CEO MESSAGE CENTRE NEWS 2014 Victorian Training Awards Overseas VET opportunities Professional learning feedback African VET delegation OctoberVET Networking Activities
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING VET leaders Lunch VET Blog - 18 months on VET Store Innovation in Learning in 2015 2014 Teaching and Learning Conference
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CEO MESSAGE Our annual teaching and learning conference was very successful with participation from across the Victorian VET sector. This conference is focussed on supporting practitioners to develop their professional expertise in a supportive environment. Recipients of the Centre’s Teaching Fellowship were in attendance as well as staff from other RTOs. Three keynote presentations focussed on innovation and leadership; delegates were able to choose from 12 workshops around the themes of research, digital learning, community partnerships and innovation in teaching practice. The workshops allow sufficient time to engage with the material presented in a meaningful way. The conference is very focussed on meeting current and emerging needs of VET practitioner capability building and feedback from the conference was excellent. See page five for comments. The Centre has finalised the Innovation in Learning Program (ILeP) in preparation for rollout in 2015. We undertook consultation with VET practitioners to gather
qualitative information about the kind of professional learning that supports sustained use of digital learning technologies and the impediments to sustained use. The information from the focus groups, individual interviews, and an online survey produced five key inputs, which inform the design and implementation of the proposed ILeP. They are: Improved student outcomes are persuasive for teachers; Emphasise professional learning that is practice based and project based, and emphasise VET pedagogy; Emphasise sharing of professional practice; Adopting new digital technologies is a change management task; and RTO owners and managers need an understanding of how to manage the risk of adopting new digital learning technologies.
will build practitioner capability in integration and collaboration and will enlarge practitioner capabilities in VET digital pedagogic practice through a customised approach that is flexible enough to cater for different practitioner entry points, and extensible enough to inform sector wide engagement. ILeP has a strong emphasis on educational design, pedagogy reform, and socially constructed sharing activities. Further information will be available shortly and you can register your interest at digitallearning@vetcentre.vic.edu.au
Denise Stevens
ILeP highlights that the ‘e’ is already in Learning and that using digital learning technologies is not separate from other methodologies. ILeP
2014 VICTORIAN TRAINING AWARDS The VET Development Centre was proud to present with the Hon. Nick Wakeling MP, Minister for Higher Education and Skills the Large Training Provider of the Year Award to Chisholm Institute at the 2014 Victorian Training Awards, held at the Crown Palladium on Friday 26 September 2014. The Victorian Training Awards, celebrated it’s 60th year in promoting and rewarding outstanding achievement and innovation in the vocational
education and training sector. The night acknowledged the strong partnerships between training providers and Victorian businesses which are vital to providing a strong skills base for Victoria.
The VET Development Centre team and board members celebrating on the night.
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OVERSEAS VET OPPORTUNITIES Enrich your career, broaden your skills and global perspective Could you handle a professional and personal challenge overseas? Australian Volunteers International (AVI) is recruiting for skilled VET professionals, to share your knowledge and expertise with people from developing communities in Asia, Africa and Pacific regions.
Many of the VET systems are modelled on Australia’s.
The recent advisory positions range from an RPL focus to occupational (competency) standards development and linking with industry, to hands-on carpentry/ workshop training. Many more positions will be advertised during November for start from April/May next year.
Supported by the Australian Government under the Australian Volunteers for International Development program (AVID), all Australian volunteers will live and work with local communities, and will receive financial support including: airfares, visas, accommodation, modest living
AVI are looking for mid-career professionals and trades people, right through to recently retired workers and experienced graduates, to develop critical skills and broaden their perspectives by working in culturally diverse workplaces overseas.
allowances, insurance, predeparture training, in-country and post-assignment support. Applications will open from 1 November. To apply please check all positions at AVI’s Vocational Education website. For more information about the volunteer experience, click here. For any further questions contact Sue Baker +61 3 9279 1743, Toll Free: 1800 331 292 or at sbaker@australianvolunteers.com
australianvolunteers.com
YOUR FEEDBACK ON PROFESSIONAL LEARNING As part of the VET Development Centre’s commitment to developing the capability of people working in the VET sector, we design a short survey each year to obtain your feedback about our Professional Learning programs.
As an important player in the VET sector we encourage you to complete this short survey which will help to shape our provision of professional learning programs and projects for the VET sector.
iPad Mini simply by finishing the survey. Thank you for your contribution and good luck!
The survey should take no longer than five minutes to complete and you have the chance to win an
Take survey
AFRICAN VET DELEGATION The Centre is regularly asked to present to international delegations on VET workforce issues, particularly with a focus on capability building. A recent delegation of ten senior managers from Tanzania, led by the Director General of the Vocational Education and Training Authority, was particularly interested in the activities of the
Centre. Providing initial and ongoing professional development to VET practitioners in Tanzania is critical as the economy continues to shift from high dependence on agriculture to one based around a broad economic mix. Challenges of maintaining industry expertise and currency while improving teaching quality were top of mind in the discussions.
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OCTOBERVET Date: Friday 17 October Time: 1.30pm - 4.00pm Venue: Federation University, Ballarat The Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), who are commiteed to building and promoting research capability to ensure a rigorous and well informed VET system, will be hosting in partnership with Federation University, a free researchbased event, focusing on new developments in research in VET on Friday 17 October.
