Schools Client Service Model
Gold Coast
Here at TAFE Queensland on the Gold Coast we pride ourselves on delivering great training solutions, focusing on all the key stakeholders in our school communities from students and parents, to VET school representatives.
To ensure open and clear communication, both at an individual and organisational level, TAFE Queensland Gold Coast utilises a Schools Client Service Model.
The aim of the model is to ensure a high standard of service delivery to schools. This is achieved via regular and clear communication that enables easy interactions and transparency regarding the academic progress of students.
Our main focus areas
1. Student progress reports
Academic progress information will be recorded in Pathways and individual student progress reports can be extracted by schools in a PDF format at the end of terms 1, 2, 3 and 4 (for continuing students) each year.
2. Ability for schools to contact education managers directly
Within a large organisation, knowing who to contact can be challenging. If you have any questions, or simply want to connect, we’re here to help.
Course advisory and enrolment enquiries: schools.goldcoast@tafeqld.edu.au 07 5581 8810
Course administration and academic progress enquiries (i.e. rescheduling classes, timetable changes): academicgoldcoast@tafeqld.edu.au 07 5581 8300
Academic conversations (i.e. student welfare, academic progression options): We have provided you a contact list via email.
3. Clear and simple processes
We understand that clarity avoids confusion, drives action and increases satisfaction. We have streamlined our processes and strengthened our commitment to providing quality service delivery.
What happens when a student…
Misses a lesson?
To enable students to be responsible for their learning and engage in content that they have missed, we have improved our ways of working.
Some courses offer ‘catch-up days’ towards the end of a Term as part of the timetabled delivery. These ‘catch-up days’ provide opportunities for students to finalise and/or resit outstanding assessment items. Where students have completed all assessment items, they are not expected to attend timetabled ‘catch-up days’.
We commit to:
• Uploading recordings (where possible) of training sessions within 48 hours of the session concluding and/or having suitable online self-directed learning content that is easy to access.
• Work proactively with schools to coordinate additional student attendance when a educator identifies that ‘key practical skills’ have been missed. This allows students the opportunity to practise and demonstrate a level of competence before they are able to progress (quite common with units associated with safety).
Requires an assessment to be rescheduled due to being absent?
A ‘re-assessment’ refers to the second attempt of a specific assessment task. In general, all assessment tasks provide students with 2 attempts to demonstrate that
they can complete the task to a satisfactory standard. It is important to note that there can be several assessment tasks associated with one unit, and all tasks need to be marked as ‘satisfactory’ before a unit can be awarded with an overall successful result of competent.
We commit to:
• Timely and formal communication to students and schools detailing options for re-assessment.
Wants to re-enrol in a unit?
A ‘re-enrolment’ is required when a student:
• Receives a ‘Not Yet Competent’ final result for their unit of competency; or
• Has been withdrawn from the unit of competency (for a variety of reasons).
If a student is not re-enrolled into a unit in a timely manner, it can have a significant impact on their academic outcome. It is important to note that all units must be resulted as ‘Competent’ for a student to be able to successfully complete their qualification and/ or achieve the full complement of QCE points. Table 1 in the following page represents examples where a student is deemed ‘not satisfactory’ in one or more tasks/assessment attempts and demonstrates the impact this can have on a final unit result.
We commit to:
• Proactively contacting schools when a unit outcome for a student is ‘Not Yet Competent’ to provide quality advice on options that are available for a student to re-enrol.
What happens when a student…
Needs to be withdrawn?
Parents/guardians and/or schools may request a student withdrawal by accessing and completing the withdrawal request form
TAFE Queensland (Gold Coast) may also contact schools when there is the need to consider a student withdrawal, where it is identified there has been significant student absence and/or academic non-progression.
We commit to:
• Providing an easy, online withdrawal template.
• Updating ‘Pathways’ school management system within 2 business days of the withdrawal process.
Attends vocational placement?
Vocational placement component (VPC) is a mandatory component for some TAFE at School courses. It provides students with the opportunity to undertake workplace learning and apply the theory and skills they have learned whilst studying in a real working environment.
Activities undertaken during vocational placement inform assessment decisions relating to units the student is completing, and
is formalised through a Vocational Placement Deed occurs prior to the student commencing.
Vocational placement within:
• Health care settings – which mandate additional documentation and vaccination/s, inclusive of up to- date COVID19 vaccinations and may include full time shift work commencing at 0600 hours.
• Plumbing trade – it is a pre-entry requirement that prospective students and parents/guardians participate in compulsory information sessions prior to enrolment.
We commit to:
• Source suitable placement providers.
