Page 2281 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2016

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visions and purpose of VET for ACT secondary students. The directorate is introducing reform to strengthen the positioning of VET as a recognised learning opportunity for ACT secondary school students. This begins with the articulation of our vision of what we want our future system to look like.

I am pleased to report that in July this work was finalised with the publication of the ACT’s collaborative future vision and purpose for VET for secondary school students in the territory. This final statement encapsulates the ideas and aspirations of several groups in the sector and articulates a shared goal to underpin the ACT’s approach to continuous improvement in VET. I also wish to thank the ACT’s independent and Catholic school sectors for making this vision a cross-sectoral achievement for the benefit of all students across the territory.

The Education Directorate also said they would build the confidence of employers, students and parents through genuine collaboration. In moving to new models of training delivery we are drawing upon the relationships and valuable partnerships ACT public secondary schools have already cultivated with industry and training providers to date. Further, the Education Directorate are guiding planning activity to ensure the scope of vocational offerings for students is mapped to ACT skills needs areas. This is best for local industry and best for our young people.

The government stated our intent to reduce duplication and trial new ways of doing things through the amalgamation of RTO operations in schools. This year the directorate have moved away from individual colleges operating alone as RTOs to an amalgamated approach where RTO operations are brought together under the existing school network structures. I am pleased to report that in April 2016 that Erindale and Lake Tuggeranong colleges successfully transitioned to a single RTO arrangement in the Tuggeranong school network. The single network RTO now effectively operates as one training organisation delivering a broad range of VET opportunities to students across a consortium of school sites in the Tuggeranong school network. I look forward to seeing the opportunities to come from our other school networks later this year.

The government has affirmed our commitment to the quality imperative that ACT students access training from reputable providers that model the highest levels of quality assurance. The transition to network-based VET provision across ACT public schools in 2016 has been underpinned by a comprehensive approach to quality assurance that ensures training delivery is founded on thorough planning, sound advice and tailored support in all areas of national compliance. The Education Directorate is engaging with the national regulator, ASQA, to support the move to new models of VET provision and are building capability in schools to quality assure through access to specialist expertise and resources.

The directorate put forward a clear plan to collaborate with CIT on practical issues, share expertise, and make the best use of public training infrastructure. In 2016 we are transitioning to more collaborative models of training provision and exploring options for enabling greater student access to VET in partnership with CIT and other external RTOs. In Tuggeranong these new models are already taking shape in ways that are better utilising our modern, industry-grade facilities for the greatest access for


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