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Apprentice scheme protected
Guidelines protect apprenticeships scheme against rorting .
The peak body for independent
training and tertiary providers and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have helped introduce measures to protect the government ’ s new Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements scheme from rorting .
Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia ( ITECA ) CEO Troy Williams told Campus Review that new integrity measures were put in place following a meeting with the Department of Education , Skills and Employment to “ ensure that the program was a success ”.
These new measures cover existing worker limits and general integrity measures .
Under the new measures , employers and host employers ( Group Training Organisations ) are eligible for the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements payment for up to 30 existing Australian apprentices if they meet two key conditions .
First , an employer is eligible for the payment if an existing worker “ transfers from a casual employment arrangement to a part-time or full-time Australian Apprenticeship ”. Employers are also eligible “ where an existing worker transfers from a part-time employment arrangement to a full-time Australian Apprenticeship ”. However , limits will apply to both of these transfer agreements .
Additionally , limits on commencements will apply from 28 October 2020 .
The addition of general integrity measures is also aimed at stamping out opportunities to rort the scheme . The measures target concerns from some stakeholders that employers would cancel an existing apprentice and rehire them to attract the government subsidy . They also address concerns regarding employer coercion .
The Department of Education , Skills and Employment now “ reserves the right to withhold , refuse or require repayment where there has been fraud or manipulation , such as an employer cancelling their Australian Apprentice , to access Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements payments , which would otherwise not have been payable ”, the new Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program Guidelines state .
“ Manipulation includes , but is not limited to , releasing an Australian Apprentice and re-engaging the same Australian Apprentice , releasing an Australian Apprentice and engaging a new Australian Apprentice in order to claim Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements , or coercing or directing an employee to commence an Australian Apprenticeship .” Williams stated ITECA will continue to work with the Department in “ ensuring that this initiative is a success ”.
The Australian Apprenticeship Incentive Program Guidelines assert that the Australian government is “ committed to maintaining a skilled and flexible workforce that will continue to be relevant to Australia ’ s changing needs while retaining Australia ’ s international competitiveness as a trading nation ”. ■
Education ethics
Education research should be held to higher scrutiny : academics .
How can it be ethical to teach a
program in schools that has not been rigorously evaluated ?”
This is one of the questions two academics posed as they argued that education research should be held to a higher standard , closer to that seen in Australia ’ s medical research system .
In an article on The Conversation , University of Western Australia academics David Lawrence and Professor Tanya Fitzgerald said while strong principles to protect safety and prevent harm underpin medical research , the impact of educational programs face “ far less scrutiny ” in the applications process than those of medical research .
“ No-one wants our children to be used as research guinea pigs ,” the researchers said .
“ High standards of ethical oversight are needed to ensure no child is exposed to possible harm . While the medical research ethics model was developed to provide exactly this level of protection , perversely , in education , it may be exposing our children to harm .”
The pair pointed out that while drug and surgical therapies are administered to individuals , education is a shared activity .
“ Research ethics require individual signed consent from parents for their child to participate in any research project . This makes it difficult to study classroom teaching and class - and school-based programs . While few parents oppose educational research , families have busy lives , and notes home from school are easily overlooked or forgotten ,” they said .
Lawrence and Fitzgerald said another difference lies in the approach to approvals . “ A new medical therapy can only be approved for the Medicare or Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme if it has been proven to be safe , effective , and more cost effective than existing therapies . There is no such requirement in education .
“ Schools and teachers are given wide latitude to adopt untested educational programs and strategies based on their professional judgements .
“ Research into the high stakes NAPLAN test shows several negative effects . These include teachers limiting the scope of what they teach and concentrating only on what will be in the test , and encouraging students to write badly , to a formula that will get them higher marks . But despite this , not much has changed in terms of the way the testing is implemented .”
The duo said Australia needs to improve the education evidence base by systematically evaluating the effectiveness of policies , programs and practices . ■
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