Page 1339 - Week 04 - Thursday, 30 March 2017
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A properly funded TAFE operates effectively in an environment of greater competition, while at the same time recognising TAFE’s important and historical function in delivering improved skills and job outcomes for disadvantaged learners. VET qualifications allow for better employment opportunities, higher wages, and the prospects of achieving higher skills and qualifications. VET programs contribute to many young Canberrans making successful transitions from school to work, further education or training.
One fantastic initiative is the return to work for women program. This program empowers women with the skills to re-enter the paid workforce after an extended absence. The program focuses on affirming women’s confidence, professional skills, computing skills and digital literacy abilities. It is a six-week program held at the Tuggeranong campus, and I encourage any interested women to head online to the CIT website for more information.
I had an opportunity to speak to some of the participants in this current six-week block and to the teachers that are engaged in delivering the program. It is a wonderful and worthwhile cause. They are often looking for workplaces. My office here in the Assembly is one such workplace that will be welcoming a student through this course. The return to work for women program, like many at CIT, boasts phenomenal outcomes for graduates. Over 80 per cent of graduates successfully go on to some form of employment or further study.
Often overlooked are the contributions VET can make to economic growth through improved levels of innovation and productivity in local businesses and their workforce. For example, workers with VET qualifications at the certificate III level or above are more able to implement and/or adapt to new, creative work practices and technologies. Importantly, the development of supervision and management skills through upskilling workers with diplomas and advanced diplomas has the potential to improve the utilisation of the labour force and facilitate innovation, efficiency and sustainability in many sectors in the economy.
Publicly funded VET in the ACT takes three main forms: Australian apprenticeships, which we have already talked about; skilled capital, which Minister Fitzharris mentioned; and the Canberra Institute of Technology, the ACT’s only TAFE.
Australian apprenticeships combine paid work and study towards a nationally recognised VET qualification. There are approximately 500 different Australian apprenticeship qualifications available, across a wide range of occupations. The funding model for the ACT’s Australian apprenticeships program is called user choice. User choice is a model for achieving client-responsive training. Employers and trainees can select their own RTO and negotiate how, when and where the training and assessment is to occur. Employers can work with the RTO to tailor the units of competency delivered over the course of the traineeship to meet their business needs.
Skilled capital subsidises training for adult job seekers and existing workers. All of the qualifications funded by skilled capital are considered to be in shortage by employers in the ACT. Many of these qualifications include a work experience component. Language, literacy and numeracy skills for students who wish to develop their skills in these areas are also funded.
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