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SoLuTIonS FoR Workforce VET pRoFESSIonALS & Development VET pRoVIDERS 2015 Research
TABLE oF ConTEnTS
ouR RoLE IS To DEEpEn pRACTICAL, pRoFESSIonAL ExpERTISE In ThE VET SECToR.
LEADInG VET WoRkFoRCE DEVELopMEnT
1
ouR STREnGThS
2
DIGITAL LEARnInG AnD TEAChInG InnoVATIon In LEARnInG pRoGRAM (ILep) InDuSTRy EnGAGEMEnT WoRkFoRCE DEVELopMEnT
3-6 4
7-8 9-12
CuSToMISED pRoGRAMS
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ThE CEnTRE In 2014 - A SnApShoT In nuMBERS
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ouR pRoFESSIonAL LEARnInG pRoGRAM
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ouR pRoFESSIonAL LEARnInG FRAMEWoRk
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ouR RESEARCh CApABILITy
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ouR pRojECT MAnAGEMEnT CApABILITy
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TEAChInG FELLoWS SpECIALIST SChoLARS VET SChoLARShIp pRoGRAM
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The VET Development Centre is an Australian leader in VET workforce development. We are focussed on designing, managing, and delivering professional development that supports VET professionals and training providers to meet the current and future expectations of learners, industry, and government. We know that the pace and complexity of change in the VET sector places significant demands on all registered training organisations. Capability in teaching, learning, leadership, and management is not fixed. For all of us, the challenge is to continually develop our know-how and apply it effectively as we encounter changes in skill demand, policy, regulation, digital technologies, learner profiles, and understandings about quality teaching practice. The Centre’s investments in workforce development focus on deepening the practical and professional expertise of teachers and trainers, leaders and managers, and VET professionals in support roles. Solutions 2015 surveys professional development activities supported and managed by the Centre during 2014 with funding from the Victorian government. They demonstrate the power of well designed professional development in reinforcing the VET sector’s capacity to design and deploy innovative delivery models, to engage with emerging pedagogies, and to align training with industry’s evolving skill and knowledge requirements. The Centre’s contributions to workforce development are diverse. They include programs customised to meet a provider’s strategic and operational objectives, open access professional learning programs, support for networks of VET professionals, and research into VET practice and professional identity. Our participants work with public, private, not-forprofit, and adult and community education providers. The Centre plays an active role in promoting interactions across the VET sector – we believe professional collaboration within the sector advances the interests of industry and learners alike. It is a privilege to contribute to the professional and personal growth of the VET sector’s professional workforce. Their dedication builds strong futures for VET learners, the communities they live in, and the services and enterprises in which they work.
Denise Stevens CEO
Angela hutson Chair
LEADInG VET WoRkFoRCE DEVELopMEnT Solutions 2015 is the VET Development Centre’s survey of selected projects the Centre managed and funded in 2014. Solutions 2015 celebrates innovative learning and teaching resulting from VET practice that emphasises quality and collaboration. Quality VET provision relies on the capability and commitment of the VET workforce. The Centre strives to meet three underlying purposes through its engagement with VET professionals and VET providers: s First, our programs are dedicated to improving the knowledge, skills, and practice of VET teachers, trainers, assessors, and the professional staff who support them. s Second, our programs are consciously designed to improve the learning environment, experience, and outcomes for VET learners.
The Centre has enduring relationships with many stakeholders committed to VET workforce development. They include Industry Skills Councils and industry bodies, the Enterprise Registered Training Organisation Association, VET and higher education providers, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and secondary schools, the Adult, Community and Further Education Board, Australian Council for Private Education and Training, Victorian TAFE Association, TAFE Directors Australia, and the Australian Education Union. Key government relationships include the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD), the Department of State Development, Business and Innovation, and the
federal departments of Industry, and of Education and Training. We maintain strong networks with VET practitioners and VET researchers, including the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association, National Centre for Vocational Education Research, and the National VET Workforce Development Managers’ Network. Solutions 2015 showcases the versatility and creativity of VET professionals, and the vitality of the VET sector. In 2014 our funded projects directly and indirectly touched the professional lives of 3,000 VET practitioners. We are grateful for their support, and we are privileged to support them.
SoLuTIonS 2015 ShoWCASES ThE VERSATILITy AnD CREATIVITy oF VET pRoFESSIonALS, AnD ThE VITALITy oF ThE VET SECToR.
s Third, we create and deliver programs that improve the confidence, capability and responsiveness of VET sector leaders on whom we rely to match the demands of policy, learners, industry clients, and provider business strategy. Workforce development demands continual attention. The relevance of VET workforce development strategy and planning is determined by the sector’s capacity to adapt to ongoing changes in the profile and expectations of VET professionals. Strategy and planning must respond to the sector’s diversity – to the needs of VET professionals who work in enterprises and in public, private, and adult and community education providers, who deliver trade training and higher education qualifications, and who work in metropolitan and remote areas.
SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
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ouR STREnGThS The VET Development Centre’s reputation is anchored in our reliable delivery of four key service elements. Strength in each of these elements underpins the Centre’s workforce development activity. They guide our approach to designing, managing, and delivering flexible, wellstructured professional and personal learning. Attention to these service elements means the Centre is always aware of how best to enhance our products, services, and service delivery channels. Our strengths are matched by our understanding of the complex VET environment, our commitment to the VET sector, and our ability to balance flexibility with rigour. Our grasp of, and contributions to, contemporary research in VET workforce development reinforces our capacity for innovation in high impact professional learning. The Centre has an enviable record in delivering specific programs to wide audiences, and customised programs and services to meet niche requirements. Our customised fee-for-service programs are sharply focussed and competitively priced.
1. ThE CEnTRE DESIGnS AnD DELIVERS pRoFESSIonAL LEARnInG ThAT IS READy FoR pRACTICE. We link professional learning design to improved outcomes for learners and for VET providers. Through our extensive network of high quality facilitators and content experts, we bring together the expertise our clients need to meet their professional learning objectives.
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ThE VET DEVELopMEnT CEnTRE’S REpuTATIon IS AnChoRED In ouR RELIABLE DELIVERy oF FouR kEy SERVICE ELEMEnTS 2. ThE CEnTRE RESponDS To WoRkFoRCE DEVELopMEnT nEEDS.
4. ThE CEnTRE VALuES onGoInG RELATIonShIpS WITh ouR CLIEnTS.
We customise professional learning so that it advances the strategic interests of VET providers, accounts for their operating contexts, and strengthens the professional identity of VET practitioners.
We seek to understand and respond to their objectives. With the direct involvement of our clients, we monitor and evaluate our programs, projects, initiatives, and services. Feedback is a pivot for our work.
3. ThE CEnTRE EMphASISES STRonG pRojECT AnD EVEnT MAnAGEMEnT CApABILITy. Our work is informed by rigorous planning, scheduling, risk management, and reporting.
SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
DIGITAL LEARnInG AnD TEAChInG AGED CARE, DISABILITy & hACC – CREATInG DIGITAL LEARnInG CApABILITy InDEpEnDEnCE AuSTRALIA VoCATIonAL SoLuTIonS
VET DEVELopMEnT CEnTRE SuppoRT FoR CApABILITy DEVELopMEnT In DIGITAL LEARnInG AnD TEAChInG
For more than 15 years, the benefits of digital learning and teaching have been loudly and frequently proclaimed. It’s true that many students and teachers have fully exploited what learning technologies have to offer – they have realised the promise. For others, the digital learning revolution has been slow rather than sudden and the potential of digital learning and teaching is yet to flower. But we can be certain that digital learning is not a passing fad. It is not a matter of whether we use it, but how and when. We can also be certain that the role of the teacher is centrally important to effective design and delivery of appropriate digital learning opportunities. Building the digital literacy capability of VET professionals is now essential to contemporary VET practice. VET learners and industry now expect that VET professionals will have digital learning expertise and blended delivery design know how.
In 2014 the VET Development Centre took time to listen to teachers and RTO managers. We asked them what worked in improving teacher engagement with learning technologies, and what gets in the way. We listened because we wanted to learn how to design professional development programs that have the greatest impact on teachers’ willingness to use learning technologies. Many of those we consulted participated in the projects outlined here. These projects incorporate some or all of the four factors we identified in professional development that successfully supports teachers to employ digital learning and teaching practices: 1. Personalised learning works for students, and it works for teachers too – customised professional development works because it accounts for current skills and confidence levels in deploying learning technologies. 2. Mentoring works because it helps teachers move beyond tentative initial encounters with new technology. 3. Informal networks are valued because teachers can access the thinking and skills of colleagues. 4. Finally, reflection about what works, what doesn’t work, and why, is essential for effective and enduring use of learning technologies. These design elements will inform the Centre’s Innovation in Learning Program (ILeP) in 2015. There is more information about ILeP on the following page.
Incorporating digital teaching and learning into RTO operations has implications for the whole organisation. In addition to upskilling trainers so that they are confident in using digital technologies, staff responsible for other functions – such as instructional design, enrolment, compliance, student support, and IT – must also extend their skills to ensure that digital platforms are sturdy, supported, and workable. Systems and processes must also be adjusted. Independence Australia Vocational Solutions (IAVS) has endorsed a strategic direction that encapsulates these realities. IAVS aims to provide contemporary methods of learning to industry and individuals in the disability, aged care, and home and community sectors. This includes digital learning and teaching options. The project was funded through a VET Development Centre Teaching and Learning Excellence grant. Its purpose was to provide 20 IAVS staff with the knowledge and skills to facilitate and support digital learning, including mobile learning by building capability in delivering, managing, and administering online delivery. For trainers, the focus was on online learning design and delivery capability, knowledge of the principles of digital training and how to integrate them with adult learning principles, and online facilitation skills. The project revealed widely different levels of understanding and comfort among the trainers and administrative staff. The project design was progressively adjusted to cater for these variations so that everyone could confidently buy-in to the strategy and support it.
SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
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ILep - ThE InnoVATIon In LeARnInG pRoGRAM impediments to sustained use. Focus groups, individual interviews, and an online survey produced five key inputs which informed ILeP’s design. They are: s Improved student outcomes are persuasive for teachers s Emphasise professional learning that is practice based and project based, and emphasise VET pedagogy In 2015 the Centre will launch the Innovation in Learning Program (ILeP) with funding provided by the Victorian government. ILeP will support a customised and integrated approach to digital learning and teaching with the twin objectives of changing culture and supporting innovation. In 2014 the Centre consulted VET practitioners about the kind of professional learning that supports sustained use of digital learning technologies and the
s Emphasise sharing of professional practice
The Centre will provide ILeP grants on a competitive basis to projects that carefully integrate four characteristics: s customised and targeted professional development aligned to business needs s structured access to an external Support Mentor s participation in a facilitated peer-topeer network s review and reflection.
s Adopting new digital technologies is a change management task s RTO owners and managers need an understanding of how to manage the risk of adopting new digital learning technologies. The Centre has designed ILeP with close reference to these practitioner perspectives.
These characteristics are depicted in the diagram below. It is important to emphasise that projects funded under ILeP will demonstrate a clear link between project objectives and the provider’s own digital learning strategy. Further details about ILeP are available on the Centre’s website.
Project funds
Customisted capability building activities
Review & reflection
ILep
Peer to peer networks
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SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
Support mentor
FLIppED CLASSRooM pRoFESSIonAL & RESouRCE DEVELopMEnT Box hILL InSTITuTE Flipped classrooms rely on teachers and learners adopting changed roles and approaches to learning. Students take greater control over their learning. They explore content before a class and use face-to-face and online class time to consolidate learning, usually through group tasks. The teacher’s role shifts from holding the content to facilitating deeper exploration of what students have already learned about the content. Box Hill’s project offered a flipped classroom teacher learning program, supporting 40 teachers to design and manage pre-class and in-class learning. During the project they developed Moodle resources that effectively support pre-class learning using media that included videos, forums, podcasts, and quizzes. The project built on experience gained through implementing a flipped classroom approach at the Institute’s Centre for Adult Education. Face-to-face workshops for teachers were supplemented with brief instructional videos created in house on topics such as online assessment, learning outcomes, online activities, and engagement activities. A mentoring and coaching schedule personalised teacher learning. All Box Hill teaching centres now embed the program in professional development and 121 teachers have participated in the Teaching Online program. Many more teachers are using Moodle and Echo 360 video collaboration tools. Flipped classroom research and trials are now being conducted through learner projects in the Institute’s Graduate Certificate in Digital Education.
TouCh SCREEn TEChnoLoGy In TRADES TRAInInG VICToRIA unIVERSITy Victoria University’s (VU) ambitious objectives for this project were to use touch screen technology as a medium for modernising trade training pedagogy and for realigning teaching and learning
priorities. The program built teachers’ capability in using the technology to promote learner engagement and enhance the student experience through anytime, anywhere access to information and demonstrations. The VET Development Centre funded project introduced teachers across multiple campuses to innovative use of touch screen monitors in bricklaying, carpentry, furniture making, engineering, plumbing, stage make-up, and hairdressing. Professional learning emphasised using monitors as a means of developing industry relevant skills and conveying content current in industry settings. The outcomes matched the objectives. Participants identified benefits in using the technology, including saving time when demonstrating techniques to a class, and providing video access to any student who misses a face-to-face demonstration. Teachers reported that the technology provided learners with an easy way to review content covered in classes. The successful rollout of the new technology has attracted interest from other VET providers who have visited VU to assess the potential for touch screens in trade training.
MAkInG ThE MoVE To FACILITATIon ThE MALkA GRoup ‘Workshop’ is a word we apply to almost any professional development gathering. In so doing we tend to gloss over what matters – how the workshop is structured to achieve understanding and to assist participants to make sustained changes to their practice. When you know The Malka Group’s (TMG) flipped classroom project comprised five workshops, you actually need to know much more. TMG believes the flipped classroom brings together traditional training expertise and new technology. This important strategic choice meant trainers participated in professional learning that was about upskilling rather than making up a skills deficit. Existing expertise and innovation were equally valued. Workshops 1 and 2 covered flipped classroom concepts and
their application in VET. Because TMG is implementing flipped classrooms as part of its 2015 delivery strategy, these workshops were attended by business managers, marketing, and other staff. Teachers continued with the remaining workshops during which they developed flipped resources for a unit of competency of their choice. Online quizzes for each workshop tested and guided knowledge acquisition. The quizzes provided feedback to workshop facilitators, enabling them to adjust the pace to support the progress of individual teachers.