• Ensure students, parents and the business completes required vocational placement paperwork prior to placement.
• Ensure placement providers and students are prepared for placement and provided with required documentation.
• Monitor student’s progress and manage any issues that may arise with vocational placement.
• Provide copies of approved vocational placement paperwork to schools.
Table 1
What happens when a student…
Attends work experience?
Work experience is not mandatory and is a nonassessable component of a student’s education and training. It provides students the opportunity to build skills and confidence dealing with reallife situations. Work experience is recommended as it establishes industry relationships to improve job outcomes post schooling. Programs that recommend work experience will be identified by:
• Information contained within Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) paperwork.
• Work Experience appearing in program timetables. This may be timetabled within the school term, or over term breaks.
TAFE Queensland students wishing to participate in work experience must confirm an appropriate work experience placement
provider and liaise with the Vocational Placement Officer to complete insurance paperwork.
Students not participating in work experience are not required at TAFE Queensland (should work experience be timetabled), and will be advised to return to normal school activities.
We commit to:
• Administer placement for each student who has sourced an appropriate work experience placement provider by:
Initiating completion of Work Experience Agreement between parties. Managing any issues during work placement.
• Provide copies of Work Experience Agreement to schools.
Expectations
Shared expectations
To enable students to achieve success, expectations need to be clear. We have found the greatest success comes when everyone understands and commits to expectations related to the delivery of quality learning.
TAFE at School student rights and responsibilities are available for download below and displayed across our TAFE campuses.
TAFE at School student rights
TAFE at School student responsibilities
Student expectations
Misses a lesson
• Students to discuss with their TAFE educator to determine what impact absence (planned or unplanned) may have on their course.
• Students access learning materials and complete related activities before the start of the following week to minimise the impact on their academic progression.
Notification of absenteeism, early departure or late arrival
• If a student arrives late or departs early, they are required to sign in and sign out at the campus Customer Service counter.
School expectations
Notification of absenteeism, early departure or late arrival
• Parent/guardian to email before 9:30am schoolabsentees.goldcoast@tafeqld.edu.au on the day of absence, late arrival or early departure.
Unit re-enrolment for students
• Schools to liaise with parents/guardians and students regarding re-enrolment options.
• Schools confirm option to proceed with re-enrolment.
Individual Student Support
Specialised individual student support services are provided by schools.
Misconduct
Schools and parents/guardians are required to understand TAFE Queensland misconduct policies (noting minor instances of misconduct can be locally resolved, and may not be formally recorded or reported).
Further information regarding types and consequences of Student Misconduct can be found here.
Our school ecosystem
Below is a snapshot of how various roles in our organisation interact with students, schools and parents.
Role
Engages
with Purpose Impact
School Industry and Careers team
TAFE at School Manager
Education Manager
Students/Parents/ Guardians
School Career counsellors
Provide progress reports
Stakeholder management
Stakeholder management
Academic progress and misconduct escalation
Visibility on student behaviour and progress
Resolving queries and issues related to TAFE at Schools program
Centralised support for TAFE at Schools postenrolment activity
Transparency on student progression and behaviour incidents
School Career counsellors
Course Advisory Team
Students/Parents/ Guardians
Educator Students
TAFE at School
Stakeholder management
Engagement and consultation regarding course activity and academic outcomes
Knowledge and information of TAFE Queensland offerings to inform students and parents/guardians
Centralised support for TAFE at Schools pre-enrolment activity
Supporting academic progression
Administration
School Career counsellors
Student ‘catchup’, Assessment ‘re-sit’ and Unit ‘re-enrolment’ coordination*
Timely updates to allow for maintenance of student academic progression
How we communicate with you
Legend:
TAFE at School information released
Newsletter issued
Progress reports released
TAFE at School applications close
TAFE Future Pathways Symposium
Online Open Day
TAFE Queensland results due to QCAA
Adhoc communication:
• School meetings
• Phone calls
• Emails
• School presentations and expos^
• TAFE campus tours
Student support services provided to school students
The Student Support Services that TAFE Queensland (Gold Coast) can provide to school students is sometimes misunderstood by schools.
As a registered training organisation, our educators support students learning through adapting learning and delivery strategies and applying reasonable adjustment to assessment tasks as required. We are also committed to providing a variety of additional support services to students, such as counselling and Indigenous support services.
As TAFE Queensland is not funded to provide individual support services to school students, it is expected that if a school normally provides a student with specialised support services, such as a participation assistant (or similar) for day-to-day learning or personal support, then schools also provide this support when the student attends their TAFE at School course.