Australian training policy: Recent developments, winners and losers

1
Australian training policy Recent developments,
winners and losers

• Erica Smith
• Charles Sturt University
• esmith_at_csu.edu.au

2
Australian context

• Small population (20m)
• Move from primary to tertiary industries
• Removal of protectionism
• English legacies education systems,
  apprenticeship, union movement
• Federal/State relationships
• Inclusion of women and students in the labour
  market
• Indigenous people (1.8) and high migrant
  population

3
Concerns

• School to work transition
• Long term unemployment especially among equity
  groups
• Skill shortages
• International competitiveness
• Rural depopulation and regional inequality

4
Stakeholders

• Governments
• Individuals
• Industry peak bodies ACCI, AIG, BCA
• Enterprises
• Education and training providers
• Unions

5
Training reform from late 1980s

• Competency based training
• Opening of the training market
• Expansion of apprenticeship system
• VET in Schools
• National consistency

6
Competency based training

• 1990s modules and national curriculum
• Training Packages (80) see www.ntis.gov.au
• On the job delivery
• Pros and cons

7
Opening of the training market

• TAFE the public provider
• Early tendering processes allocation of growth
  funding
• Competition for user choice (for apprentice and
  trainee training)
• Regulation of Registered Training Organisations
  (4000) through Australian Quality Training
  Framework (2002)
• See www.ntis.gov.au for listing

8
Expansion of the apprenticeship system (currently
400,000)

• Introduction of traineeships 1986
• Employment subsidies and user choice funding
• Adult and on-the-job apprenticeships/traineeships
• Concerns about shonky provision
• Recent focus on traditional trades
• New technical colleges and renewed emphasis on
  pre-apprenticeships

9
VET in Schools

• Just over 200,000 participants (48 of relevant
  age groups) in 2003
• 12,750 school-based new apprentices
• Dual accreditation of some programs
• Problems caused by AQTF compliance and industry
  acceptance

10
National consistency

• Qualifications
• Standard of training
• Funding arrangements eg user choice
• Apprentice and trainee contracts
• Licensing of trades and occupations
• Collection of statistics
• Concerns of companies that operate nationally

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The current system

• Federal Department of Education, Science
  Training
• State Training Authorities
• Australian National Training Authority
• Industry Skills Councils (formerly ITABs)
• AQTF
• Employment Services providers, NACs, GTOs

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The next set of changes

• Abolition of ANTA
• Introduction of technical colleges
• Continued emphasis on traditional trades and on
  skills shortages

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Winners

• Young people
• Private RTOs and the employment services industry
  especially charities
• Enterprises that use VET
• Workers in new occupations and in lower-level
  occupations
• Employer groups (?)
• The federal government

14
Losers

• TAFE
• Some individuals
• VET teachers (?)
• The non-vocational curriculum
• Some enterprises especially smaller companies
  (through abolition of State ITABs)
• Supporters of the old order
• The State governments

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Sources of information

• www.anta.gov.au
• www.ntis.gov.au
• www.dest.gov.au/anta_transition
• www.ncver.edu.au
• www.voced.edu.au
• https//www.det.nsw.edu.au/trainingindustry/index.
  htm (example of State Training Authority)

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Shameless advertising

• My research group RIVET at Charles Sturt Uni
  www.csu.edu.au/faculty/educat/edu/vetfolder/resear
  ch/
• My book on training policySmith E Keating J
  (2003) From training reform to Training Packages.
  Tuggerah Lakes, NSW Social Science Press (now
  Thomson Learning).