TEAChInG SkILLS FoR ThE 21ST CEnTuRy SouTh WEST TAFE South West TAFE set a goal of increasing its digital literacy. For some teachers a small step, for others a personally and professionally challenging leap. South West recognises it takes time to learn new teaching practices, and it takes confidence to set aside familiar teaching habits. Change that is positively supported by the organisation and peers is more likely to stick. This project is the first leg of a three year program to introduce changed practice, settle in the changes, and then embed them. Teachers undertook professional development in Moodle using a variety of modes – self-paced, small supported community of practice groups, and full day teacher-led workshops. South West’s first year target was to reach 50 teachers – by year’s end 130 teachers had taken part. The outcome is attributable to signature characteristics of South West’s professional development approach – friendly competition, prizes for high performance, and a dash of humour. Teaching Skills for the 21st Century saw rewards like a Swivl tool for iPad and the right to wear a yellow jersey – echoes of a south-west Victoria institution, the Warrnambool Cycling Classic. And South West’s digital learning specialists woke everyone up with a SLAP (Simple Learning Analytic App) designed to support their colleagues’ professional learning.
SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
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MAny TEAChERS WITh pREVIouSLy LIMITED DIGITAL TEAChInG ExpERIEnCE noW uSE BLEnDED TEAChInG AnD LEARnInG TEChnIQuES.
DIGITAL LITERACy FoR onLInE VET ASSESSMEnTS ToTAL BuSInESS SERVICES In 2014 Total Business Services (TBS) introduced Moodle and set a goal to expand online assessment as a way of extracting benefits for learners, teachers, and the business from its LMS investment. A VET Development Centre Teaching and Learning Excellence grant enabled TBS to design a professional development program that supported faster processing of feedback and results by its assessment team. Professional learning focused on establishing familiarity and confidence with Moodle, then drilling into Moodle’s capacity to add value to assessment. TBS recognised that working proactively with Moodle would orient staff towards adapting to changing VET and online environments. TBS sees this orientation as reflecting a value set with personal and organisational development advantages.
Before rolling out VETtrak to its 22 trainers and assessors, Spectra conducted a pilot in which three staff participated. This enabled Spectra to identify mismatches between the iPad/VETtrak approach and existing systems and procedures. It also minimised risk, ensuring that purchases of all VETtrak modules for all trainers and assessors would deliver benefits to the business.
The program delivered more than TBS expected. Assessment moved online more quickly, and for more units, than planned. As confidence increased staff were willing to innovate – using Moodle plug-ins and add-ons for example – which elicited positive student feedback about the Moodle environment. Moodle also reduced assessor workloads. TBS is pleased with another outcome – a reduced carbon footprint as the move to Moodle means less paper for distance learning resources.
TooLS & SkILLS ThAT DELIVER QuALITy onLInE EDuCATIon ThE GoRDon
IMpRoVED RECoRD kEEpInG uSInG IpADS & ThE VETTRAk App SpECTRA TRAInInG Teacher professional development is a valuable way of piloting departures from familiar practice. A pilot involves teachers learning about new technologies. It empowers them by tapping their professional knowledge in new ways, and demonstrates respect by seeking their feedback about the workability of organisational plans.
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Spectra Training plans to reduce the record keeping burden on trainers and assessors through using iPads loaded with the VETtrak app. VETtrak has functionality for updating apprentice and trainee progress in training programs, including commencement of units, keeping track of phone calls and emails related to each learner, and recording assessment submission.
Spectra achieved positive outcomes. By the end of the pilot, training data was being entered with ease and without error, implementation issues were identified and addressed, and the record keeping burden was reduced.
The Gordon’s project incorporated learnings from its existing successful Blend Ed program, initially funded by the VET Development Centre. The intent was to involve as many staff as possible by delivering compulsory units for upgrading teacher qualifications, using online resources and materials (a first for many participants), and explaining how to store assessment online (meaning less paperwork). The project offered three modules: s TAESS00004 Enterprise trainer skill set, for industry experts. s TAE LLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills, a compulsory unit all teachers must complete by June 2015. s A staff induction program delivered as a digital learning activity.
SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
The project reached 79% of The Gordon’s teachers. An action research approach ensured changed practice was incorporated in daily teaching through a supported, iterative process. Many teachers with previously limited digital teaching and learning experience now use digital and blended teaching and learning techniques. An enthusiastic teacher is establishing a Community of Practice to provide ongoing support and discussion opportunities. The Gordon intends to adapt the project design for future professional development activity.
DEVELopInG ExpERTISE In onLInE pEDAGoGy WILLIAM AnGLISS InSTITuTE William Angliss Institute (WAI) aimed to raise teacher awareness about online pedagogy and to build confidence applying it. Customised, personalised, online learning assisted them to extract flexibility, efficiency, and effectiveness from teaching practices like the flipped classroom. The project emphasised an important principle – teaching techniques are more important than content delivery. Online modules developed during the project included: s Online pedagogy – what makes a good online course? s Real engagement – the difference between content delivery and engagement s Online assessment – is it authentic? s Gamification – is this the answer? More than 100 WAI teachers will complete the program with the modules being offered again in 2015. WAI is considering incorporating modules into teacher induction. A Community of Practice, established during the project, supports teachers to embrace digital teaching and is curating resources now available on Moodle as a result of these professional learning activities. Teacher and student feedback is being monitored to evaluate continued impact, and WAI is making a Teaching with Moodle Award to a teacher who displays outstanding understanding of digital delivery and effectiveness.
InDuSTRy EnGAGEMEnT Our Industry Engagement Program supports arrangements among providers, enterprises and industry bodies that provide opportunities for VET professionals to upgrade their existing skills and knowledge, or to acquire new or specialised skills in their industry area.
VET professionals have two professional allegiances – one to their role as teachers, and one to their industries of origin. Maintaining a current understanding of what is happening in industry – from the latest technology to innovations in work practices – can pose challenges for VET teachers and providers. But an industry-engaged VET sector is a priority for industry, improves learning outcomes, and satisfies the professional identity of teachers. Industry engagement and industry currency also underpin the training system’s integrity. Its centrality is highlighted in the new 2015 Standards for Registered Training Organisations. The Standards state that providers must implement strategies for industry engagement ‘that ensure the relevance of its training and assessment strategies, practices and resources; and the current industry skills of its trainers and assessors.’ Industry engagement is a field of VET endeavour that invites industry-providerteacher links and partnerships.
VET DEVELopMEnT CEnTRE SuppoRT FoR SuSTAInED InDuSTRy EnGAGEMEnT The VET Development Centre’s Industry Engagement Grant Program supported 15 projects in 2014 – four of them are summarised here. Because it is so central to VET sector activity, industry engagement also featured in projects funded through other Centre programs. We have included one of them below – a project undertaken by the Master Builders Association and supported by our Workforce Development Grants program.
The Centre understands that VET providers must engage effectively with industry. An increasingly competitive training market means there is a premium on enduring relationships with employers. Teachers need aptitude with new technologies, consulting skills, the ability to use skills recognition processes effectively, and the confidence to innovate in delivering training and assessing training outcomes. These attributes have their foundations in industry engagement and currency. Industry engagement is a core domain in VET professional practice. The Centre continues to support professional learning activities that create and strengthen connections between industry and the sector.
