Recommendation 12Ensure that <strong>the</strong> context of assessment is clearlyspecified in Training Package Units of Competencywhere <strong>the</strong> industry can make a case <strong>for</strong> each suchtargeted Unit to <strong>the</strong> <strong>National</strong> Quality <strong>Council</strong> at <strong>the</strong>time of Training Package endorsement.Recommendation 13Establish a joint working group of <strong>the</strong> NQC and <strong>the</strong>Australian Qualifications Framework <strong>Council</strong>(AQFC) to investigate introducing a national creditsystem through <strong>the</strong> work on AQFC projects relatedto pathways and streng<strong>the</strong>ning <strong>the</strong> AustralianQualifications Framework.Recommendation 14Ensure that Training Package developers includearticulation arrangements in <strong>the</strong> design anddevelopment of Diploma and Advanced Diplomaswhere appropriate.Recommendation 15Ensure that Language, Literacy and Numeracyrequirements are made more explicit in <strong>the</strong>development of occupational and foundationqualifications.Recommendation 16Simplify and streamline <strong>the</strong> content of TrainingPackages by separating <strong>the</strong> per<strong>for</strong>mance standardsin units of competence from guidance andsupporting in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>for</strong> RTOs with <strong>the</strong> followingcomponents subject to national endorsement:• Units of competence (required knowledge andskills, i.e., title, elements, per<strong>for</strong>mance criteria,etc)• Qualifications & Occupational/Foundation outcomes• Qualification packaging rules• Assessment Requirements• Credit ArrangementsRecommendation 17Restructure and streamline Training Packagecontent by:• simplifying <strong>the</strong> endorsed components – byreducing <strong>the</strong> level of detail included in <strong>the</strong>endorsed Training Packages, particularly <strong>the</strong> level of specification in <strong>the</strong> competencystandards;• expanding non-endorsed components – muchof <strong>the</strong> detail and specification removed fromendorsed components can instead beincluded in user guides where more flexiblestructural and <strong>for</strong>matting options mean thatmaterial can be edited and packaged in a waythat makes <strong>the</strong>se documents more readableand useable;• eliminating unnecessary in<strong>for</strong>mation and consolidating repetitive material;• continuing to consolidate <strong>the</strong> units ofcompetence that cover <strong>the</strong> same or similar areas of knowledge and skill; and• dividing Packages into more fit-<strong>for</strong>-purposecomponents focused on <strong>the</strong> needs of industryand employers on <strong>the</strong> one hand and providerson <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r.Recommendation 18Develop a quality assurance process <strong>for</strong> nonendorsedcomponents of Training Packages.Recommendation 19Reaffirm that course accrediting bodies (RCABs)have <strong>the</strong> capacity to accept/approve courses where<strong>the</strong> outcomes identified by RTOs and enterprisesare not available in endorsed Training Packages.Recommendation 20Make it mandatory <strong>for</strong> crown copyright stateaccredited courses to be publically available on <strong>the</strong>NTIS. 3Recommendation 21Implement <strong>the</strong> proposed recommendations byacknowledging and building on existingprofessional networks and supporting collaborativearrangements between industry and providers inimproving <strong>the</strong> quality of assessment outcomes.MCVTE resolutionsThe Ministerial <strong>Council</strong> <strong>for</strong> Vocational andTechnical Education (MCVTE) endorsed <strong>the</strong> policyframework as outlined in <strong>the</strong> report and agreed to<strong>the</strong> following additional resolutions:• That <strong>the</strong> NQC conduct a review jointly withNVEAC on how best to ensure that equityneeds are addressed in <strong>the</strong> policy framework<strong>for</strong> <strong>VET</strong> <strong>Products</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>21st</strong> <strong>Century</strong>.• That in relation to Recommendation 6 <strong>the</strong> outcomes of <strong>the</strong> review will be presented aspart of a high level report to COAG.• That endorsement of Recommendation 20 is subject to scoping of its impact.3Refer to additional resolution from MCVTE<strong>VET</strong> PRODUCTS FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY - 7
