Suggested talking points: Topic 5

Towards the future: What next?

The fifth topic intends to trigger conversations about existing relationships your section, faculty or institute might currently have with industry.

5.1 TAFE in industry workplaces

5.2 New challenges for industry and TAFE

5.3 New qualifications for work-based learning and assessment

5.4 New ways of using TAFE teachers’ skills

5.5 Workforce development consultant roles

Consider the following discussion starters:

Key questions / Responses might include:
In what ways do the interviewees think their partnerships with TAFE and the training solutions offered can be improved in the future? /
  • Documentation/OHS
  • RPL and competency-based assessment opportunities
  • Encouraging the commitment to workforce development
  • Being involved in industry discussions
  • Using its size and expertise to lead discussions
  • Participate more fully in the process
  • Be aware of financial implications eg applications for financial incentives
  • Be aware of the implications of the time of training eg consider offering sessions after 6pm when all workers are able to participate
  • Get outside the classroom
  • Participate in quarterly reviews of apprentices
  • Assist in the mapping of internal procedures to units of competency
  • Focus on filling the training gaps; assist in applying limited resources strategically
  • Focus on Diploma of Children’s Services

What is the invitation that Kevin Klose and David Paddison offer to TAFE teachers and relevant others? Why does he make this offer? /
  • Try to understand one another’s perspectives
  • Come into our facilities
  • Get a feel for what the day-to-day needs are
  • Willingness to participate
  • Come out to branch and participate in quarterly review with apprenticeship manager and service manager
  • Keen to be involved in course development

What are the issues/impediments to effective workplace-based learning? /
  • Attitude of teachers
  • Environment is outside the teacher’s control
  • Unstructured nature of learning is difficult to quantify
  • Cultures of RTO and enterprise may clash
  • TAFE systems make it difficult as it is often personalised learning or assessment rather than group based learning or assessment

What do teachers need to do to best facilitate workplace learning? /
  • Communicate
  • Be professional
  • Document
  • Trust
  • Know training package inside out
  • Be able to marry workplace tasks to elements and units of competence

How is workplace learning quality assured? /
  • Benchmarking especially against training package standards
  • Random checks (audits)
  • Documented goals can be reviewed by all parties
  • Review of results
  • Another way to look at this might be to ask how is classroom learning quality assured and draw the parallels

What is the role of the manager as facilitator/assessor? /
  • May be nothing more than signing of contract and ensuring supervision which includes training
  • May be documenting any work-based development programs conducted
  • Identify staff most appropriate for workplace learning and assessment

What can teachers do to better engage with industry partners? /
  • Be seen in industry
  • Be talking with industry
  • Show systems, skills and knowledge off to industry
  • Value workplace learning
  • Practice using a variety of evidence to ascertain competence of a person, including direct and indirect evidence

What are the additional skills you believe teachers need in order to better respond to these new demands? What skills currently exist in your section/faculty?
Is there a role for workforce development consultants? /
  • Industry is asking for help in mapping day-to-day skills and current training to units of competence

05_Talking_Points_Future.Doc