InDuSTRy CuRREnCy & ConnECTEDnESS ACRoSS ThE oRGAnISATIon SWInBuRnE unIVERSITy oF TEChnoLoGy
First, the project enabled teachers to broaden and deepen their industry connections, so facilitating industry input to training delivery and assessment, and improving business development outcomes. Second, the project extended teachers’ industry currency through direct experience in workplaces, enhancing their grasp of skill needs and expectations. The catalyst for meeting both priorities was direct industry contact for teachers from Swinburne’s vocational education centres: the Centre for Business, Design and ICT; the Centre for Engineering, Technology and Trades; and the Centre for Health, Science and Community. Industry connections were cemented through industry placements for some staff, visits to multiple workplaces by small groups of teachers to ensure breadth of understanding, well organised yet informal discussions between industry representatives and teachers, establishment of a Community of Practice, and formal reporting to colleagues by teachers on all industry connection activities. One Centre established an Industry Reference Group which provides Swinburne with an ongoing means of engaging, managing, and sustaining industry links.
Often we use the word ‘industry’ as shorthand for small and large enterprises, non-profit agencies, government departments, public hospitals, and an array of business and bodies and networks. It’s important not to lose sight of this diversity: ‘industry’ is multifaceted. Organisations in each industry sector are organised differently, and use varied work processes and technologies. A small domestic plumbing business seeks different skills and orientations from its apprentices than a large commercial construction firm. Through this project Swinburne implemented a new industry engagement strategy that acknowledges and values the diversity in the industry sectors Swinburne serves. The strategy addresses two business objectives.
SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
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upSkILLInG AnD RESkILLInG ARE FunDAMEnTAL FoR A SuCCESSFuL TRAnSITIon To nEW AnD BETTER WAyS oF DoInG ThInGS.
EnGAGInG ThE BuILDInG & ConSTRuCTIon InDuSTRy In RESponDInG To SkILLS GApS MASTER BuILDERS ASSoCIATIon New technologies and work processes bring great benefits to enterprise productivity and viability. Yet bedding down new ways of working requires business to adapt, often quickly. Upskilling and reskilling are fundamental for successful transitions to improved work practices. This project engaged with the prefabrication building industry to identify skill deficiencies in this burgeoning area, and to identify the transferability of skills between prefabricated building projects and other manufacturing environments. Specialised training and capability development helped MBA trainers prepare for interviews and ongoing work with industry, and to refine strategies for industry engagement. A model for effective engagement of industry in identifying skills gaps is now being tested and evaluated. Trainer contact with industry leaders in prefabricated construction, such as Australand and Hickory Developments, is instrumental for developing mapping techniques that examine vocational competencies and match them with existing skills. The project is a starting point for MBA trainers to assess how rapid instructional design methodology can alleviate skill deficiencies and skill shortages. An important learning from the project is that skills required by the prefabricated construction industry blend manufacturing and construction skill sets.
STREnGThEnInG InDuSTRy EnGAGEMEnT pRACTICES ChIShoLM InSTITuTE The competitive VET business environment places a premium on highly effective industry engagement practice. Chisholm Institute used a VET Development Centre Industry Engagement grant to expand the industry engagement skills and knowledge of Senior Educators, who are at the frontline in leading and managing industry interaction. 8
The project developed skills through a collaborative, networking model that drew in peer support. It concentrated on VET practice that has direct, enduring impacts on successful industry engagement. These areas included assessment practices in simulated work environments that align to industry expectations, validation with industry of teaching and learning practice, and building industry networks. Professional learning objectives for Senior Educators included capability development in foresight thinking in a VET context. This approach gathers information from a range of sources and uses many lines of inquiry when assessing influences that will shape an industry over the long term. Developing foresight thinking capability is itself a long term task. Chisholm reports that the project has helped build the understanding of the commercial skills managers require to be successful in the VET market and the Institute is planning further professional development to grow this expertise.
BuILDInG CApACITy FoR InDuSTRy GRoWTh InnER MELBouRnE VET CLuSTER Established in 1998, the Inner Melbourne VET Cluster (IMVC) has a strong reputation as a provider of VET programs and related services to young people, including school based apprenticeships and traineeships, pre-accredited and accredited training, and brokerage services that link young people to structured workplace learning. It has expertise in working with marginalised and disengaged young people, and delivering training through social enterprise models. Successfully delivering this mix of VET activities places heavy reliance on strong relationships with industry stakeholders. IMVC deployed its Industry Engagement Grant on a project involving 27 staff. Trainers undertook industry placements of one week, renewing their skills and gaining insights into emerging practices. Compliance and workplace learning team members participated in work placements, and assisted in delivering a
SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
training program. During the project IMVC staff facilitated industry working parties to prioritise local needs, and to identify industry expectations, pathway opportunities, and emerging trends. As with all good professional development, one thing leads to another. The working party activity led to an invitation to present at roundtable discussions on aged care workforce development discussions with Minister Ian Macfarlane and representatives from the Department of Industry. Project outcomes include improved industry relationships and a wider industry network. The project also helped IMVC revise its framework for ongoing communication with industry.
EVERyBoDy’S BuSInESS MELBouRnE poLyTEChnIC For its Industry Engagement project Melbourne Polytechnic adopted a threeway teaching and learning model involving educators, learners, and employers. This model supported the project’s aims of both equipping educators with a broad range of industry capabilities and of securing improved employment outcomes for learners in English as an Additional Language (EAL) programs. A central element of the project was for EAL educators to shadow employees in workplaces as diverse as retail outlets, a garden centre, an aged care centre, a golf course, and a building and scaffolding department. Shadowing provided teachers with a close understanding of workplace expectations, culture, and skills which they are now able to share in structured learning with EAL students before they undertake work placements. The project yielded an extension of the number of workplaces where Foundation studies students can gain work experience. It has also led to modification of the employment focused training modules which now include knowledge gained via shadowing. An employer breakfast, involving participating employers and Polytechnic staff, further cemented new and enduring industry relationships.
WoRkFoRCE DEVELopMEnT VET DEVELopMEnT CEnTRE SuppoRT FoR WoRkFoRCE DEVELopMEnT pRojECTS The Centre understands that innovation will prosper through trial, success, and sometimes error. Imposing a ‘one size fits all’ approach to professional learning will discourage innovation, and undermine innovators.
VET teaching is a dynamic professional endeavour. No two learners or groups of learners are the same. Employer expectations constantly evolve as workplaces change and adapt to economic circumstances and opportunities. Great teachers are great learners, prepared to try new approaches in their practice. They are always ready to learn the hard and happy lessons of experience. Innovation in VET teaching practice grows out of thoughtful responses to the circumstances and needs of their students, and the expectations of their students’ current and future employers. Well structured professional learning makes an outstanding contribution to innovation in teaching practice. Professional learning provides the time and encouragement to innovate. It provides the avenue through which innovation is shared with other teachers. It provides the structured mechanism for implementing, supporting, and sustaining innovation.