2 . I n t r o d u c t i o n2. IntroductionRecognising synergies between <strong>the</strong> <strong>Council</strong> OfAustralian Governments (COAG) agenda to deliversignificant improvements in human capitaloutcomes <strong>for</strong> all Australians and <strong>the</strong> planned<strong>National</strong> Quality <strong>Council</strong> (NQC) work to identifyimprovements to Training Packages, in mid 2008 aJoint Steering Committee (JSC) of <strong>the</strong> NQC and<strong>the</strong> COAG <strong>Skills</strong> and Work<strong>for</strong>ce Development SubGroup was established to bring <strong>the</strong> work toge<strong>the</strong>r ina joint project called ‘<strong>VET</strong> <strong>Products</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>21st</strong><strong>Century</strong>’. This report summarises <strong>the</strong> workconducted by <strong>the</strong> JSC and presents a ProposedPolicy Framework and related recommendations toachieve <strong>the</strong>se objectives.2 . 1 P r o j e c t & r e p o r t s c o p eThe JSC was established to develop a policyframework to enable <strong>VET</strong> qualifications andproducts to:• meet <strong>the</strong> needs of businesses and industry;• equip individuals with broadly based skills andknowledge.• provide strategic oversight and guidance of aconsultation project to determine any changesnecessary to <strong>the</strong> definition and design of unitsof competency, Training Packages, <strong>VET</strong>qualifications, accredited courses, creditsystems, and recognition arrangements withinand between systems, to ensure that <strong>the</strong> <strong>VET</strong>sector is able to meet a more demand andclient-driven system;• report to <strong>the</strong> NQC and <strong>the</strong> COAG <strong>Skills</strong> andWork<strong>for</strong>ce Development Subgroup on <strong>the</strong>outcomes of <strong>the</strong> consultation, and provide recommendations; and• facilitate dialogue and collaboration betweenbodies undertaking work in relation to <strong>the</strong> <strong>VET</strong>sector including <strong>the</strong> NQC, COAG, <strong>the</strong>Australian Qualifications Framework <strong>Council</strong>(AQFC) and <strong>Skills</strong> Australia.This report is organised in 5 sections, including anExecutive Summary that outlines <strong>the</strong> principalfindings from <strong>the</strong> project and provides aconsolidated set of recommendations. Section 2provides an introduction to <strong>the</strong> report; Section 3gives <strong>the</strong> background and context; Section 4 dealswith meeting diverse needs and finally Section 5presents <strong>the</strong> proposed policy framework andsupporting recommendations.2 . 2 A p p r o a c h t o t h e p r o j e c tThe project was conducted in two stages. Stage 1was an initial, short consultation process involving18 meetings with key stakeholders in December2008, designed to provide <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>for</strong> broaderstakeholder consultation on options to address<strong>the</strong>se key issues. Stage 2 was a broader andmore comprehensive consultation process. Theconsultations were assisted by a consultation paper(available at www.nqc.tvetaustralia.com.au)covering:• <strong>the</strong> way in which competence is currentlydefined and assessed in <strong>the</strong> Australian vocational education and training (<strong>VET</strong>)system;• <strong>the</strong> kinds of qualifications necessary to meet<strong>the</strong> needs of and ensure consistent outcomes<strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> diverse groups of learners in <strong>the</strong> <strong>VET</strong>system;• <strong>the</strong> extent to which <strong>the</strong> needs of individualenterprises are being effectively met by <strong>the</strong> current <strong>VET</strong> products;• <strong>the</strong> structure of <strong>National</strong> Training Packages;• credit systems.Finally, a number of specific consultation questionsand possible options in relation to <strong>the</strong> definition anddevelopment of competency, <strong>VET</strong> qualifications,<strong>the</strong> structure and content of Training Packages andcredit systems were provided <strong>for</strong> consideration. Inaddition, a paper was commissioned from NCVERto support <strong>the</strong> consultation process, Competenceand competency based training: What <strong>the</strong> literaturesay (available at www.nqc.tvetaustralia.com.au), tobe read in conjunction with <strong>the</strong> consultation paper.In January 2009, a consortium of NCVER/IthacaGroup was contracted to:• Co-ordinate, conduct and manageconsultations (see Appendix A <strong>for</strong> details ofconsultations conducted) based on an agreedmethodology• Collate and evaluate consultation outcomes• Prepare a final report (with advice on possiblerecommendations) based on an analysis of:- <strong>the</strong> outcomes of <strong>the</strong> consultationsconducted;- a syn<strong>the</strong>sis of <strong>the</strong> outcomes from six (6)ISC research sub-projects and o<strong>the</strong>rrelated NQC projects.An electronic public submission process was alsoestablished to allow those who could not attend apublic workshop to provide <strong>the</strong>ir views and a total of35 submissions were received and acomplementary targeted consultation regardingequity considerations was undertaken (seeAppendix B <strong>for</strong> stakeholders interviewed). Over 500people attended public workshops or participated in<strong>the</strong> various consultations. It was also clear thatmany of <strong>the</strong> submissions received were fromorganisations that had <strong>the</strong>mselves consultedo<strong>the</strong>rs, and sometimes quite widely.<strong>VET</strong> PRODUCTS FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY - 8