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This Fellowship enabled the author to complete a course of study 'Decentralised Water supply and Sanitation' at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO-IHE) Institute for Water Education in Delft, The Netherlands. The knowledge and skills gained from this course were enlightening to the Fellow. The concept of 'closing the loop' in our water and sanitation systems and the compelling reasons for this were cemented in the mind of the Fellow. The plumbing industry is a critical sector if sustainable water supply and sanitation systems are to be advanced and achieved; thus 'closing the loop'. The plumbing industry's ability or inability to keep up with advancements in this sector could mean the difference between new systems installed correctly and maintained properly, enhancing the health of the population and environment; or whereby systems are let down by the people registered and licensed to install and maintain these systems. Plumbing training must improve if it is to equip plumbers with the necessary skills to close the gap.

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The Victorian defence sector has an annual economic impact on Victoria of up to 8 billion dollars. Victoria's defence industry includes more than 300 businesses and directly employs around 7,000 people making equipment and providing services for defence activities. Victoria's defence industry offering has strong potential for future growth. Victoria's capabilities match global defence industry needs in areas spanning information and communication technology (ICT) systems; cyber technologies managing the interface between human and digital systems; robotics, aerospace and unmanned aerial systems; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear handling facilities; defence infrastructure; professional services; science and research and advanced manufacturing technologies.

The goals of the strategy are to: (1) appoint a Victorian defence industry advocate; (2) develop a compelling brand to market Victoria's defence industry; (3) assist the Victorian defence industry to access Asian, European and other growing defence markets; (4) develop a broad based Victorian global supply chain program; (5) identify opportunities for Victoria's defence industry; (6) cooperate with other states on specific defence projects and policy issues; (7) retain and expand defence and industry infrastructure; (8) assist Victoria's defence industry to diversify; (9) develop a supply chain awareness and certification readiness program; (10) support Victoria's defence research and development sector; and (11) develop a program to assist companies developing future defence technologies.

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Victoria has a number of competitive advantages that create a diverse, flexible and resilient economy. Despite these advantages, the Victorian economy has underperformed in recent years. The Victorian Government has identified the construction materials and technologies industries as one of a number of sectors strategically important for the state. This sector has the potential for strong growth and jobs. The construction industry is a major sector in the Victorian economy contributing $21.6 billion or around 6.7 per cent of the State's gross value added in 2014. Construction is undertaken within a complex system that coordinates the activities of many actors in order to design, build and complete projects within regulatory and institutional frameworks. The construction sector accounts for 238,000 jobs (December 2014) or 8.2 per cent of the workforce, placing it as Victoria's fifth largest industry sector. Productivity improvement in the construction section is key concern for the overall economic well-being and prosperity of Victoria/Australia. The Productivity Commission's 2014 Inquiry into public infrastructure found some evidence that Australian productivity and efficiency in construction industries lagged behind some comparator countries. The construction workforce is dominated by the technician and trade group, followed by labourers, managers and clerical and administrative workers. The workforce needs to be trained according to the emerging skills requirement of the industry.

This research aims to explore the unique industry needs assessment technique ([Developing a curriculum] DACUM job analysis) for the identification of skills required for building and construction industry. Industry training is accomplished by using training packages. Training packages are developed by Industry Skills Councils on behalf of industry. They are sets of nationally endorsed standards and qualifications for recognising and assessing people's skills. A training package describes what sort of skills and knowledge a person needs in the workplace. Training packages need to be continuously improved and nationally endorsed to ensure they continue to meet the needs of industry, training participants, and the community. DACUM job analysis can provide a significant input in the continuous improvement process of training packages. In the DACUM process, a qualified facilitator works with a panel of experts who collectively and cooperatively describe the occupation in the language of the occupation by developing a job profile chart. The chart contains a list of general areas of competence called duties and several tasks for each duty. Brainstorming techniques are used to obtain the collective expertise and consensus of the panel. The completed chart represents a graphic profile of the duties and tasks performed by successful workers in the occupation. The panel identifies the general and emerging knowledge/skills, tools, equipment, supplies, and materials required for successful workers. In addition, the list includes the important worker behaviours essential for success, and the future trends and concerns likely to cause job changes. With the support of the relevant industry bodies, the knowledge and insight gained from DACUM job analysis can be applied to develop strategies for conducting industry needs assessment and improving curriculum and training components in building and construction industry in Australia.

