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Review of Vocational Education and Training in ACT Public Schools

Report prepared for the

Australian Capital Territory

Education and Training Directorate

Future Directions

http://www.vu.edu.au/

Centre for International Research on Education System Victoria University

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Table of Contents

Centre for International Research on Education Systems Victoria University

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Table of Contents............................................................................................................................ i

Tables and Figures......................................................................................................................... iii

Glossary......................................................................................................................................... iv

Executive Summary........................................................................................................................v

The National VET Framework...............................................................................................viii

Core Systems........................................................................................................................viii

Clarity, Collaboration and Confidence..................................................................................xiv

Summary of Future Directions.............................................................................................xvi

1. Introduction............................................................................................................................1

Scope................................................................................................................................. 1

Background........................................................................................................................2

Methodology..................................................................................................................... 5

2. Current provision of VET in ACT public schools......................................................................7

Current funding support..................................................................................................11

Infrastructure...................................................................................................................11

Career Education and Pathway Planning.........................................................................12

Current Performance.......................................................................................................12

3. Core Systems........................................................................................................................14

Maintaining compliance with standards..........................................................................14

Recognition and certification...........................................................................................18

Depth and Breadth of Provision.......................................................................................24

4. Clarity, Collaboration and Confidence..................................................................................33

The Partnership with Employers and Industry.................................................................35

Post-school articulation to higher level VET.....................................................................37

5. Implementation of future directions....................................................................................39

References................................................................................................................................... 40

Appendix 1: ACT Public School Network Diagram.......................................................................42

Appendix 2: ACT College/High School VET Provision...................................................................43

Appendix 3: ACT School RTO Scope (at October 2014)................................................................44

Appendix 4: ACT Trade Training Centres.....................................................................................45

Appendix 5: List of completed consultations...............................................................................46


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Appendix 6: Jurisdictional VET Arrangements.............................................................................48

New South Wales................................................................................................................. 48

Queensland.......................................................................................................................... 54

South Australia..................................................................................................................... 64

Victoria................................................................................................................................. 72

Appendix 7: Additional Tables.....................................................................................................82

Appendix 8: Analysis of the student survey conducted for the Review of VET in ACT Public Schools.........................................................................................................................................89

Reason for undertaking the VET course...............................................................................90

Benefits of the training.........................................................................................................94

Satisfaction with the training................................................................................................96

Appendix 9: Student Survey Instrument......................................................................................99


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Tables and Figures

Table 2-1 VET course enrolments at public schools by year level and Certificate level, 2014.......8Table 3-1 Course offerings across industry skills councils, training packages and AQF levels, count and proportion of total available nationally, by state and territory, 2013 (%)..................25Table A-1 External VET activity: certificates with High School/College student enrolments, not delivered by any College as an RTO, 2014...................................................................................82Table A-2 Number of VET certificate enrolments, College as RTO, 2014.....................................83Table A-3 VET in School subject enrolment by outcome, state and territory, 2013....................87Table A-4 Distribution of VET students who took part in the online survey (N & %)...................89Table A-5 Reasons for undertaking the VET course (N & %)........................................................90Table A-6 Percent of student prepared to travel to undertake the VET course they wanted to do, by Year level...........................................................................................................................91Table A-7 VET courses undertaken by students in the survey sample, by selected characteristics..................................................................................................................................................... 93Table A-8 Per cent of students who would undertake another VET course if given the opportunity, by year level............................................................................................................97Table A-9 Student responses concerning course improvement by industry area........................98

Figure E-1 National VET Framework Components.......................................................................viiiFigure 2-1 Number of VET Students in Schools by State and Territory, 2013................................9Figure 2-2 Proportion of 15 to 19 year-old full-time school students undertaking VET, by state and territory, 2013 (%)................................................................................................................ 10Figure 2-3 Proportion of 15 to 24 year-olds not in education, training or employment, by state and territory, 2014.......................................................................................................................13Figure 3-1 Certificate level of VET qualification enrolled, secondary students by state and territory, 2013 (%)....................................................................................................................... 19Figure 3-2 Post-school destinations of 2013 Year 12 Graduates by highest AQF level of VET in Schools activity, deferees identified, 2014..................................................................................20Figure 3-3 Post-school destinations of 2013 Year 12 Graduates by VET in Schools activity, deferees not identified, 2014......................................................................................................23Figure 3-4 Post-school destinations, VET and non-VET Year 12 completers transition rate to Apprenticeship or Traineeship by school SES, 2014.....................................................................24Figure A-1 Proportion of Year 11 & 12 Students undertaking VET A,T and C courses.................88Figure A-2 Student agreement that careers advice provided by school was helpful, by year level %.................................................................................................................................................. 91Figure A-3 Student perception of the benefits of VET, strongly agree/agree %..........................94Figure A-4 Student perception of the benefits of VET, strongly agree/agree %..........................95Figure A-5 Levels of student satisfaction with aspects of VET courses %.....................................96


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Glossary

ACACA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Certification AuthoritiesAEU Australian Education UnionACPET Australian Council for Private Education and TrainingAQF Australian Qualifications FrameworkASBA Australian School Based ApprenticeshipASQA Australian Skills Quality AuthorityATAR Australian Tertiary Admission RankAVETMISS Australian VET Management Information Statistical Standard BSSS Board of Senior Secondary StudiesCIRES Centre for International Research on Education SystemsCIT Canberra Institute of TechnologyCOAG Council of Australian GovernmentsETD Education and Training DirectorateGTO Group Training OrganisationHSC Higher School CertificateMIPS Managed Individual PathwaysNCVER National Centre for Vocational Education ResearchOECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentRoSA Record of School AchievementRTO Registered Training OrganisationSAMP Strategic Asset Management PlanSBA/T School-based Apprenticeship and TraineeshipSBNA School Based New ApprenticeshipsSOI Statement of IntentSSC Senior Secondary CertificateSWL Structured Workplace LearningTACO Transition and Careers OfficerTQI Teacher Quality InstituteTTC / TSC Trades Training Centre / Trades Skills CentreVCAL Victorian Certificate of Applied LearningVET Vocational Education and TrainingVETiS Vocational Education and Training in SchoolsWPSPs Work Placement Service Providers


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Executive Summary

In late 2014 the ACT Education and Training Directorate (ETD) commissioned the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES) at Victoria University to undertake a review of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in ACT public schools. The review was prompted by the ACT Minister for Education and Training, Ms Joy Burch MLA, questioning the rationale of current models of VET provision and by the significant work undertaken throughout 2014 by all jurisdictions through the Education Council’s Preparing secondary students for work: a framework for vocational learning and VET delivered to secondary students.

ETD tasked CIRES with:

examining and evaluating the current model/models of VET implemented in ACT public schools, including resourcing and governance

examining and evaluating VET practices within other Australian schooling sectors and jurisdictions

drawing on Australian and international research perspectives

to produce a report that:

identifies best practice educational and resource-effective approaches and proposes future directions for consideration by ETD to strengthen VET provision.

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA, 2008) endorsed by the ACT, along with other Australian governments, provides the overarching policy context for VET delivered to secondary students. The Melbourne Declaration included a commitment by governments to work with all school sectors to support the senior years of schooling:

The senior years of schooling should provide all students (CIRES emphasis) with the high quality education necessary to complete their secondary school education and make the transition to further education, training or employment. Schooling should offer a range of pathways to meet the diverse needs and aspirations of all young Australians, encouraging them to pursue university or postsecondary vocational qualifications that increase their opportunities for rewarding and productive employment.

VET has emerged as a powerful element within senior school programs to provide a curriculum of relevance and interest to the expanded cohort of students now being retained within schools, particularly since the raising of the school leaving age to 17 years in 2010.


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However the incorporation of VET into Senior Secondary Certificates (SSC) remains a work in progress in all Australian jurisdictions. In November 2014, the Education Council released Preparing secondary students for work: a framework for vocational learning and VET delivered to secondary students (the National VET Framework) to guide further efforts by states and territories in this area.

In undertaking this review, the definition of VET endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Education Council when it released the updated National VET Framework, has been adopted:

Vocational Education and training (VET) enables students to acquire workplace skills through nationally recognised training described within an industry-developed training package or an accredited course. A VET qualification is issued by an RTO. The achievement of a VET qualification signifies that a student has demonstrated competency against the skills and knowledge required to perform effectively in the workplace.

Importantly, the revised National VET Framework notes that ‘the VET delivered to secondary students is the same as all other VET’ (CIRES emphasis). The National VET Framework also clarifies the distinction between vocational learning and VET:

Vocational learning helps secondary students explore the world of work, identify career options and pathways, and build career development skills. Vocational learning is delivered within the broader curriculum. It supports students to gain career development skills and provides opportunities for students to ‘taste’ the world of work through one-off events, initiatives such as enterprise learning, or spending time in a real or simulated workplace.

Important as vocational learning is in providing a pathway into VET, and notwithstanding any areas of common interest between the two domains, the scope of this Review was explicitly restricted to VET.

Whilst VET has benefits for all senior secondary students, the 50 per cent of students in the ACT who do not proceed directly to university are particularly dependent on the effectiveness of VET programs. Research demonstrates that the completion by young people of a SSC or a VET qualification at Certificate I or II level is no longer a sufficient platform to guarantee a secure foothold in the youth labour market. VET has the potential to provide secondary students with effective pathways to continuing and higher level education and the foundation skills to make them more employable in the labour market.

The methodology used in this Review encompassed data analyses, extensive consultations with ACT public school personnel involved in the delivery of VET and other key ACT VET stakeholders, desktop research and an examination of VET delivered to secondary students in


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selected states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Face-to-face consultations were conducted with:

College and secondary school principals and teachers ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Australian Education Union ACT secondary students Business and Industry Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) ACT Teacher Quality Institute Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) Directorate officials.

ACT students, including those in public schools, achieve very strong learning outcomes and transitions to further education and training. In 2014, only 5.7 per cent of young people aged 15 to 24 years in the ACT were not in education, employment or training, about half the national average. According to the ACT’s Student Destination Survey, of 2013 Year 12 graduates, only 8.1 per cent were either unemployed or inactive as at the survey date in 2014.

During the course of the Review, many examples of high quality VET provision by public schools were identified. These typically occurred where a well-developed partnership existed between the school and an employer, and included strong further education pathways. Some case study examples are provided in the Report.

Equally, many opportunities were identified to strengthen the delivery of VET to secondary students in the ACT by locating the student more clearly at the centre of provision and by increasing the extent to which public schools and other providers, including CIT, collaborate as a system rather than as standalone providers.


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The National VET Framework

The National VET Framework articulates four fundamental components for successful VET delivery: clarity of purpose, collaboration between VET stakeholders, confidence in the quality of VET delivered to secondary students and the effective operation of core underpinning systems. These four components have been adopted as organising themes for this Review, and are prioritised according to the urgency with which each needs to be addressed.

Figure E-1 National VET Framework Components

Source: (Education Council, 2014)

Core Systems

To achieve the outcomes sought from VET for secondary students in ACT public schools, including the collaboration and confidence necessary for success, suitable policy and regulatory settings in a range of core systems are essential.

These core systems must be configured to ensure:


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Compliance with standards o Business systems

Recognition and certificationo Depth and breadth of provision

Resource managemento Funding and accountabilityo Workforce capabilityo Asset management.

Maintaining compliance with standards

The most pressing issue facing VET delivery by public schools in the ACT is maintaining compliance with the Australian Skills Quality Authority’s (ASQA) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (2015 RTO Standards). All nationally recognised VET must be delivered by training organisations registered under these standards. Compliance with these national regulations is a core system requirement that underpins all VET delivery, ensuring its quality and reputation for students, employers, further education providers and the community.

The dominant mode of delivery of VET to students in ACT public schools is by a public college as the RTO. Over 95 per cent of VET undertaken by ACT public secondary students is delivered in this way. Currently, all nine public senior secondary schools are RTOs, each with a scope of VET qualifications they are registered to deliver to their own students, and to high school students under third party agreements.

The ASQA 2015 RTO Standards are prescriptive and framed to ensure training and assessment meets student needs and industry standards. They require significant industry involvement in all RTO processes and VET qualifications and industry currency for trainers/teachers. School RTOs are required to meet the 2015 RTO Standards, like any other RTO. All nine ACT senior secondary schools are likely to undergo audit against the standards for registration purposes in 2017.

The consensus of those consulted for the Review with relevant expertise, including ASQA themselves, was that maintaining compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards presents a pressing challenge for many RTOs, including the ACT’s public colleges, involving significant effort and expense. Consultations with college and high school personnel suggest that there is room for improvement in the relevant business processes in schools.


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The same consultations with experts indicated that in maintaining compliance there is significant potential for cost saving and the improvement of business processes through the rationalisation of college RTO numbers. This approach would bring ACT public schools into line with most other jurisdictions where RTO numbers are limited, expertise is centralised and compliance processes streamlined. Aware of this situation, the ACT Minister for Education and Training indicated her interest in seeing the rationalisation of the number of school RTOs considered as part of this Review.

In considering potential direction for VET delivery, where schools wish to continue delivering VET through a school RTO as opposed to purchasing services from an external RTO, the existing structure of four public school networks provides a ready platform for RTO rationalisation. A network model would build on current collaborative arrangements, such as those where colleges act as the RTOs for local high schools. In the Tuggeranong Network, the provision dialogue underpinning the successful application for a Trades Training Centre has already led to an in-principle decision to operate one network RTO in the future.

As ETD considers how best to develop and implement its strategy it will be prudent to work closely with the CIT to maximise outcomes for students and the ongoing use of public resources that are embedded in both ACT public schools and CIT.

CIT is a Territory Authority established under the Canberra Institute of Technology Act 1987. It is a publicly owned technical and further education (TAFE) institute, providing VET to the ACT and region. In 2014, the Act was amended to establish a CIT governing board. Consultations suggest collaboration between ETD and CIT in the operation of a public VET system should be considered in light of CIT’s newly established governance arrangements.

In considering how best to ensure quality outcomes for VET in ACT public schools, opportunities in the following areas could be explored:

Partnerships with CIT, including access to CIT courses (both those funded by the ACT government and those offered on a full-fee basis)

Effective management of compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards Recruitment and workforce management practices Effective planning for post-school VET pathways

Business systems


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A key element of ASQA compliance is the collection and reporting of VET activity which currently includes the reporting of ‘Total VET Activity’ for a national data collection. This includes full Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard (AVETMISS) data, in accordance with the National VET Provider Collection Data Requirements Policy. Currently, the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) discharges RTO data reporting and Certificate issuance requirements on behalf of ACT colleges under a written third party agreement. It should be noted, however, that RTOs are ultimately responsible for meeting the requirements of the 2015 RTO Standards, regardless of any third party arrangements.

As VET activity is reported on an RTO basis, rather than a school basis, current BSSS information systems are not responsible for holding and reporting data on students where VET is delivered by an external RTO. Although currently less than 5 per cent of VET is delivered in this way, the proportion of such delivery may increase in the future. Capturing and reporting this VET activity will become increasingly important for ACT public schools that choose to maintain RTO status, including for accountability and reporting purposes. It will also be important for schools that are not RTOs to be able to receive and report on this data as it relates to activity undertaken by their students with external providers.

Recognition and certification

ACT colleges have the highest proportion of enrolments of all states and territories in Certificate I qualifications. Students studying VET in ACT colleges undergo dual assessment – competency based for the purpose of VET certificates and criterion based for the purpose of the Senior Secondary Certificate. In other states examined for the Review recognition arrangements typically require qualification enrolment and completion at Certificate II and above for credit at Year 12 level, this being viewed as an appropriate standard of intellectual rigour to provide credit at this level, and ensure effective post-school pathways. In discipline areas covered by the national curriculum, standards are similarly set for other study in Years 11 and 12.

Currently, the credit towards the SSC for VET delivered by external RTOs is calculated on the basis of the actual hours of training activity, introducing the possibility of students receiving differing amounts of credit for completing the same VET competencies. The proportion of VET delivery by external RTOs may increase in the future, increasing the likelihood of this anomaly occurring. In other states consulted for this Review, where credit is provided for competencies completed, it is provided on the basis of standardised ‘nominal hours’. This was considered by the BSSS in its 2014 Review of ACT Year 12 Requirements.

Depth and Breadth of Provision

Questions of recognition and certification cannot be separated from those of depth and breadth of provision. Data analysis shows the range of VET qualifications enrolled in by students


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at ACT public high schools and colleges is significantly narrower than in other jurisdictions, including the comparable jurisdictions of Tasmania and South Australia, and with a higher proportion of delivery in Certificate I qualifications in Years 11 and 12. This raises questions about both the depth and breadth of the VET undertaken by students in ACT public schools.

In 2014, over 30 per cent of VET enrolments in ACT public schools enrolments were in three Certificate I courses: Business, Hospitality, and Information, Digital Media and Technology. A further 15 per cent were in two related Certificate II courses: Business and Information, Digital Media and Information Technology. These qualifications are easy for schools to deliver – they are not resource intensive, it is relatively easy to find qualified staff and the course content aligns well with other areas of the senior secondary curriculum, enabling co-delivery. Principals acknowledged a degree of ‘supply side’ consideration in their VET provision decisions.

Certificate I qualifications are located at Level 1 of the Australian Qualifications Framework. It is the qualification with the lowest level of complexity, providing foundational knowledge and skills only.

In other Australian jurisdictions, greater breadth of provision is underpinned by three mechanisms. Secondary schools:

collaborate in clusters or networks to expand VET provision through economies of scale purchase VET from external RTOs with expertise in particular industry areas and the

capacity to effectively train young people are provided specific funding for VET, either through a VET loading in the school funding

model or access to publicly funded VET places in external RTOs, particularly TAFE.

Resource managementFunding

ETD currently provides additional support to schools for the delivery of VET. Schools apply these funds in a range of ways, including as a contribution to the costs associated with being an RTO, such as registration, compliance and audit costs. The allocation to schools is determined using a weighted funding model that takes into account all VET delivery as reported in the previous year’s BSSS annual report.

Analysis of the operation of the current model indicates that the majority of funding is dispersed on the basis of student enrolments in low cost Certificate I and II qualifications. The model does not closely reflect cost drivers for colleges; that is, the cost of college RTO compliance in relation to scope of registration. Despite its weightings, it does not sufficiently incentivise enrolments at Certificate II and III level in qualifications that provide strong student outcomes.


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Additionally, data analysis shows that VET qualification completion in ACT public schools is the lowest of all states and territories. Whilst qualification completion in some industry areas is either unrealistic because of VET course duration or undesirable because it reduces employability under some modern industrial awards, this is nonetheless a worrying aspect of current provision.

Funding is also provided to support Australian School Based Apprenticeships (ASBAs), both in the form of funding to schools to support the co-ordination of the students’ employment and training arrangements, and as an apprentice wage supplement where a public school is the host employer.

Should the ACT Government determine it wishes to expand the investment in VET delivered by public schools, one option is to provide or purchase access to training hours at CIT.

Workforce capability

It is well established in research that of all inputs available to schools, teachers have the strongest impact on student learning outcomes. This applies to trainers and teachers of VET no less than other teachers. ACT schools have the opportunity to purchase such capacity from suitable external providers, to complement internal teaching resources. Where schools provide VET as the RTO using their own teaching resources, network provision planning and partnership with CIT provide an opportunity to improve recruitment and workforce management practices.

The requirement for VET teachers to hold concurrent VET qualifications and maintain industry currency whilst engaging in annual professional learning to meet the requirements of ongoing teacher registration provides workforce management challenges. Current industrial arrangements provide considerable scope for principals and schools to effectively manage and build the capability of their VET workforces. It is particularly important that this is done effectively in order to maintain compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards.

Asset management

The delivery of VET qualifications typically requires specialist infrastructure. This infrastructure can be costly to acquire and maintain. The 2015 RTO Standards encompass the infrastructure used to deliver training, as does the compliance audit.

Consultations undertaken for the Review identified a range of concerns with the current approach to VET infrastructure. Some stakeholders were concerned about a lack of access by students of one school to assets located at another school. Others expressed concern regarding the unnecessary duplication of public assets between schools and between schools and CIT.


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ETD is developing a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) for the forward management of ACT public school infrastructure. The SAMP will outline arrangements for the management of the asset base and facilities. It is scheduled for completion by the end 2015, for possible implementation from the start of the 2016-17 financial year.

It is expected that the SAMP will propose that asset investment is based on efficient support of service delivery. A network plan would provide a suitable basis for network and system wide asset management.

Clarity, Collaboration and Confidence

The National VET Framework emphasises the need for clarity regarding the definition of VET delivered to secondary students and its potential benefits. There was strong stakeholder support in the consultations for such a statement for ACT schools, particularly by public college principals. Such a statement was confirmed as having the potential to: articulate a common purpose for VET stakeholders; provide the basis for collaboration in its achievement; provide a framework to reflect on current performance and identify opportunities for improvement; and hold parties to account. It was acknowledged that a defining characteristic of VET was the collaboration required between many stakeholders and the need for clarity regarding roles and responsibilities for success.

To achieve strong outcomes from VET requires breadth of course and qualification offerings to provide options of interest and relevance to all students. Additionally, VET needs to:

be aligned to skill priority areas to optimise future employment opportunity include structured workplace learning or integrated work opportunities to provide

quality on the job learning in an authentic work environment provide transparent consumer information for parents and students to make informed

choices about the opportunities available be cognisant of industry specific industrial arrangements and the relationship between

qualifications and wages in ‘modern awards’ so that VET programs support future employment opportunities

provide effective student pathways to continuing and higher level education and training, through delivery of suitable Certificate II and III qualifications

make effective use of specialist VET infrastructure.

Effective collaboration with industry bodies and employers is required to ensure the provision of high quality VET: to promote VET, understand industry’s priorities and preferences for school based VET delivery and provide access to high quality, on the job learning opportunities for


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students. Being responsive to this input provides the opportunity to build employer confidence in VET delivered by public schools. Suitable forums are required to underpin this collaboration.

The same is true of collaborative relationships with external RTOs to ensure effective post-school VET pathways and, in the case of CIT, provide opportunities for partnering in the operation of a public VET system. In doing so, consideration of recent changes to CIT’s governance arrangements in line with the recent implementation of the CIT Board as well as the RTO Standards 2015 (Clauses 8.2 and 8.3) would be appropriate.

Implementation of future directions

To achieve the proposed improvements to the provision of VET in ACT public schools outlined in this Review, it is suggested that ETD plays a strong leadership role, particularly in the priority issue of maintaining compliance in its public school RTO arrangements.

ETD should develop a comprehensive implementation plan for those reforms it wishes to take forward.

The Review has involved wide ranging stakeholder consultations and the analyses of data and documents from a variety of sources. CIRES is grateful to the many people who agreed to be consulted, often at very short notice. Their willingness to contribute their expertise and insights has been greatly appreciated. CIRES also thank those who so readily provided data and documentation, along with information to support use.


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Summary of Future Directions

Seven future directions for VET delivered to secondary students in ACT public schools are outlined below for consideration. These directions make reference to opportunities for the ACT to improve upon the clarity, confidence, collaboration and core systems in the provision of quality training for secondary students.

1. Improve clarity and confidence for key stakeholders through collaborative articulation of the goals, vision and purpose of VET for ACT secondary students.

2. Improve collaboration with business, industry and vocational and further education providers, thus building the confidence of employers, students and parents.