The ten projects outlined here take different innovation pathways. What is consistent across the projects is the emphasis on forms of collegial activity – joining with other VET professionals in pursuing common objectives of improving learning outcomes, maintaining professional integrity, and enhancing the credibility of the VET system. Most projects showcased here were funded under the Centre’s 2014 Workforce Development Program, through which 30 projects (including 13 private RTO projects) were funded. Industry engagement is a core domain in VET professional practice. The Centre continues to support professional learning activities that create and strengthen connections between industry and the sector.
and instructional designers understood the structure of the streamlined packages and were aware of the changed qualification packaging rules in the new packages. A focus of the project was the new assessment requirements that are attached to each unit of competency. The Institute tasked its experienced team members to provide tailored information sessions to staff as streamlined packages became available for the qualifications in their industry areas. The Institute’s Training Assessment Strategy (TAS) was updated to reflect the new requirements. With the TAS as a guide, quality and compliance team members supported staff to develop improved assessment practices, along with revised documentation. An important outcome of the project is that good practice assessment designs were shared across the organisation. The project was undertaken across the Institute’s Melbourne campuses. It is expected that the revised TAS resulting from this project will be implemented at all Bendigo Kangan campuses in 2015.
DESIGnInG LEARnInG WITh STREAMLInED TRAInInG pACkAGES BEnDIGo kAnGAn InSTITuTE Training packages were first introduced in 1997. Over time they became thick with detail and very difficult for those outside the VET system to understand. A review of training packages in 2009 found continued industry support for competency based training presented in a training package format. But the clear call for an easier to drive version was heeded by the review which recommended an overhaul. The framework for streamlined training packages is being progressively introduced – by the end of 2015 it is expected that all training packages will be in streamlined form. Bendigo Kangan Institute steered grant funding from the VET Development Centre into a project that ensured its teachers
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SunITAFE InVESTED In A pRoFESSIonAL DEVELopMEnT MoDEL FoR RoBuST IDEAS ABouT hoW To InCREASE oRGAnISATIonAL CApACITy.
They recommended provision of online survival guides covering essay writing, note taking, effective reading, research, oral presentations, time management, and stress management. Study Tour participants also framed recommendations that support SuniTAFE teachers to adopt teaching practices that will engage international students in all aspects of their learning.
InTERnATIonAL TEAChInG & LEARnInG ExCELLEnCE pRoGRAM SunRAySIA InSTITuTE oF TAFE In 2015, SuniTAFE will have around 250 international students enrolled in ELICOS and VET programs at its Mildura and Swan Hill campuses. This represents a 25 per cent increase on 2014 international enrolments. SuniTAFE invested in a professional development model for robust ideas about how to increase organisational capacity to meet the needs of this growing cohort. It asked eight teachers, academic support staff, and student wellbeing staff to undertake a Study Tour of Victorian education providers with a strong international student support record. They were asked to recommend initiatives that would demonstrate SuniTAFE’s commitment to this student group. Study Tour participants refined areas of interest and communicated them to providers who partner SuniTAFE in delivering training to international learners – Latrobe University, Deakin University, and Melbourne Polytechnic. On their return, Study Tour participants shared their recommendations with senior managers and colleagues. Their extensive recommendations included reflections on options for improving partnerships so that students had a more seamless experience across providers, and developing organisational capacity for international student mentoring programs.
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pRoFESSIonAL DEVELopMEnT FoR nEW TEAM LEADERS AuSTRALIAn CounCIL FoR pRIVATE EDuCATIon AnD TRAInInG New and emerging leaders are the future of any enterprise and any industry. Supporting their personal, professional and leadership development is an essential workforce development strategy. The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) has run this project over the past three years and 24 new team leaders have participated. The project offers skills development and support to RTO staff recently promoted to positions responsible for managing a small team. They have access to an external mentor and participate in a specifically designed ACPET training workshop on building and managing effective teams. They join a Community of Practice, supported by ACPET, to share ideas and take advantage of networking opportunities. Participants in both the 2013 and 2014 projects have benefited personally, as have their organisations and the VET sector generally. All these emerging leaders are either still employed in a leadership role within their organisation, or have moved on but have been retained within the sector. This is a testament to the portability of the skills and knowledge developed through this professional development opportunity. In particular it highlights the value of oneto-one mentoring as a source of support and ideas. Participants have appreciated
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the Community of Practice and have expressed an interest in establishing an online Network that offers ongoing support to all participants.
pEopLE LEADER pRoGRAM ChIShoLM InSTITuTE Peter Drucker, renowned as the founder of modern management, observed in 1999 that with the rise of the knowledge worker: One does not ‘manage’ people. The task is to lead people. And the goal is to make productive the specific strengths and knowledge of each individual. Developing leadership aptitude within the workforce is critical for commercial success and organisational vitality. In the VET sector, which relies on knowledge workers across its business functions, confident and encouraging leadership is indispensable. In 2013 Chisholm delivered its People Leader Program to senior staff across the organisation. In 2014, again with a VET Development Centre grant, Chisholm delivered the Program to Senior Educators and Team Leaders. This investment maximised leadership growth through four professional learning modules designed around Chisholm’s objectives and circumstances: Emotional intelligence and leadership; Fostering continuous improvement and entrepreneurship innovation; Commerciality and finance; and Leading change for positive outcomes. People Leader emphasises peer support and openness to collaboration among leaders. One marker of success is that a leadership oriented network is now evident among Senior Educators and Team Leaders. A qualitative marker is that participants recorded a satisfaction rating of 86% for the 2014 Program. The People Leader project team has monitored Program outcomes, scanning for the next leadership development steps that will assist Chisholm to embed the culture it seeks.
VALuInG CuLTuRAL DIVERSITy GouLBuRn oVEnS TAFE GOTAFE serves regions of Victoria with high cultural diversity and is committed to providing access to training that is valued for its quality and cultural relevance. GOTAFE’s Cultural Action Plan 2014-16 embodies that pledge. The Plan’s goal is to increase participation and retention among Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. The Plan links with a community strategy coordinated by the Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District. GOTAFE enacted that commitment through a dedicated professional development program – Enhancing Cultural Diversity – that assists GOTAFE staff to recognise, respect, and interpret distinct cultural needs in an inclusive way. Enhancing Cultural Diversity provides access to knowledge and resources about local and broader Indigenous history, heritage, and culture, and about the many cultures represented in the regional population. The Ethnic Council, Multicultural Education Centre, and Koorie Education Centre at GOTAFE met to assess professional development needs. A series of workshops was planned and delivered, using reallife examples to examine the practical application of cultural intelligence by individuals and organisations. GOTAFE’s workshops involved staff from frontline services, administration, and teaching areas offering training programs popular among indigenous and CALD clients. The success of this workforce development activity has led GOTAFE to plan further workshops in 2015 which apply knowledge of cultural awareness and crosscultural communication to learning activities.
ASSESSMEnT - noT Too MuCh, noT Too LITTLE, BuT juST RIGhT! SWInBuRnE unIVERSITy oF TEChnoLoGy Confidence in assessment outcomes is fundamental to the VET system’s reputation and integrity. High quality
ConFIDEnCE In ASSESSMEnT ouTCoMES IS FunDAMEnTAL To ThE VET SySTEM’S REpuTATIon. hIGh QuALITy ASSESSMEnT pRACTICE IS AT ThE CoRE oF VET pRoFESSIonALISM. assessment practice is at the core of VET professionalism. Assessment design, practice, and record keeping are under greater scrutiny given changes in the new national standards for RTOs. In 2014 Swinburne University of Technology systematically explored these understandings with teachers by prioritising assessment as a focus for professional development. It used a VET Development Centre Workforce Development grant to review and revitalise assessment knowledge and practice across vocational education operations. Working from data collected during an assessment review in 2013, the workforce development project used a ‘taskforce’ approach in which a mentor and designated expert from each of its three VET Centres worked closely with teaching staff to analyse and validate all assessment items against each delivered unit of competency. In each teaching area a Teaching and Learning Assessment Champion was nominated to conduct assessment checks. During 2014 about 300 teachers engaged in the project which emphasised collaborative review and planning. Team based assessment workshops in all teaching areas revolved around three key items: what is required for assessment, developing assessment for clustered units, and applying assessment templates. The project’s value was recognised by Swinburne’s commitment of additional funds for half-time assessment champions in each teaching department. The ongoing scope of the project now includes all teachers.
DEVELopInG LAnGuAGE, LITERACy & nuMERACy SuppoRT CApABILITy CuSToMISED TRAInInG Based in Bacchus Marsh, Customised Training has grown considerably since it was founded in 2003. It now has 27 qualifications on scope, including qualifications in building and construction, business services, children’s services, education services, and disability services. Customised Training focused its Workforce Development grant on supporting its disability services trainers to develop greater expertise in assessing the language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) capability of students, and to identify the LLN requirements of the training package. The trainers directly involved in the project began with a team based task of writing new tools for assessing students’ current LLN levels. They then attended two workshops which developed an understanding and application of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). And then the magic of professional learning intervened. Following the workshops trainers recognised there were smarter and better ways to do this important work. They completely redesigned the tools and developed a Student Support Checklist which provides a clear view of each student’s LLN ability and where to target LLN support. Trainers also completed TAELLN401A – Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills. The positive workforce development outcomes for disability services trainers and their students has led Customised Training to roll out the Student Support Checklist for each industry area in which it operates.
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WoRkFoRCE DEVELopMEnT CREATES A nETWoRk oF EMpLoyEES Who ARE ALL ConTRIBuTInG To EnTERpRISE GoALS In A FoCuSED AnD SkILLFuL WAy.
ExTEnDInG SuppoRT STAFF CApABILITy To ADVAnCE TEAChInG & LEARnInG FEDERATIon TRAInInG Workforce development is a whole of organisation approach that creates a network of employees who are all contributing to enterprise goals in a focused and skillful way. Federation Training staff in administrative support roles benefited from this inclusive perspective through a Workforce Development grant that supported them to make knowledgeable contributions to the experience of online learners. Ten administration staff members participated in customised one-to-one and group training as varied as one week internships with a digital learning team and lunch box sessions. The training covered territory that makes a material difference to teachers and students. They developed skills in: s gathering reports from Moodle specific to their team’s training delivery role s creating reports for evidence of participation, assessment evidence, and grades s using Polycom videoconferencing s using Microsoft Lync, a platform that blends the use of various communications options such as audio calls, video calls, and SMS. Professional learning brings unplanned benefits. Participants in the project recognised that Microsoft Lync is a tool they can readily use to communicate online with each other, with teachers, and with help desk staff. They began exploring its potential for small group meetings and online training for administration staff. The workforce development project was initially limited to Advance TAFE’s East Gippsland campuses. Another unplanned benefit of the project came with the creation of Federation Training following the amalgamation of Advance TAFE and GippsTAFE. The professional learning gained during the project could now be applied in a new organisational context with administrative staff working 12
on campuses as distant as Chadstone in Melbourne’s south-east to Bairnsdale in East Gippsland.
EFFECTIVE uSE oF CARToonS & AnIMATIon In VET hoLMESGLEn Innovation thrives in environments that welcome it. It flourishes in organisational cultures that are willing to test ideas, discard those don’t work, refine those that do, and spread the good word. Using cartoons and animation in VET delivery and assessment sits outside mainstream VET practice. Holmesglen was willing to give animation a go. It worked. Holmesglen’s interest was stimulated by evidence gathered by Education Services Australia (ESA), a not-for-profit company owned by Australia’s education ministers. ESA reported that cartoons and animation offered impressive benefits to learners and teachers, like stimulating interest, involving students with a range of literacy levels, gauging understanding and attitudes, and developing visual literacy. With this evidence in hand Holmesglen sought a grant from the VET Development Centre to develop and deliver a professional development program. The intent of the project was to support eight teachers to scope the potential for cartoons and animations in delivery and assessment, to select tools for developing them, and to trial an online support resource for teachers across the organisation. When an innovation works it gathers momentum. It takes off. The small group of eight became a large group of 30. In practical workshops teachers got to grips with using Video Scribe (whiteboardstyle animation software) in instructional design. They evaluated the benefits and effectiveness of animation in VET. They explored how animation and its tools are integrated into Moodle. They created animation and Video Scribes for their teaching programs. Interest among teachers is high. Feedback from students is encouraging. So high and encouraging that Holmesglen is investigating the purchase of animation software that will enable more advanced animation training in 2015.
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CoMMunICATInG WITh BuSInESS & InTERpRETInG InDuSTRy’S TRAInInG nEEDS VICToRIA unIVERSITy It is often complex for businesses to select the training that will most assist them to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and long term viability. That complexity is sometimes matched when businesses engage with us – the training system itself is complex. VET providers that compete effectively in the training market are adept at interpreting industry’s training needs, communicating clear training options to businesses, and making the VET system transparent to potential clients. For Victoria University (VU) responsiveness to industry is a key driver of change and growth. Through this professional development project, VU enabled improved responsiveness by further improving the business communication capabilities of its VET leaders. A series of workshops and related activities assisted participants to further develop skills in analysing business needs, developing business nomenclature, business development, writing tender responses and business proposals, and facilitating conversations and effective communication with businesses. From October-December 2014, five workshops were facilitated by skilled business writers, business developers, and industry stakeholders. The workshops provided access to expertise and business perspectives that inform how business assesses training proposals. Specific project outcomes included: s reducing the time taken to write proposals and responses to tenders by adopting a lean management process s consistent business nomenclature in tender writing s commencing coordinated and consistent analysis of industry trends and business needs s preparing a tender writing workshop series for delivery to VET leaders in 2015.
CuSToMISED pRoGRAMS The VET Development Centre designs and manages delivery of customised, fee-for-service, in-house programs for VET providers. The Centre understands the training market and the VET system. Our customised programs integrate our clients’ strategic objectives and operational imperatives, the expectations of industry, and evolving state and national VET policy and regulatory frameworks. Customisation is especially valuable when a provider has a clear intention to embed new perspectives and ways of operating within the organisation or parts of the organisation. The Centre’s customised programs
The reach of our customised programs continues to grow. In 2014 more than 1,000 practitioners participated in customised workshops that were delivered to 13 providers from the public, private, and corporate sectors.
accentuate professional development design and delivery models that embed new practice in the organisational culture. The programs cover areas as diverse as leadership, pedagogy, and business skills. Since 2005 the VET Development Centre has built an extensive network of facilitators who meet our expectations as subject matter experts with a sound grasp of the VET system and its business environment. We have established and widely recognised expertise in designing professional development programs that influence the daily work of our participants.
