TAFE
Stop short-changing regional areas
VET in regional Victoria has been particularly hard-hit by policy changes. By Dr Peter Whitley
30 | March 2013
Regional Australia is the home and workplace for approximately 29 per cent of the Australian population, with people in the bush contributing very positively to Australia’ s overall economy.
Indeed, the most recent statistics indicate that a significant portion of Australia’ s economic wealth is generated in Australia’ s regions. We can only wonder why it is – given the regions’ contribution – that they are so poorly supported for choice and diversity when it comes to the provision of vocational education and training.
In recent months, there has been significant change to the delivery of VET throughout Australia but perhaps none more so than in Victoria, and its impact has been felt most dramatically in regional Victoria.
Media outlets over recent months have ran many stories that have described the effect on regional Australians of increased costs of fees required in order to undertake their education of choice, and in a similar theme there has been a marked reduction in the types of courses offered throughout regional Australia. In other words, choice and diversity have been reduced.
Of greater concern for those passionate about the implied and implicit value of vocational education is the damaging effect of regular policy changes which see vocational education and training regularly reshaped, redefined and revalued.
While there is no doubt that vocational education, through its training package regime, is aimed primarily at creating‘ job ready’ people, there can be no denying that vocational educational is, for many, more than about job readiness.
For many, vocational education is an alternative path to that provided through university study while for others vocational education is an expression of personal desire and achievement, and for others it is a thirst for applied knowledge that prompts them to engage in vocational education.
While there is little doubt that all Australians recognise vocational education as a part of the tertiary education landscape, its value and role is often in question by policymakers, funders and the community.
The community often argues that vocational education is a second educational option; industry argues for vocational education to be focused on increasing skills for the workplace; governments are attempting to direct training and education toward skill shortage areas; and lastly, individuals are seeking a vocational education experience that provides personal interest, employment and future opportunity.
In each circumstance the prevailing political and social influences determine vocational education’ s perceived value, which is then manifest through governments’ commitment of resources and the credibility of VET espoused by society.
While the university sector is minimally affected by policy changes( in comparison to TAFE), the TAFE sector is expected to gyrate to many different and changing tunes. One of the consequences of this is increasing confusion in the community about the value of the VET sector and is reflected through the lens of government.
In a global environment where the nations of the world are using their vocational education sectors to stimulate and promote growth and industry productivity( witness China’ s and India’ s expressed desire to enhance and expand their respective VET sectors), Australia is making participation in VET courses and subjects a costlier option than that of attending university.
In an environment where increased productivity is critical, where employee decision-making needs to be innovative and entrepreneurial and our workforce demands higher skill and knowledge sets, Australia needs to be engaging with the population of regional Australia, expanding and encouraging participation in VET and not reducing its availability to a minimalist approach.
While our policymakers and funders argue for