3. Rationalise the number of RTOs to:

implement a network approach to planning and provision reduce costs reduce red tape increase efficiency and effectiveness.

4. Improve core systems and business processes to ensure and maintain compliance with the ASQA Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015.

5. Increase collaboration by working in partnership with CIT to explore, identify and implement strategies that support:

maximising access to shared facilities broadened offerings refined scope reduced risk reduced costs.

6. Investigate the core system interface with the BSSS related to data processes, course recognition and certification.


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7. Explore options for the use of resourcing allocations to further enable access to quality provision through:

reviewing existing funding distribution arrangements implementing flexible network provision accessing centralised procurement incentivising preferred policy outcomes.


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1. Introduction

Scope

The Education and Training Directorate (ETD) commissioned the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES), Victoria University to undertake a review of vocational education and training (VET) in ACT public schools to:

examine and evaluate the current model/models of VET implemented in ACT public schools, including resourcing and governance

examine and evaluate VET practices within other Australian schooling sectors and jurisdictions

draw on Australian and international research perspectives

to produce a report that:

identifies best practice educational and resource effective approaches and

proposes future directions for consideration by ETD to strengthen VET provision, supported by evidence.

The future directions include advice regarding systems, processes, infrastructure, policy, funding, provision planning, communication, capability building, and strategic partnerships.

In undertaking this Review, the definition of VET articulated in Preparing secondary students for work: a framework for vocational learning and VET delivered to secondary students (the National VET Framework) is adopted: VET which enables students to acquire workplace skills through nationally recognised training described within an industry-developed training package or an accredited course as part of a Senior Secondary Certificate (Education Council 2014).

The National VET Framework distinguishes VET from vocational learning which it defines as learning that “helps secondary students explore the world of work, identify careers options and pathways, and build career skills. Vocational learning is delivered within the broader curriculum”.


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Background Policy context

In 2008, Australian education ministers, including the ACT Minister for Education and Training, endorsed the Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA, 2008). The Melbourne Declaration included a commitment by governments to work with all school sectors to support the senior years of schooling and the provision of high-quality pathways to facilitate effective transitions between further study, training and employment:

‘The senior years of schooling should provide all students (CIRES emphasis) with the high quality education necessary to complete their secondary school education and make the transition to further education, training or employment. Schooling should offer a range of pathways to meet the diverse needs and aspirations of all young Australians, encouraging them to pursue university or postsecondary vocational qualifications that increase their opportunities for rewarding and productive employment.’

Consistent with undertakings in the Melbourne Declaration, in 2009 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) released a communique:

raising the school leaving age to 17 years agreeing that by 2015, 90 per cent of young Australians should achieve a Year 12 or

equivalent qualification, with the equivalent of Year 12 being a Certificate III or above after 2015.

(COAG, 2009)

At the jurisdictional level, ETD’s 2015 Action Plan provides a policy frame to deliver on these Melbourne Declaration commitments and national policy settings by placing students at the centre of policy endeavour and articulating intentions, targets and indicators including:

reduce the proportion of students who do not receive a Year 12 Certificate increase commencements of higher level qualifications (Certificate III and above)

(ETD, 2015a)

Nationally accredited VET is a comparatively recent inclusion in the secondary school curriculum having been increasingly incorporated into Senior Secondary Certificates (SSC) in Australian jurisdictions from the mid-1990s onwards. It has emerged as a powerful element within senior school programs to provide a curriculum of relevance and interest to the expanded cohort of students now being retained within schools, particularly since the raising of the school leaving age to 17 years. Over a quarter of a million school students participated in


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VET programs across Australian jurisdictions in 2013 (National Centre for Vocational Education Research [NCVER], 2014).

Whilst VET in schools has benefits for all senior secondary students, the 60 per cent of students nationally who do not proceed directly to university are particularly dependent of the effectiveness of VET programs to make the transition to further vocational training or employment. Research demonstrates that the completion by young people of a SSC or a VET qualification at Certificate I or II level is no longer a sufficient platform to guarantee a secure foothold in the youth labour market. VET has the potential to provide secondary students with effective pathways to continuing and higher level education and the foundations skills to make them more employable in the labour market (NCVER, 2014).

The policy and structural arrangements for the delivery of VET in senior secondary education remains a work in progress. The ongoing initiatives in this area across all states and territories provide evidence of this fact. The 2012 Australasian Curriculum, Assessment and Certification Authorities (ACACA) report documented how VET is incorporated into SSCs in each state and territory and is scheduled to be updated in the second half of 2015, reflecting the rapidity of changes in approach in jurisdictions in the last three years (ACACA, 2012). Additionally the 2014 ACACA Position Paper on Recognition of VET towards Senior Secondary Certificates of Education present’s ACACA’s viewpoint of current developments in this context, including revisions to the National VET Framework.

The National VET Framework was released in November 2014 to guide current and future initiatives. It articulates four key themes for successful VET delivery: clarity of purpose, collaboration between VET stakeholders in VET delivery, confidence in the quality of VET outcomes and the effective operation of core underpinning systems. These themes have been adopted as organising framework for this Review.

The National VET Framework argues for a greater integration of VET within schooling and a stronger recognition that VET be seen as an important part of the senior school curriculum and not simply ‘bolted on’ to earlier qualification structures and curriculum offerings that prioritised the pathway to university. In the ACT, 50 per cent of school students proceed direct to university. This is 10 per cent higher than the national average. This brings with it a greater risk of university-centric schooling and perhaps a greater challenge in achieving the desired status for VET.

The international context

In the majority of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the completion of secondary schooling is now viewed as the minimum level of educational attainment needed for the successful participation of young people in further education and work. As is the case in Australia, this is because secondary education serves as the foundation


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for entry to university and education and training opportunities, as well as preparation for entry into a labour market that places an increasing premium on knowledge and skills.

A near universal response to the challenge of dealing with increasing student diversity implicit in retaining the broad cohort of young people, and the need to provide pathways to multiple post-school destinations, has been to increase the range of learning opportunities available. Within the schooling sector, this has been done following two broad patterns:

accommodating an expanded subject offering within existing school qualifications as in the case of Scotland, Sweden and the USA, or

offering an expanded range of subjects through alternate school qualifications as in the case of Austria, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway and Spain.

(Lamb et al., 2011)

In Australia, the ACT, along with most other states and territories, has adopted the first approach, through the accommodation of VET programs within the ACT SSC. The notable exception is Victoria which both introduced the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning in 2002 for students proceeding directly to further vocational education or employment and progressively offered VET subjects as part of the Victorian Certificate of Education.

The decision by education authorities in all Australian states and territories that the VET provision in schools would be achieved by the accommodation of nationally accredited VET into school qualifications, rather than through the creation of school sector specific subjects, provides the potential for the school student to gain much the same benefits from VET study as those achieved by post-school and adult VET students. However this decision comes with the requirement that schools offering VET must concurrently work within the policy, regulatory and governance arrangement of the national VET system, as well as those of jurisdictional school education systems.

How well this is occurring is a major consideration this Review, particularly in relation to the introduction of the Australian Skills Quality Authority’s (ASQA) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (2015 RTO Standards) against which ACT public school RTOs may be audited for registration in 2017.

In addition to providing an expanded range of subjects, all countries seeking to expand the cohort of students retained in schools have had to deal with the need to provide effective learning opportunities and support for all students, including those who may have had lower levels of academic achievement in earlier school years, and/or come from disadvantaged backgrounds and, as a result, be less engaged in education (Lamb et al., 2011). Education systems in these countries need to do this whilst ensuring the status of VET provided to school students has parity with other curriculum offerings.


5

Methodology

The methodology used in this Review encompassed data analysis, extensive stakeholder consultations and desktop research. Face-to-face consultations were conducted with:

College and secondary school principals and teachers ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Australian Education Union ACT secondary students Business and Industry Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) ACT Teacher Quality Institute Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) Directorate officials.

If public schooling in the ACT is to offer a range of pathways to meet the diverse needs and aspirations of all young people, then a broad and engaging range of VET qualification needs to be offered, leading to strong post-school outcomes.

Data from senior secondary colleges, the Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) and NCVER were analysed to determine if the breadth of VET qualifications on offer, and student participation in them, was broadly consistent with that available in other states and territories, or if it varies as regards industry coverage, the Certificate levels on offer or student propensity to complete qualifications.

To support the Review, additional data was collected by ETD through a survey of current VET students in public schools. The data from this survey, and the data collected from the annual school student destination survey, were analysed to determine student experience of VET, and satisfaction with it. The student survey instrument conducted by ETD for this Review is included in Appendix 9.

The extent to which VET effectively supports student pathways to post-school destinations was examined using the data from the student destination survey and data collected by the Australian Bureau and Statistics (ABS) through labour force survey data.

Across these areas, more detailed analysis was undertaken to determine how well VET is working for different school sub-populations and in the different school networks and schools, and whether there was a suitable degree of alignment with the skill priorities articulated for the broader ACT VET system through Skilled Capital (ETD, 2015c) and the Statement of Intent (SOI) for CIT (CIT, 2015).


6

The National VET Framework points out that the effective and efficient delivery of VET to secondary students depends not only on the performance of a range of critical parties, but also on the quality of collaboration between them including: schools, RTOs, employers, industry, the BSSS and, of course, students and their parents. Amongst the examples provided is the need for schools, RTOs and employers to collaborate to provide on-the-job learning in authentic environments to ensure students develop the skills to the standard expected by industry and confidence by all parties that this is the case (Education Council, 2014, p.9).

The National VET Framework also highlights the complex web of policy settings, governance arrangements, and regulatory environments and resourcing decisions in which VET sits and the need for these systems to be operating to effectively - and in a streamlined manner - to deliver quality VET.

Extensive consultations with the key stakeholders involved in the delivery of VET to students in public schools were undertaken to gain a wide range of perspectives on how well VET is being delivered, including in relation to collaboration within the public education system and collaboration with key delivery partners. It also examined how well policy, governance and regulatory arrangements are working together to support VET delivery. Examples of good practice were documented as well as opportunities for improvement.

Consultations within the ACT were complemented by consultations with relevant national VET officials key officials and individuals in selected states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, as well as desktop research into these VET systems and a scan of international literature to gain insights into best educational practice and resource effective approaches to the delivery of VET to secondary students. The complete list of those consulted for this Review is at Appendix 5.


7

2. Current provision of VET in ACT public schools

This section provides an overview of the current arrangements for the provision of VET in ACT public schools.

Secondary school education in the ACT is available through both public and private schools. There are 19 public high schools, providing education to 12 to 16 year-olds in Years 7 to 10, and nine public colleges, providing education for students in Years 11 and 121.

The public schools are organised into four networks:

Tuggeranong South/Weston North/Gungahlin Belconnen

The high schools and colleges in each network are shown in Appendix 1.

VET qualifications are offered at all public high schools and colleges and are undertaken by students in Year 10 to Year 12. Public schools determine what VET qualifications will be offered, consistent with their having primary responsibility for the provision of a high quality education to their students and a significant degree of autonomy with which to do so, within the policy framework of ETD.

Each public college is an RTO in its own right and is therefore able to provide VET within its scope of registration, using its teachers. The majority of VET (over 95 per cent) is provided on this basis with more limited VET provision resulting from the utilisation of services of an external RTO. The colleges’ scopes of registration are provided at Appendix 3. A high school typically offers VET auspiced by colleges in their network.

VET can contribute to the award requirement of the ACT SSC in three ways, via Year 11 or 12 student enrolments in:

an internal VET course, where the course is BSSS accredited and is delivered by a college

a VET qualification undertaken at an external RTO an Australian School Based Apprenticeship (ASBA).

1 There are some high schools that are not Years 7 to 10 and the one secondary school encompassing a high school and college.


8

BSSS accredited VET courses are either an “A” (accredited), “T” (preparation for higher education) or “M” (modified for students with a disability) course where an A to E grade is given, or a “C” course where the student is graded either with a pass or participated. “T” course scores are used for the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). There are currently 23 BSSS accredited VET courses, seven of which are “T” courses and six of which are “C” courses2.

In 2014, there were an estimated 9,900 VET enrolments at ACT public schools. Of these, 3,599 students accounted for 9,564 enrolments in internal VET courses (i.e. where a college is the RTO), 58 students enrolled through an external RTO and 278 students enrolled as an ASBA3. As displayed in Table 2-1, the majority of VET students are enrolled in Year 11 and Year 12.

Table 2-1 VET course enrolments at public schools by year level and Certificate level, 2014

Certificate I Certificate II Certificate III All VETNumber of Certificate enrolments

Year 10 377 140 1 518 Year 11 1,987 2,213 174 4,374Year 12 2,115 2,356 201 4,672Total 4,479 4,709 376 9,564

Distribution across Certificate levelYear 10 8.4 3.0 0.3 5.4 Year 11 44.4 47.0 46.3 45.7Year 12 47.2 50.0 53.5 48.8Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Distribution across Year levelYear 10 72.8 27.0 0.2 100.0 Year 11 45.4 50.6 4.0 100.0Year 12 45.3 50.4 4.3 100.0Total 46.8 49.2 3.9 100.0

Source: BSSS dataNote: Includes enrolments where a public college is the RTO

The college with the highest proportion of students undertaking a VET course was University of Canberra Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra with 63.4 per cent, and the college with the lowest proportion was Narrabundah College with 27.4 per cent. A chart providing this information for all colleges is at Appendix 7, Figure A-1.

2As described on the ACT BSSS website. See http://www.bsss.act.edu.au/curriculum/courses 3 The number of students enrolled with an external RTO and as an ASBA was based on a data collected from public schools for this Review


http://www.bsss.act.edu.au/curriculum/courses

9

To meet the award requirement of the SSC, a student is required to undertake at least four courses in three different course areas, of which at least two must be “A”, “T” or “M” courses, including English. The courses must lead to the completion of at least 17 standard units, where a unit is normally delivered over a semester. A VET course, like any other course, may account for up to eight points in each industry area.

Using the most recent national data, in 2013 there were 4,798 VET students in ACT government and non-government schools4. Figure 2-1 displays the number of VET students in schools for each state and territory. The number in the ACT is small compared to other states and territories as a result of the relatively small population in the ACT.

Figure 2-2 Number of VET Students in Schools by State and Territory, 2013

QLD NSW VIC WA SA TAS ACT NT0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,00091,133

60,774

49,283

24,911

12,5965,125 4,798 1,699

Source: National VET in Schools Collection (NCVER 2014)

A fairer basis for comparison is provided by looking at participation rates in VET. Figure 2-2 displays the participation rates in VET of 15 to 19 year-olds in all schools. The participation rate in ACT government schools is 35.5 per cent, the third highest of the states and territories.

The participation rates in all states and territories reduce if the population of 15 to 19 year-olds in all schools, government and non-government is included. In the ACT this rate is 30.4 per cent. A lower proportion of students in non-government schools undertake VET in all jurisdictions. In the ACT 66.4 per cent of all VET is undertaken by public school students.

4 The figures reported to the NCVER for the national collection for ACT schools includes VET activity only where the RTO is a school


10

Figure 2-3 Proportion of 15 to 19 year-old full-time school students undertaking VET, by state and territory, 2013 (%)

QLD WA ACT TAS NSW VIC NT SA0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

56.0

33.630.4

25.5 23.2 22.4 21.918.8

Sources: National VET in Schools Collection (NCVER 2014), Schools Australia (ABS 2013)

Students who enrol in VET are provided with nationally recognised VET qualifications upon completion of the competencies associated with the qualification, or a statement of attainment certifying the competencies they have completed when a full qualification is not completed. The BSSS issues these qualifications and statements on behalf of all college RTOs.

In the ACT it is strongly recommended that all VET students undertake structured workplace learning (SWL). For some training package qualifications it is mandated. ASBA programs include a paid employment component. College VET coordinators and college and high school workplace learning coordinators are critical to the formation of partnerships with employers to provide these learning opportunities for students and to ensure the relevance and reputation of the VET delivered to students. ETD maintains a database of employers who register the availability of SWL and work experience opportunities in their workplace.

To teach VET courses in ACT public colleges and high schools, the teacher must concurrently be registered as a teacher by the ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) and as a trainer according to the 2015 RTO Standards. There are approximately 140 teachers teaching VET5 in public high schools and colleges, a relatively small proportion of the overall teaching workforce.

VET in ACT public schools is primarily delivered by colleges as RTOs, utilising college and high school teaching staff. This has facilitated the integration of training delivery into schools’ regular timetables and students’ learning programs. This is different to the delivery of VET in other jurisdictions where VET is timetabled as a ‘block’ at particular times of the week and is delivered by an external RTO to clusters of schools.

5 Figure provided by the Australian Education Union (AEU). VET may form only a part of a teacher’s workload.


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Current funding support

The primary source of funding for VET is provided in the form of school staffing entitlement funding, driven by student enrolment numbers. The funding provides the basis for the employment of VET teachers and other teaching staff.

To provide additional support for the delivery of VET, ETD allocates funding to colleges as a contribution to the costs associated with RTO activity including registration, compliance and audit costs. This allocation is based on activity where the college is the RTO including where training is delivered to high school students. Activity where the RTO is not the college is excluded from allocations.

Currently, for ASBAs, User Choice6 funding applies, where the employer chooses the apprentice’s RTO and a publicly funded place is provided, sourced from ETD’s VET budget. ETD also provides further funding annually to support schools with the administrative costs associated with students undertaking ASBAs, where the students’ RTO is not their home school. These arrangements could potentially change depending on the outcomes of ETD’s User Choice Review.

The School Apprentices Across ACT Government program enables government schools and other ACT Government agencies to host ASBA students from any ACT school. A centralised annual budget is allocated to subsidise the wages of ASBAs hosted by ACT public schools. The school is provided a subsidy for the duration of the ASBA’s apprenticeship, up to two years. The size of the subsidy (50 per cent or 100 per cent of salary) and the numbers of ASBAs supported, have been managed to ensure sustainability within the program budget over recent years.

Should network based VET provision planning be adopted in the future, there is an opportunity for these plans to consider funding support for VET provision in the context of network and school resources, and preferred policy outcomes.

Infrastructure

RTOs are required to have access to fit for purpose facilities in relation to their full scope of registration, typically specialist facilities. ACT public schools offering VET either possess or access such facilities. With the exception of the Commonwealth Government’s Trades Training Centre (TTC) and Trades Skills Centre (TSC), this infrastructure has been built utilising a combination of ETD funds and the schools’ own funds. Two school networks, Tuggeranong and Belconnen, have been successful in gaining TTC/TSC funding of $8.2m and $8.0m respectively. Details of the TTC and TSC operation and infrastructure are provided at Appendix 4.

6 ETD is currently progressing a review of User Choice policy and pricing.


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ETD is in the process of developing a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) for ACT public school infrastructure. This will include specialist and technical spaces as well as general learning and teaching spaces. The objective of the SAMP is to efficiently manage the asset base and facilities and the economic use of existing and future facilities, including use by third parties where appropriate.

Career Education and Pathway Planning

The National VET Framework stresses the importance of career advice as an important element of vocational learning. The active involvement of students and their parents in career education activities supports students to make informed choices about vocational pathways, alerts students to where career opportunity lies and the subject choices that will support their progress. It has the potential to trigger student aspiration and engagement in learning. It is a key mechanism for schools to understand the interest and preference of students in determining what VET to offer.

To support career education and pathway planning, ETD provides a Pathways website on which students are able to create an individual pathways plan. Three options are provided that are tailored to the stage of learning of the student: the 5-6 Plan, the Pathways Plan and the 11-12 Plan. The Pathways website is designed to be used by young people with the support of their teachers, careers advisors, youth workers, community service case managers and other adults who support young people to plan for their future.

Current Performance

In the course of this Review many examples of high quality VET provision by public schools were provided. Some illustrative case study examples are included in later sections of this report. In the survey of current VET students, students themselves expressed a high degree of satisfaction with their experience of VET, with almost 95 per cent of students being satisfied or very satisfied overall with their VET course.


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Figure 2-4 Proportion of 15 to 24 year-olds not in education, training or employment, by state and territory, 2014

NT QLD TAS SA NSW WA VIC ACT0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

19.3

13.912.6 11.7 11.5 11.4

10.0

5.7

Source: ABS labour force survey

Student outcomes assessed in terms of educational participation and transition in the ACT are strong compared to other states and territories and to Australia overall. Figure 2-3 displays the proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in May 2014. The ACT has the lowest proportion of NEET 15 to 24 year-olds of all the states and territories. Whilst the small sample size introduces a degree of uncertainty in this figure, similar year on year results provide cumulative evidence of strong transition outcomes.


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3. Core Systems

To achieve the outcomes sought from VET for students in ACT public schools, including the collaboration and confidence necessary for success, suitable policy and regulatory settings in a range of core systems are essential.

These core systems must be configured to ensure:

Compliance with standards Business systems

Recognition and certification Depth and breadth of provision

Resource management Funding and accountability Workforce capability Asset management

This section presents advice as to how compliance with core systems can be efficiently achieved, or where core system need modification, the arguments for change. Future directions are provided as to how beneficial change might be brought about.

Maintaining compliance with standards

The most pressing issue facing VET delivery by public schools, and indeed all RTOs, in the ACT and other jurisdictions is maintaining compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards.

In September 2014, the COAG Industry and Skills Council agreed to the 2015 RTO Standards. The new standards were introduced to ‘ensure nationally consistent, high-quality training and assessment across Australia's VET system’ (ASQA, 2015).

Whilst the framing of the 2015 RTO Standards is similar to those they replace, in that they focus on the quality of delivery to ensure teaching and assessment meets student need and is delivered to industry standards, they are more prescriptive and require greater industry involvement across all aspects of RTO operations and industry currency of teachers/trainers. The 2015 RTO Standards represent a strengthened set of regulatory arrangements to achieve and maintain RTO status. National regulations are a core system that underpins all VET delivery, ensuring its quality and reputation for students, employers, further education providers and the community.


15

The 2015 RTO Standards are being implemented progressively from the start of 2015. They apply to all RTOs, including schools. All of the ACT’s nine public colleges are currently RTOs and are due for re-registration in 2017. They may be audited against the 2015 RTO Standards at that time.

Across jurisdictions compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards is presenting challenges for RTOs. A range of TAFE institutions7, including CIT, contacted for this Review reported both significant costs associated with maintaining compliance and increased audit costs. All reported multiple instances where action was required to maintain compliance post initial audit.

ASQA has advised that the challenges school RTOs across Australia face may be in the following areas:

adequacy of the curriculum to deliver required VET competencies adequacy of assessment strategies to determine student competencies achieved required relationships with industry across RTO operations industry currency of teacher/trainers suitable third party agreements between college RTOs and high schools for VET

delivery and RTO BSSS for data reporting issuance of VET qualifications within 30 days of student completion of relevant

competencies In response to these challenges, two Victorian TAFEs (and reportedly a third shortly) have withdrawn entirely from auspicing VET delivered by schools as a result of reputational risk. Other reported a high degree of reluctance to continue auspicing school delivery of VET for the same reason. They reported a strong preference to continue auspicing only with schools with which they had long standing partnerships leading to school adoption of the TAFE’s approach to compliance.

A more general trend was reported towards fee for service VET delivery where schools purchased VET from the RTO in preference to paying escalating auspicing costs. The trend was confirmed by Victoria government officials and was consistent with the perceptions of department officials in other states.