The event is part of OctoberVET which is the name given to a series of events held throughout Australia to showcase vocational education and training (VET) research. The free research event will be held at Federation University, Ballarat and will include keynote presentations from Robin Shreeve, the former CEO of the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency as well as Hugh Guthrie, a Principal Research Fellow at Victoria University. There will also be presentations from key Research Adult and Vocational
Education (RAVE) researchers and PhD students. To register for this free event please contact Erica Smith on (03) 5327 9665 or at rave.research@federation. edu.au by Wednesday 15 October. To read the OctoberVET flyer, click here
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES At the recent TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) annual conference the VET Development Centre’s CEO, Denise Stevens provided three market place sessions on developing an entrepreneurial culture within VET providers and the workforce requirements to achieve this. The Centre’s Senior Project Manager, Janet Nicholds provided
an interactive workshop at the VELG National Conference held in September, on successful professional development for VET practitioners. Janet’s presentation encouraged participants to use augmented reality on their smart devices. The Centre was also proud to be an exhibiting sponsor at the conference.
Conference held in Fremantle, and the Victorian TAFE Association (VTA) State Conference and NCVER No Frills Conference, both held at the Hemipshere Conference Centre, Moorabbin.
The Centre has provided support to a number of other organisations including the ACPET National
VET LEADERS LUNCH The VET Development Centre is pleased to have Andrew Gerkens, Solutions Team Director, 70:20:10 Forum, as guest speaker at the upcoming VET Leaders Lunch.
adopting the 70:20:10 framework as a strategic response to the challenges they face. In addition to exploring the framework, the session will include examples of how VET and other organisations are implementing the framework to build capability and transform.
Andrew’s presentation will explore how change is impacting the way people learn and work and how organisations around the world are
The VET Leaders Lunch will be held on Friday 24 October at the Park Hyatt, Triology Room. Delegates will enjoy a delicious two-course meal
as well as networking with a range of VET professionals.
Register online
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VET BLOG - 18 MONTHS ON The Centre supports the development and maintenance of vocational and educational currency by ensuring that VET practitioners, managers and specialist staff have access to recent and relevant articles of interest. The impetus for the VET Blog came about due to the rapidity of change across the sector and
confusion by many practitioners as to the rationale behind many of the decisions being made. The Centre put together the VET Blog in order to ensure that practitioners understand the key issues and also have a sense of where policy reform impacts on their practice. There are over 200 reports and articles on the VET Blog and the Centre has had over 80,000 hits on the site. We post approx 3-4
articles per week with a very succinct and informative summary – read the summary and if you have more time, then read the full article! This initiative has been well supported and received from across the sector with national and international followers.
access further information related to their workshop via the Centre’s portal. For example they can download a certificate of attendance, access the presenter’s PowerPoint and related resources, obtain a badge, and for some activities be engaged with the presenter and other attendees via the chat room facility.
reports of interest related to VET on the site; we add 3-4 posts per week.
Click here to read.
VET STORE The Centre has recently revamped its website to incorporate a new initiative the VET Store – this is the splash page for access to the VET Blog, the Resource Portal, the Podcast series and the Solutions magazine. Resource and Network portal - All practitioners who attend any Professional Learning Program can
The VET Blog has had 80,000+ hits to date with over 200 articles and
The Podcast series – this includes interviews that the CEO has recorded with key people in VET plus a curated repository for the webinars conducted over the past 12 months. The curated repository is in the final edit stage and will be released over the next few weeks.
INNOVATION IN LeARNING IN 2015 The Centre was asked to design and develop a digital learning professional development program for delivery in 2015. As part of the design six focus groups were conducted across the State, a green paper was developed, a survey was conducted with the Centre’s stakeholders and a
literature review was undertaken. The Centre recently presented to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) the Innovation in Learning Program (ILeP) for rollout in 2015. The Centre is also currently running a series of pilot webinars and workshops in 2014 in the lead up to 2015 ILeP. This is an exciting initiative and reflects the impact of
technology on teaching and learning practice and the need for Victorian VET Practitioners to challenge their thinking and their delivery models to meet the expectations of a new age of learners. Further information will be available shortly and you can register your interest at digitallearning@vetcentre.vic. edu.au
CONNECT WITH THE CENTRE Stay connected with news and events in the vocational education and training sector through the Centre’s social media pages and the VET Store.
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2014 TEACHING & LEARNING CONFERENCE A number of complex environmental drivers are impacting on the skill profile required of VET practitioners. Most notably, recent changes to government policies at state and federal levels continue to drive reforms in the VET and Higher Education sectors. Policy directions at the forefront of current debate include: the introduction of student entitlement models; greater competition amongst providers; changed student cohorts; and increasing the use of technology to provide flexible delivery options to support diverse learner needs. This necessitates a new role for VET practitioners: the need to be flexible, innovative and student centred, and all in a highly charged and competitive environment. The VET Development Centre’s two day 2014 Teaching and Learning Conference highlighted a variety of these themes - new thinking and approaches, integrating technology, embedding research into practice
and new models of leadership. The annual conference held at Torquay in September attracted participants from private, public and community providers. Delegates enjoyed feeling refreshed by the opportunity to step out of their day to day life and be reinvigorated for their professional practice. Comments from the conference included:
One of the best conferences to date with an outstanding selection of presenters. The event management and location made everything easy and enjoyable.
A breath of fresh air!
The conference has been a feature of the Centre’s activities for many years; over the two days delegates also enjoyed engaging in Twitter competitions to capture the most invigorating ‘selfie’. There were also opportunities for participants to use augmented reality to access workshop and presentation material.
It was just brilliant! I loved it. I will be back next year. It was everything I thought it would be. Just totally enjoyed myself. Terrific to meet a broad range of professionals – both local and interstate. Terrific to have the variety of topics for both the new and the experienced VET practitioners.
There was so much that we could apply in the workplace and I think we all left left with too much enthusiasm!
CONFERENCE SELFIES (only a select few!)
#TLVET14
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