Posts Tagged ‘TAFESA’
Get Ready for Skills for All
If you are operating in the South Australian training market then ‘get ready’ is the key message from the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology (DFEEST). Get ready for:
- the application process to open in the last week or two of October 2011;
- the course (qualifications and skills sets/licence outcomes) list in November 2011 – could be a specialist occupation, state priority (such as Defence, Mining, Arts), foundation skills and/or meet specific industry needs; and
- the price list available in December 2011.
Prices will be detailed at a unit of competency level and will vary depending on AQF levels. The rates will be based upon an average of User Choice, Productivity Places Program and TAFESA’s recurrent funding amounts (referred to as FSI500) together with a comparison of interstate VET prices. Payments are planned on units of competency completion (RTOs will need to manage their cash flow well) paid on a monthly cycle with bonus payments for full completions.
Certificate I and II will be fully subsidised, Certificate III and IV 80% subsidised and Diploma and Advanced Diploma 70% subsidised with concessions available (Healthcare/Veterans Card) and 1 skills set/year for eligible applicants. DFEEST will publish a minimum and maximum fee to be paid to make up the difference between the subsidised % and the full costs. RPL will be fully funded.
The Quality Directorate is moving into the area of contract and purchasing quality. Applications for Skills for All will be online, no fees to apply, with no closing date and it’s recommended that the RTO’s CEO gain a log in. RTOs can work on their application over time until they are ready to ‘submit’ their submission. If providers submit in December 2o11, the Minister will make some providers an offer with contract negotiations over January – March 2012 and the first list of Skills for All providers will be made public in April 2012. Fact Sheet 2 Applying to be a Skills for All Provider procedure details the process for applications and assessments.
If you are a User Choice provider and want to continue after July 2012, you need to register as a Skills for All provider. Providers may also wish to register for VET fee help with the option of income contingent loans for students.
Now for the main game, what are the selection criteria (Fact Sheet 3) for providers? Well, it’s all about performance…
- regulatory record (information will be shared with DFEEST and the regulator, ASQA);
- contract compliance;
- financial health (of the whole organisation, not only the RTO);
- number of graduates;
- student and employer satisfaction (quality indicator reports via Training Packages); and
- graduate outcomes.
Tips for providers: focus on your strengths, where industry/client demand and your performance is high, where you have strong industry connections and excellent graduate outcomes.
DFEEST is taking an evidence based approach to Skills for All providers with data and evidence to be provided about:
- Meeting SA Guidelines for RTOs;
- Meeting student learning needs;
- the RTO;
- Training Package/s; and
- Each qualification.
Review Fact Sheet 4 Preparing to Apply to be a Skills for All Training Provider for all the details on specific evidence – if you don’t have a workforce plan for your RTO and/or a recent Training Needs Analysis then this has to be the catalyst!
A few final things..
- What RTOs put in their application will form part of the contract requirements;
- The contract will be monitored with an annual review, reporting and claims requirements, benchmarking across similar courses with triggers if you are an ‘outlier’ in terms of performance/price or receive complaints against your RTO; and
- Information on Skills in the Workplace will be available in October 2011.
Throughout 2012, the level of interest in workforce development, with RTOs building their own workforce plan’s and undertaking professional development in workforce development and planning, has significantly increased as leaders are positioning themselves to be primed for Skills for All and national reforms – are you?
Want to be the first to get the news and info? Subscribe to the Workforce Planning Tools blog and contact our Head Workforce Planner, Wendy Perry via wendy@workforceblueprint.com.au for assistance with your workforce plan.
PS. Have you seen the latest announcement from Traineeship and Apprenticeship Services about additional User Choice funding for Existing Worker Certificate III Training Contracts? For commencing contracts on or after1.9.11, all existing worker trainees under a Cert III qual will attract a User Choice subsidy in South Australia. For further info, contact Chris Pyne, Manager, Traineeship and Apprenticeship Programs.
Skills for All and Opportunities for You
Skills for All, the Strategic Direction for Vocational Education and Training in South Australia 2011-2014 has been published and was great weekend reading with the pink highlighter pen out!
What does Skills for All offer?
- extra $194 million over the next 6 years for an additional 100 000 places
- transition to a National VET Regulator in 2011
- income contingent loans and concession fees for low income earners
- Skills in the Workplace initiative to upskill employees in support of their workforce development – sharing the costs with government where more than 200 employees – at least 50%; 100-199 employees at least 25%; less than 100 employees at least 10%
- independent and endorsed workforce development advisors
- subsidies – full for Cert I and II; 80% for Cert III and IV; 70% for Dip and Adv Dip; up to 100% for priority qualifications, critical skills and specialised occupations
- designated skills set training once/year based upon advice from industry
- move towards fully contestable training market
- from 1.7.11 the Office of TAFE SA will be formed
- training information portal
- plain language document on provider services and outcomes for students, awareness of opportunities to feedback concerns or complaints from students and regular info campaigns
- $6.4 million in additional funding for foundation skills and Adult and Community Education (ACE)
- reduction in VET cost per hour closer to the national VET average
- Skills for All providers will receive subsidies for delivery in rural locations that reflect additional costs with thin markets
- targeted professional development initiatives that address contemporary education and training and workforce development practice
- nominated capability building initiatives to ensure good practice for providers
- a new Employer Recognition Program initially recognising employers of apprentices and expanding over time for employers who are committed to developing the skills of their workforce
- employers co-investment with Government in integrate workforce development plans, encourage industry uptake of workforce development, industry investment and skill development for new and emerging industries and technologies
- workforce development support including toolkits, workshops and resources
So here’s some ideas on what to consider now so you are ready for the roll out:
- training providers must demonstrate the demand for skills and jobs, links to industry and funding required – this means taking an evidence based approach and analysing workforce, industry and regional demand
- registration and qualification requirements as a Skills for All training provider – this is additional to the minimum AQTF standards and you’ll need to be on the look out for when DFEEST releases the requirements
- increased focus on recognition of prior learning and identifying student learning needs – think about RPL as opt out of not op in and who you can tap into for learner support
- at enrolment students and their provider will develop a customised training plan – do you already have this in place or will you need to develop a template and tools?
- the subsidy price will be paid monthly to qualified providers based upon module completions – how will your cash flow work and what systems will you need to put in place for reporting?
- one website will have information about Skills for All providers – how will you keep this up to date and what about your own website, maybe time for review and some advice?
- DFEEST will provide information to students – how could you maximise this promotional opportunity and do you need to rethink your marketing strategy?
- ACE partners - who do you know? who can you work with? do/can/will you deliver foundation skills?
- VET costing – do you know all the inputs, all the outputs and the return on the investment?
- Delivery in rural locations – get familiar with the Accessibility Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) to determine regional loadings and classify your target markets based upon industries, student cohorts and regions – locality, SLA and postcode are important data sets here
- need to better engage and support SME’s – facilitate a workforce development style conversation and identify all their needs
- employer recognition – what about the commitment of your own organisation to workforce development? are you leading the way?
- focus on workforce development – this is moving beyond training and assessment and workforce skills development towards a workforce planning approach
What’s next – have a look at the key implementation milestones with the Skills in the Workplace program due for August 2011 with most activities kicking off publicly from June 2011 through until 2012-13.
Make sure you subscribe for further updates and what you are looking forward to?