In 2014, the nine ACT college RTOs delivered over 95 per cent of the VET enrolments in public schools. The consensus of those consulted for the Review with relevant expertise was that maintaining compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards presents a pressing challenge for ACT’s public colleges, as it does for other RTOs. The consultation with college and high school personnel reiterated these challenges.

7 Given the nature of the information being provided, the TAFE institutes consulted for the purpose are not listed in Appendix 6.


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Additionally, those with expertise indicated that in maintaining compliance there is significant potential for cost saving through the rationalisation of college RTO numbers. Rationalisation would result in:

a reduction in the duplication of compliance processes and associated documentation

a reduction of course development/re-development costs a more efficient approach to industry engagement and teacher professional

development through the aggregation of knowledge a likely reduction in annual RTO registration costs.

This approach would bring ACT public schools into line with most other jurisdictions where school RTO numbers are limited, expertise is centralised and compliance processes streamlined. For this reason, the ACT Minister for Education and Training indicated her interest in seeing the rationalisation of the number of school RTOs considered within the scope of this Review.

The necessary conditions for a rationalisation of RTO numbers to deliver benefits include a shared view of VET provision across the colleges and high schools involved, convergent views as to how compliance is to be achieved and a shared approach to teacher/trainer qualifications and industry currency. Given college RTOS are due for re-registration in 2017, the necessary conditions need to come into play rapidly.

At the college principals Roundtable, when asked about views on RTO rationalisation, principals indicated their main interest in maintaining RTO status was in providing a strong VET course offering to their students.

It is notable that the Tuggeranong Network provision dialogue associated with its successful bid for Commonwealth TTC funding has already resulted in an in-principle decision to have a single RTO within that network. It also appears that the provision dialogue at the Belconnen Network associated with the establishment of the Commonwealth funded TSC will result in a similar decision. This trend is highly suggestive of the fact that rationalisation of RTO numbers follows logically from successful network VET provision dialogues.

Where schools wish to continue delivering VET through a school RTO as opposed to purchasing services from an external RTO, the existing structure of four public school networks provides a ready platform for RTO rationalisation. A network model would build on current collaborative arrangements, such as those where colleges act as the RTOs for their feeder high schools.


17

The suggested network RTOs will need to maintain compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards in a reconfigured format to achieve registration in 2017. The public VET provider in the ACT, CIT, has experience in maintaining compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards. There is potential for school network to explore increased partnerships with CIT that complement VET provision in schools. Any partnerships should be considered in light of CIT’s newly established governance arrangements.

There are benefits in considering early the approach ACT public schools should take if seeking registration of reconfigured college RTO arrangements. Consultation with ASQA as to the approach to be adopted should be considered so that it can inform the compliance approach to a rationalised RTO arrangement.

All CEOs of RTOs must comply with all obligations under the 2015 RTO Standards and be accountable for compliance on behalf of the RTO. Any future RTO arrangements would need to consider the complexities of the CEO role where it is performed in parallel with the role of the college principal, and to options for managing these complexities.. The Teaching Staff Enterprise Agreement currently under negotiation will involve a review to the principal class structure in 2016. How the role and responsibilities of an RTO CEO are recognised in the principal class should be considered by ETD.

Maintaining compliance with standards - Business systems

A key element of ASQA compliance is the collection and reporting of VET activity which currently includes the reporting of ‘Total VET Activity’ for national data collections. This includes full Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard (AVETMISS) data, in accordance with the National VET Provider Collection Data Requirements Policy.

Currently, the BSSS discharges college RTO data reporting and Certificate issuance requirements under a written third party agreement. It should be noted, however, that the 2015 RTO Standards prescribe that RTOs are ultimately responsible for meeting these requirements, regardless of any third party arrangements.

As part of transitioning to school network RTOs, business systems should be implemented that support the RTO managing all aspects of compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards, including data reporting and Certificate issuance. This matter requires urgent attention to support the RTO re-registration timeline. Implementation should be alert to the necessity of data systems accommodating student mobility within the school system.


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As VET activity is reported on an RTO basis, rather than a school basis, current BSSS information systems are not responsible for holding and reporting data on students where VET is delivered by external RTOs. Although the proportion of VET delivered to school students by external RTOs is currently low, it may increase as school network RTOs determine which VET qualifications should be retained within their scope of registration, and which should be delivered externally. Capturing and reporting of this VET activity will become increasing important for ACT public schools, whether or not they maintain RTO status, including for accountability and reporting purposes.

Recognition and certification

All Australian states and territories have in place arrangements so that students undertaking VET can gain recognition in the form of credit towards the award requirement of SSCs. All jurisdictions follow the 2014 ACACA position paper, ‘Recognition of Vocational Education and Training towards Senior Secondary Certificates of Education’. These arrangements however are divergent in terms of:

the way VET at different Certificate levels counts towards the SSC the way in which the competencies resulting in Statements of Attainment rather

than a full VET qualifications count towards the SSC the arrangements by which VET can count towards the calculation of the Australian

Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or other tertiary entrance system the “fit” of competency based qualification inside the broader SSC architecture

In undertaking consultations for this Review, a significant number of stakeholders commented on all of the above points.

VET Certificate level and credit towards the SSC

Most state and territory qualification authorities place parameters on the Certificate levels of VET that can earn credit towards that jurisdiction’s SSC (ACACA, 2012). These credit arrangements, along with other factors, influence the pattern of VET enrolments in each jurisdiction.

Figure 3-1 below displays the percentage of VET students enrolled at each Certificate level in each state and territory where it is the student’s highest level of VET enrolment. As shown earlier, the ACT has relatively high participation in VET by school students at 30.4 per cent. However, the ACT also has the highest proportion of secondary students enrolled in Certificate I qualifications as their highest Certificate level of all states and territories, 33.8 per cent of enrolments. These figures include government and non-government school students, as well as students in Years 9 to 12.


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Current credit arrangements in the ACT result in student course enrolment in Year 11 and 12 providing credit towards the SSC whilst completing Certificate I qualifications. The Certificate I is located at Level 1 of the Australian Qualifications Framework and is the qualification with the lowest level of complexity, providing foundational knowledge and skills only.

In the other jurisdictions examined for this Review recognition arrangements typically require qualification enrolment and completion at Certificate II and above for credit at Year 12 level (ACACA, 2012). This is viewed as an appropriate standard of intellectual rigour to provide credit at this level and ensure effective post-school pathways. As figure 3-1 shows, in NSW and Victoria the proportion of students enrolled in Certificate I qualifications as their highest level qualification is negligible. In both states, enrolments in Certificates II and above are required for recognition toward the SSC. This approach is consistent with discipline areas covered in the national curriculum where standards are set for study in Year 11 and 12.

Figure 3-5 Certificate level of VET qualification enrolled, secondary students by state and territory, 2013 (%)

ACT NT WA QLD SA TAS VIC NSW0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

33.8 29.3 25.2 25.1 20.1 19.82.4 0.5

54.648.5 61.3

41.8 45.1

64.5

53.474.7

11.621.0

11.3

29.2 33.2

15.1

40.9

22.0

1.2 2.0 3.9 1.5 0.5 2.4 0.50.9 2.2

Certificate I Certificate II Certificate IIICertificate IV or higher Other


It should be noted that figure 3-1 above displays only the highest Certificate level being undertaken where a student has multiple enrolments across a range of certificate levels. This is a common occurrence in the ACT where current structures of VET courses accredited by the BSSS often include the ‘nesting’ of Certificate I qualifications within a senior secondary course of study. This means that a student completing a BSSS accredited course will be enrolled in all VET qualifications embedded within that course of study, such as a Certificate I, II and III. A student can therefore receive three VET certificates for completing a single course of study in


20

the Senior Secondary Certificate. This can result in enrolment data being inflated by the number of enrolments in lower level qualifications.


21

Figure 3-2 below displays the post school destinations of Year 12 graduates by Certificate level. The data is strongly suggestive of the fact that students achieve stronger overall pathways by undertaking Certificate II and III VET courses, particularly in relation to campus based VET.

Figure 3-6 Post-school destinations of 2013 Year 12 Graduates by highest AQF level of VET in Schools activity, deferees identified, 2014

Uni

vers

ity

Defe

rred

Appr

entic

e

Trai

nee

Cam

pus-

base

d VE

T

Wor

king

full-

time

Wor

king

par

t-tim

e

Une

mpl

oyed

Inac

tive

In study In training Not in study or training

05

1015202530354045 43.5

19.7

2.60.600000000000001

10.7

3.6

12.3

4.9

31.9

10.5 11

3.1

12.68.9

18.8

3.1

23.9

11.86.4

2.8

22.1

7.4

14.5

7.83.4

18.3

4 4.8 4.8

26.2

15.9 17.5

7.9

0.8

No VETiS Certificate I Certificate II Certificate IIISource: ACT graduate destination survey

There are strong arguments supporting the proposition that only enrolments in Certificate II and above should provide the basis for credit in Year 12.

Credit for VET competencies

Across states and territories VET provides credit for the SSC in a number of ways:

credit as a study or course like other courses where the VET qualification is “packaged as senior secondary course” as is the case with BSSS accredited “A”, “T” and “M” VET courses

credit according to the Certificate level for completed qualifications credit for qualifications and competencies based on volume of learning. This is the

case in the ACT for “E” courses and for ASBA students.


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Where credit is provided on the basis of volume of learning, in each of the other jurisdictions examined as part of this Review, nominal hours of training are used to determine credit. This provides the basis for a standardised amount of credit to be given for the completion of the same competencies.

In the ACT, current practice is to provide credit for the volume of learning. This is based on actual hours of training activity, or an estimate thereof. This can result in students receiving varying amounts of credit for the same competency or set of competencies. A number of stakeholders consulted for this Review expressed concern with the inequity of this arrangement. ETD has developed a formula which can be used to convert reported competencies to nominal hours that would address this concern.

Consultation with the Office of the BSSS indicated that a review of certification in 2014 had led to this practice being the subject of recent consideration by the BSSS. In the Board’s consideration of the use of ‘nominal hours’, ETD’s formula was trialled in a college. Feedback on this trial suggested the time cost of using the formula was high. The administrative complexities associated with adopting a nominal hours approach combined with the relatively small volume of credit being awarded on this basis and the relatively small variation between the credit awarded to students using either approach led to a decision by the BSSS not to change current practice.

As there is potential for the proportion of VET delivered by an external RTO to increase, it may be considered appropriate to review the basis for providing credit for volume of learning.

The maximum amount of credit available for VET towards the SSC

In the ACT, VET whether undertaken as a BSSS course, ASBA or “E” course with an external RTO, can provide credit of up to eight of the 17 standard units required for the SSC in each industry area, the same as any other course of study. This permits up to 13 of the 17 units required for the award to come from VET qualifications in at least two different industry areas. Eight such standard units would typically require eight semesters of study. Some stakeholders expressed concern that the maximum contribution (eight units) a VET qualification may make towards the standard 17 unit requirement limited the opportunity for students to receive credit for, and thus be encouraged to pursue, longer and higher level VET qualifications.


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The arrangements in the ACT are neither the most restrictive nor the most generous in the volume of VET that can be counted towards an SSC. In the Victorian Certificate of Education, through block credit arrangements, a single VET qualification can provide up to 13 of the 16 units required for award. This can accommodate VET qualifications with significant nominal duration e.g. the Certificate III in Horticulture whose duration is 1000 hours plus. By contrast, in the Higher School Certificate (NSW) VET is “packaged” into Board of Studies subjects of with the typical duration of VET subjects being 120 and 240 hours, or less frequently 360 hours, for some Certificate III courses.

Decisions regarding the contribution any area of learning, including VET, may make to the achievement of an SSC depend on a judgement regarding the optimal balance between depth and breadth as determined by the qualification authority. The practice of states and territories favouring a degree of breadth are more closely aligned to senior secondary awards in the majority of developed OECD jurisdictions.

VET and ATAR

The BSSS has accredited seven VET courses as “T” courses, those providing appropriate preparation for higher education. This arrangement has several benefits, including that it provides the opportunity for university bound students to gain the benefits that undertaking VET provides and positions VET qualifications as suitable for a broad cohort of student, rather than it being perceived as just for those who are not proceeding to university.

As shown in Figure 3-3 below, in the ACT 24.8 per cent of 2013 Year 12 VET graduates enrolled in university in 2014. This proportion is indicative of the fact that VET is both accessible and attractive to university bound students. This figure is comparable to the proportions of 2013 Year 12 graduates enrolled in university in 2014 in Queensland and Victoria, 29.4 per cent (Department of Education, Training and Employment QLD, 2014) and 31.9 per cent (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria, 2014) respectively.


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Figure 3-7 Post-school destinations of 2013 Year 12 Graduates by VET in Schools activity, deferees not identified, 2014

Uni

vers

ity

Appr

entic

e

Trai

nee

Cam

pus-

base

d VE

T

Wor

king

full-

time

Wor

king

par

t-tim

e

Une

mpl

oyed

Inac

tive

In study In training Not in study or training

05

1015202530354045 43.5

2.60.600000000000001

10.77.5

25.1

6.13.8

24.8

7.13.1

20.7

12.2

21.2

7.43.6

No VETiS VETiSSource: Graduate Destinations Survey

An examination of data from the Student Destination Survey shows a significant relationship between school SES and transition of VET students in the following year to an apprenticeship or traineeship (significant at the 0.01 level). The lower the SES profile of the school population, the greater the proportion of VET students transitioning to apprenticeships and traineeships.


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Figure 3-8 Post-school destinations, VET and non-VET Year 12 completers transition rate to Apprenticeship or Traineeship by school SES, 2014

Source: ACT Student Destination surveyNote: the School SES indicator is that used in the Review of Government School Funding in the ACT report

(2014, unpublished)

Depth and Breadth of Provision

“Schooling should offer a range of pathways to meet the diverse needs and aspirations of all young Australians, encouraging them to pursue university or postsecondary vocational qualifications that increase their opportunities for rewarding and productive employment.”

(MCEETYA, 2008)

To achieve the many potential benefits of VET requires a breadth of course offerings to provide options of interest and relevance to all students. This was readily acknowledged by school principals during consultations.

VET courses, much more so than other senior secondary studies, are occupation specific. Of the multiple benefits VET offers to students, for VET to provide students a pathway to direct employment or vocational study at higher Certificate, qualifications in a range of industry areas is required.


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Table 3-1 below, displays VET enrolment by secondary students mapped across Industry Skills Councils and Training Packages for the each states and territories. It provides a way of assessing the breadth of VET courses on offer to students. In Australia overall there are 52 Training Packages with secondary student enrolments. No state or territory has enrolments in all 52, however some offer more than others.

Table 3-2 Course offerings across industry skills councils, training packages and AQF levels, count and proportion of total available nationally, by state and territory, 2013 (%)

State/ Territor

y

Industry Skills Councils with

course offerings

Training packages with course offerings

Industry Skills Councils across

AQF levels

Training packages across AQF levels

N Council

s

% Council

s

N Training Packages

% Training Packages

N Course

s

% Course

s

N Courses

% Course

sACT 7 53.8 16 30.8 15 30.6 26 16.6NT 11 84.6 27 51.9 30 61.2 63 40.1

NSW 12 92.3 42 80.8 33 67.3 82 52.2TAS 13 100.0 37 71.2 40 81.6 87 55.4WA 12 92.3 41 78.8 39 79.6 99 63.1SA 12 92.3 40 76.9 40 81.6 103 65.6VIC 12 92.3 41 78.8 40 81.6 107 68.2QLD 13 100.0 47 90.4 46 93.9 137 87.3AUS 13 100.0 52 100.0 49 100.0 157 100.0


The ACT is a jurisdiction that offers relatively limited breadth of VET programs where the program is delivered by a college as RTO. Students are enrolled in VET courses in only 16 or 30.8 per cent of nationally available packages. When the VET activity is further disaggregated to the Certificate level AQF within the Training Package, ACT activity drops to 16.6 per cent of the full range of courses available nationally. Adding in non-ASBA VET delivery through external RTOs results in enrolments in six additional VET qualifications. This can be contrasted to Tasmania which manages 55.4 per cent coverage and South Australia 65.6 per cent.


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Another perspective on this lack of breadth is provided by examining the concentration of enrolment in specific VET qualifications. In 2014, public school students were enrolled in 38 different qualifications. However, over 30 per cent of enrolments were in three Certificate I courses: Business, Hospitality and Information, Digital Media and Technology with 790, 813 and 1,303 enrolments respectively. A further 15 per cent were in two related Certificate II courses: Business and Information, Digital Media and Information Technology with 624 and 813 enrolments respectively. These courses were described as “easy to deliver” in consultation with school personnel. Details of enrolments by VET qualifications are provided at Appendix 7, Table A-2.

In the states examined for this Review, NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, three arrangements have been adopted that support breadth of VET provision:

capacity to purchase training from external RTOs collaboration between schools to form VET networks funding supplementation for VET courses.

When asked, college principals expressed strong and positive interest in being able to use their funding more flexibly to purchase VET from external RTOs. An example of how such funding flexibility might benefit was provided by the CEO of an RTO that provides training in the IT based creative industries leading to career opportunities in areas such as games design and special effects. The Certificate III in this area is currently available to 16 schools in Victoria through training purchased from this ACT-based RTO, with a strong articulation pathway to diploma level certification. It is not currently available to school students in the ACT.

It should be noted that the current ACT TQI legislation prohibits the delivery of VET on school premises by trainers unless they hold registration as teachers or a Permit to Teach. Without this, cost effective training by an external RTO would need to be conducted off the school site.

In NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, schools collaborate in VET clusters or networks to deliver a greater breadth of VET qualifications. In the case of NSW and Queensland the clustered delivery has arisen recently and as a result of the implementation of TTCs8. The clusters arrangements create viable class sizes for lower demand qualifications and economies of scale overall such that breadth is enabled through more efficient delivery. VET clusters also support more efficient use and maintenance of specialist facilities. The system officials consulted for this Review confirmed these benefits. The VET networks often involved both government and non-government schools.

8 Note that in SA, NSW and QLD school students also have access to place where the place is funded by monies provided to the VET sector RTO rather than the school.


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In the ACT, the principals of public colleges and high schools indicated that they do not engage to a significant extent in the networked provision of VET, despite the existence of the public school networks9.

There was a variable practice apparent across schools and networks in the extent to which VET delivery was negotiated between high schools and colleges. One college described how it worked hard to develop close relationships with a particular high school with which it had a Third Party Agreement. They engaged in VET course mapping to ensure that students start their Certificate I at high school, with a clear continuation into a Certificate II or Certificate III at the college in the same industry area. This practice had brought benefits to both the high school and the college, as students who have higher levels of engagement in Year 10, go on to consolidate skills in Year 11 and then have the capacity to be able to undertake a higher-level Certificate in Year 12.

The current exception to the general lack of network provision planning is the Tuggeranong Network where the dialogue between high schools and colleges to seek funding for a Commonwealth TTC resulted in a network VET provision plan in relation to the operation of the TTC. Tuggeranong Network principals commented positively on the various benefits from the provision dialogue: information sharing about VET, improved provision, an understanding of the high school to college pathway and improved facilities through the successful application for a TTC grant. They also described the provision dialogue as a work in progress and a vehicle to pursue greater breadth of provision, including by high schools.

Schools involved in the Tuggeranong Network TTC described their network as strengthening VET provision between high school and colleges. One college principal reported that it enabled positive relationships to be built with students, staff and the community.

A Tuggeranong high school principal illustrated the benefits by describing their hospitality program, where students in Year 8-10 use the commercial kitchens at their high schools, and then attend the college and train in the TTC restaurant.

9 For the current networked VET provision arrangements between colleges and high schools, see Appendix 2.


Case Study: Early Access Model Automotive

The TTC at Lake Tuggeranong College has modern and well-equipped facilities for automotive. The Early Access Model in Automotive offers Year 10 students in feeder schools the opportunity to commence VET studies in automotive at night, run over two night classes per week. Students complete Year 11 automotive competencies while they are in Year 10 and when they transition to college they are placed in Year 12 automotive. When they are in Year 12 they can reduce the number of college-based courses as they have already completed a significant number and move into a three-day ASBA. The program is over-subscribed with prospective students wanting to enrol. As the program is selective entry, this is reported to make a difference in how students approach it. The teacher who runs the program is highly experienced and well regarded in the industry and has little trouble in finding employers willing to take students for SWL.

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The Tuggeranong Early Access Model in Automotive provides a case study of successful networked provision and a foretaste of what could be achieved more broadly. It was described as an example of ‘reaching back to the high schools and making sure that we have kids coming through who have the confidence and the skills to continue on with their studies. It is going to produce much better trades people, much better skills in people as they come through’ (VET Teacher).

At the Belconnen Network, a similar provision dialogue was described as emergent, reflecting the later application for TSC funding.

Some principals indicated a concern that VET students would be reluctant to undertake the travel that might result from a networked VET provision model. Others were of the view that for VET courses that appealed to students, travel would not be an issue, citing the CCCares program at the Canberra College as a case in point. In the survey of current VET students ETD conducted for this Review, three quarters of students indicated a willingness to travel, with the proportions growing with student year level.

An effective education system strategically deploys resources in a way that strengthens student participation and outcomes. The ACT does not currently have strong uniform networked VET provision. This is to the detriment of student subject choice and careers pathway planning, particularly in VET courses. Networked arrangement would build on the moves developing organically within some networks and provide the opportunity for public schools to operate as a system of public providers to better deliver vocational education to their students.

The two TTC/TSC networks provide a demonstration of the potential for network provision planning to succeed across the ACT public school sector.

Resource management

Funding


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ETD currently provides additional support to colleges for the delivery of VET. Schools apply these funds in a range of ways, including offsetting the costs associated with being an RTO. The allocation to schools is determined using a weighted funding model that takes into account all VET delivery as reported in the previous year’s BSSS annual report. Current information systems do not capture data on students where VET is delivered by an external RTO.

Analysis of the operation of the current model indicates that the majority of funding is dispersed on the basis of student enrolments in low cost Certificate I and II qualifications. The model does not recognise the fixed costs for college RTOs, including registration, compliance and audit costs. Despite its weightings, it does not sufficiently incentivise enrolments at Certificate II and III level in qualifications that provide strong student outcomes. Enrolments at these Certificate levels also attract additional costs associated with the provision of SWL opportunities, and in the case of apprentices, support for work placements.

Additionally, data analysis shows that VET qualification completion in ACT public schools is the lowest of all states and territories. In the ACT 19.7 per cent of VET subject enrolments are assessed as “failed”. Details are provided at Appendix 7 Table A-3. Whilst qualification completion in some industry areas is either unrealistic because of VET course duration or undesirable because it reduces employability under some modern industrial awards, this is nonetheless a worrying aspect of current provision.

For forward years it is recommended that the funding provided to colleges be distributed using a model based on the following principles:

Contribution to fixed costs of delivery as a network RTO Incentives for preferred policy outcomes

Along with good practice principles for funding models: Transparency Simplicity Stability

The college principals were strong in their support of improved transparency and stability in the VET funding received from ETD to provide certainty for planning purposes. VET provision through external providers including their capacity to purchase. As the costs of RTO compliance are rising, implementation of reforms undertaken in light of this Review should also consider these costs.

Forward Funding ArrangementsOutside of college environments, where public funds are used to purchase training for adults, ETD, through its Training and Tertiary Education branch, determines which RTOs are eligible to


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receive such funding, and what funds government will contribute to the cost of that training. A corresponding quality assurance process for public school VET funding would be highly desirable. ETD would determine RTOs and qualifications eligible to receive public funds through purchase by public schools to ensure capacity to train school aged students and effective use of public monies.

ASBAs allow students to commence an apprenticeship part-time whilst still at school and ASBA students frequently transition to full apprenticeships or traineeships post-school. During consultation, principals provided support for the School Apprentices across ACT Government program. This program provides funding annually to subsidise the wages of ASBAs where a public school is the host employer.


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VET Sector FundingOne method adopted in a range of jurisdictions to increase the breadth of VET delivery is to provide school students access to publicly funded VET at external RTOs, typically TAFE institutes. South Australia, Queensland and NSW public school students have access to this arrangement. This does not currently occur in the ACT. Should the ACT Government wish to further expand VET delivery in public schools, a similar arrangement could be introduced.

In implementing such an approach, the quantum of funding available would need to be determined, along with the basis of allocation to schools and school networks and inclusions and exclusions as regards eligible qualifications.

Workforce capabilityConsultations indicated all public schools faced challenges in recruiting and retaining suitable qualified staff for VET provision. VET teachers employed by schools are employed on the same basis as other teachers and schools receive funding to cover their salaries and on costs as is the case for other teachers. Some schools were more adept at recruiting and maintaining VET staff, including in succession planning with experienced VET staff mentoring newer teachers. However, many colleges and high schools reported difficulties finding VET teachers in industry areas including Media, Building and Construction, Automotive, Horticulture, Hospitality and Tourism. To address recruitment difficulties, principals reported placing advertisements both within Canberra and nationally.

VET staffing attrition was reported to result in a significant loss of institutional VET knowledge and experience. High school programs in particular were described as vulnerable to staff departures where sometimes a single staff member is responsible for the delivery of a program.

Through the introduction of network VET provision plans, there is the opportunity to make more efficient use of available VET teachers and to use more creative means of teacher recruitment, including by:

increased specialisation by VET teachers sharing of VET teachers across schools in networks utilisation of the “Permit to Teach” registration category in the TQI legislation to

allow suitable persons to deliver VET when no qualified teacher is available broaden the qualified VET teaching recruitment pool that is able to deliver VET in

ACT public colleges .


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The actions proposed above have the potential to improve VET teacher workforce management and amplify the benefits of networked VET provision. Dialogue with ETD’s People and Performance branch has confirmed that the sharing of teachers across schools is already common practice through “multiple occupancy arrangements” for some categories of duty e.g. student engagement teachers. In consultations for this Review, the AEU indicated that they are broadly supportive of arrangements to increase breadth of provision to students.

Concern was raised in consultations about the level of administrative burden for school staff to meet the compliance requirements of VET delivery and on sustaining industry connections. Principals determine the roles and responsibilities for VET coordinators within their school. Clarification and management at the school level about VET coordinator workload is required. The college VET coordinators have formed a network through which they share experience and resources. ETD field officers are now attending VET coordinator network meeting facilitating a two way flow of information and intelligence.

The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) representatives suggested the option of utilising private RTOs for the assessment of school students, potentially reducing teacher workload and accessing additional expertise, including for the purposes of maintaining compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards. This suggestion would require consideration by ETD as to the feasibility and impact on existing practices including enterprise agreement arrangements.

Concerns were also related to the requirement for VET teachers to hold concurrent VET qualifications and maintain industry currency, whilst engaging in annual professional learning to meet the requirements of ongoing teacher registration. Existing workforce arrangements provide opportunities for principals and schools to make decisions about teacher workloads and build the capability of their VET workforces.

Asset managementThe delivery of VET typically requires specialist infrastructure. This infrastructure can be costly to construct, acquire and maintain.

Consultations undertaken for this Review identified a range of concerns with the current approach to VET infrastructure in ACT public schools in relation to them ensuring compliance with the 2015 RTO Standards. Some stakeholders were concerned about a lack of access by students of one school to assets located at another school. Others expressed concern regarding the unnecessary duplication of public assets between schools, and between schools and CIT’s assets.

ETD is developing a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) for the forward management of public school infrastructure. The SAMP will outline arrangements for the management of the


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asset base and facilities. It is scheduled for completion by the end 2015, for possible implementation from the start of the 2016-17 financial year. As well as supporting and prioritising investment decisions, the SAMP will also seek to increase utilisation of public school assets. It is understood that the SAMP will propose that asset investment is based on support for service delivery, informed by utilisation of existing facilities. As a result, the efficiency of asset investment decisions will be dependent on efficient service delivery and knowledge of utilisation of current stock.

The suggested network VET provision plans are intended to support more efficient delivery of VET. As a result, these network VET provision plans will complement the proposed asset management approach. When consulted, the asset management area of ETD was highly supportive of shared network provision plans driving all VET infrastructure investment decisions into the future.

To ensure network provision plans are fit for purpose, ETD may consider involving the Infrastructure and Capital Works Branch in the design of the information to be incorporated in the plan for the purpose of asset investment decisions.

In addition to utilising the network VET provision plans to support asset management, an audit of current VET asset utilisation should be undertaken. The results of such an audit should be made public to provide information to schools and third party users (RTOs) regarding the availability of industry standard facilities for joint/shared use.

In the consultations with officials from other jurisdictions a common concern in the management of TTC/TSC assets was noted. The Commonwealth Government provided capital funding for these facilities, but no recurrent funding for ongoing cleaning, maintenance or upgrades. In each jurisdiction, there was an aspiration that these costs would be fully or partially met through charges for third party usage. Little such revenue has been realised and jurisdictional authorities predict rising budget pressures as the facilities age. The situation in the ACT with its two TTC/TSC merits careful monitoring and deliberate incorporation of these facilities into ETD’s overall asset management.


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4. Clarity, Collaboration and Confidence


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The National VET Framework argues strongly for clarity about the scope and purpose of VET delivered to secondary students. Most other states and territories have such statements of scope and purpose prominently on their websites and in other documentation. Examples of this are provided at Appendix 6 for selected jurisdictions. In the ACT however, the purpose is implicit rather than explicitly stated.

There was strong stakeholder support in the consultations for such a statement for ACT schools, particularly by public college principals. Such a statement was confirmed as having the potential to:

articulate a common purpose for VET to stakeholders provide the basis for collaboration in its achievement provide a framework to reflect on current performance and identify opportunities

for improvement hold parties to account.

It was acknowledged that a defining characteristic of VET was the collaboration required between many stakeholders and the need for clarity regarding roles and responsibilities for success.

Whilst there was strong support for a statement describing the purpose of VET, the purposes emphasised by various stakeholders tended to reflect their particular perspectives.

High school principals spoke most frequently about the benefits of VET in improving student engagement, both with their VET qualification, but also with schooling more broadly. For some students at risk of early leaving, it was felt to be the key to them staying in school. In the survey of current VET students, “Wanting to stay at school to complete Year 12” was most frequently nominated as a benefit of VET, with 94 per cent of students agreeing or agreeing strongly with this statement.


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College principals and staff echoed the views of high school principals and complemented this commentary with a strong focus on the connection to industry, the workforce and post school pathways. The opportunity to participate in industry was seen as giving students the chance to test the reality of working in industry against their assumptions. Many examples were given of how students grew as part of their experiences in the workforce. Teachers commented on how their perceptions of students changed after visiting students on SWL placement. They saw this as a transformative experience for many students.

College staff were aware that VET played multiple roles for students at their schools. Staff reported that, for some students, VET provided the opportunity to train in the industry in which they had always aspired to work, for example, in hospitality or the automotive industry. For university bound students it was described as a key ‘value-add’; the opportunity to undertake courses while at school to facilitate part-time employment.

Industry representatives and employers involved in VET were much more focussed on the role of VET for workforce preparation, either for direct workforce entry or as a conduit to higher level VET through completed or partially completed qualifications. The National VET Framework echoes employer sentiment ‘industry has a strong preference that all VET courses draw on training package competencies and provide a clear line of sight to a job’ (Education Council, 2014).

Industry spokespeople stressed the importance of exposure to the workplace, the quality of the on the job learning environment and ’time on the tools‘. They also stressed the importance of young people leaving school with adequate literacy and numeracy skills.

The CIT spokespeople displayed a comprehensive appreciation of VET delivered to secondary students. Their commentary included the role VET delivered in schools played in the transition to higher level VET post-school, and the need for collaboration between delivery partners for smooth transitions.

Many of those consulted expressed concern regarding parents’ understanding of VET and the status of VET in the context of senior secondary education. They saw part of the role of a scope and purpose statement as being to inform parents and improve perceptions of VET for secondary students. Such a statement may also be an opportunity to provide clear and transparent information to parents and students so that they may make informed choices about the vocational education and training options available to students.


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ETD may consider inviting stakeholders, including cross sectoral colleagues, to join them in drafting a Statement of Purpose for VET delivered to secondary students in ACT schools. Drawing on the material in the National VET Framework and the sentiments of stakeholders collected through the consultations, the following is suggested as a starting point:

VET delivered to secondary students is nationally accredited training provided as an integral part of the school curriculum. VET makes an important and unique contribution to secondary schooling. Its purpose is to:

enable students to acquire industry relevant skills, in the form of either full or partial VET qualifications, that strengthen their pathways to further education and employment

strongly promote student engagement in schooling through the provision of a broader range of courses of interest and relevance to students, and

expand opportunities for applied ways of learning.

The Partnership with Employers and Industry

VET delivered to secondary students creates a bridge between schooling and employment. The opportunity for these students to participate in nationally accredited vocational education delivered by registered training organisations provides them learning opportunities that are the equivalent of those provided to adult VET students. The 2015 RTO Standards ensure industry involvement across all aspects of RTO operations and the industry currency of teachers/trainers.

In addition to the provisions of this regulatory framework, it is the opportunity for workplace learning that brings students into direct contact with the workplace. It is a distinguishing feature of VET qualifications.

Consultations undertaken for this Review confirmed the importance of student exposure to the workplace to underpin VET course quality. ETD strongly recommends SWL for student enrolled in VET courses and, for some qualifications; it is mandated in the training package. Student employment as an ASBA provides workplace opportunity through the work component of the apprenticeship.


Case Study: Hawker College Aged Care Program

Hawker College has had a longstanding industry partnership with IRT Kangara Waters, a local retirement village. The college sends students studying certificates in community services, gardening, horticulture, volunteering and hospitality activities to Kangara Waters to gain industry experience, with some students undertaking ASBAs there. School staff refer to examples where students have done placement at Kangara Waters, in areas of employment they had little prior understanding of, and enjoyed the experience enough to go on to qualify and work in that particular industry. Students initially visit the retirement village through the volunteer program, and prior to undertaking lengthier work experience they are given an orientation which involves talking to the manager, key staff and residents about workplace expectations and the nature of the work itself. Through these initial programs, students are able to make an informed decision about whether to pursue an ASBA or undertake alternative forms of further training.

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Workplace exposure provides on the job learning in an authentic environment that can ensure the development of skills to the standard expected by employers. CIT spokespeople characterised meeting the employer expectations as critical to the delivery of VET to secondary students. The workplace opportunities made available by employers allows them to experience and have confidence in the VET delivered to students.

The input from employers, industry bodies and private RTOs identified that not all workplaces provide the setting, and not all employers the supervision and guidance, to support students to acquire necessary skills. They stated that part of the required capability of school VET coordinators and VET leaders was to identify suitable workplaces and establish mutually beneficial partnerships with the employer.

The commentary on ASBAs provided in consultations was particularly prominent. Many consultations pointed to the positive elements of ASBAs. School staff identified that the benefits of ASBAs included that they allow students to commence an apprenticeship in a preferred occupation, facilitate a highly desirable combination of schooling and work and provide paid employment. They reported that there were many students who wanted to do ASBAs, and that demand outstripped supply.

ASBAs were also well regarded in some industries, as their arrangement facilitates greater connection between class-based learning and industry experience. Strong stakeholder support was expressed for ASBAs in the caring professions. ACPET was in agreement about the benefits of ASBAs and that they provided improved ‘time on the tools’. ACPET also supported the flexibility given to employers and ASBAs in being able to nominate a preferred training provider.


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Others consulted noted that ASBAs are not necessarily the best pathway into post-school apprenticeships in all industry areas. One ASBA coordinator explained that it is difficult for a plumber to take on an apprentice while they are still at school because the plumber often needs the apprentice to be available around the clock, as opposed to the hospitality industry which is based on shift-work, and facilitates better co-ordination of employment with school timetables.

Building industry representatives advised that apprentice wage structures made ASBAs problematic in that industry. An ASBA student seeking an apprenticeship in the building industry post-school would need to be paid a second year apprentice wage based on the recognition of competencies already gained. However their ‘time on the tools’ would not provide skill levels equivalent to other second year apprentices and the wage structures limit competition with young people without an ASBA background. Competency-based wage progression for apprenticeships also has the potential to disadvantage students who have completed a non-ASBA based Certificate II qualification or competencies in industries where apprenticeships are the dominant entry to employment.

Similar concerns were raised by a spokesperson for a prominent hospitality RTO regarding young people seeking post school apprenticeships in that industry. Both ETD and CIT confirmed that these concerns were prominent in their dialogue with industry across a number of apprenticeship occupations. CIT spokespeople indicated that for some industries, pre-apprenticeship preparation was best delivered in the form of industry specific pre-vocational or pre-apprenticeship courses that advantaged students in terms of orientation to the industry and the acquisition of relevant skills without disadvantaging the student in the employment market.

These realities demonstrate that effective collaboration with industry bodies and employers is required to ensure the provision of high quality VET, to understand industry’s priorities and preferences for school based VET delivery and to provide access to high quality, on the job learning opportunity for students. Being responsive to this input provides the opportunity to build employer confidence in VET for secondary students. Suitable forums are required to underpin this collaboration.

Post-school articulation to higher level VET

VET delivered in schools needs to support post-school transition to further VET study, higher education and employment. This aspect of school VET delivery was characterised as a hallmark of quality provision by multiple stakeholders during consultations.


Case Study: Canberra College VET Music Course

Canberra College’s music industry program is delivered out of a $9m on-site performing arts facility. The state-of-the-art centre has a 200-seat auditorium, recording studio, dance studio and drama studio. It has been endorsed to provide SWL placements for students doing VET certificates in music. The VET coordinator described SWLs in this industry area as traditionally very difficult to find in the ACT. The course provides a clearly articulated student pathway into Certificate III in music at CIT. The college also has a partnership with Narrabundah College, and students from both colleges run a community radio show for three hours every Saturday night.

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Underpinning the transition to further VET study is collaboration between the public college and the post school RTO to establish and maintain the qualification pathway, particularly at the provision interface. As with links to industry, success is driven from the school end by VET coordinators and other VET leaders, to negotiate student pathways and ensure student acquisition of necessary skills for completion of current qualifications and progress to higher level qualifications.

CIT delivers 85 per cent of all VET in the ACT and as a result has broad experience enrolling exiting school students. CIT spokespeople described examples where some articulation pathways were working well in relation to both public and non-government schools, but also reported they were not uniformly strong.

The option of network VET provision plans suggested that post-school pathways should be an explicit part of those plans. School network governance structures may facilitate the necessary input from CIT and other relevant RTOs to enable this to occur. The introduction of the Universal Student Identifier (USI) into the ACT in 2015 will facilitate the tracking of students from school to post-school VET destinations in future years. This data may provide the basis for understanding which student articulation pathways are working well and which are not. Alternately, the student destination survey could be refined to seek information on student enrolments in post-school VET. This data could be used to inform VET provision planning by school networks.

To develop stronger collaboration with key VET stakeholders including industry, employers, CIT and other RTOs, existing arrangements should be strengthened both at the ACT jurisdictional level and the school network level.

The forum conducted by ETD’s Training and Tertiary Education Branch and formal meetings between ETD and CIT staff provide platforms on which stronger collaboration with CIT and RTOs can be built.

It should be noted that the Chair of the Canberra Business Chamber, as a first step in strengthening its dialogue with industry, has recommended a survey of employers and


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potential employers who provide work placements, structured workplace learning and ASBA’s opportunities to ascertain their views on:

Students’ initial understanding of business and work Approaches to induction Off-the-job training quality Skills and knowledge on completion of training.


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5. Implementation of future directions

To achieve the proposed improvements to the provision of VET for secondary students in ACT public schools outlined in this Review, it is suggested that ETD play a leadership role, particularly in the priority issue of maintaining compliant public school RTO arrangements.

Stakeholders indicated that such leadership would be welcome to guide change and provide clear communication.

It is suggested that ETD develop a comprehensive implementation plan for its reform and share the implementation plan with key stakeholders as one element of building clarity, collaboration and confidence. Many of the options provided in this Review are interlinked and these linkages should be reflected in implementation.


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References


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Australian Capital Territory. (2004). Education Act 2014. ACT Parliamentary Counsel.

Australasian Curriculum, Assessment and Certification Authorities (ACACA). (2012). Vocational Education and Training in Senior Secondary Certificates of Education. ACACA Report.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2014). National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy Achievement in Reading, Persuasive Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy: National Report for 2014. ACARA, Sydney.

Australian Skills Quality Authority. (2015). Users’ Guide. Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015. Australian Government.

Canberra Institute of Technology. (2015). Statement of Intent 2015-2016.

Casey, H., Cara, O., Eldred, J., Grief, S., Hodge, R., Ivanič, R., Jupp, T., Lopez, D., McNeil, B. (2006). ‘“You wouldn’t expect a maths teacher to teach plastering…” Embedding literacy, language and numeracy in post-16 vocational programmes – the impact on learning and achievement’. National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy, United Kingdom.

Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES). (2014). Review of Government School Funding in the ACT – Analysis and Findings. Unpublished report prepared for the Education and Training Directorate.

Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Council of Australian Governments Meeting Communique. Hobart, 30th April 2009.

Clarke, K. (2014). Entry to vocations: building the foundations for successful transitions. NCVER, Adelaide.

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2014). The On Track Survey 2014. The Destinations of School Leavers in Victoria. State-wide Report. Performance and Evaluation Division, State of Victoria.


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Department of Education, Training and Employment. (2014). Next Step 2014. A report on the destinations of Year 12 completers from 2013 in Queensland. Queensland Government.

Education and Training Directorate ACT. (2015a). Education Capital: Leading the Nation 2015 Action Plan. ACT Government.

Education and Training Directorate ACT. (2015b). Pathways Planning. ACT Government. http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/transition_careers_and_vocational_learning/pathways_planning

Education and Training Directorate ACT. (2015c). Skilled Capital. ACT Government. http://www.det.act.gov.au/training/funded_training_initiatives/skilled-capital

Education Council. (2014). Preparing Students for Work. A framework for vocational learning and VET delivered to secondary students. Education Services Australia.

Hattie, J. (2003). Teachers Make a Difference. What is the research evidence? Australian Council for Educational Research Annual Conference.

Lamb, S., Markussen, E., Teese, R., Sandberg, N., Polesel, J. (2011). School Dropout and Completion. International Comparative Studies In Theory and Policy. Dordrecht, Springer.

MCEETYA. (2008). Melbourne Declaration of Goals for Young Australians. Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs.

New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2014). Vocational Pathways Success, Challenges, Next Steps 2014.

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (2014). VET in Schools 2013. Statistical Report.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). Creating Pathways to Success, An education and career/life planning program for Ontario Schools. Ministry of Education.


http://www.det.act.gov.au/training/funded_training_initiatives/skilled-capital

http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/transition_careers_and_vocational_learning/pathways_planning

http://www.det.act.gov.au/school_education/transition_careers_and_vocational_learning/pathways_planning

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Appendix 1: ACT Public School Network Diagram


TuggeranongErindale College

Lake Tuggeranong College

Calwell High SchoolCaroline Chisholm School

Lanyon High SchoolNamadgi School

Wanniassa School BelconnenHawker College

UCSSCol Lake GinninderraMelba Copland Secondary School

Belconnen HighCanberra High School

Kingsford Smith High SchoolUC High School Kaleen

South/Weston Canberra College

Narrabundah College

Alfred Deakin HighMelrose High SchoolMount Stromlo HighTelopea Park SchoolThe Woden School North/Gungahlin

Dickson CollegeGungahlin College

Amaroo SchoolBlack Mountain SchoolCampbell High School

Gold Creek SchoolLyneham High School

Harrison School

ACT Public School Networks

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Appendix 2: ACT College/High School VET Provision

Source: Data collected from schoolsNotes: *High school has a third-party agreement with more than one college


College/High School Networks

2014 VET Provision

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Appendix 3: ACT School RTO Scope (at October 2014)

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Certificate II in Information, Digital Media and Technology Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9Certificate I in Information, Digital Media and Technology Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7Certificate I in Hospitality Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7Certificate II in Hospitality Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7Certificate II in Business Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7Certificate I in Furnishing Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7Certificate I in Business Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7Certificate II in Community Services Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7Certificate I in Active Volunteering Y Y Y Y Y Y 6Certificate II in Tourism Y Y Y Y Y Y 6Certificate II in Live Production and Services Y Y Y Y Y 5Certificate II in Sport and Recreation Y Y Y Y Y 5Certificate II in Live Production, Theatre and Events Y Y Y Y Y 5Certificate II in Music Y Y Y Y Y 5Certificate II in Creative Industries (Media) Y Y Y Y 4Certificate I in Automotive Vocational Preparation Y Y Y Y 4Certificate II in Applied Fashion Design and Technology Y Y Y 3Certificate II in Kitchen Operations Y Y Y 3Certificate I in Engineering Y Y Y 3Certificate II in Active Volunteering Y Y Y 3Certificate I in Work Preparation (Community Services) Y Y Y 3Certificate II in Construction Pathways Y Y 2Certificate I in Construction Y Y 2Certificate III in Business Y Y 2Certificate II in Engineering Y Y 2Certificate I in Information, Digital Media and Technology Y Y 2Certificate II in Information and Cultural Services Y 1Certificate I in Workplace Skills Y 1Certificate III in Live Production, Theatre and Events (Technical Operations)

Y 1

Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation Y 1Certificate II in Painting and Decorating (Pre-Apprenticeship) Y 1Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology Y 1Certificate II in Engineering Pathways Y 1Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation Y 1Total on scope 15 14 14 18 17 17 15 15 6


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Appendix 4: ACT Trade Training Centres


Belconnen Regional Trade Skills Centre Tuggeranong Sustainable Living Trade Training Centre

Size of investment $8,000,064 $8,163,000Facilities constructed The Trades Skills Centre includes the

refurbishment of existing facilities to include commercial kitchens, teaching cafes, workshops for automotive, construction, engineering and furniture making, a greenhouse and also the provision of equipment across seven sites within the cluster.

The Trade Training Centre includes the refurbishment of seven existing facilities to include construction workshops, automotive workshops, commercial kitchens and horticulture workshops and also the provision of equipment across seven sites within the cluster.

Programs in operation Automotive, Construction, Engineering, Food Processing, Furnishing, Horticulture, Hospitality. To address skills shortages in horticulture and in the trades of baker, cabinetmaker, carpenter, cook, metal fabricator, motor mechanics (general) and pastry cook.

Automotive, Building and Construction, Furniture Construction, Hospitality, Horticulture. To address skills shortages in horticulture and the trades of carpenter and joiner, cook, landscape gardener and motor mechanic.

Sites The University of Canberra Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra,Belconnen High, Canberra High, Hawker College, Kingsford Smith School, Melba Copland School and the University of Canberra High School Kaleen.

Erindale College, Calwell High School, Caroline Chisholm School, Lake Tuggeranong College, Lanyon High School, Wanniassa School Senior Campus, Namadgi School

Starting year of operation Expected - 2016 2014Management TBA Lake Tuggeranong-Erindale TTC Board

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Appendix 5: List of completed consultations

CollegesCanberra CollegeDickson CollegeErindale CollegeGungahlin CollegeHawker CollegeLake Tuggeranong CollegeMelba Copland Secondary CollegeNarrabundah CollegeUniversity of Canberra Senior Secondary CollegeCollege Principal Roundtable

Invitations in all colleges were extended to Principals, Deputy Principals, VET Co-ordinators, VET Teachers, Business Managers and Trade Training Centre Managers (where applicable).

High SchoolsSouth Weston Network High School Principal RoundtableBelconnen Network RoundtableNorth/Gungahlin network High School RoundtableTuggeranong Network High School Roundtable

Invitations were extended to all High School Principals and other interested staff to participate in the roundtable discussions.

ConsultationsACT Building & Construction Industry Training Fund AuthorityACT Council of Parents and CitizensACT Teacher Quality InstituteACT Training and Tertiary Education Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET)Australian Education Union (AEU)Australian National University - Tribal Indigenous Higher Education CentreASBA hostsAustralian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)Chair of the Board of Senior Secondary StudiesDirector of the Office of the Board of Senior Secondary StudiesBoard of Senior Secondary Studies, VET Sub-CommitteeBoard of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSWCanberra Business Chamber – Education and Training TaskforceCanberra Institute of Technology (CIT)


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Canberra Southern Cross ClubDepartment for Education and Child Development, SAICT Industry EmployerKangara Waters IRT Aged Care FacilityMaster Builders Group Training NSW Department of Education & CommunitiesQueensland Curriculum and Assessment AuthorityQueensland Department of Education and Training (QLD DET)SACE Board of South AustraliaTraining & Tertiary EducationTAFE QLDTransition and Careers Officers - Focus GroupSant’ Antonio Aged Care FacilityStructured Workplace Learning Team membersVictorian Curriculum and Assessment AuthorityVictorian Department of Education and Training

Independent VET quality auditors and consultants


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Appendix 6: Jurisdictional VET Arrangements“The following information on state arrangement for VET delivered to secondary student has been compiled by CIRES from a number of sources in each state”

New South Wales

Overview of accredited VET delivered to government schools students in New South WalesPurpose of VET in Schools

The NSW Government is committed to preparing young people to take their place in the workforce and continue on to further training by providing VET courses for students while still at school that create pathways into qualifications while providing high quality training in transferable, entry level skills. It is a key priority of the NSW Government to increase to 90% the proportion of young people aged between 20- 24 who have completed Year 12 or a recognised AQF qualification at Certificate III level or above by 2020.

See https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/vetinschools/documents/pdf/vet/VETinSchools13.pdf for a statement of purpose and description.

VET program parameters and delivery arrangementsSchool year levels VET is available

Stage 5 (Years 9–10) and Stage 6 (Years 11–12) VET courses can be studied as part of the Record of School Achievement (RoSA) or Higher School Certificate (HSC). These courses are developed by packaging appropriate AQF VET qualifications and units of competency for study as part of the RoSA or HSC. Currently there are 13 Stage 6 Board Developed Industry Curriculum Frameworks (Frameworks), each containing a suite of HSC courses in a specific industry area. Stage 6 Board Endorsed VET courses (VET BECs) exist in a wide range of industry areas not covered by Frameworks. In 2015 there are approximately 130 VET BECs.

In 2015 there are 13 Stage 5 VET BECs available for study in Year 9 or 10. These are 100-hour elective courses, which are credentialled on the RoSA.

In addition to accredited VET courses, NSW also has ‘work related’ curriculum available to students as electives in Years 7–10 and/or Years 11–12: Work Education (Years 7–10) provides students with the opportunity to develop

knowledge and understanding of the world of work, the diverse sectors within the community, and the roles of education, employment and training systems.

Work Studies (Years 11–12) aims to enable students to develop the skills, knowledge, understanding and confidence to experience a successful transition from school to work and further education and training.

Parameters for VET delivery

VET courses contributing to the RoSA and/or HSC can only be delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs) that meet national standards and have the relevant qualification and units of competency on their scope of registration.


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In NSW, secondary schools or colleges are designated delivery sites of school system RTOs. This includes the four NSW Public Schools RTOs, nine Catholic Dioceses RTOs and the Association of Independent Schools of NSW RTO.

There is virtually no use of partnership or ‘auspicing’ arrangements in NSW for VET delivered to secondary students.

The majority of VET Programs for Secondary Students (VPSS) are delivered in the Government sector, and through school-based RTOs who have direct responsibility and accountability for compliance with the VET Quality Framework (internal provision). About a third is delivered by TAFE NSW, with a small amount delivered by private/community RTOs (external provision). Externally delivered VET needs to be purchased from an RTO.

In 2013, Public Schools NSW implemented a new organisational model to provide support to NSW government schools. Part of this new model is how Government RTOs will operate. The previous model of 10 RTOs which mirrored the previous 10 Education Regions has changed to 4 RTOs:RTO 90162 – Public Schools NSW, TamworthRTO 90072 – Public Schools NSW, UltimoRTO 90222 – Public Schools NSW, Macquarie ParkRTO 90333 – Public Schools NSW, Wagga Wagga.

The Department reports that TAFE activity in VETiS is likely to decline in 2016 due to changes in TAFE NSW funding formulas leading to increased cost of provision.

The Department notes that ASQA audit requirements are a key concern for the 4 Public Schools RTOs and the Senior Pathways group but successful ASQA re-registration during 2015 has been a positive experience.

Relationship of VET to the senior secondary certificates

All VET courses are either developed or endorsed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES) for inclusion in the RoSA or HSC.

Each unit of competency in a VET courses is given a credit rating called ‘indicative hours’ which is reflective of the relative level of complexity and volume of learning in the unit of competency. 60 HSC indicative hours = 1 HSC credit unit.

For the award of the HSC, students must complete 22 credit units – 12 Preliminary and 10 HSC – including a minimum of 4 units of English.

Students undertaking VET courses as part of the HSC generally have the opportunity to achieve a Certificate II or Certificate III qualification. A small number of students undertake courses providing a pathway to a Certificate I or Certificate IV qualification. (Pathways to Diploma or higher-level qualifications are not provided through the RoSA or HSC.)

In NSW students can only undertake a School-based Apprenticeship and Traineeship


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(SBA/T) as part of their HSC pattern of study, and the formal training component (VET course) must contribute unit credit towards the HSC. SBA/Ts may also elect to complete Industry-based Learning – a Board Endorsed course providing up to 4 additional credit units for evidence of learning from their employment in the workplace. (This course has generic course outcomes based around employability skills and is not an accredited VET course.)

Nearly all VET recognised in the HSC is through HSC VET courses. Provision also exists for unspecified recognition through HSC credit transfer arrangements. Students who have completed qualifications through an RTO within the last five years may gain up to 10 credit units towards the HSC by applying for credit transfer.

VET subjects/ qualifications and ATAR

NSW universities use the marks achieved by a student in their best 10 HSC credit units from Board Developed courses (including 2 HSC credit units from English) to calculate an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

Students who have completed the ‘standard’ course from VET Frameworks (usually 240-hour course) are eligible to sit the associated HSC VET examination. This examination mark can contribute to the calculation of their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

NSW universities have currently designated VET Framework courses and examinations as ‘Category B’. For the purposes of the ATAR no more than two units can be included from Category B courses.

The HSC VET examination is independent of competency-based assessment undertaken during their accredited VET course and has no impact on student eligibility for qualifications.

Board Endorsed VET courses contribute to the RoSA or HSC, but not to the ATAR.

Structured workplace learning (SWL) arrangements

Both Structured Work Placement or Structured workplace learning (SWL), and the more general Workplace learning, forms part of the NSW secondary school provision and is available to students from Years 9–12.

Workplace learning includes, but is not limited to, work experience, career and enterprise education programs, community learning and student mentoring programs.

Structured Work Placement refers to contextual workplace learning conducted by employers in the workplace for certain HSC VET courses. This process is assisted through both the brokerage services of Work Placement Service Providers (WPSPs) and an on-line tool (www.Go2workplacement.com).

SWL is a key objective of the NSW Government to improve linkages between schools, local business, industry, TAFE and the community.


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NSW sees itself as leading Australia in the provision of work placements. More than 80% of HSC VET enrolments have access to a minimum of 70 hours to improve their workplace skills.

VET Framework courses have mandatory work placement requirements. Typically, a minimum of 70 hours of work placement would be allocated to a 240-hour course and 35 hours of work placement would be allocated to a 120-hour course. Variations exist based on industry requirements and expectations, as well as consideration of the qualification outcome of the course.

School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBA/Ts) require a specified number of days of training as an apprentice or trainees, with a minimum 100 days of paid employment, or as specified by the relevant Vocational Training Order. It enables them to complete the first year of an apprenticeship (and progress to second year post-school) or fully complete a traineeship.

The NSW DEC workplace learning policy covers all forms of workplace learning undertaken while at school, including SBA/Ts.

RTO arrangements and the impact of compliance with the 2015 RTO standards

All national standards, noting that considerable emphasis is placed on ASQA compliance, and a range of resources and other assistance is available centrally and at the RTO level to ensure this compliance.

The operation of school clusters/ networks in VET delivery

Not really applicable to VET program in NSW, however see below.

Trades Training Centres – asset management and sustainability

In the five rounds of the Trade Training Centres in Schools Program, the Commonwealth has provided approximately $300 million in funding to NSW Government schools to fund some 140 projects involving 267 NSW government schools.

In addition to single school projects, many schools have clustered to increase student access to training across a broader range of industry areas.

Whilst most training is delivered in construction, hospitality, metal and engineering and primary industries, some projects also offer training in automotive, beauty, early childhood education and care, electro technology, furnishing and hairdressing.

Funding to support VET delivery Funding to support delivery

NSW has a systematic approach to funding and organisation. By far the greatest proportion of the cost of VETiS in the state is paid centrally, allocated centrally or integrated into school budgets.


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The NSW Skills Board is responsible for the distribution of Commonwealth VET funds.

TAFE NSW Institutes are currently (2015) resourced on the basis of student contact hours for the mix of units of competency/modules included in course delivery, and charges reflect the cost and/or site of delivery and apply to all school sectors. (There are currently 6 cost categories, but that will change in 2016.)

TAFE NSW provides VET courses to non-government schools on a fee for service according to a set of prescribed charges paid annually.

For Government schools, the administrative overhead costs are managed internally within the department through transfer of a proportion of the school staffing entitlement to contribute to the cost incurred by TAFE NSW or other external VET course providers. There is also a central fund to resource supplementary costs of delivery. In the case of a mixed secondary school sector class, costs are shared on a pro-rata basis, based on enrolment numbers.

Student Fees Students in Government schools do not pay a surcharge for any VET delivery. There may be a cost recovery process in operation for materials in some courses but this is not limited to VET courses.

VET sector funding available

VET sector funding is available for school-based apprentices and trainees (SBA/Ts) only. The funding covers the component of the SBA/T delivered by the RTO.

There are 5 funding sources for VET delivered to secondary students in the NSW Government schools system:1. Normal salaries for schools includes teachers delivering VET courses as part of

the 4 RTOs’ operations2. A component from State funding to fund a range of positions in both state office

and the 4 RTOs for management of curriculum, VET teacher training updates and RTO compliance (amongst others)

3. Schools transfer a component of their school salaries for any student involved in VET external delivery to help pay for external delivery of VET courses

4. NSW Skills Board allocates Commonwealth VET funds to the school sectors to help pay for both the management of RTO compliance and continual improvement, as well as for some external delivery.

The SWL component is now funded from within the NSW schools budget.

Other VET settingsAccountability arrangements and reporting

All VET courses fall within a coherent curriculum framework under broad industry groupings that are generally consistent with the State Training Profile. Some VET courses sit outside the prescribed skills list as schools tend to take a broader view of the role of VET in the school provision of pathway development.

Schools determine senior secondary provision, including VET course provision.


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Responsibility for student engagement and retention, along with post school pathways, influences VET provision by schools. School accountability measures reinforce these responsibilities.

Local school principals are accountable to their school communities.

All RTOs must collect and report ‘Total VET Activity’ data. The BOSTES’ Schools Online (Administration) system enables qualification and unit of competency participation and achievement data to be collected. On behalf of the three school sectors, BOSTES compile the AVETMISS report and submit to NCVER each year.

Career education and pathway planning

The ‘School to Work’ website maintained by Public Schools NSW provides advice for students, teachers and parents and carers. In particular, it assists students in Years 9–12 to make informed decisions through a range of programs including work experience and careers counselling. Some schools extend this approach to students in Years 7–8. There are 4 key elements (action areas) to the program: Planning transition pathways – supporting students to self-manage their career

and transition planning Exploring career futures – proving student with access to a range of resources

and opportunities related to work, education and training options Strengthening student outcomes through vocational learning by supporting

teachers to identify and provide opportunities for their students, and Building networks and connections by using strategic connections, partnerships

and networks.

See also http://www.careeradvicensw.com.

Best Practice resources

The NSW Department provides the following best practice resources at the website including http://www.Go2workplacement.com.


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Queensland


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Overview of accredited VET delivered to government schools in Queensland Purpose of VET in Schools

In Queensland the term ‘VET in schools’ or ‘VET for school students’, encompasses the following activities:

Vocational learning (activities and programs that assist students to make informed career choices that is not nationally recognised VET); and

Nationally recognised VET delivered to school students, which includes school based apprenticeship and traineeships.10

VET delivered to school students can be used to support transitions from school to the labour market into higher-level VET or higher education.

QLD has led Australia in VET participation for some time; in 2013, NCVER data shows 91,000 VETiS students enrolled throughout Queensland (36% of Australia’s VETiS students). Stakeholders attributed this to early (1990s) departmental leaders who were personally committed to building VET in schools and, more recently, to the significant investment in VETiS through the State’s VET Investment Budget.


VET learning is available to students in Years 10 to 12 as part of their senior secondary education.


All schooling sectors in Queensland enable students to access VET while at schools. They do this by having their schools recognised as a registered training organisation (RTO), by partnering with an external RTO (such as TAFE or a private provider), or through direct engagement of an RTO.

Most VET delivery to school students in Queensland is delivered by secondary schools approved as Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), under delegation from ASQA, is responsible for ensuring that school RTOs, meet nationally approved quality standards.

For school RTOs there are no restrictions on choice of qualification nor industry sector. Schools may choose to purchase VET delivery from any RTO.


The Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) has been in place since 2008. Students usually accumulate credit towards a QCE during Years 10, 11 and 12 but can continue to add to their QCE credit for 7 years after leaving school. The QCE requires students to accumulate 20 credits consisting of 12 Core, up to 6 Preparatory, up to 6 Enrichment and up to 8 Advanced. All VET achievement from AQF 1-5 can potentially contribute to the QCE based on block credit. The credit available for VET qualification by AQF level is shown in Attachment One.

10 QLD like other jurisdictions supports the national VET Framework: Preparing Secondary Students for Work — A framework for vocational learning and VET delivered to secondary students and is moving away from the use of the acronym VETiS


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As with other jurisdictions there are some anomalies in the QLD block credit system. For example a student completing a diploma is eligible for 8 units credit towards a 20 unit QCE. Many universities would grant the same student a full year’s credit towards a cognate bachelor degree for the same diploma. Although the purposes of senior secondary certificates, VET and higher education qualifications are different, the block credit arrangements do seem to undervalue VET qualifications. N.B. Diploma enrolments account for only 1% of QLD VETiS.


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VET qualifications and ATAR

QLD is not part of the ATAR system. Instead tertiary entrance relies on Overall Position rankings based on QLD Curriculum and Assessment Authority subjects. VET achievement is not recognised in the Overall Position ranking

Structured workplace learning arrangements

QLD school RTOs meet the requirements for structured workplace learning are defined in individual training packages.

At a broader level the QCAA defines Structured workplace learning (SWL) as ‘ a recognised course that delivers a significant amount of learning in a real workplace… SWL courses:

deliver real employability skills which benefit employers and young people are developed by industry and may complement strategies that address

skills shortages can supplement recruitment drives by giving young people the

opportunity to ‘sample’ careers in a particular industry provide opportunities for young people to create workplace networks supplement core studies that may be undertaken at school, an RTO or a

precursor to an apprenticeship’. In QLD SWL is a recognised course, developed by QCAA, delivering learning in a real workplace for students at years 10, 11 and 12, and contributing to achievement of QLD Certificate of Education. ‘SWL courses must total 60–80 hours of learning, which includes:

at least two hours devoted to preparatory activities at least 40 hours in a real workplace at least two hours devoted to post-workplace reflective activities’

Students often undertake SWL in conjunction with VETiS e.g. Sunshine Coast Technical Trade Training Centre prospectus.

The Gateway to Industry Schools Program (GISP) is an industry engagement program managed by the Department of Education and Training (DET) to support the long-term enhancement of a highly skilled workforce in Queensland. Currently, the program operates across six industries:

Aerospace Agribusiness Building and construction Food and wine tourism Manufacturing and engineering Minerals and energy.

The primary objectives of GISP are to: Promote and facilitate partnerships with key organisations and the

education system that will support the development of effective post-school entry into identified industries.


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Assist in the provision of employment opportunities for school students and trainees in the identified and related industries

Support the identified industries in its workforce planning and development activities to enhance its capacity and commitment to engage new entrants from the school sector

Engage with school, communities, industry and government to provide relevant learning experiences, and enable access to career pathways to create a pool of future employees.

Industry-school engagement provides opportunities for young people to undertake structured workplace learning, industry contextualised school learning, school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, full-time employment or further study through industry-school partnerships. GISP provides industry with the flexibility to develop and implement tailored school engagement approaches and activities. This means the program allows industry specific projects to determine the type and level of engagement with participating schools.

‘There are currently over 120 schools across Queensland actively participating in the program with a number of schools engaging with more than one industry.’ 11

11 http://www.gatewayschools.qld.gov.au/about/program.html


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Stakeholders have varying views on quality of VET in schools, reflecting the different perceptions of quality held in the wider VET community. Although the policy documents focus on quality outcomes such as employment and further VET learning, some stakeholders equated quality with compliance. In respect to compliance, stakeholders interviewed held differing views as to how well this is managed for VETiS in Queensland.

ASQA has delegated authority to the QCAA to oversee the quality of Queensland’s approximately 370 school RTOs.12 The QCAA is currently working with schools to achieve compliance with the new ASQA standards, mainly through a series of professional development workshops.

Some stakeholders maintain that the QCAA is well prepared for the new ASQA standards and that its audit program is very strong. Others (outside the department and public authorities) maintain that QCAA processes are less stringent than comparable ASQA processes with the QCAA taking a soft approach to compliance and giving schools unlimited time to rectify non-compliances. There was a view, amongst some consulted, that schools were not yet fully aware of the likely costs of providing compliant VET in the future.

Some stakeholders interviewed for this study consistently identified a number of challenges for VET quality in Queensland particularly:

the difficulty for some schools, particularly in rural areas, to meet the new requirements relating to industry consultation for all VET studies;

the lack of capacity in many schools to provide appropriate on the job experience;

the low rate of conversion of VETiS qualifications into post school employment or further VET study;

the high level of investment in VET qualifications not related to labour market priorities;

students gaining multiple VET qualifications whilst at school that may not be linked to their future occupations.

We noted that these concerns were summarised in the 2012 Taskforce report and that strategies are now in place to address these.

The operation of school clusters/networks in VET delivery

Formal networks and clusters, as seen in some other States, are not a significant feature of VETiS programs in Queensland however schools can choose to enter into partnership arrangements under industry-school partnership programs such as Trade Training Centres (https://education.gov.au/trade-training-centres-schools-program) and Gateway Schools (http://www.gatewayschools.qld.gov.au/). The details of these arrangements will vary by schooling sector and schools within sectors.These involve the education sector and industry working together to deliver the

12 Queensland VETiS Summary


http://www.gatewayschools.qld.gov.au/

https://education.gov.au/trade-training-centres-schools-program


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best possible training outcomes for students and industry.


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There are currently 43 TTCs operating in QLD with highest participation in engineering, food and hospitality, agriculture, science and building and construction (Roundtable Summary). 67% TTC delivery at Cert I level compared with 23% in all QLD VETiS delivery.

A national review of the TTC program was commissioned and its report is available, see http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/final_ttc_independent_review_13_oct.docx See next section for comments on TTC funding.


Approximately 80% of VETiS delivery in Queensland is resourced and delivered by school RTOs, but not necessarily transparent in school budgets. Students may be asked to contribute to costs. Queensland also invests in VETiS through its VET Investment Budget. On 1 July 2014, Queensland implemented the VETiS VET Funding Framework which outlines the funding parameters for use of publicly funded VET investment for the delivery of VET in schools. The two main changes were:

The VET investment budget funds employment stream qualifications which are those qualifications that have been identified in consultation with industry as being required for a high skills priority area or presenting strong employment prospects for students (funded under the Certificate 313 Guarantee program);

Schools and students undertaking VETiS funded by the VET investment budget can choose any RTO, approved by DET as a pre-qualified supplier, to deliver the training. Previously, this was limited to TAFE.

As a result The 2014-15 Annual VET Investment Plan allocated $30 million for VETiS (excludes school-based apprentices and trainees) under DET’s Certificate Guarantee for employment stream qualifications (62 approved for 19/1/2015)14 however, as VETiS is demand driven, this figure is indicative only.

User ChoiceSchool-based apprenticeships and traineeships are also funded through DET’s VET investment budget, under the User Choice program. In 2014-15, $225 million was available through User Choice, with $200 million allocated specifically to apprenticeship and traineeship training.

DET periodically reviews the VETiS qualifications funded by the VET Investment budget to ensure qualifications continue to address skills priorities and industry needs, and to ensure VET remains a priority in Queensland schools.

13 QLD uses the Arabic numeral to designate this program14 VETiS (Training budget) Employment Stream List current as at 19 January 2015 http://www.training.qld.gov.au/resources/individuals/pdf/vetisstreamlist.pdf


http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/final_ttc_independent_review_13_oct.docx

http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/final_ttc_independent_review_13_oct.docx

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In addition, students who do complete a certificate III while at school are able to access government subsidised training post-school to complete an additional qualification. The VET Investment budget provides access to and funding for certificate III level qualifications for students post-school through Year 12 fee-free training and the Certificate 3 Guarantee.

Schools using the VET investment budget for their VETiS requirements are able to choose any RTO that is approved by DET as a pre-qualified supplier. School RTOs are not eligible to become a pre-qualified supplier for the delivery of VETiS.

VETiS funded through school resourcesSchools can deliver nationally recognised VET to school students up to and including Certificate IV level qualifications from within their existing resources. Funding is managed at an individual school level. If the school does not have the required training within their scope of registration, it can engage the services of an external RTO to deliver the training. Training delivery is funded by the individual school and/or through contributions from the student/parent.

