Labor’s policy essentially creates a new layer of tertiary education that would involve universities and TAFE Institutes working together to deliver associate degrees and advanced diplomas.
With TAFE education under a cloud, the future of VET funding is vitally important.
AAP/Julian Smith
The South Australian government has decided to largely limit funding for government-subsidised vocational courses to TAFE South Australia, the sole public training provider.
NSW Deputy Premier and Nationals leader Troy Grant kicked off his party’s election campaign launch on March 15 by speaking in Wiradjuri.
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NSW Nationals’ leader Troy Grant has broken new ground by speaking Wiradjuri in parliament and at his party’s election launch – and it reflects a growing Indigenous language revival in NSW.
Private training organisations have been mired in controversy over sub-standard courses and unscrupulous methods to attract students. Here’s how they’re failing the system.
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Recent weeks have seen various horror stories of the workings of dodgy private providers of vocational education and training, including the latest: a recall of certificates due to concerns of sub-par standards in these institutions.
A lack of female tradies means young women don’t want to pursue a trade career, despite the pay advantage.
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Male domination of trades and trade courses in the automotive, construction, mining and energy sectors is entrenched above 95%, despite the substantial pay advantage compared to other trades such as hairdressing…
Vocational education is underfunded, understood by too few, and too specific to allow students to go on to further education.
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The Australian government is reviewing vocational education and training qualifications. The aim is to streamline a system that has educators, employers and government baffled by its complexity. The government…
It’s rare that TAFE becomes a big election issue, but this is what has just happened in Victoria – giving new Premier Daniel Andrews a mandate to save TAFEs.
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In the 40 years since its inception, rarely has TAFE featured as a central platform on which political parties win or lose votes. As such it seldom rates mentions in political campaigns as a distinct sector…
Complaints of dodgy providers of vocational education and training in aged care and child care show something has to be done to regulate private providers.
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Vocational education and training is crucial to developing the skills of the workforce, but the quality of training and development is under question, and it is a problem – a major problem. Public TAFE…
Funding of vocational education is suffering given neither the state nor Federal government has sole responsibility.
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The reform of Australia’s federation is under review. In this special series, we ask leading Australian academics to begin a debate on renewing federalism, from tax reform to the broader issues of democracy…
Changes to the regulation of Vocational Education and Training are good, but they ignore the real problem, that the sector is chronically underfunded.
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After announcing a slew of changes to vocational education and training (VET) earlier in the week, Industry Minister Ian MacFarlane made further changes yesterday to the regulation of the sector. While…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Industry Minister Ian MacFarlane have unveiled their plan for Vocational Education and Training - but do they really know what they’re doing or should they leave it to the States?
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Industry Minister Ian MacFarlane yesterday announced funding to engage young people in education and employment, and reforms of apprenticeship support services. This announcement…
TAFE hasn’t been very competitive since the vocational education sector opened up to more private and non-TAFE providers.
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Since their inception in 1974, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions have been the major providers of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Australia. This may not be the case in the…
There’s a unique opportunity to reform the VET sector.
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Within a few months of coming to office the Abbott government established a Vocational and Education and Training (VET) Reform Taskforce. Over the past two years there have been three separate parliamentary…
Last week’s wholesale sackings of TAFE leaders is just another chapter in the chaotic story of the vocational reforms.
AAP Image/Joe Castro
On the eve of Good Friday, in apparent attempt to bury a bad news story, the Victorian government sacked seven of the chairs of its 14 standalone TAFEs and two more were to “retire”. These sackings came…
The announcement this week of funding for Victorian TAFEs won’t make up for previous cuts.
AAP Image/Julian Smith
There might be a new premier in Victoria, but it seems there’s still no good news for TAFEs. The $200 million in structural adjustment funding announced this week is certainly welcome, but it is simply…
We won’t realise the impact of state cuts to vocational education for many years.
AAP/Joe Castro
This year, the majority of TAFEs across the country have been threatened by state government changes to the sector. In New South Wales and Victoria, vocational education has seen institutional closures…
Senior Research Fellow in Youth, Research & Policy Centre, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Honorary Fellow in Education Policy, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne