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The Victorian Government introduced the Victorian Training Guarantee (VTG) as a key policy reform to reorganize [vocational education and training] VET provision in 2008. Since then, the evolution of a training market has been shaped by the shift from a 'purchaser-provider' arrangement to a fully 'contestable' open market regime. These changes are having far reaching impacts on VET in terms of provision and student experiences. These changes have brought a shift in emphasis with students positioned as consumers and with providers (public and or private) being treated uniformly as market entities.

This paper draws upon submissions to the recent (2011) Essential Services Commission, VET Fee and Funding Review to consider the impact of market approaches to the Victorian VET sector. Many of the submissions made to the review highlighted the costs of a fully 'contestable training market'. Of the sixty-three submissions to the review, Registered Training Organisations and their representative bodies made thirty-five. In these submissions it was consistently maintained that the VTG represented a significant disadvantage to current and prospective students. Submissions by students poignantly illustrated and provided examples of the nature and character of the unintended inequities in this brave new market context.

This paper argues that consumer protections are urgently needed to ensure more equitable approaches to VET provision. In order to achieve improved consumer protections, the paper will argue that cooperation as a core principle is important. For a training market to imply guarantees and be premised upon a robust assurance of quality education this will only occur when a contestable market is arranged through a principle of cooperation.

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The distinction between [vocational education and training] VET and higher education in Australia is blurring. The purpose of this paper is to examine - through the conduct of a case study of engineering qualifications (AQF6) delivered in Victoria - how education and training providers and students are likely to respond to different fees and funding arrangements under the student entitlement model.

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The On Track project was initiated in Victoria in 2003 and seeks to: offer a consistent and comprehensive approach to monitoring the transitions of school leavers; report the information to schools, TAFE institutions and other education providers, organisations concerned with assisting young people, policymakers, parents and students; provide detailed analyses of the transitions experienced by different groups of leavers; enable education providers to use the findings to monitor and improve their programs; and provide a referral service for school leavers who appear to be experiencing difficulties in the transition process. The latest survey was conducted in April-May 2012 by the Social Research Centre (SRC) in collaboration with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). This report is based on data from telephone surveys of 33,901 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 3552 early leavers from the 2011 school year. It focuses on analyses at the state and regional levels. Year 12 or equivalent completers are defined as those who completed a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL, Senior or Intermediate). The sample includes those who completed such qualifications in schools (98.2 per cent), or in TAFE institutions or adult and community education providers (1.8 per cent). For On Track, early school leavers are defined as those students who had registered their details with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) by enrolling in a VCE or VCAL unit, and who left school during 2011 before completing one of the above qualifications. In general, early leavers had been in Year 10, 11 or 12 when they left school. As such, the sample does not represent all early leavers from Victorian schools.

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'Bridging the employment gap in Bendigo' is one of a number of research reports produced by Learn Local practitioners as a result of a project conducted by [Adult Multicultural Education Services] AMES and [Adult, Community and Further Education Board] ACFE, titled 'Responding to CALD learners: cultural diversity in action'. In his research [the author] takes great care in responding to the complexities surrounding cultural diversity.

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This document presents a case study of the Baillieu Library at the University of Melbourne's Parkville campus. The library instituted a new user-focused service delivery model and renovations of the building were undertaken. At the same time, attention was given to the professional development needs of the staff. Skills gaps were identified and suitable vocational training was sourced to realign the staff skills with the new service model. Show less

The evaluation of the Centre for Work and Learning Yarra, a demonstration project to test innovative place-based approaches to promote work and learning opportunities for disadvantaged jobseekers, found that successful elements included client personal support matched to skills development and job opportunities, while challenges included labour market barriers and governance and contractual requirements. The findings point to weaknesses in current employment assistance and to potential reforms for more effective pathways to work.

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This policy statement from the Victorian state government outlines how it will work towards better targeting government support for vocational education and training (VET) through reform to minimise the risk of ineffective and inefficient operation of the market. These reforms will underpin a VET sector characterised by sustainability, high quality and direct industry engagement. The statement covers the following areas: (1) sustainability of VET; (2) quality of training through higher expectations of training providers, stronger monitoring and compliance checks, and user choice; (3) industry driven VET through a new model for industry engagement that will enable a stronger, direct industry voice in the development of VET, and additional support for critical and niche skill needs; (4) building trade pathways; and (5) stronger partnerships with higher education providers. Show less

International thinking regarding longevity and the life course has informed new policy directions relating to participation and seniors. It involves thinking about seniors in new and different ways, and challenging perceptions of how people participate in society in later life. The Committee considered what it means for older people to participate in the Victorian community and its economy. The Committee's terms of reference were to: review national and international literature on preparing for an ageing society; consult with older Victorians and representative bodies and with Victorians planning for ageing well; examine the contribution of, and challenges facing, older members of the Victorian community from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds; identify the role of government in supporting older Victorians and the intersection of federal, state and local government service provision and their responsibility to seniors; consider the economic significance of older Victorians in the paid workforce and the voluntary sector and barriers to participation for those Victorian seniors who desire to work in or contribute to the community, and how willing economic and social contributions can be fostered; consider ageing well in terms of quality of life and community participation, including the specific and different issues faced by men and women, older Victorians from different age cohorts, and those living in rural and regional areas; examine the role and interrelationship of active, successful, positive and productive ageing approaches in promoting better health; and develop recommendations or strategies for whole of government and community responses to the needs of older Victorians now, and into the future, and incorporate in the recommendations the best international practice in support of ageing well. Show less

This paper looks at the development of green skills in a Regional TAFE Institute. The study follows the implementation of the Green Skills Agreement and explores the perceptions of stakeholders and participants about how jobs are changing, the demand for green skills along with possible future directions, inclusion of learning about sustainability and green skills within [vocational education and training] VET programs, and access to appropriately aligned professional development for TAFE teachers and managers. The paper reports on data collected through interviews with four TAFE managers, five TAFE teachers, seven TAFE students, and four industry and/or community representatives.

Stakeholders in green industries are reporting that their economic viability tends to be closely tied to government subsidies, and some are expressing some frustration at the promises of businesses and government to develop a large scale solar industry. However, the domestic solar industry continues to grow. TAFE managers and teachers report seeing more sustainability-orientated content being included in their courses. TAFE staff also report positively on receiving access to associated professional development as the senior management at this Institute appear to be supporting the development of TAFE staff to teach green skills. The students interviewed for this research were studying Electrotechnology and Land and Conservation Management. Both groups reported seeing changes being implemented in their workplaces, their courses of study and the community. The students interviewed tended to be very knowledgeable and interested in the changes they were seeing.

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The agriculture sector in Victoria is experiencing skills shortages across a number of occupations and industries, and these shortages are predicted to continue over the next five years. The industry is also facing changes in response to economic and market forces. Currently, there is low demand for formal agricultural education and training throughout Australia. In response to these challenges, the Education and Training Committee of the Parliament of Victoria was asked to consider: the current extent of agricultural-related courses delivered in Victoria; the effectiveness of current agricultural programs; whether the workforce training needs of agriculture are being met; and well-regarded agricultural education in other Australian states and territories, or other countries. The inquiry considered agricultural education and training across four sectors: the school; vocational education and training (VET); higher education; and non-formal education and training sectors. The findings and recommendations in this report provide a framework for creating a strong agricultural education and training system that attracts new entrants into agriculture and meets the needs of the sector. Show less