Further, schools can choose to enter into partnership arrangements under industry-school partnership programs such as Trade Training Centres (https://education.gov.au/trade-training-centres-schools-program) and Gateway Schools (http://www.gatewayschools.qld.gov.au/). The details of these arrangements vary by schooling sector and amongst schools within sectors.

VET for school students funded through fee-for-service arrangementsSome school students choose to undertake training directly with an external RTO on a fee-for-service basis without intervention/facilitation by the school.

Support with VET compliance and quality management costsSchools are starting to recognise that VET delivery and compliance costs are greater than is the case for traditional academic subjects. There is no central funding to address compliance costs however there is some funding to support school based VET teachers to obtain the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. In addition the QCAA provides professional development for school based VET teachers, delivering training in compliance at cost although charging market rates for PD related to TP implementation.


http://www.gatewayschools.qld.gov.au/


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Student Fees Student fees vary depending on how each VET program is funded.

VETiS funded under VET Investment budget is fee-free for students.15 Subsidies for VETiS are detailed in the Queensland Training Subsidies List (www.skillsgateway.training.qld.gov.au/content/user/subsidy/SUBSIDIES-LIST.pdf) The maximum subsidy for VETiS students will be paid in most circumstances. The subsidy for each VETiS qualification is intended to cover the costs associated with participating in the training. In some instances however, there may be a shortfall between the subsidy level and the fees charged by the training provider (known as a co-contribution fee). Schools are expected to select RTOs in consultation with students/parents and to absorb the co-contribution fee. This fee should not be passed on to students. Full fees are charged for non-approved courses e.g. CQU’s BSB20112 Cert II in Business costs $2,376 and CHC30113 Cert III in Early Childhood Education and Care costs $2,970, however costs will vary significantly between RTOs.

VET sector funding available

Queensland secondary schools have a long history of curricular freedom and this is reflected in the State’s approach to VETiS qualifications. There are no restrictions on the VET qualifications available to secondary students in QLD except for those funded under the VET Investment budget; a small proportion of total VETiS. Changes to VET Investment funded VETiS delivery to secondary students under the VET Investment budget were introduced on 1 July 2014, when 62 VETiS Certificate I and II qualifications (mainly Certificate II) were approved for this delivery, on industry advice and recognising that these lead to employment. http://www.training.qld.gov.au/resources/individuals/pdf/vetisstreamlist.pdf . Certificate III qualifications are not included in this list because students are encouraged to complete these through participation in a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship funded by the VET Investment budget. In addition schools are free to decide to deliver and resource any other Certificate III qualification.

Participation in QLD VETiS by qualification level is summarised in Attachment Two: QLD VETiS Delivery Data.


Individual schools determine senior secondary provision, including VET studies. Secondary students may also enrol in VET qualifications offered outside the school system under certain circumstances. QLD VET data is managed as part of the State’s Student Learning Management System (SLMS). There are four uploads a year and even RTOs providing VETiS to school students can upload into SLMS through AVETMISS so that all VET undertaken by secondary students can be recognised in the certificate.

15 http://www.training.qld.gov.au/resources/individuals/pdf/vetis-fact-sheet.pdf


http://www.skillsgateway.training.qld.gov.au/content/user/subsidy/SUBSIDIES-LIST.pdf

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The QLD Government supports career education and pathway planning through many of its VETiS initiatives including its structured workplace learning program and the new Gateway to Industry schools programs.

In addition QLD provides a range of resources to support schools and students with career education and pathways planning such as the Queensland Skills Gateway.

Schools coordinate and manage the delivery of careers education, and the delivery therefore varies from school to school. Most schools implement careers education within general curriculum and pastoral care programs. Access to careers education generally increases as students’ progress through the schooling years.

Students in Year 10 in state schools are supported by school staff, in partnership with parents to develop a Senior Education and Training Plan (SET Plan). The SET Plan maps out a student’s plan of action for his or her education and training through the compulsory participation phase. This includes a signed agreement outlining roles and responsibilities.

Work experience assists students in their transition from school to work. It provides a formal arrangement whereby students, while enrolled at a school participate in activities at a place of paid or voluntary work. Students who are at least 14 years old may undertake work sampling, work shadowing, research work experience and structured work placement.


1. The QLD Student Learning Management System which captures all VET provided to secondary students is an excellent initiative. The Roundtable summary identified that giving credit for all VETiS in QCE has resulted in more learning being recorded on the QCE and ‘supports the principle of inclusion and flexibility and valuing “real” learning in a variety of forms’.

2. Each year the QLD Minister for Education publishes a Year 12 Outcomes Report in the Courier Mail newspaper. This report includes information on the number of students awarded VET qualifications for each school. In this way it mainstreams VETiS achievement.

3. Queensland’s School to Trade Pathway Incentive provides employers with up to $5,000 to commence a school-based apprentice and retain them in a full-time apprenticeship after they have completed their schooling.

4. The Gateway School projects provide specialised school and industry based training for priority industries


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Attachment One

From ACAC Report VET in Senior Secondary Certificates of Education 2012

Attachment Two: QLD VETiS participation data From Queensland VETiS Summary, Queensland Roundtable 7 April 2014


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South Australia

Overview of accredited VET delivered to government schools students in South AustraliaPurpose of VET in Schools

DECD Student Pathways and Years 8-12 policy portfolio and the related Student Pathways Strategy has the following objectives to meet the DECD Strategic Plan goal and the relevant business drivers. These are:

1. Increase young people’s completion and achievement of SACE that leads to pathways beyond school.

2. Increase young people’s participation in STEM pathways, School Based Apprenticeships and VET pathways (particularly to Certificate III).

3. Strengthen young people’s active involvement in planning and implementing their learning, career and pathway decisions.

In relation to goal 1 above, “One of the key elements of the new South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) is the increased capacity for VET to be recognised as part of the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), and for VET to count towards the calculation of an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and/or a TAFE SA selection score.’ Training and Skills Commission website

The recognition arrangements for VET in the SACE, as set out in the policy document, has the following strategic purposes:

To increase the responsiveness of the SACE and senior secondary schooling to the needs and interests of individual students

To enable students to plan and undertake study programs consistent with their post-school ambitions and aspirations, and

To encourage more students to complete the SACE

A final goal is to support students who seek to achieve other nationally recognised qualifications at the same time as they are studying for the SACE.


Undertaken by students in Years 10 to 12 as part of their senior secondary certificate. The majority is undertaken by students in Years 11 and 12 as part of SACE (see below).Levels covered generally include Certs I, II and III, although studies at Cert IV and higher may also be recognised in SACE, generally at stage 2. There are also ‘hybrid qualifications’, capable of being recognized at both stages 1 and 2.

The list of VET courses recognised within stage 1 or 2 of SACE is very broad and potentially covers a wide range of areas, including: animal care,


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automotive, business and finance, Christian ministry, clothing and textiles, community services, conservation and land management, construction, electrotechnology, engineering, food processing, foundation courses, furnishing, health, horticulture, hospitality, IT, justice and policing studies, laboratory operations, manufacturing, meat processing, media and design, mining and civil, music, art and culture, personal services, primary industry, property and surveying, public safety and asset management, racing, retail services, seafood industries, sport and recreation, tourism and events, transport and water. See the VET recognition register information sheet.

Note also that career and work issues are also considered in earlier years


In South Australia VETiS is referred to as VET for schools.

All schools sectors (Government, Catholic and Independent) deliver VETiS in SA, with the majority of students being enrolled in Govt. schools.

Up until now, South Australia’s Skills for all policy has played a fundamental role in VET for schools by making special provision to support training at school through expanding the available VET in SACE in order to develop smoother pathways between e\school and further training and work. To facilitate this The Training Guarantee for SACE Students (TGSS) has been developed for students who know they want to start a planned vocational pathway. They receive vocational education and training (VET) while they are at school and continue it after they leave.

Other programs may include: School-based Apprenticeships, involving students at years 10, 11 or

12 who want a more intensive on the job experience, particularly in trade related areas as part of their SACE with a view to converting to a full-time apprenticeship post-school. Eligible courses are subsidized under Skills for all

Industry Pathways Program (IPP), which enables students to combine secondary studies with VET to achieve nationally accredited VET qualification and their SACE at the same time

Trade Schools for the Future (TSfF) which is an education initiative that enables government high school students to combine their South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) studies with Vocational and Education Training (VET) in the form of a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship, see https://www.tradeschoolsforthefuture.sa.edu.au/

Regional VET programs hosted by schools and RTOs, where students remained enrolled in their home school and attend a host school or RTO for their chosen VET program. An example of such a program for Western Adelaide can be found at http://www.wats.sa.edu.au/vet_programs.htm.


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A VET in Schools Agreement (VISA) is single negotiated agreement between a school and TAFE SA wherein qualified teachers deliver and assess recognised training within school environment in partnership.

According to NCVER figures VETiS participation is proportionately low in SA.

Note that a new SA Government initiative ‘WorkReady’ will roll out on 1 July 2015. Its impact on and role in VET for schools programs is not yet clear.


For many years, VET has been able to be recognized in the SACE at Stage 1. In recent years, the SACE has been redeveloped, and since 2011 VET has also been able to count at Stage 2 of the SACE. Under this policy students could gain recognition for up to 150 of the required 200 SACE credits. This could be in the form of successfully completed VET qualifications or units of competency within qualifications. The SACE Board recognizes VET that is:

Listed on the training.gov.au website Delivered and assessed by, or under the auspices of, RTOs Delivered and assessed in accordance with the VET Quality

Framework Able to be certified on a transcript, statement of attainment, or

qualification issues by an RTO.

The remaining 50 credits are derived from the Personal Learning Plan or PLP (10 credits), the Research Project (10 credits), the literacy requirement (20 credits) and the numeracy requirement (10 credits).

Students earn 5 SACE credits for the completion of 35 nominal hours of VET and 10 credits for the completion of 70 nominal hours.

A maximum of two qualifications at Certificate I level can be counted towards the SACE, and there is no limit for qualifications at Certificate II or higher. See https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/documents/652891/705824/Recognition+Arrangements+for+Vocational+Education+and+Training+%28VET%29+in+the+SACE.docx/d7472ea5-8220-43eb-a78a-c4f5de3911c7 for recognition arrangements

VET subjects/quals and ATAR

A SACE student can count the completion of a Certificate III or above that has been deemed to be equivalent to Stage 2 of the SACE as the equivalent of one subject in the calculation of the university aggregate and/or TAFE SA aggregate and its associated ATAR and/or TAFE SA Selection Score.To obtain a university aggregate and an ATAR for tertiary entrance the student:

must qualify for the SACE comply with the rules regarding precluded combinations comply with the rules regarding counting restrictions


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complete at least 90 credits of study at Stage 2 of which 60 credits of study must be Tertiary Admissions Subjects (that is, three full-year subjects of 20-credits each). The remaining 30 credits may be comprised of a 10-credit Tertiary Admission Subjects and/or half a 20-credit Tertiary Admission Subjects and/or a ‘Recognised Study’. The completion of a VET Certificate III or above (that has been deemed to be equivalent to Stage 2 of the SACE) is considered a ‘Recognised Study’, and can contribute to a maximum of 20 credits.

For the completion of a VET Certificate III or above as a Recognised Study, the student receives a scaled score that is equivalent to the average of the best scaled scores for 70 credits from Tertiary Admissions Subjects.

For VET Certificate III or above to be included as ‘Recognised Studies' for Tertiary Entrance calculations, schools must complete a VET Qualification Verification Form, generated in Schools Online, on behalf of the student(s). Schools then submit this form with evidence of completion to the SACE Board by the VET results cut-off date.

The South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) tertiary entrance guidelines outline how ATAR scores are derived and used for tertiary admission.

Note that the PLP, English and mathematics subjects and the Research Project may also be industry or vocationally focused.


SWL occurs when a student is actively participating in a workplace as part of a formal VET enrolment within:

An IPP or other VET program, and/or A Training Guarantee for SACE students course.

An SWL is recommended to develop and consolidate the skills to the level required by the course or qualification, especially for students undertaking an institutional pathway in a school. Participation in SWL does not directly earn SACE credits, however it can contribute to other options in the SACE to accumulate SACE credits.

SACE also contains a subject ‘Workplace Practices’ which may be undertaken as a 10 credit subject or a 20 credit subject at Stage 1, and as a 10 credit subject or a 20 credit subject at Stage 2. It covers three areas of study:

Industry and Work Knowledge Vocational Learning Vocational Education and Training (VET).

In addition, SWL may be specified in the Training Package or other


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accredited program on the training.gov.au website.


Generally in accordance with ASQA guidelines, but if a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship will be subject to the requirements of the Training and Skills Commission (TASC).

There are a limited number of school-based RTOs (4 in total) which are focused on adult re-entry. For the most part VET programs occur through TAFE or private RTOs (predominantly TAFE), with appropriate auspicing arrangements in place.

Generally individual schools having RTO status is discouraged given the expense and level of expertise required to remain ASQA compliant.


Clusters and networks of ‘host’ and ‘home’ schools operate in relation to TTCs. In addition DECD policy indicates that schools operate within networks of schools and local service providers so that students can access VET Industry Pathways Programs and Trades Schools for the future arrangements to create training opportunities.

Operational guidelines are developed for these regionally-based clusters. An example set of guidelines for the Western Adelaide region, that is part of the Western Adelaide Secondary Schools Network (WASSN), can be found here. It involves 12 Government schools as well as participation by 7 Catholic and independent schools in the region in order to not only maximize available programs, but also rationalize times (using common days for timetabling purposes) and sites of delivery, as well as minimizing travel time and distance for participating students. Other examples are the Northern Adelaide State Secondary Schools Alliance (NASSSA), involving 10 Government schools and which collectively offer VET programs in a variety of areas: see details here and the Southern Adelaide and Fleurieu Trade School, involving a consortium of 13 schools.

As an example of the ways these might operate in the WASSN its Manager manages guidelines, resources, marketing materials, timelines, training, website, online management system, communication and other tasks as part of the promotion, enrolment, delivery, administration and management of its Regional VET Programs. Its Curriculum and Pathways Group has a role in expanding and enhancing Industry Pathway Programs (IPPs) and VET programs available to students in Western Adelaide, providing advice on improving efficiencies in the management of Regional VET Programs, ensuring a ‘spread’ of programs and pathways across the region, and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of programs across the region.

Trades Training Centres – asset management and

There are a number of TTCs in the Govt., Catholic and Independent systems.

It is reported through the ACACA reports that there were 32 operational


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sustainability TTCs in SA in 2012, and many of these operate as part of wider clusters or consortia involving a number of schools.

SA’s TTCs are reported to have concentrated in areas of skill shortage and jobs in demand. Major areas of enrolment in SA are in Engineering and Building and Construction, although there are lower levels in Agriculture, Food and Hospitality, Health and Science (in that order).

TTCs are focused in particular delivery areas. There can be issues in maintaining the facilities once set up to ensure that their physical resources, and the staff involved, remain ASQA compliant.


State Govt. funding for school students isprovided through Skills for all as part of the Training Guarantee for SACE students (TGSS). South Australian students who are 16 years and over and who are enrolled in and working towards completing the SACE (or equivalent) are eligible to receive funded training. They must also:

be planning to complete a Certificate III qualification (or higher) soon after leaving school

be undertaking at least 210 nominal hours of nationally accredited VET as an integrated part of their senior secondary program, and

be undertaking at least 140 hours of work placement that is relevant to the qualification being studied.

The course of study in which they enroll must be on the current approved funded training list. It must also be:

a planned vocational pathway that involves work placement to be undertaken with the SACE, and

one which will lead to a certificate III qualification (or higher) that the Skills for All Training Provider can guarantee a place for the TGSS Eligible Student on completion of the SACE.

A student is not entitled to Skills for All funded training if: they wish to undertake VET only for the purpose of completing the

SACE or the Course is not part of a planned pathway (including work

placement) to complete a certificate III qualification to ultimately gain employment in a related industry.

A TGSS is also not available to students who are employed under a training contract as part of a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship.

Funding support may be quite variable and complex. According to the WASSN guidelines:

It is agreed that Home Schools will pay for the cost of VET programs for students if it is part of the students’ genuine career pathway and


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SACE. The Home School maintains the full-time enrolment of Regional VET students.

Host Schools and Registered Training Organisations invoice Home Schools for the delivery of programs

Under the Training Guarantee for SACE Students (TGSS), if the course is on the Funded Training List (FTL) and the training provider is approved to deliver under Skills for All to school students.

Host Schools may also invoice Home Schools for extra training costs such as RTO fees, other training costs, e.g. a White Card or First Aid qualification and consumables and resources (that are to be consumed during the course)

Student Fees As an example, Home Schools in the WASSN group may invoice VET students

for a $100 Regional VET Fee. In addition, Host Schools in this group may charge for equipment/materials that become the personal property of the student (e.g. steel-capped boots or hairdressing kits etc.)

However, the approach to student fees differs across groups.VET sector funding available

See above in relation to ‘Skills for all’. Note that the impact of the move to ‘WorkReady’ (see link above) means that such funding arrangements for schools are presently unclear.


Schools determine senior secondary provision, including VET studies. Responsibility for student engagement and retention along with post school pathways influences VET provision by schools. School accountability measures reinforce these responsibilities. The On Track survey of all school leavers provides post school destination data to schools


Career education resources for schools are available from a range of sources. Additionally students are required to have a PLP as part of their SACE. DECD has a year 8 – 12 careers strategy


The SA Govt and other sources provide the following ‘best practice’ resources and guidelines, including:

TASC: http://www.tasc.sa.gov.au/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?Command=Core_Download&EntryId=128&PortalId=5&TabId=1047

DECD guidelines for Govt. schools: http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/vocationalpathways/pages/Guidelines/44310/?reFlag=1

Note: delivery of senior secondary certificated to students enrolled at non-school providers excluded from this summary.


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Victoria

Overview of accredited VET delivered to government schools students in Victoria Purpose of VET in Schools

Vocational learning in schools16 ‘…is a key component of the Victorian Government’s strategy to increase student retention, improve year 12 or equivalent completion rates, and address skill shortages by providing options for all students.’17

…VET in Schools (VETiS) is designed to expand opportunities and pathways for senior secondary students, and improve educational outcomes in line with the Victorian Government's objective to increase the number of young people completing Year 12 or equivalent. VETiS also addresses the skills and employment needs of industry in Victoria.’

In common with other jurisdictions Victoria has multiple goals for its VETiS programs, the most important being pathways into higher level VET or employment. Victorian VET programs also support pathways into higher education and retention. As in other jurisdictions there is disagreement amongst stakeholders about the relative importance of the various purposes prescribed for VET. This may reflect the still ambiguous status of vocational versus general education in the school curriculum.


Generally undertaken by students in Years 10 to 12 as part of their senior secondary certificate, although some schools offer VET courses to Year 9 students. Most VETiS is undertaken by students in Years 10 and 11.18


There are few constraints on schools’ choices of industry areas for VETiS in Victoria and no limitations on how schools spend their core SRP allocation on VETiS. However there are constraints on how schools spend their particular purpose VETiS funds. These funds can be used to support VETiS programs in a number of ways including:

‘a contribution towards the purchase of delivery from an external RTO; a contribution towards teacher professional development and training; costs associated with registering as an RTO; program planning; purchase of curriculum materials; and costs associated with the transition to training packages’.19

16 In line with the national VET Framework: Preparing Secondary Students for Work — A framework for vocational learning and VET delivered to secondary students, the DET ECSEG is moving away from the term VET in Schools. It will be replaced with secondary school students undertaking VET17 DET website. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/finance/pages/srpref056.aspx18 VCAA


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There are also restrictions on the use of VETiS funding for foundation studies and for particular AQF levels to ensure that the funding is not used for VETiS that duplicates secondary education nor for ‘tertiary’ education. Funding is therefore not available for enrolments in qualifications at Certificate I level (AQF1), above Certificate IV level, or for Certificates in General Education and Generalist programs such as Certificate II in EAL (Vocational Purposes), Certificate II in EAL Access and Certificate II in Science for Adults.

In addition VETiS funding can only be used to support students aged from 15 years to 20 years.

Whilst in Victoria schools generally initiate VETiS programs, other stakeholders may identify and promote new VETiS ideas. For example the Electrical Contractors Federation contacted the VCAA concerned that 50% of apprentices were failing the mathematics requirements for licensing. Increased need for mathematical skills in the industry led the Federation to request the development of a VCE VETiS program at units 3 and 4 level to better prepare potential apprentices and this was implemented. In another example the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) recently initiated the new Industry Pathways Program to provide better integrated VCE and VCAL VET and academic programs leading to broader industry sector opportunities. School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships are available to secondary school students aged 15 years and older undertaking national qualifications as part of either the VCE or VCAL ‘…combining part-time employment, school and training’. 20 Each training plan must be signed by the employer and the school and is required to be registered with the regulator, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), and with the relevant Australian Apprenticeship Centre. These SBATs must be integrated into the student’s school program with time off school allocated for work and training. Students are required to undertake 13 hours of SBAT work per week, 6 hours of training and 7 hours of work.

Note: The VRQA is responsible for regulating certain aspects of apprenticeships and traineeships in Victoria such as: determining the term or terms of training contracts, determining who are parties to training contracts, approving training contracts and approving the cancellation, suspension or amendment of training contracts, and approving employers before they employ an apprentice.

Students can also obtain credit into the VCE or VCAL for apprenticeships and traineeships not integrated into their school program and not supported by VTG funding.

19 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/finance/pages/srpref056.aspx20 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/curriculum/pages/apprentice.aspx


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There are some implementation issues for SBATs. Some industries and occupations do not fit easily into the preferred one-day-off per week for work model. Dairying for example must be undertaken early in the morning so some SBAT students do their dairying work on weekends. Schools and students need flexibility in the counting of SBAT hours over the two years of the program.

Entrepreneurial RTOs lured by the associated VTG funding sometimes pressure schools into agreeing to inappropriate SBAT programs. There also appear to be issues related to employment requirements where inappropriate simulated rather than real work is accepted.

There were more than 70,000 certificate enrolments in VETiS qualifications in Victoria in 2014, representing over 50,000 individual students attending 605 schools and enrolled with 403 RTOs. There are no data to show the breakdown of enrolments between school-based and other RTO delivery because the details of auspice arrangements are not collected centrally.21 Much school based delivery is auspiced by a non school RTO. In any one school students could be undertaking VETiS at that school, at a partner school or at an RTO. In such a case the RTO concerned may or may not be auspicing the delivery in both schools. The Victorian school clustering system facilitates such arrangements increasing choice for students and at the same time increasing organisational complexity. A VCAA representative estimates that approximately 40% of VETiS delivery occurs at non-school RTO sites.

The identification of delivery sites for Victorian VETiS has been further complicated by the development of Trade Training Centres (TTCs) with delivery shifting from non-school RTO sites to TTCs for trades supported by the new centres. There are 74 TTC projects in Victoria. 40 of these are led by a government school with five of these located on TAFE/University sites — three on Chisholm TAFE sites, one at Swinburne University (Wantirna campus) and one at Victoria University (Werribee campus). Given the complexity of these arrangements, Joint Use Agreements signed by the government school council, TAFE Institute/University and Minister for Education on behalf of the State of Victoria are required. In other school consortia, all schools sign a memorandum of understanding.