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In 2015 the VET Development Centre (VDC) launched the Innovation in Learning Program (ILeP) - a three year Victorian [vocational education and training] VET initiative established to promote cultural change in technology integration. Its goal was to provide innovation and professional development support for practitioners using digital pedagogies. This program was informed out of applied research undertaken in 2014 where [VDC researchers] questioned what kind of professional learning specifically supported the sustained use of and the impediments to adopting digital learning technologies. A critical component of this program was a structured review and reflection process, designed for ongoing continuous improvement. The research aim in 2015 was to consider to what degree ILeP supported innovation and change for practitioners and organisations, as well as inform ways to mature the programs' roll-out in 2016.

The VDC used case studies, peer reviews, surveys, structured interviews and focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of the first year of the program. The diversity of these different methodologies supported [their] aim to understand in what ways [their] interventions influenced the funded project outcomes and to provide [them] with valuable feedback on ways that [they] could continue to support the sector in achieving digital maturity. The participating target groups (n=130), while not statistically significant, provided [them] with a valuable opportunity to directly engage with the respondents. This methodology enabled [them] to record a rich and informative dialogue and consequently provided [them] with recommendations that can be easily transferable to the greater VET community.

This presentation will continue the conversation about ways to support technological innovation in VET. [The presenter] will share his findings from the research and offer recommendations for continued professional development in the area of cultural change and teaching innovation. [The presenter] will also offer commentary on the importance of having a clear strategy for integration, exploring the intersection at which an organisations' business and education needs crosses the pedagogic and academic requirements of teachers and students. [The] presentation will also position the VDC research outcomes juxtaposed against the current global trends in using technology for learning.

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The Victorian Department of Education and Training regularly produces this report to provide a comprehensive cross-sectoral picture of the Victorian teacher workforce. This report provides forecasts of the supply and demand for teachers in Victoria from 2014 to 2020. The teaching workforce includes all teachers from Kindergarten to Year 12. Unlike previous reports, this one includes a section on early childhood and has more extensive analysis of the future demand for teachers in the state. Major components​ of the report are: (1) supply - enrolment, destination and related initial teacher education data from Victorian universities and other sources; (2) demand - school enrolment and employment data; and (3) matching supply and demand - current and projected teacher shortages or surpluses.

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This report provides an overview of the physiotherapy workforce in Victoria in 2015-2016. It is based on survey responses from 1,037 individual physiotherapists (approximately 15 per cent of the physiotherapy workforce identified by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) or 15 per cent physiotherapists registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia), three focus groups involving 17 participants, and surveys from 73 organisations providing services across 299 different locations or sites. Female and older employees were over-represented in the survey sample compared to 2016 registration and 2015 workforce data.

The picture of workforce supply and demand for physiotherapy was mixed. As with other allied health (AH) professions, there has been a rapid growth in new graduates entering the physiotherapy profession, (AIHW, 2016) and increasing competition for jobs, particularly in the public sector. Despite this, there is anecdotal evidence of substantial unmet demand for physiotherapy services in the community. Some advertised physiotherapy positions receive more than 50 applications. Yet around 50 per cent of organisations said that they experience shortages of physiotherapists across lower and higher grades and vacant senior positions can take more than six months to fill. Indicators of workforce shortages include lack of services, service rationing, long waiting lists, increased delegation to [allied health assistants] AHAs and physiotherapists appointed at grades higher than their levels of skill or qualification.

The self-reported attrition rate from the physiotherapy workforce is 2 per cent in the next 12 months increasing to 27 per cent in five years. Approximately 15 per cent of physiotherapists propose to change their job within 12 months. The majority of participants said that they were moving to take up better job opportunities, better pay or better working conditions. Recruitment and retention of physiotherapists was more challenging in regional, rural and some outer metropolitan areas than in inner-metropolitan regions. Rural and regional employers face challenges including competition for staff with metropolitan employers, perceived lack of career development and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities, as well as the more generalist nature of the work. Regional university training courses were seen to increase rural physiotherapy capacity and keep clinicians in regional/rural areas. Some organisations fund physiotherapy positions on short term, temporary or part-time contracts which are less attractive from a recruitment perspective.

