Positioning the organisation to meet the goals of the One

Tertiary agenda

Wayne Collyer Managing DirectorPolytechnic West

TAFE Governance & Regulations Forum24 – 25 February 2010

Leadership in today’s VET

• Today’s high performing training providers have leaders who… – Use the idea of serving society to enrich and

inform business strategy– Maximise capabilities and clout for economic and

social good– Understand the strengths of the people through

strong culture, innovation, collaboration, high performance and professionalism

– Achieve consistent long term measurable results

The Crux

It is my experience that the most successful high performing VET leaders are those that

are attuned to trends and shifts in the market place and position their organisation to strategically respond.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Albert Einstein

Status of the brand

• Government focus is Training WA – more than just TAFE

• More competitive training environment – establishing a point of difference

• Improve organisational appeal to diverse markets and clientele

• One Tertiary system – blurring of the boundaries

• Developing an integrated and meaningful image

Incentives came from…

Federal Government:Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister

“We have a world class VET system but we can’t rest on our laurels because relentless technological, economic, and social change is placing new demands on our VET system that will increase in the decade to come”

5 March 2009

Towards One Tertiary• The Bradley Report advocates a new vision for an Australian

Tertiary Sector more commonly referred to as “One Tertiary”• The context of One Tertiary is:

1. Examining relationships between VET and Higher Education2. Definitions of Tertiary3. Qualifications Framework4. National Protocols5. Institutional recognition, accreditation of qualifications and quality

of provisions6. Funding7. Accountability reporting and sector driven requirements8. Strengthening pathways for students

WA State Government

Peter Collier, Minister for Training and Workforce Development:“Today’s unveiling of Polytechnic West marks a fundamental change in Training not only for the organisation but for the sector state-wide. It contributes greatly to raising the status of training and TAFE while providing the opportunity to present itself as a centre of excellence”

25 November 2009

Our Clients

• Domestic• International• Industry• Private Training providers• Government

- Local- State- Commonwealth

• Schools• Universities • Industry Training & Skills Councils• Communities

Research on TAFE Brand

Community attitudes to TAFE (April 2009)Researcher: Sue Lukomitis

Key findings emerged on:1.Awareness and participation in TAFE2.Attitudes to TAFE3.Attitudes to TAFE relative to University4.Matters raised by the Bradley Review

Findings

• Whilst the TAFE Brand is held in high regard this was primarily in Certificate I, II and III qualifications.

• As you move into Higher Qualifications the brand recognition of TAFE diminished

Sue Loukomitis April 2009

TAFE Brand

• “The community does not hold negative attitudes towards TAFE: it simply lacks knowledge about the course and programs available “

• “There is a disconnect in community attitudes regarding the quality of a TAFE qualification and education versus the acceptance of the qualification in the workplace”

Sue Loukomitis April 2009

TAFE Brand

Key messages from Higher Education in TAFE research:“Almost every person consulted raised the issue of TAFE’s profile and its perceived lower status compared with universities”

Tom KarmelManaging Director NCVER

Market Analysis

• Market analysis undertaken by the organisation in some of these sectors has indicated that promotional campaigns have been inhibited by the lack of an effective trading name that appeals to a wide and diverse clientele.

Getting it right !!!

• College of TAFE?• College of Technology?• Institute of Training?• Institute of Technology?• Polytechnic?• University College?

• Appeals across all markets – well recognised internationally• Represents all levels of the proposed new qualifications framework – as well as only publicly funded provider of applied Higher Education qualifications in the State• Unique in WA –

A point of difference from other recently re-branded TAFE colleges and private providers

Why Polytechnic?poly-technic n. Many skills.

Changing Landscape of VET in WA

“Training WA identifies strategies to increase the skills and participation of all Australians in the workforce and the community driven by a flexible and innovative training system. They include recognising the contribution that all providers of training will make to achieve the outcomes of the plan”

Keith Spence, Chair State Training BoardMay 2009

Polytechnic West’s Resilience Plan2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

State Revenue 85% 70% 65% 60% 55%

Fee for Service(includes Contestable Funding from State and Commonwealth)

5% 17.5% 20% 22.5% 25%

International 5% 7.5% 10% 12.5% 15%

Student Fees 5% 5% 5% 5% 5%

Maintaining Relevance in the Market

• Take advantage of significant opportunities in domestic and international fee for service markets

• Enhance the polytechnic’s prominence as the state’s leading provider of trade skills training

• Convey a meaningful and contemporary image to students, staff and the wider community of applied Higher Qualifications

Gaining ownership

• A critical component of the journey was engagement with key staff and consultants to review concepts and develop shortlist of names and logos

Engagement and Endorsement• The new name was chosen after some considerable internal

debate and discussion. • Workshops were held with the college leadership group and

focus groups with frontline college staff and students. • Appointment of visual communications company (Forbes) re: design signage style guide and commercial trading names • Governing Council endorsement• Ministerial approval• Government Gazette• Regulatory bodies

Leadership and communication

• Staff• Students• Industry• Public and Private Training Providers• Politicians (Federal, State and Local)• Broader community

Synergies through the right logo

Examples

Review of our products and promotion

Rebranding provided an opportunity to• Review our pathways to ensure meaningful

skills development and job relevant exit points• Engage articulation arrangements with other

providers• Build stronger pathways to further education

through applied qualifications• Review our “gateway” for an expanding client

market

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