Victoria offers flexible arrangements giving students many options for undertaking VET as part of their senior secondary qualification.

Victoria gives significant credit for VET learning in its two senior secondary certificates: The Victoria Certificate of Education (VCE), a traditional academic SSC and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), purposely designed to encompass vocational and workplace based learning.

The VCE consists of 16 units generally undertaken in Years 10, 11 and 12. Units

21 VCAA comment


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are clustered into groups of 4 sequentially delivered streams or ‘Studies’. Students must complete at least three units from the English group (including at least 1 at unit 3 or 4 level) plus at least three sequences of unit 3/unit 4 studies. The VCAL has a very flexible design based on block credit and is available at three levels: Foundation, Intermediate and Senior. Students must complete 10 units, each equivalent to 100 hours of study, at any level to be awarded the certificate. Each student’s study program must also include literacy, numeracy, industry specific, work-related and personal development skills.22

VET can be incorporated into the VCE or the VCAL through enrolment in: a VCAA-approved VCE VET program, a School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship other nationally recognised qualification leading to Block Credit

Recognition from 2015, industry pathways programs for Building and Construction,

Community Services and Health, Manufacturing and Engineering and Sport and Recreation.23

In the VCE, VET programs are optional yet apart from English all the other award requirements for the VCE can by satisfied by undertaking VET e.g. a student could complete VCE doing English and VET only. In the VCE credit for VET is available in two ways:

VCE VET programs based on approved curriculum (currently 23 programs) developed by the VCAA where it is deemed there is industry need and the accredited training course is suitable for secondary students. For 13 of these VET programs graded assessment is available for units 3 and 4 giving students the opportunity gain credit for VET towards their Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking as well as towards the VCE.

VET block credit for apprenticeships and other VET qualifications where there is no study design and credit is given based on the following guidelines:

o Attainment of units of competency/modules at AQF level II provides credit at Units 1 and 2 level.

o Attainment of units of competency/modules at AQF level III or above provides credit at Units 3 and 4 level.

o 90 nominal hours of training is required for each VCE Unit.o The award of credit will take into account issues of duplication

with other VCE studies or VCE VET programs and other VET undertaken by the student.

For VCAL, VET is one of four mandatory strands of study for VCAL Intermediate and VCAL Senior. Any VCAL certificate level requires one year of study.

VCAL Intermediate requires study at AQF II level

22 http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vet/index.aspx23 In 2015 this program is being piloted with a small number of schools


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VCAL Senior requires study at AQF III level.VET qualifications and ATAR

VCE students are eligible for an ATAR. VCE VET subjects, where scored assessment is available, can be included in the calculation of ATAR on the same basis as any other scored VCE subject.


Victoria defines structured workplace learning as ’… on-the-job training during which a student is expected to master a set of skills or competencies related to a course accredited by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) or the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), and undertaken as part of either the VCE or the VCAL.’24

SWL is not mandated by the State although the practice is encouraged through the provision of policy statements and resources to support schools to manage the quality, safety and legality of structured workplace learning.25 It is up to individual schools to choose whether or not to provide and resource SWL.


Although some Victorian government schools are RTOs most prefer to sub contract VET delivery to non-school RTOs or to undertake their own VET delivery as sub-contractors or ‘auspiced’ partners of non-school RTOs. In any one school it is not unusual for VET delivery to occur under more than one of these arrangements and, as discussed below, the models are not always easy to identify.

Stakeholders consulted held varying views on what constitutes quality VETiS delivery with some equating quality with compliance and others defining quality in the school VETiS setting as being delivery that is accepted by training sector and industry as being equivalent to VET delivered in a non-school setting. It is difficult to obtain data that might provide a better picture of the quality of VETiS as measured by outcomes such as progression to apprenticeships or other higher level VET learning. The Victorian On Track system provides data on student progression to work or further learning but does not break this down by industry sector.

No single body in Victoria is responsible for supporting schools to implement high quality and compliant VETiS programs The management of the quality of VETiS provision in Victoria is complicated by the fact that two regulators are involved in VETiS programs. Schools as RTOs are regulated by the VRQA. Non-school RTOs are regulated by the VRQA if delivering solely in Victoria and by ASQA if delivering in Victoria and elsewhere in Australia or to international students.

Further, although not a ‘regulator, the Department provides additional targeted funding to the core Student Resource Package (SRP) provided to government

24 Structured Workplace Learning Manual For Victorian secondary schools. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Melbourne March 201425 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/careers/work/Pages/structuredlearning.aspx


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secondary schools for every eligible VET certificate enrolment being undertaken by an eligible student through an eight level funding model. The Department also funds school-based apprentices and trainees through the Victorian Training Guarantee (VTG) and has stringent contractual arrangements regarding all forms of sub-contracting including auspicing of delivery by schools.26 Individual RTOs that auspice school VETiS delivery are accountable for compliance with the national quality standards. Schools that are RTOs in VETiS are responsible for their own quality compliance and in other circumstances dependent on partner RTOs for leadership in ensuring quality delivery.

The VCAA also plays a part in supporting VETiS quality through its work with schools on good practice particularly in assessment and in promoting industry partnerships. The Authority, together with the Victorian TAFE Association, coordinates a VETiS network, which disseminates information to assist schools to deliver high quality VETiS programs.27

One stakeholder commented that the new ASQA standards in the context of the Victorian funding arrangements will potentially have a disruptive effect on VETiS in the State. There are already signs of this with some TAFE institutions deciding to withdraw from auspiced VETiS delivery due to the risks this poses for them under their State Government contracts and the ASQA standards.

VETiS enrolments in Victoria have continued to increase in recent years, including in 2015. However some stakeholders predict that VETiS may become less available as the full impact of the new standards becomes known. These stakeholders observe that schools do not yet understand the standards and the associated requirements for teachers to maintain industry currency and to engage with industry in planning and monitoring delivery and assessment.

26 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/training/providers/rto/2014-16%20VET%20Funding%20Contract%20-%20Version%202.0.pdf27 http://www.vta.vic.edu.au/home


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Many schools particularly in metropolitan Melbourne choose to belong to VET clusters which achieve economies of scale and administrative efficiencies in the delivery of VET. Clusters typically have government and non-government school members. Victorian school clusters have been supported by the State’s 31 Local Learning and Employment Networks. These LLENs have been in place since 2002 and have the core role of ‘…the creation and development of sustainable relationships, partnerships and brokerage of initiatives with and across local education providers, industry and community’.28

Victoria’s most effective school clusters facilitate cooperative VETiS delivery amongst groups of state, Catholic and private schools and RTOs. As a result it is not unusual for students from a single school to be undertaking VETiS at their home school site, at another cluster school, at public and private RTOs.


The former Australian Government’s Trade Training Centre (TTC) Program commenced in 2008. It committed $2.5 billion over 10 years to address national skills shortages in the traditional trades and emerging industries. Schools with Years 9-12 enrolments were eligible to apply for up to $1.5 million to construct new or upgrade existing facilities and/or to purchase trade training equipment.In Victoria, the Department encouraged schools to form clusters across sectors in order to pool their funding to develop larger facilities offering a broad range of VET certificates. Many government school-led projects involve a cluster of schools from across sectors.

Lead schools are responsible for finalising Joint Use Agreements, developing risk management and business management strategies, and establishing arrangements to hire out facilities to supplement TTC revenue and offset TTC operating costs. They also have reporting and financial management responsibilities. The Department has a unit which has established a TTC website, and provides support to TTCs to establish joint use agreements and to meet reporting requirements. There are multiple models of TTC operating in the government school sector including stand-alone school TTCs, multi school TTCs and cross-sectoral TTCs. The benefits of TTC infrastructure are highly variable.

Maintenance and development of TTC infrastructure is a universal concern as the Australian Government does not fund ongoing operation, management nor staffing of the facilities. Former and current Victorian Governments have provided funding (now committed until the end of 2016) to assist government led TTC schools with maintenance, cleaning and utilities costs for TTC facilities.The Department initiated a broad review of government school-led TTC projects sharing findings of the with Catholic and Independent school sector representatives (managing the other 34 Victorian TTCs) and with the Australian Government independent reviewer of the TTC program whose report was released in February 2015. A Department sponsored state-wide TTC forum held in May 2015 attracted over 150 representatives from schools, TAFE institutes,

28 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/pathways/Pages/llens.aspx?Redirect=1


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RTOs, Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs) and peak school and employer bodies. The purpose of the forum was to discuss strategies for sustainability and to share good practice and innovative solutions to common problems.

Tech Schools The Victorian Labor Government Financial Statement 2014 included

capital funding of $100 million and operating funding of $25.37 million over four years to establish ten Tech Schools which will deliver general and industry-specific vocational programs to school students in Years 7 to 12 in metropolitan Melbourne and regional cities.

With state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, and challenging and engaging activities, the Tech Schools will give students an authentic insight and experience into the world of work, and the skills they need for high-tech, high-skill jobs. The Tech schools will provide buildings, equipment and activities secondary schools can use to deliver elements of the curriculum to their students` and students will continue to enrol in their own secondary school.

The Tech Schools will enable industry to work in partnership with schools, TAFEs and universities to identify and design school programs that will provide students with the skills and capabilities required in the 21st Century. The Tech Schools will help secondary school students get the head start they need in their careers, in industries which have the highest prospects for growth.

The Government’s preference is for the Tech Schools to be located on TAFE or university campuses and locations for the Tech Schools in Gippsland, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Monash, Casey, Wyndham, Banyule, Yarra Ranges and Whittlesea are currently being investigated.


Government schools receive two categories of funding to support VETiS: The Student Resource Package (general per student funding) is available

to support VETiS programs provided by schools . The department provides a formula to assist schools in budgeting for this per student or per program with the funding ranging from approximately $899.00 to $1,079.00 per full-time equivalent certificate enrolment of 180 hours.

The department also provides additional targeted funding to support schools to provide VET as a further contribution to the cost of delivery at the school or at another provider. This funding comes from a capped budget and is distributed based on a school’s VET enrolments and the cost of individual programs. There are 8 funding bands ranging from $297.00 to $993.00 in 2015 with additional funding being available to rural schools.

Students enrolled in all schools in Victoria can access Victorian Training Guarantee (VTG) if enrolled in a School-Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT). SRP and other secondary school funding (see above) cannot be used to support SBATs.


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Generally the funding of VETiS in Victoria is problematic since the costs are not well understood. Schools have traditionally delivered VET programs such as business or IT, which don’t require specialist facilities and are relatively cheap to deliver. Public RTOs have traditionally cross-subsidised some delivery to schools by charging flat hourly rates for VETiS without fully passing on the indirect costs associated with delivery. For example one large Melbourne TAFE institute charges $16.35 per hour for the full fee version of its pre-apprenticeship course in Building but only the $9.80 per hour ‘flat’ rate for the similar VETiS building course. Some stakeholders are concerned that the recent (2012) fees and funding policy changes for Victorian RTOs are already resulting in some public RTOs abandoning auspice or fully RTO delivered VETiS or both as cross-subsidisation of this provision has become unaffordable under the VTG funding model.

Student Fees Students may be charged for materials only. Fees for instruction are prohibited. The distinction can be arbitrary and the policy not always adhered to.

VTG funding available

VTG funding is available for school based apprenticeships and traineeships but not for any other form of VETiS (see above).


In Victoria the VCAA manages the development of VCE VETiS studies (see above). Apart from this program, schools are free to make their own decisions regarding other forms of VET delivery and the use of SRP funding to support VET delivery. Senior secondary enrolment outcomes for the VCE and VCAL are reported via the Victorian Assessment Software System (VASS).


The Department provides career education resources for schools. Additionally student from 15 years of age onwards are required to have an individual pathway (Managed Individual Pathways) plan. Together these provide the basis of student selection of subjects in the senior secondary years and inform the school of student demand, including for VET subjects.


The Department provides career education resources for schools. Additionally student from 15 years of age onwards are required to have an individual pathway (Managed Individual Pathways) plan. Together these provide the basis of student selection of subjects in the senior secondary years and inform the school of student demand, including for VET subjects.

The Victorian clustering model bringing together state, Catholic and private schools as well as RTOs provides an excellent means of increasing the vocational options available to individual students.

Victoria has a history of developing senior secondary curriculum (e.g. the VCAL)


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and learning environments (e.g. the various recent reincarnations of Tech schools) to provide vocational learning for post-compulsory learners in school and non-school settings. Many innovative curricular models have been developed such as industry themed VCAL programs.

Victoria’s new Industry Pathways, in pilot in 2015 is a space to watch. These programs integrate VET and VCE or VCAL studies into an holistic learning program focusing on an industry sector. Industry partnerships are being attentively built into the pilots.


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Appendix 7: Additional Tables

Table A-3 External VET activity: certificates with High School/College student enrolments, not delivered by any College as an RTO, 2014


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VET CertificatesCertificate I in Auto Mechanics***Certificate I in Building and Construction*Certificate II in Auto Electrical***Certificate II in Auto Mechanics**Certificate II in Auto Vehicle Servicing***Certificate II in Automotive Servicing Technology***Certificate II in Building and Construction***Certificate II in Children's Services***Certificate II in Clerical***Certificate II in Community Pharmacy***Certificate II in Hairdressing**Certificate II in Horticulture***Certificate II in Retail Services***Certificate II Retail Operations***Certificate III Early Childhood Education and Care**Certificate III Hairdressing ***Certificate III in Aged Care***Certificate III in Automotive Mechanical Technology***Certificate III in Automotive***Certificate III in Baking Retail***Certificate III in Bricklaying/Blocklaying***Certificate III in Carpentry***Certificate III in Children's Services (Childcare)***Certificate III in Commercial Cookery***Certificate III in Concreting***Certificate III in Disability ***Certificate III in Disability Work***Certificate III in Hospitality***Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology***Certificate III in Metal Fabrication***Certificate III in Plumbing***Certificate III in Retail Operations**Certificate III in Retail Services***Certificate III in Retail***Certificate III in Vehicle Mechanic***White Card and Asbestos Awareness training*


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*non-ASBA only**non-ASBA and ASBA***ASBA only (Source: school-collected data)

Table A-4 Number of VET certificate enrolments, College as RTO, 2014


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Number of EnrolmentsIndustry Area Certificate Name Year

10Year 11

Year 12

All VET

Arts, Entertainment Certificate II in Live Production, Theatre and Events

11 20 41 72

Certificate III in Live Production, Theatre and Events (Technical Operations)

1 12 15 28

Certificate II in Creative Industries (Media)

0 181 190 371

Certificate II in Music 5 69 81 155Community Services, Health & Education

Certificate I in Active Volunteering 0 198 118 316Certificate I in Work Preparation (Community services)

0 97 42 139

Certificate II in Active Volunteering 0 29 13 42Certificate II in Community Services 33 216 131 380

Textiles, Clothing, Footwear & Furnishing

Certificate II in Applied Fashion Design and Technology

0 61 84 145

Automotive Certificate I in Automotive 0 14 63 77Certificate I in Automotive Vocational Preparation

12 119 64 195

Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation

12 40 20 72

Building & Construction

Certificate I in Construction 0 34 25 59Certificate I in Furnishing 22 215 155 392Certificate II in Construction Pathways 0 34 24 58Certificate II in Painting and Decorating 4 0 0 4

Business & Clerical Certificate I in Business 91 231 468 790Certificate II in Business 0 174 450 624Certificate II in Information and Cultural Services

0 8 15 23

Certificate III in Business 0 42 79 121Computing Certificate I in Information, Digital

Media and Technology170 587 546 1,303

Certificate II in Information, Digital Media and Technology

55 440 342 837

Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology

0 42 47 89

Certificate I in Information Technology 0 17 242 259Certificate II in Information Technology 0 20 215 235

Engineering & Mining/Resources

Certificate I in Engineering 4 51 37 92Certificate II in Engineering 0 46 31 77

General Education & Workplace Skills 0 5 4 9


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TrainingSales Certificate II in Retail 0 3 22 25Sport & Recreation Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation 0 95 71 166

Certificate II in Sport and Recreation 12 166 121 299Certificate III in Sport and Recreation 0 78 60 138

Tourism & Hospitality Certificate I in Hospitality 78 419 316 813Certificate I in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations)

0 0 35 35

Certificate II in Hospitality 8 318 238 564Certificate II in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations)

0 12 86 98

Certificate II in Kitchen Operations 0 154 100 254Certificate II in Tourism 0 127 81 208Total 518 4,374 4,672 9,564

Percentage Distribution within Year levelIndustry Area Certificate Name Year 10 Year

11Year 12

All VET


2.1 0.5 0.9 0.8


0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3


0.0 4.1 4.1 3.9

Certificate II in Music 1.0 1.6 1.7 1.6Community Services, Health & Education

Certificate I in Active Volunteering 0.0 4.5 2.5 3.3Certificate I in Work Preparation (Community services)

0.0 2.2 0.9 1.5

Certificate II in Active Volunteering 0.0 0.7 0.3 0.4Certificate II in Community Services 6.4 4.9 2.8 4.0



0.0 1.4 1.8 1.5

Automotive Certificate I in Automotive 0.0 0.3 1.3 0.8Certificate I in Automotive Vocational Preparation

2.3 2.7 1.4 2.0


2.3 0.9 0.4 0.8


Certificate I in Construction 0.0 0.8 0.5 0.6Certificate I in Furnishing 4.2 4.9 3.3 4.1Certificate II in Construction Pathways 0.0 0.8 0.5 0.6Certificate II in Painting and Decorating 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0

Business & Clerical Certificate I in Business 17.6 5.3 10.0 8.3


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Certificate II in Business 0.0 4.0 9.6 6.5Certificate II in Information and Cultural Services

0.0 0.2 0.3 0.2

Certificate III in Business 0.0 1.0 1.7 1.3Computing Certificate I in Information, Digital

Media and Technology32.8 13.4 11.7 13.6


10.6 10.1 7.3 8.8


0.0 1.0 1.0 0.9

Certificate I in Information Technology 0.0 0.4 5.2 2.7Certificate II in Information Technology 0.0 0.5 4.6 2.5


Certificate I in Engineering 0.8 1.2 0.8 1.0Certificate II in Engineering 0.0 1.1 0.7 0.8

General Education & Training

Workplace Skills 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1

Sales Certificate II in Retail 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.3Sport & Recreation Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation 0.0 2.2 1.5 1.7

Certificate II in Sport and Recreation 2.3 3.8 2.6 3.1Certificate III in Sport and Recreation 0.0 1.8 1.3 1.4

Tourism & Hospitality Certificate I in Hospitality 15.1 9.6 6.8 8.5Certificate I in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations)

0.0 0.0 0.7 0.4

Certificate II in Hospitality 1.5 7.3 5.1 5.9Certificate II in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations)

0.0 0.3 1.8 1.0

Certificate II in Kitchen Operations 0.0 3.5 2.1 2.7Certificate II in Tourism 0.0 2.9 1.7 2.2Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Percentage Distribution across Year levelIndustry Area Certificate Name Year 10 Year

11Year 12

All VET


15.3 27.8 56.9 100.0


3.6 42.9 53.6 100.0


0.0 48.8 51.2 100.0


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Certificate II in Music 3.2 44.5 52.3 100.0Community Services, Health & Education

Certificate I in Active Volunteering 0.0 62.7 37.3 100.0Certificate I in Work Preparation (Community services)

0.0 69.8 30.2 100.0

Certificate II in Active Volunteering 0.0 69.0 31.0 100.0Certificate II in Community Services 8.7 56.8 34.5 100.0



0.0 42.1 57.9 100.0

Automotive Certificate I in Automotive 0.0 18.2 81.8 100.0Certificate I in Automotive Vocational Preparation

6.2 61.0 32.8 100.0


16.7 55.6 27.8 100.0


Certificate I in Construction 0.0 57.6 42.4 100.0Certificate I in Furnishing 5.6 54.8 39.5 100.0Certificate II in Construction Pathways 0.0 58.6 41.4 100.0Certificate II in Painting and Decorating 100.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

Business & Clerical Certificate I in Business 11.5 29.2 59.2 100.0Certificate II in Business 0.0 27.9 72.1 100.0Certificate II in Information and Cultural Services

0.0 34.8 65.2 100.0

Certificate III in Business 0.0 34.7 65.3 100.0Computing Certificate I in Information, Digital

Media and Technology13.0 45.0 41.9 100.0


6.6 52.6 40.9 100.0


0.0 47.2 52.8 100.0

Certificate I in Information Technology 0.0 6.6 93.4 100.0Certificate II in Information Technology 0.0 8.5 91.5 100.0


Certificate I in Engineering 4.3 55.4 40.2 100.0Certificate II in Engineering 0.0 59.7 40.3 100.0

General Education & Training

Workplace Skills 0.0 55.6 44.4 100.0

Sales Certificate II in Retail 0.0 12.0 88.0 100.0Sport & Recreation Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation 0.0 57.2 42.8 100.0

Certificate II in Sport and Recreation 4.0 55.5 40.5 100.0Certificate III in Sport and Recreation 0.0 56.5 43.5 100.0

Tourism & Hospitality Certificate I in Hospitality 9.6 51.5 38.9 100.0Certificate I in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations)

0.0 0.0 100.0 100.0

Certificate II in Hospitality 1.4 56.4 42.2 100.0


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Certificate II in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations)

0.0 12.2 87.8 100.0

Certificate II in Kitchen Operations 0.0 60.6 39.4 100.0Certificate II in Tourism 0.0 61.1 38.9 100.0Total 5.4 45.7 48.8 100.0

Source: ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies, 2014

Table A-5 VET in School subject enrolment by outcome, state and territory, 2013 Assessed--passed Continuing studies Assessed--failed Other Total NumberNSW 476,705 161,511 86,834 57,674 782,724VIC 441,571 0 76,203 0 517,774QLD 749,087 461,564 44,688 144,620 1,399,959SA 107,322 6,649 742 2,067 116,780WA 250,841 33,643 24,901 1,283 310,668TAS 34,602 881 1,146 1,365 37,994NT 11,974 2,425 77 670 15,146ACT 26,966 925 7,420 2,288 37,599AUS 2,099,068 667,598 242,011 209,967 3,218,644

Percentage distribution (by subject outcome)NSW 60.9 20.6 11.1 7.4 100.0VIC 85.3 0.0 14.7 0.0 100.0QLD 53.5 33.0 3.2 10.3 100.0SA 91.9 5.7 0.6 1.8 100.0WA 80.7 10.8 8.0 0.4 100.0TAS 91.1 2.3 3.0 3.6 100.0NT 79.1 16.0 0.5 4.4 100.0ACT 71.7 2.5 19.7 6.1 100.0AUS 65.2 20.7 7.5 6.5 100.0



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Figure A-9 Proportion of Year 11 & 12 Students undertaking VET A,T and C courses

Source: ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies, 2014

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Appendix 8: Analysis of the student survey conducted for the Review of VET in ACT Public Schools

The Education and Training Directorate in Canberra conducted a survey with students currently undertaking VET as part of the review of VET in ACT Public schools. An online survey was chosen as the most efficient method of data collection. Students were asked about their reasons for taking part in VET, the benefits of the training, their experiences of the course and whether their school was offering courses that match their interests. Students were also asked to reflect specifically on either one or two VET courses that they are currently enrolled in. They were asked to rate their levels of satisfaction with aspects of the course and provide suggestions as to ways to improve it.

