VET Products for the 21st Century

Luke BehnckeProject Manager

National Quality Council

Policy Issues

COAG reform agenda designed to:

Increase demand-driven training

Improve efficiency, reduce duplication

Create greater workforce mobility

Improve quality of training outcomes

Enhance social inclusion

Increase pathways to and from VET

Reform Agenda

• COAG policy direction: … “reform .. to meet a more client driven system”

• Competency standards: still a great concept, identifying outcomes not the way to achieve them.

• 10+ years on: TPs have adapted but become too dense, complex, inconsistent

• Change is needed: stretch the concept to keep pace with changing client needs and expectations

Reform to VET products

Review:

COAG/NQC report - VET products for the 21st Century endorsed by Ministers June 2009

Key elements of reform:

Flexibility

Streamlining

Competency and knowledge

Foundation skills

Roles and responsibilities

Managing and implementing reform Ministerial Council overseeing COAG agenda

National Quality Council

TVET/DEEWR – NQC project management

ISCs – Training Packages

STAs – systems and services

RTOs – training that responds to client needs

Other reforms

VET products reform in the context of other reforms

AQTF and AQF New requirements – new RTOs, financial

viability, capability in assessment

Comprehensive review of AQF

Australian Skills Quality Authority

National Standards Council

Competency and knowledge

Competency and knowledge

New requirements:• Explicit, allowing for knowledge and preparatory units in

all TPs• Consistency across Training Packages

Updated definition:• “… consistent application of knowledge and skill to

the standard of performance required in the workplace.”

• Competency and knowledge are inseparable• Knowledge is a key element of competency

Flexibility

Flexibility

It’s all about choice and options: New packaging rules to allow widest possible

choice of elective units

New measure for volume and source of electives

Volume – 1/3 or more electives, built into TP design

Source – up to 1/6 of total units can come from elsewhere, choice for RTO and/or client

Completed by June 2011, some exemptions

Flexibility - examples

Example 1

24 Units

16 Units

8 Units

4 Units 4 IMPORTABLE ELECTIVESOne sixth of total units

Example 2

4 IMPORTABLE ELECTIVESOne sixth of total units

8 ELECTIVESOne third or more of total units

16 ELECTIVESOne third or more of total units

16 CORE 8 CORE

Flexibility - analysis

Qualifications analyzed: 1519 total qualifications

Exempt and excepted qualifications 372 (25% of total) qualifications nominated as

exempt 31 (3% of total) qualifications are exceptions

Compliance: Of remaining 1116 qualifications, 949 now comply

- 85% of all eligible qualifications (at 31 Dec 2010)

Streamlining

Streamlining

It’s all about making TPs simpler, shorter:

Getting back to essentials

Putting the emphasis on the end user

Creating clear categories of information

Separating two elements of the package:

Performance standards and requirements – endorsed by NQC

Supporting information – guidance for implementation

Streamlining Training Packages

Units of Competency RTO Implementation Guidance

Assessment Requirements Learning Strategies

Qualifications Knowledge Guidance

Credit Arrangements Assessment Strategies

Endorsed by NQC Quality assuredcompanion volume

Streamlining

Performance Standards and Requirements

New TP design model

TRAINING PACKAGES(Endorsed by NQC) CONTENT / TEMPLATE

Credit ArrangementsProvide articulation and credit

Articulation for Diploma and Advanced DiplomaAgreed credit arrangements

Qualifications Detail the qualifications contained in the training package

Qualification codeQualification titleQualification description

Packaging rules: core and elective unitsLink to qualification mapping information

Units of CompetencyProvide specifications of applied performance standards

Assessment RequirementsDescribe the assessment requirements at the unit of competency

Unit codeUnit titleApplicationPrerequisite units

Assessment evidence:•Performance•Knowledge

Competency fieldUnit sectorElementsPerformance criteria

Foundation skillsRange of conditionsLink to unit mapping information

Assessment contextAssessment condition

Companion Volume

New design model - Companion Volume

COMPANION VOLUME(QAd) CONTENT / TEMPLATE

Overview informationImplementation informationLinks

RTO Implementation GuidePurpose: Provide information to assist RTOs in interpreting and understanding the endorsed components of the training package.

Learning Strategies GuidePurpose: Introduce and describe diversity of learners and learning strategies.

Learning approachesLearning environmentContextualisation

Learner outcomesLinks

Knowledge GuidePurpose: Identify contextual information including knowledge requirements and resources.

Broad discipline informationIndustry-specific information

Applied knowledgeLinks

Assessment Strategies GuidePurpose: provide guidance on implementation of assessment requirements in the endorsed components of a training package.

Assessment and training packageAssessment methodsAssessment conditions

Evidence adviceAssessment validationLinks

Foundation skills

Foundation skills

Benefits of reform National standards for foundation skills training

ACSF, LLN & employability skills

Foundation Skills Training Package

Many product options to meet diverse needs - MIXING and MATCHING, INTENSIVE or INTEGRATED

Units can be used by ISCs or RTOS across Training Packages

Embedded within units and qualifications

Relative balance between vocational and foundation to suit need

BUT – products can only fix so much…

Vocational Units of

Competency

Vocational Units of

Competency

Foundation Skills Units of Competency

Foundation Skills Units of Competency

Foundation skills

Vocational Qualifications Foundation Skills Qualifications

Foundation Skills Units of Competency

Vocational Units of

Competency

MIXING and MATCHING

Embedded Foundation Skills

Impact and benefits – RTOs

Core business: You know your clients

You want flexibility, room to innovate, more scope to tailor services to match client needs

New products: Simpler TPs, easier to understand

More support for training and assessment strategies

More flexible packaging

More straightforward compliance standards, clearer audit process

Next Steps Discussion

Timeline

What’s happening in 2011?

Where are we up to?