Leadership from senior roles is necessary both to build advocacy on behalf of patients and the profession and to provide governance structures for more junior staff, regardless of their employment location. There are relatively few senior physiotherapy positions. Yet some organisations expressed challenges recruiting to senior physiotherapy roles, suggesting a lack of succession planning within the profession. Workforce capacity development and career advancement of the physiotherapy workforce requires access to CPD, particularly in rural areas. Other enablers include support from management, time, funding and availability of appropriate CPD. Failure to provide these enablers limits clinicians' ability to access further training which would provide career opportunities and advance the profession in its ability to meet community health need.

Physiotherapists have a high level of career satisfaction. While most are satisfied with the type of work they perform and the clients they work with, they would like to see improvements in their pay, professional development and career advancement opportunities. Physiotherapists are motivated by achieving a positive work/life balance, the type of work they do and clients they work with, and by having access to professional development opportunities. There was a suggestion that the physiotherapy profession should aim to attract students on the basis of their interpersonal skills and a desire to work with people, rather than academic ability. More appropriate marketing to prospective students may influence their ultimate career satisfaction and retention. There were no systemic skills gaps identified within physiotherapy, however several organisations identified specific skills that would be of benefit locally, including a mixture of clinical skills, knowledge of the health system, and supervision skills. Improved access to CPD may be a way to resolve several local skills gaps.

Key areas of consideration for the physiotherapy workforce going forward include: (1) Developing metrics of community need/demand for physiotherapy services; (2) Increasing evidence and knowledge base of the professions models of care to improve referrals and business cases for optimal staffing levels to improve patient outcomes; (3) Undertake modelling around AH, nursing and medical staffing numbers and mix that ensure optimal service capacity and health outcomes; (4) Improving health service workforce and succession planning to best meet community health need; (5) Improving clinical governance and support, particularly for private practitioners and those working for a large number of different employers; (6) Ensuring adequate supply and skills for growing areas of need, including acute and sub-acute areas, aged care, disability, complex patients and interdisciplinary roles; (7) Addressing attrition by providing support, flexibility and a career opportunities; (8) Developing business case's for areas in which physiotherapy can add value to the patient pathway including referral, diagnostic and treatment pathways, which are currently restricted by professional boundaries, funding models or organisational norms; and (9) Exploring workforce capacity opportunities such as skills that current physiotherapists bring from previous careers, current and potential interdisciplinary and advanced scope roles.

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'Absolutely everyone' is the state disability plan 2017-2020 for the whole of the Victorian Government. We are committing to a range of action for achieving greater inclusion, in partnership with the community. Our plan tackles the negative attitudes and barriers that more than one million Victorians with a disability deal with on a daily basis. It sets out our priorities and actions for achieving inclusion under four key pillars: inclusive communities; health, housing and wellbeing; fairness and safety; and contributing lives.

The plan focuses on key areas to drive change such as adopting a universal design approach, changing attitudes, increasing access to affordable housing, public transport, schools and jobs. We are also ensuring that people with a disability are able to make the most of the NDIS through a series of actions. These include working with communities to identify and address barriers to participation. The plan's priorities and early actions are the first step to achieving the government's long-term vision for inclusion. The ideas in the plan are based on feedback and contributions from people with a disability, and submissions received during consultation.

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Key issues addressed in this presentation are research done by the VET Development Centre (VDC) in developing and conducting a program to support [vocational education and training] VET staff in working with Indigenous learners, the evaluation of this program and the constraints and challenges faced by the VDC in working in this area. Strong student-teacher relationships are critical to the success of education programs. Educational research points to 'quality teaching' as one of the important success factors in delivering high quality and equitable education and training. In the VET sector, as in other educational sectors, the delivery of training to Indigenous learners is often by non-Indigenous educators. The creation of culturally safe learning environments is a vital ingredient to successful learning, meaning educators with cross cultural awareness are better equipped to work effectively with Indigenous learners.