The survey was available online from the 21st May until the 2nd June 2015. Students were assured that their answers were confidential and participation was voluntary. No information was collected at any stage that would enable them to be personally identified. The survey took students on average between 10-15 minutes to complete.

College principals were asked to extend an email invitation to all VET students at their school. It cannot be said whether the invitation to participate in the survey was distributed uniformly across all colleges or high schools involved in VET delivery. High school student participation in the online survey was particularly low, with only 12 students in Year 10 taking part. Students who received the invitation to participate and were not undertaking any VET courses at school were excluded from analysis.

The achieved sample for the student survey conducted for the Review of VET In ACT Public schools is outlined in Table A-4 below.

Table A-6 Distribution of VET students who took part in the online survey (N & %)


99

Student characteristics % nTotal 100 194

Sex Male 63.5 115Female 36.5 66

Year Level Year 10 6.2 12Year 11 56.5 109Year 12 37.3 72

Non-English speaking background Yes 24.9 45No 75.1 136

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Yes 2.2 4No 97.8 175

Disability, impairment or long-term health conditions

Yes 7.2 13

No 92.8 167

Enrolled as international student Yes 3.9 7No 96.1 172


100

Source: Student Survey Review of VET in ACT Public Schools, 2015.

Reason for undertaking the VET course

Students were asked to reflect on their reasons for undertaking VET as part of their school subject package. The two most popular reasons were that students wanted to gain new knowledge and skills (22.3 per cent) and they wanted to gain a job in the industry area (21.1 per cent). Therefore, students perceive that VET courses above all provide a real workplace connection underpinned by desirable skills and knowledge.

Table A-7 Reasons for undertaking the VET course (N & %)N %

I wanted to gain new knowledge and skills 112 22.3I wanted to get a job in that industry area 106 21.1It just looked like an interesting course 69 13.7I wanted to learn in a more hands-on way 67 13.3I wanted to do a subject that was different from my other school subjects

41 8.2

My school advised me to do the subject 32 6.4My parents advised me to do this subject 30 6.0Other reason 19 3.8My friends were doing VET 15 3.0I was required to do a VET course 12 2.4Total 503 100


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Source: Student Survey Review of VET in ACT Public Schools, 2015.Note: Multiple responses were permitted.

Students were able to provide another reason for undertaking their VET course other than the options identified in Table A-5. One student stated simply that they took a course in Furnishing because they liked it, ‘it’s my hobby passion’. Students who were studying IT suggested that their choice to undertake VET course wasn’t a conscientious decision, ‘all students doing IT do the VET Certificate. I am doing it because I like it’. Another student did not know he/she was enrolled in an IT VET course, ‘I did not even know I was enrolled in a VET course. I just joined this class at the start of the year and they only just told me it was VET’.

Students were asked to reflect on whether careers advice had assisted them in choosing their VET course. Only 50 per cent of Year 10 students agreed that career advice had shaped their choice to undertake a VET course. Students in Year 11 and 12 were more likely to indicate that careers advice had been beneficial, however, close to 1 in 5 students disagreed.

Figure A-10 Student agreement that careers advice provided by school was helpful, by year level %

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0

50.0

62.5

58.6

24.0

31.4

Strongly AgreeAgree


Overall most students were able to choose their preferred VET area of study. One student studying furnishing said that he/she actually wanted to do construction but it wasn’t available at their school. Some students studying IT indicated that they weren’t able to do their course of choice. However, when given the opportunity to select what they would have preferred to have studied, most wanted to remain in the IT industry area but would have preferred to study a different aspect or a higher Certificate.


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Students were asked whether they would be prepared to travel to undertake the VET course that they preferred, and three in four indicated that they would, with lesser levels of agreement amongst Year 10 students.

Table A-8 Percent of student prepared to travel to undertake the VET course they wanted to do, by Year level

Year 10 % Year 11 % Year 12 % Total N

Total %

Yes 66.7 74.3 75.4 138 74.2No 33.3 25.7 24.6 48 25.8


In looking at the types of VET courses the student were taking part in, the majority of the achieved sample are found within the IT industry area (41.8 per cent). The majority of students were working towards a Certificate II (68.9 per cent), with lesser numbers in Certificate I (21.3 per cent). 56.7 per cent of students were in Year 11, and 38.1 per cent were in Year 12. A small proportion was undertaking their VET course as part of an ASBA (16.9 per cent).


Table A-9 VET courses undertaken by students in the survey sample, by selected characteristics

Information Technology Hospitality

Creative Industries

Social and community

services

Sports, Fitness and

Administration

Fashion, Design and

Textiles Media

Business Administ

ration

Furnishing and

Construction Automotive Other Total% % % % % % % % % % % %

Level of courseCertificate I 4.3 26.7 0.0 6.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 27.3 89.2 100.0 14.3 21.3Certificate II 91.5 53.3 100.0 81.3 87.0 80.0 80.0 54.5 2.7 0.0 42.9 68.9Certificate III 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9Certificate IV 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4Don't know 4.3 20.0 0.0 6.3 4.3 20.0 20.0 18.2 8.1 0.0 42.9 8.4

BSSS Course TypeA 5.2 66.7 10.0 56.3 65.0 33.3 0.0 75.0 72.2 100.0 0.0 34.2T 78.1 0.0 70.0 0.0 0.0 33.3 80.0 0.0 2.8 0.0 28.6 40.4C 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 14.3 0.4Don't know 16.7 33.3 20.0 43.8 35.0 33.3 20.0 25.0 25.0 0.0 57.1 24.9

Part of ASBAYes 18.1 28.6 0.0 18.8 9.1 33.3 80.0 8.3 10.8 0.0 14.3 16.9No 81.9 71.4 100.0 81.3 90.9 66.7 20.0 91.7 89.2 100.0 85.7 83.1

Year 10 11.3 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.2Year 11 55.7 86.7 30.0 31.3 58.3 71.4 80.0 72.7 56.8 50.0 42.9 56.7Year 12 33.0 6.7 70.0 68.8 41.7 28.6 20.0 27.3 43.2 50.0 57.1 38.1

TOTAL % 41.8 6.5 4.3 6.9 10.3 3 2.2 5.2 15.9 0.9 3 100TOTAL (N) 97 15 10 16 24 7 5 12 37 2 7 232

Source: Student Survey Review of VET in ACT Public Schools, 2015. Note: Multiple responses were permitted per student.

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Benefits of the training

Figure A-11 Student perception of the benefits of VET, strongly agree/agree %

Reading confidence improved

Writing confidence improved

Improved skills in mathematics

Communicate better with others

Learn new things more easily

Confidence about the future

I want to stay at school to complete Year 12

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

11.9

13.5

13.5

21.7

22.2

23.8

50.3

52.4

49.7

52.4

62

60

62.2

43.8

Strongly AgreeAgree


Students were less likely to agree that the benefits of VET were that they had improved skills in mathematics, writing and reading. 50.3 per cent of students strongly-agreed and 43.8 per cent agreed that VET had improved their desire to stay at school to complete Year 12, an affirmation of VET’s important role in student retention. Students were very likely to agree that their VET course made them feel more confident about the future, they were able to learn things more easily and also communicate better with others. These transferrable skills are vital to student perception of self as a learner, which will ultimately contribute to better educational outcomes and pathways into the future.

When asked to reflect on their specific VET course/s studied, students were likely to agree that VET gave them skills required at work, they can see clear progress, and that their school has a broad range of VET options to choose from. Students were less likely to agree that they had chosen a school specifically because of VET course options


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Figure A-12 Student perception of the benefits of VET, strongly agree/agree %

I chose this school because of VET options

In my school all students are encouraged to do a VET subject

The work experience helped me with my self confidence

Doing VET subjects has improved my attitude to school work

My school's VET facilities are high quality

What I learn in VET class helps me understand the tasks I will do in a job

My school has many VET options for me to choose from

I can see the progress I am making

I learn skills that I need at work

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

17.5

22.4

25

27.3

28

31.5

33.2

34.8

36.4

39.9

55.7

52.2

57.4

62.1

56

59.8

59.2

54.3

Strongly AgreeAgree

%Source: Student Survey Review of VET in ACT Public Schools, 2015.


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Satisfaction with the training

Taking everything into account 39 per cent of students were ‘very satisfied’ and 54.8 per cent students were ‘satisfied’ with their VET course. When asked to assess their VET course by various aspects such as assessment, facilities, course materials and costs, it can be said that differences in satisfaction across the various aspects were not particularly significant and students in general seem very happy with their VET course. The teaching style of the teachers and trainers reported lesser-levels of satisfaction while the knowledge of the teachers and trainers had the highest degree of satisfaction.

Figure A-13 Levels of student satisfaction with aspects of VET courses %

Overall

The teachers and trainers knowledge of the course

The location of the training

The chance to attain a VET qualification

The teaching style of the teachers and trainers

The cost of the course

The topics covered in this course

The facilities used in my course

The course materials provided (e.g. books, workbooks, online resources)

The opportunity to learn in the workplace with an employer

The assessment of my skills and learning

My progress in the subject

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

39

52.4

49.3

45.4

43.9

41.5

40.6

39.9

38.6

37.1

36.2

34.5

54.8

44.5

47.6

50.7

47.4

52.8

52.8

54.4

55.3

58

56.3

58.1

Very satisfied Satisfied

%Source: Student Survey Review of VET in ACT Public Schools, 2015.


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Table A-10 Per cent of students who would undertake another VET course if given the opportunity, by year level

Year 10 %

Year 11 %

Year 12 %

Total N

Total %

Yes 50 66 73.2 128 67.7No 50 34 26.8 61 32.3


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If given the opportunity, over 65 per cent of students would undertake another VET course. This varied across year levels, with the highest interest from Year 12 students who are soon to graduate.When asked to elaborate on why they would like to participate in more VET, a number of students suggested that they would have been interested in other industry areas such as animal care, furnishing, community services, hospitality and aeronautics. One student wanted to undertake higher levels of VET certification. Another student identified, ‘it would be good to put on my CV and have more options in life’ and others wanted the opportunity to develop work ready skills, ‘VET courses give more opportunities to enhance skills required in particular work forces’.

Students not interested in pursuing additional VET courses also elaborated on their response. One student wrote that they did not believe the school catered sufficiently to their demand, ‘I am personally not interested in any others that my school provides for me’. A few indicated they were too overloaded to take on more VET courses as, ‘it would be too much work to handle another course’. Others said that VET was not necessary for their future career pathways, as they wish to remain focused on tertiary entrance, ‘I am going to focus on receiving an ATAR. The vocational side of my course provides industry experience, but that is not my sole purpose for doing it’.

Students enrolled in IT do not associate their studies with VET competencies at all:

‘I am doing the VET course for IT because everyone enrolled in IT at my school also do the VET course. I do not intend to do IT as a career but I enjoy it which is why I am taking it at college. I figure that because I am taking the course anyway I may as well get the certificate. I intend to do to university and study health.’

‘Because I did not even know I was in a VET course. I didn't even make this decision I just thought I was enrolling in a normal IT package. I am not even sure what a VET course is, I was just asked to participate in this survey.’

It is apparent in many responses amongst students in IT that their decision to undertake a VET course was not a decision they had specifically made, rather it was a feature of how their school arranged course requirements.

Student suggestions for improving VET coursesStudents were asked to provide suggestions about ways in which they could improve their VET course. Their responses are outlined in the table below, grouped by the industry area that they are currently studying. Table A-11 Student responses concerning course improvement by industry area


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IT

Actual doing something practicalBetter Facilities! Some of the programs...Unity is outdated!Better resources that were made that exact same year, if books are too expensive find updated online materials. Install more relevant programs and allow a wide range of options in their use e.g. more free programs. Also most importantly upgrade the computers, they are in dire need of an upgrade.

More time to complete assignments and weekly tasks.

Not making it required as part of the Year 10 program at my college. It was a waste of my time, and I would have preferred to do a much more interesting topic like specialist maths.

Teachers actually to teach the subject rather than put it on the internet and make others try to interpret that data.

Hospitality

Cook better thingsNot as many competencies or work pieces maybe soften it down as its a very big work load

Creative

More hands on learning, better example studies and more focus on skills involving technology (e.g. Photoshop, video editing software) as well as more "whole class" discussion, particularly on analysis and interpretation (semiotics, cultural history, techniques, etc.).

More Online learning modules

Community Services

More hands on experience even though its early it has been fair dry at this point so maybe a few more hands on activities

To allow the whole class to go on a class excursion to a mental hospital and/or aged care facility.

SportsA competency workbook to take and refer back to.

So good! like the teachers less work more practical

MediaMore funding towards equipment would hugely benefit both student and teachers, allowing them to create a higher standard of work.

BusinessEasier stuffShould provide Certificate 3

FurnitureA higher Grade Certificate Cert 2 would be better

EncouragementLearn how to use all the machinery



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Appendix 9: Student Survey Instrument

Review of Vocational Education and Training in ACT Public Schools

Introduction and consent

This questionnaire is for students who are undertaking one or more Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects in a public high school or college this year. It asks about your experience of VET, and how you feel the study has helped you and your plans for the future.This survey is being undertaken by the Education and Training Directorate and will contribute to the current review of Vocational Education and Training in ACT public schools.Your answers are confidential and participation is voluntary.

If you have any further questions regarding the survey, please contact Esther Doecke on 03 9919 1124, or email [email protected]

The survey should take less than 15 minutes to complete.

Your enrolment in VET

Q1: Are you in:

Please choose only one of the following:

o Year 9o Year 10o Year 11o Year 12

Q2: Are you enrolled in one or more VET courses this year?


o Yeso No

Q3: If yes, how many are you currently undertaking? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]



mailto:[email protected]

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o 1o 2o More than 2

Your VET Course

The following questions ask you for information about your enrolment in the VET course that you are currently taking.

Q4: Please write the name of your VET Course: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]

Please write your answer here: ___________________________________

Q5: (If known) Full title of Certificate: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


Q6: Can you identify your enrolment by type of industry: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


o Adult Community – Further Educationo Agriculture and Horticultureo Animal Handlingo Automotive Industryo Building and Constructiono Business Serviceso Community Services and Healtho Cultural and Recreationo Electrical and Electronicso Foot Processingo Furnishingo Information Technologyo Metals and Engineeringo Printingo Process Manufacturingo Public Administration and Safetyo Textile Clothing and Footwearo Tourism, Hospitality and Eventso Transport and Storage


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o Wholesale Retail and Personal Serviceso Other qualifications (Please specify): _________________________

Q7: Certificate Level [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


o Certificate Io Certificate IIo Certificate IIIo Certificate IVo Don’t knowo Other _____________________________

Q8: Is your VET course an Australian School Based Apprenticeship (ASBA)? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


o Yeso No

Q9: What VET course are you enrolled in according to the Board of Senior Secondary Studies course types? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]

Pleas choose only one of the following:

o Ao To Mo Co Eo Don’t know

Q10: Are you undertaking your VET: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


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o At your high school/collegeo At another school/collegeo At Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)o At another training provider

Q11: How far do you travel to do your VET course? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


o Don’t travel from schoolo Less than 2 kmo 2-5 kmo 5-10 kmo More than 10 km

Q12: What is the main mode of transport? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


o Parent drove meo Taxio Public transporto School-provided transport, e.g. buso Walk/bicycle/own caro Other _____________________

Q13: Do you intend to complete the full qualification for your VET course? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


o Yeso Noo Not sure


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Q14: Did you or your parents pay any fees for your course? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


o Yeso Noo Don’t know

Q15: Overall, how satisfied were you with this course? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]


o Very satisfiedo Satisfiedo Dissatisfiedo Very dissatisfied

Q16: How satisfied were you with the following aspects of the course? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]

Please choose the appropriate response for each item:

Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied


o o o o


o o o o


o o o o

The cost of the course o o o oThe location of the training o o o oThe topics covered in this course o o o oMy progress in the subject o o o oThe assessment of my skills and learning o o o oThe change to attain a VET qualification o o o oThe opportunity to learn in the workplace with an employer

o o o o

The facilities used in my course o o o o


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Q17: Do you have any suggestions for improving the experience of this course?

[Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘1’ to Q3]

Please write your answer here:

Please skip to Question 46

Your VET CoursesThe following questions ask you for information about your enrolment in the VET course that you are currently taking.

Q18: Please write the name of VET Course one: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


Q18: (If known) Full title of Certificate of VET Course one: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


Q20: Can you identify your enrolment in VET Course one by type of industry: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


o Adult Community – Further Educationo Agriculture and Horticultureo Animal Handlingo Automotive Industryo Building and Constructiono Business Serviceso Community Services and Healtho Cultural and Recreationo Electrical and Electronics


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o Foot Processingo Furnishingo Information Technologyo Metals and Engineeringo Printingo Process Manufacturingo Public Administration and Safetyo Textile Clothing and Footwearo Tourism, Hospitality and Eventso Transport and Storageo Wholesale Retail and Personal Serviceso Other qualifications (Please specify): _________________________

Q21: Certificate Level for VET Course one: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


o Certificate Io Certificate IIo Certificate IIIo Certificate IVo Don’t knowo Other _____________________________

Q22: Is VET Course one an Australian School Based Apprenticeship (ASBA)? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


o Yeso No

Q23: What type of course is your VET Course one according to the Board of Senior Secondary Studies course types? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


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Q24: Are you undertaking VET Course one: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Q25: How far do you travel to do VET Course one? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Q26: What is the main mode of transport for VET Course one? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


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119

Q27: Do you intend to complete the full qualification for VET Course one? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


o Yeso Noo Not sure

Q28: Did you or your parents pay any fees for VET Course one? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Q29: Overall, how satisfied were you with VET Course one? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]




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Q30: How satisfied were you with the following aspects of the course? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Very dissatisfied


o o o o


o o o o


o o o o


o o o o


Q31: Do you have any suggestions for improving the experience of VET Course one?[Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


Q32: Please write the name of VET Course two: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


Q33: (If known) Full title of Certificate of VET Course two: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



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Q34: Can you identify your enrolment in VET Course two by type of industry: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


o Adult Community – Further Educationo Agriculture and Horticultureo Animal Handlingo Automotive Industryo Building and Constructiono Business Serviceso Community Services and Healtho Cultural and Recreationo Electrical and Electronicso Foot Processingo Furnishingo Information Technologyo Metals and Engineeringo Printingo Process Manufacturingo Public Administration and Safetyo Textile Clothing and Footwearo Tourism, Hospitality and Eventso Transport and Storageo Wholesale Retail and Personal Serviceso Other qualifications (Please specify): _________________________

Q35: Certificate Level for VET Course two: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


o Certificate Io Certificate IIo Certificate IIIo Certificate IV


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o Don’t knowo Other _____________________________

Q36: Is VET Course two an Australian School Based Apprenticeship (ASBA)? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


o Yeso No

Q37: What type of course is your VET Course two according to the Board of Senior Secondary Studies course types? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Q38: Are you undertaking VET Course two: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]




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Q39: How far do you travel to do VET Course two? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Q40: What is the main mode of transport for VET Course two? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Q41: Do you intend to complete the full qualification for VET Course two? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


o Yeso Noo Not sure

Q42: Did you or your parents pay any fees for VET Course two? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



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Q43: Overall, how satisfied were you with VET Course two? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Q44: How satisfied were you with the following aspects of the course? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]



Very dissatisfied


o o o o


o o o o


o o o o


o o o o



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Q45: Do you have any suggestions for improving the experience of VET Course two?[Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘2’ or ‘More than 2’ to Q3]


Reasons for choosing the course/ or courses

Q46: What were your reasons for enrolling in your VET course? I enrolled because: (Please select as many as apply) [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]

Please choose all that apply:

o I wanted to get a job in that industry areao My school advised me to do the subjecto My parents advised me to do this subjecto My friends were doing VETo I wanted to learn in a more hands-on wayo I wanted to do a subject that was different from my other school subjectso I wanted to gain new knowledge and skillso It just looked like an interesting courseo I was required to do a VET courseo Any other reason (Please describe): _______________________________________


126

Q47: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about this VET course or courses? (Please select one box in each row) [Only answer this questions if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2)

Your VET course:


Strongly Agree

Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Encourages you to stay at school o o o oWill help you secure employment o o o oSupports you in making decisions about careers pathways

o o o o

Will help you build strong senior secondary certificate outcomes

o o o o

Will help you manage future study pathways o o o oHas helped you manage your other studies this year o o o oWill help you make the transition from study to work o o o o

The VET courses offered by your schoolQ48: Were you able to choose your preferred VET areas of study? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Yeso No

Q49: Why were you unable to choose your preferred VET areas of study? [Only answer this question of you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘No’ to Q20]



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Q50: What is the industry area that you would have preferred to have studied? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘No’ to Q20]


o Adult Community – Further Educationo Agriculture and Horticultureo Animal Handlingo Automotive Industryo Building and Constructiono Business Serviceso Community Services and Healtho Cultural and Recreationo Electrical and Electronicso Foot Processingo Furnishingo Information Technologyo Metals and Engineeringo Printingo Process Manufacturingo Public Administration and Safetyo Textile Clothing and Footwearo Tourism, Hospitality and Eventso Transport and Storageo Wholesale Retail and Personal Serviceso Other qualifications (Please specify): _________________________

Q51: Given the opportunity, would you undertake an ASBA? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Yeso Noo I’m currently doing one


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Q52: Would you be prepared to travel to undertake a VET course you wanted to do? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Yeso No

Q53: In deciding on the VET course/s you enrolled in: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


Strongly Agree


Careers advice provided by your school was helpful

o o o o

Your pathway plan helped you link your VET subject to your career goal

o o o o

Helped you choose a set of subjects to achieve your career goal

o o o o

Q54: Would you have undertaken more VET courses if you had the opportunity? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Yeso No


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Q55: Please elaborate if you wish. [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘Yes’ to Q26]


Q56: If no, why would you not have taken more VET courses? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘No’ to Q26]


The benefits of the VET trainingQ57: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the benefits of the VET training you are undertaking? (Please select one box in each row) As a result of my VET training… [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


Strongly Agree


I feel that my reading skills have improved o o o oI feel more confident when it comes to writing o o o oI feel that I can learn new things more easily o o o oI can communicate better than others o o o oI have improved my skills in mathematics o o o oI have more confidence about the future generally o o o o


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I want to stay at school to complete Year 12 o o o o

Q58: Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with these statements about your VET studies at school. (Please select one box in each row) [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


Strongly Agree


I learn skills that I need at work o o o oI can see the progress I am making o o o oDoing VET subjects has improved my attitude to school work

o o o o

What I learn in VET class helps me understand the tasks I will in a job

o o o o

The work experience helped me with my self confidence

o o o o

My school has many VET options for me to choose from

o o o o

In my school all students are encouraged to do a VET subject

o o o o

I chose this subject because of VET options o o o oMy school’s VET facilities are high quality o o o o


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About you

Q59: What is your home postcode? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]

Please write your answer here: _________________

Q60: Are you male or female? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Maleo Female

Q61: Are you Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Yeso No

Q62: Is English the main language you speak at home? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Yeso No

Q63: Did you enrol as an international student? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Yeso No


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Q64: Do you have a disability, impairment or long-term health condition? [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2]


o Yeso No

Q65: If yes, please describe your disability, impairment or long-term health condition: [Only answer this question if you answered ‘Yes’ to Q2 and ‘Yes’ to Q36]


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