Enews issue 18

eNews CEO MESSAGE CENTRE NEWS IN REVIEW 2015 Teaching and Learning Conference VTA Training Awards VELG Conference Language, Literacy and Numeracy

CENTRE PROJECTS Comment Share & Showcase June Review On Classroom Readiness

Putting Students First VETiS Term 4 Delivery

UPCOMING EVENTS Professional Learning October VET VET Leaders Lunch

Issue 18

CEO MESSAGE The VET Development Centre celebrates 10 years!

This year the Centre celebrated 10 years of service to the Victorian VET community. Our aim during this time has been to bring strategic and practical focus to VET workforce development. We have done this through the provision of grants to providers to enable them to develop a strategic approach to their own workforce commitments and we have established an extensive professional learning program situated within our capability framework. We have provided extensive project management across a suite of program areas including Teaching & Learning, Industry Engagement, Coaching & Mentoring, Workforce Development and Digital Learning.

The Centre has provided Leadership activities through our Thought Leaders series where we have showcased local and international research and through our VET Leaders lunches where key policy initiatives are discussed and debated. Our support of networks and sponsorship activities have built a VET community that has enabled the sharing of ideas – both face to face and in a digital environment. Our VET Blog enables practitioners to stay connected to the latest information, research and reports and currently over 250 articles are located there and to date we have received over 300,000 hits. The Centre recognises that connectivity, adaptability and agility are required of the VET workforce to meet the needs of industry, community and importantly learners. Our first 10 years have enabled us to develop a strong base with which to support the future needs of the sector.

CEO OPINION PIECE: On Classroom Readiness I was recently asked to write a short piece for the Australian College of Educators October 15 edition of Professional Educator around classroom readiness from a VET perspective. It was an opportunity to reflect on who the learners and practitioners are in VET and what is required to ensure ‘classroom readiness’.

Industry expectations of graduates have changed and they are looking for leadership, digital literacy; team work; innovation and entrepreneurship; global citizenship; communication; emotional intelligence and problem solving attributes. And it is the VET practitioner who needs to prepare learners to meet these changing industry requirements.

What a VET practitioner is looking for in a learner would include the following – an engagement with learning; interest and enthusiasm; basic skills in reading, maths and general education; a career objective; a positive sense of self; hope, resilience and wellness; and connection to family and community.

These attributes get them started on their learning journey and prepare them to meet the needs of industry and community.

Our current expectations of VET practitioners are that they are adaptive; use and understand technology; ensure industry and learner confidence in training outcomes; are able to provide more than just skills development; they need critical thinking and analysis; they need to be innovative; maintain their vocational currency and be reflective practitioners! Quite an expectation.

Technology is changing the way individuals and society interacts and

consequently the world of work is changing at a fast pace. The jobs of the future have yet to be invented but at the same time, VET providers need to produce job ready graduates able to work now but also to be prepared for this future. http:// www.austcolled.com.au/publications/ publications So between supporting the development of an appropriate teaching qualification to develop adaptive and agile VET practitioners and ensuring that learners are indeed classroom ready and then work ready, the Centre has considerable scope to design, develop and deliver professional learning programs to address these needs. The professional learning program for 2016 is currently being planned and full details will be available on our website in early November.

THE CENTRE NEWS Victorian Training Awards 2015 The Centre congratulates Wodonga Institute of TAFE for winning the Large Training Provider of the Year category. The Centre judges and sponsors this award and has done so for several years. It is always interesting to get an insight into the operations of the finalists and to hear the many inspiring learner stories.

VELG Conference Adelaide September 23-25 Maria Romanin and Leo Gregorc attended the recent VELG conference where the Centre had an exhibition stand and where Leo also presented on a research project completed in 2014 Innovation in Learning - Engaging with technology for successful pedagogic practice.

For most RTO’s moving into the online space, implementing new learning technologies has many challenges, and selecting the right one means lining up student and business outcomes with educational practicalities. Integrating new technologies also has risks, and often RTOs decide not to engage in the digital learning space, or to proceed very slowly.

Professional learning on effective integration of educational technologies is needed and becomes successful when there are opportunities to engage directly with other VET practitioners and share with those who are experiencing similar challenges. To assist RTO owners, managers and teachers to understand how best to manage the risk, it is necessary to make connections between professional learning programs and peer-to-peer support networks.

But what does this look like?

The VET Development Centre, undertook this research to explore this intersection where education and business outcomes align, and to see how an interconnected, networked professional learning program could be implemented to expand the current digital pedagogical practices of Victorian VET providers. By way of focus groups, semi structured interviews, desktop research and an online survey, the Centre consulted with a broad cross section of VET practitioners and organisations. The research aim was to secure focussed qualitative data about what kind of professional learning specifically supports the sustained use of and the impediments to adopting digital learning technologies.

Through the lens of an interconnected engagement model of professional development, his presentation reported on these findings. Its focus is on exploring the space where shared experiences and connected learning enrich the innovation potential of digital technology as an inclusive part of successful pedagogic practice.