This presentation shares action research conducted by the VDC over the last four and a half years. The research is focussed on designing, delivering and evaluating professional development to support VET educators in working with Indigenous learners. This work has been funded by the Victorian government and is aligned to the Wurreker Strategy. It is informed by the federal government's 'Closing the Gap' campaign. This work includes the design and delivery of professional development programs for teachers in TAFE, private registered training organisations and adult community education providers. Delivery commenced in 2011, with programs delivered in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015 and planned for 2016. Grants were funded for training organisations to conduct projects aimed at building staff capacity to work with Indigenous learners in 2015 and again in 2016. Participants in programs and grant recipients evaluated their experience and the feedback received was used for continuous improvement. An independent evaluation of the program was conducted in late 2015 by [Australian Council for Educational Research] ACER.

The presentation will report on: the outcomes of an environmental scan of best practice in Indigenous education which supported the design, delivery and evaluation of professional development programs and prioritising of grant applications; the design and delivery of professional development programs delivered in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015 to support VET teachers working with Indigenous learners and changes to this in response to the experience gained in previous years and other pressures; the conduct by training organisations of VDC funded projects aimed at building Indigenous capability of the organisation; and evaluation outcomes and VDC's response to these.

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This Fellowship focuses on challenges faced by assessors when judging a dish cooked by a student undertaking commercial cookery qualification. Assessment in commercial cookery needs to be driven by the need for quality improvement; primarily to address changes and improvements in our understanding of the assessment processes themselves, and also to respond to industry and student expectations for valid and consistent assessment decisions. Finland with 5.4 million people, a population similar in size to Victoria's, has set a bench mark in the field of competency based vocational education. There is a strong case for strengthening assessment by revisiting some fundamental principles. These include underscoring the need for trainers and assessors to have a good grounding in assessment theory and practice, tools and techniques and providing regular professional development to ensure that these sets of skills and knowledge are maintained. Another crucial finding is the involvement of industry stakeholders in the validation of assessment tools and the implementation of regular and systematic processes for the moderation of assessments.

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The 'Dairy Business for Future Climates' (DBfFC) research project was developed with an understanding that the Australian dairy industry is facing a particular combination of challenges - a challenge set that is similar to the dairy industry in New Zealand. Sargeant and Paine (2015) describe the New Zealand dairy industry as pursuing increased agricultural productivity in the context of: climate change and predicted greater seasonal variability; pressure from local and international communities relating to environmental stewardship, animal welfare, health and safety and employment regulations; and substantial price volatility from global commodity markets. Competition for natural resources in the Australian context is also likely to increase, particularly with regards to scarcer water resources in a generally hotter and drier climate and farming land competing with other land use pressures such as urbanisation. Responding to such challenges need to include identifying and integrating the right management changes in farm systems for each unique farming situation while anticipating capability gaps at the industry and farm scale so that agricultural services can adapt their provision of supports according to these new challenges (Sargeant and Paine, 2015). The DBFC research project set out to explore how different dairy farm systems in the dairy regions of Gippsland, South Australia and Tasmania may perform under predicted climate changes out to 2040. A participatory and transdisciplinary approach was adopted combining integrated modelling (biophysical and economic), social research and farmer knowledge to identify dairy farm management responses and innovations that maintain dairy business profitability while building operational resilience for business optimization under more variable and changed climatic conditions.

Transitioning and operating dairy businesses into the future in the context of climate change and dynamic market forces will rely on the skills and knowledge of managers and operators, as well as their broader social networks. For example, the existing social networks of dairy business managers (e.g. peer-based producer groups), their professional relationships with high quality agricultural service providers (e.g. agronomist consultants, input suppliers, financiers, employment agencies, solicitors, vets, insurance agents), and good access to community services and connections with industry related organisations (e.g. Regional Development Programs - Dairy Australia, local governments, public and private research organisations) will all be important in sustaining and enhancing the adaptive capacity of dairy businesses. Engaging with peers, professional services and industry-based organisations will assist dairy business managers in accessing resources, participating in opportunities for learning and mentoring and finding new ways to manage risk in a supportive, networked environment. At a more strategic level, the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the dairy industry will continue to need to be under-pinned by national, state and regional policies that support the range of skills development and support services needs of a diverse farmer population.

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