this publication and on our website. Please see our VET eZine glossary below and access your complimentary copy of our extensive VET glossary online.
National VET Conference Call for Presenters Now Open! 2016 Australian Training Awards 17 November 2016, Darwin
DEC
VET Policy, Compliance, and Funding Summit 2016 22-23 November 2016, Sydney 2016 Closing the Gap National Indigenous Health Conference 1–3 December 2016, Cairns
MAR JAN
2016 National Conference on VET Teaching and VET Teacher Education 8-9 December 2016, Sydney National VET Conference 31 January 2017, Call for Presenters Closes Virtual VET Summit 14-15 March 2017, online
APR
ACER National Adult Training and Assessment Conference 23-24 March 2017, Melbourne AVETRA 2017 Conference 18-20 April 2017, Melbourne For current events and updated information, visit the Velg Training ‘VET Industry Events’ listing online. To submit your VET events leading up to our next edition in April 2017, email us at news@velgtraining.com.
Explore Velg Training Membership!
- Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) - Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) - Australian Industry and Skills Council (AISC) - Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) - Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) - Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) - Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) - Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) - Core Skills for Work (CSfW) - Council of Australian Governments (COAG) - Industry Reference Committee (IRC) - International Convention Centre (ICC) - Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) - Master of Ceremonies (MC) - Member of Parliament (MP) - National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) - Professional Development (PD) - Queensland (QLD) - Registered Training Organisation (RTO) - Skills Service Organisation (SSO) - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) - Technical and Further Education (TAFE) - Training and Education (TAE) - Unique Student Identifier (USI) - Vocational Education and Training (VET) Velg Training Members have access to complimentary online resources via our Members Lounge Portal.
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· TLI21616 Certificate II in Warehousing Operations · TLI31616 Certificate III in Warehousing Operations Print, eBook and online! All match to suit blended delivery. Online resources have been developed to be fully responsive on all mobile devices Trainer support material in editable formats.
Visit www.aspirelr.com.au or call 03 9820 1300 for more information Purchasing our resources helps fund the Aspire Foundation
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Consulting #VTConsulting
Our specialist consulting services are delivered by VET industry experts. We work with RTOs across Australia and Queensland Schools to provide internal audits, training product reviews, compliance and one-on-one assistance. Services can be tailored to your organisation from consultants located around the country. Consultants specialise in: Î RTO & CRICOS set up and compliance
Î Training product reviews
Î Internal auditing and rectifications
Î Assessment development
Î Contract funding audits and reviews
Î Course accreditations
Î Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF)
Î Government funding including
Î Standards for RTOs 2015
VET Student Loan Scheme
For more information, contact consulting@velgtraining.com or view our services online at velgtraining.com/consulting
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10:00am - 11:00am (AEST: QLD)
11:15am - 12:00pm
Day 1 Tuesday 14 March 2017
Day 2 Wednesday 15 March 2017
Session 1 Department of Education and Training (Invited)
Session 6 Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) (Invited)
Session 2 Checklists Carol Hunter
Session 7 Key Features of Quality Assessment Tools John Dwyer
Session 3 Developing Clustered Assessment John Price
Session 8 Assessing in an Online Environment Francis Kneebone
Session 4 Assessment Evidence from Other Parties Carol Hunter
Session 9 Mapping for Quality Assurance Kerri Buttery
Session 5 Essential Components of the RPL Process John Price
Session 10 Reviewing Assessment for Compliance John Price
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Need support in your role?
Join our VET Mentoring Programs! In 2017, Velg Training will again run the largest VET Mentoring Program in Australia. A suite of four 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 2017 calendar year to enhance your organisation’s continuous improvement process whilst maintaining your individual currency requirements. RTO Managers Mentoring Program 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A 20 February, 22 May, 21 August & 20 November 2017
RTO Administrator Mentoring Program 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A 27 February, 29 May, 29 August & 27 November 2017
Trainer & Assessor Mentoring Program 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A 20 February, 22 May, 21 August & 20 November 2017
QLD Schoools Mentoring Program Queensland Schools Only 4 hours pre-recorded content + 4 hours live Q&A 18 January, 26 April, 19 July & 18 October 2017
Programs will include: • Pre-recorded webinars • Live Q&A webinars • Attendance certificates • Electronic resources • Industry experts • Hard-copy folder • PowerPoints
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