THE CENTRE NEWS VET Practitioner Research Network The Victorian TAFE Association (VTA) recently hosted a meeting of organisations and individuals with a keen interest in ensuring that VET research is known, available and accessed by practitioners and the VET sector more broadly.

Representatives from the VET Development Centre, VISTA, NCVER, AVETRA, VTA, ACER, VU and the Department of Education acknowledged that VET research is important in shaping government policy as well as supporting individual and organisational capacity building.

To this end the group identified the need for a ‘stocktake’ of current information and resources related to VET activity and the Centre has provided limited funding so that this research can be undertaken this year. The main outcome will be to develop a sustainable model that enables the development of a portal that would encourage, disseminate and apply research into VET practice and that would also provide a voice for VET practitioner researchers. Through related research activities, including the development of the VET Blog the Centre is committed to supporting VET research activities as a way of improving VET practice.

Language, literacy and numeracy, what is all the fuss about?

VET educators have warmly embraced the fully funded opportunity offered by the VET Development Centre to complete the unit TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills. There are just a few places left in the last of seven courses offered. Clearly the skills to work with learners who have LLN challenges are needed in the VET sector. For expressions of interest, please click here to take advantage of any remaining places.

The most recent Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey was summarised in the Australian Bureau of statistics feature article ADULT LITERACY AND LIFE SKILLS. This article states that 46.4% of Victorian adult males and 51.9% of Victorian adult females had levels across the tested domains of less than 3. Level 3 is defined as the minimum skills level suitable for coping with the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society. It is no surprise that training organisations in the VET sector are working with learners who have LLN challenges. In building workforce capability in the VET sector the VET Development Centre continues the important work of equipping VET educators to meet this and other challenges in their work.

T&L CONFERENCE REFLECTION 3-4 September 2015 The VET sector continues to respond to change which puts pressure on practitioners and providers to remain resilient as well as adaptive to learner needs. Once again the VET Development Centre Conference looked to address the challenges, highlight models of adaptability and innovative ways that practitioners are responding by shifting their thinking and practice.

The dinner presentation by Andrew Williamson, the CEO of the Victorian TAFE Association, provided some context

The 2015 Conference focussed on change and adaptation and

around the changes in the Victorian VET sector over the

our keynote and workshop speakers addressed issues around

past 3-5 years and highlighted how the

the themes of educational design, innovation in teaching and

sector can rebuild learner and industry

learning and aspects of industry and learner engagement.

confidence. Andrew provided some insights into the new practices and

One hundred and sixty (160) delegates

approaches to engagement that will be

attended the conference which was held at

required.

RACV resort in Torquay, and was kicked off by Keynote speaker Mark Collard who provided

On day two of the conference, delegates enjoyed the

a highly connecting and entertaining start to

keynote from Jenny Mackay a classroom management

the conference. Mark’s interactive, engaging

and student discipline skills specialist, from Behaviour

and extremely fun presentation aimed to equip professional

Management in Education. The focus of her presentation

educators with the skills and strategies they need to create

was on the acquisition of practical and useful skills which

remarkably fun programs which engage adults in their

engage students, enable a more

learning.

effective management of behaviour and

Other Keynote speakers included Steven Hodge from Griffith University who presented his research findings on the

build collaborative student – teacher relationships.

challenges faced today by VET educators

Delegates were spoilt for choice with the

required to create innovative, powerful

variety of workshops on offer ranging from engagement,

curriculum. The Impact of CBT and Training

innovative practice, eLearning and knowledge sharing

Packages on VET workforce curriculum

research fellowships. Workshops were at full capacity

expertise have impacted on VET educators

and presentations encouraged probing dialogue with

need to know to reclaim their central role in

colleagues, presenters and mindful engagement with

curriculum.

content.

Click here to view photos taken at the Conference.

THE CENTRE PROJECTS SHARE & SHOWCASE 16 June 2015 The Centre’s Professional Development Program supported 65 projects throughout 2014, under the categories of Teaching & Learning, Industry Engagement and Workforce Development.

The projects enable providers to offer opportunities for VET

Box Hill staff presenting at Share & Showcase

professionals to focus on strategies that encourage innovation in teaching and learning, upgrade their existing skills and knowledge, and/or engage in collegiate activity thereby contributing to innovation within their organisation. The Centre showcased a selection of innovative projects under the Industry Engagement category delivered in 2014 by VET providers across Victoria. This event is part of the Centre’s commitment to disseminating the knowledge and skills learned through these projects.

The projects discussed included: Industry Engagement for Multidisciplinary Learning – Passive House, Box Hill Institute Repairing Gas Appliances’ a Forgotten Skill, Holmesglen Institute A model for Industry engagement that examines skills gaps in the building and construction industry, Master Builders Association of Victoria Development of Industry Currency & Connectedness across the organisation, Swinburne University Food Trades and Culinary Arts Excellence, William Angliss Institute A Model for Engaging Industry in Assessment Validation, VET Development Centre

As well as a short presentation from the six case studies highlighted, there was a poster display of selected Projects funded in 2014. This provided an opportunity for those present to meet with the project managers to discuss the outcomes from their projects and learn from them.

