Keeping it real - the Queensland VET Development Centre

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Possible barriers to maintaining industry currencySome of the barriers to maintaining industry currency identified in the literature include:• scarce resources being available within the RTO to be able to release staff from regular dutiesand backfill staff• heavy teaching workloads which may include regular overtime• trainer and educational manager attitudes, for example, some trainers may be poorlymotivated, have low levels of confidence or not be able to recognise which skills needupgrading in order to access professional development• age of staff leading to reluctance to retrain• security/regulations in industry preventing non-industry participants being involved in fullwork activities• reputation and perceptions of the RTO and trainers within industry and availability of suitableworkplaces• rural and remote locations may limit the options that are available in the industry area• time consuming approval processes and record keeping within training organisations• the rapid pace of change in techniques and the rate at which equipment becomes obsolete.ComplianceIt seems that maintenance of industry currency is still driven by compliance rather than improvingteaching and learning practice. The environmental scan showed that all TAFE Queenslandinstitutes have policies and processes to support the maintenance of industry currency as didthe private RTOs consulted. However, auditors report a gap between RTO policies relating tomaintenance of industry currency and the policy implementation.AQTF 2007 audit outcomes in Queensland show that 19% of non-compliances relate to AQTF2007 Element 1.4. It appears that industry knowledge is well maintained through a variety ofinformation sources and networks, but technical skills are more difficult to maintain.24 Keeping it real
Approaches to maintaining industry currencyGood practice examples of maintaining industry currency approaches should bring tangibleoutcomes to both RTOs and industry organisations. Ideally examples should outline thechallenges, benefits and principles for best practice models and ways of recording outcomes.Outcomes of any discussion should outline the challenges and links for contemporary VET.Strategy Description ExamplesIndustry partnerships orprojects in training andassessmentIndustry research, resource or product development.Concurrent employmentin industry and the RTOMaintenance ofprofessional knowledgeNetworksWorkplace trainingIndustry releasePlan for consultationCollaboration between a trainingprovider and an organisation ona project or program designedto benefit both the update oftechnical training and assessmentskills and knowledge, andindustry productivity.The Organisation for EconomicCooperation and Developmentparticularly encourages schemeswhere VET trainers work inindustry at the same time asworking for the RTO.Ensuring that professionalknowledge keeps up with therapid pace of change.Relationships being formedbetween groups of people. Thispractice is often encouraged in theEuropean VET systems.Trainers are placed in industryto deliver innovative workplacetraining while being regularlyexposed to industry practices,ideas and expectations, thereforeallowing networking and updatingof technical skills and knowledgeto occur.The trainer works in a specifiedfield to address an identified gaprelated to their industry currency.The Victorian TAFE Development Centre funds trainersto undertake specific projects with industry. Manyexamples of the case studies which have beenfunded are available at the website of the TAFESkills Development Centre http://tafecentre.vic.edu.au/?page_id=181Employment may be paid or unpaid and includerunning own businesses.Conference attendance, internet research, readingtrade journals, attending site visits and study tours,professional association membership.Communities of Practice with other trainers andalso business people. Networks may also includeteacher exchange programs and mentoring both withindustry and RTO staff and between newer and moreexperienced trainers exchanging greater knowledgeof educational practices one way and industry currentskills the other.European countries often enable an on-the-jobvocational component to be added in the training oftrainers.Hairdressing Training Package.The consultation period for this Discussion Paper will remain open until Friday 5 June 2009.This Discussion Paper has been placed on the Queensland VET Workforce professionaldevelopment website http://www.vetpd.qld.gov.au/index.html with supporting documentationseeking responses from the wider VET sector.There are two ways to respond to the discussion paper, face to face interviews or through thequestionnaires on the website. The website contains separate questionnaires for Industry, RTOowners/managers, trainers, RTO administration staff and general VET stakeholders.Please provide responses to the questionnaire electronically. Individual responses will remainconfidential.Industry Currency of Trainers in Queensland25
Page 5 and 6: Interviews were conducted at five Q
Page 8 and 9: Benefits identified in maintaining
Page 10 and 11: A common practice in TAFE institute
Page 12 and 13: Professional identity of VET traine
Page 14 and 15: Workplace trainers in some TAFE ins
Page 16 and 17: School teachers may be disadvantage
Page 18 and 19: Information sharing in RTOsWhile mo
Page 20 and 21: Summary of key findings1. The focus
Page 22 and 23: Appendix 1 — Discussion paper Ind
Page 26 and 27: Appendix 2Questions for discussion
Page 28 and 29: Questions for discussion with indus
Page 30: Appendix 3Table 1: Number of survey

Keeping it real - the Queensland VET Development Centre

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?