Page 5067 - Week 13 - Thursday, 29 November 2018
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CIT advisory council from 1 July 2015. Since its commencement the board has demonstrated great capacity and productivity.
In 2016 CIT announced the strategic directions that will drive the organisation to set a new standard in VET by 2020 in the Strategic Compass 2020: Evolving Together publication. The strategic directions contained within the strategic compass provide CIT’s plan for remaining firmly at the heart of the activity and outputs of the nation's capital and contributing to the skills, knowledge and economic development of the ACT and region. CIT’s strategic compass is set against a rapidly changing VET landscape. CIT’s board must have the right mix of skills, knowledge and ability, matched with the capacity for agile decision-making, to respond to fast moving opportunities and challenges.
An external review of the governance arrangements conducted in 2016-17 concluded that further changes to the structure of the CIT board should be considered, to build on the momentum already carrying CIT forward. With this in mind the primary purpose of the bill is to implement changes identified in the review of the governance arrangements.
These mainly focus on the skill set and composition of the board membership, specifically a revision to the expertise and knowledge criteria for the appointment, discontinuing the ACT government members and clarifying the role of the student and staff representative appointments. Important skill sets are needed in the board going forward to strengthen CIT’s ability to forge even stronger industry networks and connections, to improve the professional links between CIT and higher education institutions, and to assist it to build regional and international delivery channels for CIT’s individual and tailored education programs.
The removal of representative positions does not in any way indicate that there is no longer a need for the CIT board to collaborate and consult with the ACT government. On the contrary, the voice of the ACT government will continue to be important, and maintaining this relationship is fundamental to the future success of CIT. Moreover, it is our view that input from government would be best conducted through focused and more regular engagement channels. CIT has a long and proud history of stakeholder engagement and inclusion.
In addition to the CIT Act, it is important to note that provisions of the Financial Management Act 1996, or the FMA, will continue to regulate the operations of the governing board, including the appointments, functions, meetings of the board and any prescribed requirements and obligations on it as a territory authority. These important obligations are unaffected by the proposed amendments.
Part of CIT’s vision in developing the strategic compass 2020 was to demonstrate CIT’s evolution into a progressive and innovative organisation offering students access to contemporary facilities and technology and adopting new thinking on digital technology and teaching and learning practices. Subsequently, this bill also provides a timely opportunity to update some of the outdated conventions within the CIT Act and to align the language in the legislation to better reflect CIT’s established policies. This includes replacing the term “institute” with “CIT” and providing for greater
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