TRAINING CHRISTINE STONE , Senior Manager, Industry Services and Education
Better training for a faster industry
V
ocational development of the workforce in contemporary Australia is rapidly changing to adapt to Australia’s economic stability. How we work and the jobs we do are significantly evolving and the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector plays a vital role in delivering key skills to attend to this ever-changing landscape. The VET sector is facing unprecedented challenges with the fall in enrolments and the drastic reduction in government funding. This is unlikely to change until well into 2019. The imminent expiry of the current National Partnership Agreement on Skills Reform is heightening the fear that VET will be branded with “middle child syndrome”, suffering a weakened position in the educational arena. This could see further reduction in funding availability. In South Australia, the unprecedented one-sided funding support offered to TAFE SA over private RTOs is continuing to destroy a student’s ability to choose the education provider that best suits their needs. Master Builders SA is also changing rapidly as we move to meet the needs of our members in relation to relevant training and programs, responsiveness and virtual real time information. Our move to a student management system that gives the power back to our students is refreshing. We welcome the chance to provide our students with the tools to enrol online, see results as they happen, and work directly with trainers. We aim to reduce the amount of email communication, moving instead to portals that allow stakeholders to control their interaction with us. Employers will be able to view training plans and outcomes of employees, and are able to enrol their employees and themselves directly into courses at a time that best suits the workplace. The new student portal provides the freedom to access tailored information whenever it is needed, in a way that informs each student what courses 24
they are enrolled in, when their courses are, where they will be held, what their results are (in real time), on a platform designed to improve information flow between trainer and student. There will be less paper to shuffle, and more information when you want and need it.
The pace of change is also affecting the entire building and construction sector. Building techniques and information that form the basis of training need to reflect this change to maintain a competitive edge. Our program selection is under review so we can directly target industry and member needs. Master Builders SA wants to represent the best the industry has to offer, helping members achieve the standard that is expected of a master builder. This is an ongoing task as we train the builders of the future in recognition of the achievements of those exiting the industry. We aim to provide relevant short courses, relevant qualifications and ongoing opportunities to keep up with changing technical demands to increase the professionalism of the sector. With the right policy settings the VET sector is well positioned to meet the workforce challenges posed by digital distraction and automation.
VET continues to play a key role in Australia’s building and construction workforce providing diversity, benefits and career pathways to advance competitiveness and global opportunity. SA BUILDER OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2016