ThE VET DEVELopMEnT CEnTRE 2014: A SnApShoT In nuMBERS VET Development Centre programs are building the capability of VET professionals across the VET sector. In 2014, 4,588 VET practitioners participated in a program organised by the Centre, up from 2,687 participants in
2010. Over five years, this represents an increase of around 70 per cent.
Leaders events, and the Centre’s annual conference.
In 2014, the Centre organised more than 200 events, including open access Professional Learning programs, customised programs, webinars, Thought
The charts below share more details about our participants by sector and over time.
FIGuRE 2 Participants in 2014 professional development programs managed by the Centre – by sector
FIGuRE 1 Number of participants in professional development activities managed by the Centre – 2011-2014 5,000
ACFE
17%
4,500 4,000
TAFE
3,500
42%
3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500
PRIVATE
41%
0 2011
2012
2013
2014
Professional Programs
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ouR pRoFESSIonAL LEARnInG pRoGRAM Our Professional Learning Program events are open to all VET professionals. Events are offered in a variety of formats – workshops, seminars, summits, and webinars. In 2014, the Centre’s Professional Learning Program offered 110 events. The Centre’s 2015 Professional Learning Program is readily accessible via the Events tab on the home page of our website.
VET professionals, their managers and organisations can use the 2015 Program schedule to plan professional learning. The Centre keeps a close eye on emerging issues and needs and designs, organises, and delivers timely, high quality programs that align closely with practitioner and provider needs. Each event in the Centre’s Professional Learning Program uses an applied learning
approach, and takes VET practice as its primary reference point. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, we achieved satisfaction ratings (satisfied or very satisfied) of 94% or higher from our Professional Learning Program participants. The Centre uses the Professional Learning Framework, explained below, when designing its Professional Learning Program.
ouR pRoFESSIonAL LEARnInG FRAMEWoRk The VET Development Centre’s Professional Learning Framework was refined through a series of consultations with VET practitioners throughout Victoria. Consultation participants included teachers, managers and CEOs. Perspectives on the draft model were sought from secondary schools, Learn Local providers, enterprise RTOs, and public and private providers. The Framework has a variety of uses.
It helps VET practitioners to plan their professional learning by organising domains of VET practice in a way that links learning, practice, and outcomes. It helps them to plot a professional learning path that enlarges their career opportunities in the VET sector. The Framework supports managers to link professional learning to organisational strategy and capability. When VET
PROF ES SI O
DUC
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O PR
E RS H
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Developing innovative products and services for a range of markets.
PROCESS Enhancing quality and continuous improvement in education and business practices.
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An underlying feature of the Professional Learning Framework is the recognition that VET practitioners are education and industry professionals who also have responsibilities to the organisations for which they work.
Supporting successful and rewarding professional careers for VET practitioners.
PARTN
TS
PE
Y OG G A D
ISM AL N
Advancing learner-centred teaching, learning and assessment practices.
managers approach the Centre seeking customised programs, the Framework offers a common language that assists in defining a provider’s professional learning requirements.
Developing relationships with industry, community and other stakeholders.
ouR RESEARCh CApABILITy Since 2005, the VET Development Centre has commissioned evaluations of its programs and undertaken market research. Since 2010, we have commissioned and managed research projects investigating aspects of VET practice, professional identity, and workforce development. The Centre has a role in developing VET workforce research capabilities. We recognise that VET practitioners must undertake research in these areas, and that VET providers are increasingly active in delivering qualifications at AQF level 7 and above. The Centre maintains strong relationships with research bodies such as the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), and the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA). Our relationships, partnerships, and alliances provide both breadth and depth to: s the Centre’s research capability s our ability to make informed and respected contributions to VET workforce development policy s our delivery of targeted workforce development programs. The Centre will extend its research capability so that in our areas of expertise we bring an evidence-informed voice to policy dialogue and research planning.
SuppoRTInG VET pRACTITIonERS To ThEIR RESEARCh CApABILITy In 2012, NCVER commissioned the VET Development Centre to investigate what scholarship means for TAFE Institutes in the emerging tertiary sector. In 2013, the Centre followed up this area of inquiry, commissioning Melanie Williams to investigate how VET practitioners work with industry and the community to create new knowledge. The common objectives for both these studies were to: s describe accurately the current status of scholarly practice in VET and s propose effective pathways for supporting VET practitioners to extend their research capabilities.
RESEARCh SChoLARShIpS SChEME - 2013-2014
ILeP will advance professional practice in digital learning and teaching.
After considering the findings of the two research projects summarised above, and reflecting on TEQSA comments about the lack of scholarship in VET providers, the Centre decided to initiate a research scholarship scheme to run over two years.
The second evaluation assessed the impact of Centre-funded projects undertaken by three private RTOs – Master Builders Association, Skilled Up Pty Ltd, and Total Business Services and Training. The evaluation probed matters such as adherence to the Centre’s expectations and opportunities for improving project design. The primary purpose of the evaluation was to determine if the use of VET Development Centre grant funding achieved cost effective delivery of workforce development.
In 2013 and again in 2014, we provided research scholarships valued at $5,000 to VET professionals delivering higher education programs. The scholarship program has enabled 16 teachers from five non-selfaccrediting higher education providers to improve their professional capability in a particular field of research, enhance their research capability and development, and build networks. The scholarship scheme has made an important contribution to supporting the growth and development of a scholarly culture in mixed sector institutions.
EVALuATIon oF ThE CEnTRE’S pRoFESSIonAL DEVELopMEnT pRoGRAMS In 2014 the Centre commissioned two independent evaluations of aspects of our professional development programs. The first evaluation assessed the impact of digital teaching and learning projects funded by the Centre in five TAFE Institutes – The Gordon, Bendigo Kangan, South West TAFE, Swinburne University of Technology, and Victoria University. The evaluation found that the projects ‘were innovative, provided value for money and impetus to changing organisational culture around blended learning, were carefully designed and considered for maximum impact, and provided effective staff support through the transition.’ The evaluation report noted that outstanding results were evident when: s projects were ambitious in scope s professional development workshops were followed up with appropriate, ongoing mentoring.
The projects had diverse objectives, yet the evaluation found common strengths among them. The evaluation report observed that the projects were ‘strategic, innovative, created organisational change … and were thoughtfully planned and executed. Each of the three organisations has demonstrated notable success and positive outcomes with at least one project being of significant importance and having the capacity to influence other industry players.’
EVALuATIon oF TExTILE AnD FIBRE InDuSTRy TRAInInG pRojECTS Since 2008, the International Fibre Centre (IFC) has engaged the Centre to evaluate IFC funded projects that support training for the fibre and textile industry. The IFC supports education and training that bridges the gap between training services and the changing needs of industry, and to encourage greater collaboration between public providers, specialist private providers, and industry. Key elements of the IFC’s funding mandate include effective training programs, sustainable business growth, better-skilled staff, and sharing more industry intelligence. The VET Development Centre evaluations focus on whether IFC funded projects have achieved specified objectives and outcomes, and the quality and outcomes of the training delivered in terms of business improvements. In 2014 the Centre completed two training project evaluations at the request of the IFC.
The findings have contributed directly to the Centre’s design of the Innovation in Learning Program (ILeP), a major initiative for 2015. SoLuTIonS FoR VET pRoFESSIonALS AnD VET pRoVIDERS
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ouR pRojECT MAnAGEMEnT CApABILITy The VET Development Centre has honed its project and event management skills through frequent and reflective application in professional learning contexts.