THE CENTRE PROJECTS

Research Forum: VET’s role in reskilling displaced workers Wednesday 18 November, 10.00am – 4.00pm Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Don't miss the National Centre for Vocational Education Research's one-day research forum When one door closes: VET’s role in re-skilling displaced workers. This forum will discuss the role vocational

Is 2016 VET in Schools delivery on your horizon?

education and training plays now and into the future

Following the success of workshops offered in Term 1 and 2

Speakers include Associate Professor John Spoehr,

to secondary school staff working in VET programs we are

Executive Director, Australian Workplace Innovation

delighted to launch our Term 4 VETiS program. These

and Social Research Centre, University of Adelaide

workshops are fully funded by the Department of Education

and Dr Andrew Scott, Associate Professor of Politics

and Training and have been selected to support secondary

and Policy, Deakin University.

in assisting occupational transferability, and how policy in this area can help workers transition.

schools as they plan their 2016 VET in schools delivery.

Successful VETiS programs are built on a solid understanding of the standards that underpin delivery and assessment in the VET sector. Many programs are delivered by RTOs in partnerships with schools and their success depends on the strength of this partnership. Our first two programs are twinned so VET staff can address both these topics in a single days attendance.

Training packages are very different to secondary curricula and the first challenge for teachers delivering VET programs is to plan delivery and assessment that meets the requirements of the training package units of competency.

The third workshop is designed for the new, and not so new, VET teacher guiding them through training packages to the design of compliant delivery.

There is no charge to participants for these workshops and places are going fast so register now by following the link.

For more information & registrations, follow the link.

THE CENTRE PROJECTS Putting students first Making sure students are enrolled into the course that best meets their need and supporting them in successfully completing that course is core to the delivery of high quality vocational education and is required of all RTOs contracted under the Victorian Training Guarantee (VTG). Help is at hand! The VET Development Centre, funded by the Department of Education and Training offers two free places for staff from each VTG contracted RTO at the one day workshop Putting students first: Delivering suitable and appropriate training.

Over 96% of attendees at the first five workshops found the program to be Excellent or Good and participants commented:

“The facilitator was great, very knowledgeable, very good at involving others and encouraging them to share experiences and knowledge”

“Animated, engaging, interactive and relevant”

“(I) got a clear and detailed knowledge of how to help students to select suitable and appropriate training”

More workshops are scheduled throughout October and November 2015 and these are ‘selling’ out fast.

If your RTO is contracted under the VTG and hasn’t taken advantage of this initiative yet please click here to express your interest.

Keep up to date with the upcoming projects by following us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn!

UPCOMING EVENTS 2015 VET Leaders Lunch 16 October 2015

The VET Development Centre is pleased to introduce Bruce Mackenzie as the guest speaker.

In his presentation, Bruce will highlight the recent VET

Unearthing the digital landscape: Innovating pedagogic practice in VET 20 October 2015

Funding Review which he chaired on behalf of the Government. He will explore some of the themes and

The VET Development Centre, recently undertook research

directions that were canvassed and how these will lead

to explore practitioner’s perspectives to the change

to changes and improvements in the Victorian VET

required to engage appropriately in the digital space –

system.

both for themselves and for their students.

The VET Leaders Lunch is SOLD OUT however you may

The question “What kind of professional learning

put your name on the waiting list.

specifically supports the sustained use of and the impediments to adopting digital learning technologies?” was explored through focus groups, semi structured

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM

interviews, desktop research and an online survey.

Click here to register for upcoming events The aim was to gain deeper understanding of the behaviours of Victorian VET providers when implementing digital pedagogical practices and to inform an integrated professional development model.

In this presentation, Leo Gregorc, the Centre’s eProject Manager will continue this discussion about the needs and requirements of organisations to manage the change dynamics required for successful integration of digital learning technologies. To register click here.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Quality of Teaching and Learning in VET The VET Development Centre welcomes the recent recommendations from the Review of Quality Assurance in Victoria’s VET System. In particular the focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning within the VET sector is a timely response. Our Professional Learning Program has a strong focus on teaching and assessment practices and processes to support the sector in meeting the requirements of the Standards for RTOs 2015. But what we are finding is a lack of knowledge around developing an appropriate Teaching and Assessment Strategy (TAS), developing a training plan and developing appropriate assessment outcomes to meet Training Package requirements. We have many comments from our attendees that they lack classroom management skills and that this is not taught in their teaching qualifications, a startling gap. The recent initiative of the Victorian Government to lift the delivery of the TAE qualification through the development of a TAE Approved Provider List is welcomed by the Centre.

Keep up to date with the upcoming Professional Learning programs by following us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn!