VET Products for the 21st Century - National Skills Standards Council

Students in remote localities face particularchallenges in being able to access training andworkplaces. There is also an important and growinginterface between formal VET and communitybasededucation and training providers.It should be recognised that regardless of theirlearning pathway, the vast majority of students areengaged in VET for vocational and work relatedpurposes. However, some people work in theoccupations for which they have not trained andothers work in occupations for which they do nothave relevant formal qualifications 7 . This suggeststhat the ability to learn ‘on the job’ and the capacityto adapt to new job roles and circumstances isimportant for individuals and the workforcegenerally.These imperatives suggest the following threemajor roles for VET in assisting to meet the COAGoutcomes:• building sound foundation skills, in particularliteracy and numeracy at levels required foreffective participation in the workforce and forfurther learning;• developing technical and occupational skillsrequired for specific jobs; and• developing the wider range of broadercapabilities required for specific jobs and thecapacity to take on new roles and jobs as thelabour market changes.It is therefore proposed that the definition ofcompetence be revised to make explicit the factthat competence needs to embody the ability totransfer and apply skills and knowledge to newsituations and environments and that VETqualifications allow for both occupational andfoundation skills outcomes.4 . 3 E q u i t y c o n s i d e r a t i o n sThe VET system is a key mechanism for deliveringthe nation’s productivity, workforce participationand social inclusion objectives. Yet, the NationalVET Advisory Alliance in its final report to Ministers(2008) noted that:Annual National Report performancemeasures (2006) for female students,people with a disability, those with alanguage background other than Englishand Indigenous students, indicate a lackof progress particularly for Indigenousstudents and students with disabilities inthe VET system. 8Additionally, they advised that:• Over a four-year period (2003-2006), relative to all students, there had been little improvement in the proportion of students in the four equity groups participating in VET.• Over the four-year period, there had only beena marginal increase in the load pass rate forIndigenous students, students with a disabilityand people who speak a language other thanEnglish at home. Women’s load pass ratesare at the same level as the overall VETstudent population.• In 2006, people with a disability were muchless likely than any other student group to bestudying at Certificate III and above courselevels. Indigenous students were alsounderrepresented at these levels and overrepresentedat Certificate I and II or non AQTFlevels. This is of concern since Certificate Iand II level and non-AQTF level courses areless likely to lead to employment.• While there had been a decline in furtherstudy and employment outcomes for all VETstudents over the four-year period, the declineis much worse for the four equity groups. ForIndigenous Australians and people with adisability who in 2006 were 14% and 22%respectively below other students inemployment outcomes, the falling trend over 4years is of major concern. 9In the face of these performance outcomes, it iscritical that a revitalised policy framework for VETProducts for the 21 st Century caters for the diversityof learners it must engage, if the VET sector is tomeet national participation and productivity targetsand ensure that it maintains its strong reputation ofmaking a difference to the lives of those whostruggle to learn or work. In particular, trainingproducts and services of the VET sector must besufficiently flexible to cater for learners whose lifeexperiences, capacities, motivations, resources andneed for particular educational and other supportsare incredibly diverse, complex and in some cases,expensive.Given the VET system’s central role in meetingequity inclusivity goals and the imminentestablishment of the National VET Equity AdvisoryCouncil (NVEAC), it will be critical for the NQC andNVEAC to jointly conduct a review on how best toensure that equity needs are addressed.7The 2008 student outcomes data from NCVER indicatesthat ‘Overall, 30.3% of graduates were employed in the sameoccupation group as their training course. Another 33.8%were employed in other occupations but found their trainingrelevant. 16.8% were employed in other occupations andfound their training not relevant to their current job’.8National VET Advisory Alliance final report, unpublished, p49National VET Advisory Alliance final report, unpublished, p5VET PRODUCTS FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY - 11