EVEnT MAnAGEMEnT In 2014, the Centre organised more than 200 events for teachers and other VET professionals. Our events include webinars and digital workshops, half and full day workshops, forums, two day conferences and lunch meetings. Face to face events are conducted in regional areas and capital cities.
InVITInG AnD RESopnDInG To STAkEhoLDER FEEDBACk We are committed to improving our professional learning products and services. To that end, we have developed expertise in conducting evaluations and extracting optimum value from evaluation practice. Our evaluation practice includes: commissioning independent evaluations of our range of professional development activities; seeking structured feedback from clients who implement a customised program designed and managed by the Centre; and every 12 months undertaking a survey of participants who have attended one of our programs. Our participant satisfaction rating is 94% or higher over the years 2012-2014.
pRojECT MAnAGEMEnT Our project management capability has many facets. The three projects described below offer insights into the scope of our capability in customising project management so that we meet client objectives.
ACFE CuSToMISED pRoFESSIonAL DEVELopMEnT The Centre has continued its support for professional development in the adult and community education (ACE) sector. In 2013 and 2014 more than 660 practitioners participated in programs designed by the Centre to meet the needs of the ACE sector.
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In 2012 and 2013 the Centre worked with Victoria’s Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board to deliver professional learning at locations across Victoria. In 2014 we engaged ACE practitioners in our Professional Learning Program, in addition to designing and delivering workshops that focussed specifically on ACE practice. Learn Local providers report that participation in Centre programs benefits teaching and learning practice, reflected in the quality of courses and delivery. The Centre’s ongoing work with Learn Local providers and the ACFE Board demonstrates our strong grasp of the breadth of activity in the VET sector. The VET sector doesn’t deliver one size fits all training. The Centre doesn’t deliver one size fits all professional development. We count among our strengths the capacity to respond to the nuances of teaching practice in varied contexts, and the practical implications of varied organisational structure and size.
EMpoWERInG TRADE TEAChERS Trade training is a signature VET sector offering. An Australian Industry Group report (Apprenticeships: Achieving Excellence, 2013) reminds us that in the public VET system, one in five learners is an apprentice. The VET Development Centre has long responded to the particular needs of trade teachers in their engagement with the changing expectations of industry, the apprenticeship system, learner profiles, and learning technologies. Empowering Trade Teachers was a forum subsidised by the VET Development Centre and designed for trade teachers. Speakers and thought leaders discussed and demonstrated best practice, innovation, and new ideas in the trades training. The forum introduced many teachers to the use of interactive learning technologies by linking the Aurasma augmented reality app to posters on display. The forum explored an array of ideas, practical questions, and trends in training. Topics included women in trades, gathering
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work based evidence, and integrating digital technologies in trade training (such as augmented reality, virtual worlds, immersive games, and simulations).
ShARE & ShoWCASE - FunDED pRojECTS The Centre is committed to disseminating the knowledge and skills learned through the projects our grant funding has supported. We take the view that professionalism in the VET sector is deepened and broadened through sharing practice knowledge and wisdom. The Centre supported 65 projects through our 2014 grants programs for Teaching and Learning, Industry Engagement, and Workforce Development. In June 2014 Victoria’s Minister for Higher Education and Skills launched the Centre’s Share and Showcase event. The event was a platform for teachers to share the products and other outcomes of innovative projects funded by the Centre in 2013. An objective of Share and Showcase is to spread familiarity with innovative practice that benefits learners, teachers, and providers. Case studies were presented about five innovative projects, ranging from augmented reality resources to new models for connecting with industry. The event included poster displays of 25 selected projects. Forum attendees included VET teachers, support staff, managers and leaders from TAFE Institutes, Learn Local providers, private providers, and enterprise RTOs. During the forum they had the opportunity to discuss, formally and informally, the initiatives presented, and to explore the potential for these new ideas in their own teaching practice and RTOs.
TEAChInG FELLoWS
The Centre’s Teaching Fellowship Program commenced in 2005, soon after the Centre was established. Fellowships are an expression of the Centre’s continuing commitment to the professional formation of VET teachers.
There are now 210 Teaching Fellows – an alumni group that expanded with 25 new Fellows in 2014. Our new Fellows included six adult and community education sector teachers, six private RTO teachers, and 13 TAFE teachers.
up to $8,000 as a contribution towards the cost of a 12 month development program. The program comprises a teacher training course, professional learning activities provided by the Centre, and workplace mentoring and coaching.
The Centre supports its Fellows through targeted events that bring them together in an active, supportive network that encourages reflection on practice and explores new approaches to learning and teaching. Our Fellows teach across all industry areas.
We look forward to extending a welcome to new Fellows in 2015 as the Teaching Fellowship Program marks its tenth anniversary.
Fellowships are offered primarily to teachers with one to four years VET experience. A Fellowship is accompanied by a grant of
SpECIALIST SChoLARS The Centre’s Specialist Scholarship Program provides support to specialist staff in building leadership capability and professional standing within the VET system. The Program builds a supportive cohort of staff responsible for administrative and specialist tasks that serve the needs of internal and external stakeholders. The Centre supports specialist staff to
extend their capabilities to make high quality contributions in a competitive market environment, and to enhance their professional standing within their organisation. The program provides grants of up to $5,000 as a contribution towards the cost of a 12 month development program.
In 2014, the Centre supported 28 Specialist Scholars who came in equal numbers from TAFE Institutes and the adult and community education sector. The Program has supported 112 scholars since its inception in 2008.
VET SChoLARShIp pRoGRAM The VET Development Centre enthusiastically supports professional development that lifts the professional identity of VET professionals, and which leads to improved outcomes for VET learners. Formal teacher training for VET teachers is an investment in both those objectives. From 2011-2014 the Centre introduced the VET Scholarship Program, an initiative it designed and managed with $2.6m in funding from Victoria’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
The scholarships provided financial assistance of up $1,000 to assist those eligible to complete Diploma level studies in VET teaching. Scholarships were also available for the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Qualifications were completed in various modes – face-to-face, online, blended – and allowances were made for recognition of prior learning and credit transfer.
From 2011 to 2014 the Centre was pleased to support 2,372 VET practitioners who upgraded their qualification. Scholarship recipients included: s secondary school teachers s current VET employees at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) which was a contractor approved by the Higher Education and Skills Group to provide Victorian government funded training s individuals wishing to qualify for teaching work in the VET sector.
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Level 1, 478 Albert Street East Melbourne VIC 3002 T (61 3) 9250 6000 E info@vetcentre.vic.edu.au www.vetcentre.vic.edu.au /VET_Centre
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The VET Store The Centre supports the development and maintenance of vocational and educational currency by ensuring that VET practitioners, managers and specialist staff have access to information from the VET sector. In April 2013, the Centre established the VET Blog. Through the Blog we share with the sector summaries of research papers, information about policy developments, teaching and learning resources, and news from the sector. By the end of 2014, the Blog had received more than 100,000 hits on more than 250 posts. You can access the VET Blog via the Centre’s website home page. Printed on recycled paper. Content may be subject to change.
The projects described in Solutions 2015 were supported by Victorian government funding.
Scan here for more details Photographs taken at recent VET Development Centre events.