VET Teacher Training in Australia: Preserving Australian VET ...

educationalist in orientation, their consequent nurturing of social capital qualities in students,
and, significantly, their influence as a model for their students.
Notwithstanding the special qualities of technical (broadly defined) capability entwined with
teaching capability, the contribution of an effective TAFE teacher is largely not recognised beyond
their students and immediate colleagues; and, hence, is not more widely explicitly valued. This may
explain why the learning‐to‐teach preparation of Australian VET teachers has, without pubic
challenge, shifted from a two year program in Victoria of formal learning integrated with mentored
teaching practice to a nominally 300 hour Certificate IV in Training and Assessment 4 (see following
outline) which has come to be commonly delivered in an approximation of a 10 day face‐to‐face
mode spread over a few months and without mentoring or necessarily involving practicum. I
sometimes wonder if non‐educators, with influence, have purposefully brought this about (at least
in part) to accommodate casual employment of VET teachers – but maybe this is too dark a thought
as people with industrial training experience would know that the preparation of a trainer to train is
critical to achieve target outcomes 5 .
I have particular concern that otherwise quality committed providers of the Certificate IV in Training
and Assessment have been forced to join the race‐to‐the‐bottom of short course delivery as a
market place survival imperative (Hughes 2012). It is not surprising that some (if not most) potential
students will choose a quick course (albeit at the same or even greater cost) over a longer course – it
is ‘the ticket’ which they seek, not the competency. And, further, this has a negative modelling effect
when a VET teacher graduate of shallow learning goes on to facilitate the learning of others. It is
germane to my concerns that Skills Australia 6 (2011, p.5) identifies the need for comprehensive
reforms in the VET sectors delivery and assessment practices.
A thought – Where would we be as a community without a strong VET sector and effective
VET teachers?
Notwithstanding my reservations about delivery practice in respect of the Certificate IV in Training
and Assessment, it is adequate as a VET teacher entry level qualification when well taught.
Importantly, when well taught, participation in this will cause an awakening within the student to
deeper issues and motivate going on to further pedagogy (adult related) learning. It was noticeable
within a recent social media discussion, about whether university level qualification (teacher
4 There have been two iterations of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (presently TAE40110) and
both have been similar placed at risk by instances of shallow delivery. Even though it is acknowledged that this
qualification is at‐risk of being highly suspect (PC 2010, p.8.7; AWPA 2012, p.72), there is not yet publicly
available evidence that VET regulating authority is taking action to insist on adequacy of student effort.
5 I do acknowledge that my view that teachers should be well prepared is at odds with the Productivity
Commission (2011 p.220) apparent position that there isn’t a confirmed relationship between pre‐service
training and VET student achievement. In this regard, I do have experience of substantially trained teachers
being inadequate as facilitators and teachers with no training being superb facilitators of learning, but these
are exceptions to the rule as I see it.
6 In June 2012, the advice to Government and other functions of Skills Australia were absorbed into the newly
formed, with broader functions, Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency (AWPA). This has happened at
a time when there has been a 2011 shift to a national quality regulator – The Australian Skills Quality Authority
(ASQA) – and there is an expectation that the Skills Australia/AWPA ;presence in the VET environment will lead
to delivery and assessment reforms in respect of insistence upon quality..
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