policy & reform
across the board.
Last year policy uncertainty became a major media circus in Victoria. The Baillieu government cut $ 300 million in TAFE funds to subsidise its run-away training guarantee and, aside from successfully creating a state-wide uproar, proved extremely damaging to a struggling premier with a one-seat majority.
New policies together with $ 200 million are of some assistance in Victoria. However, complications have arisen with their implementation.
NSW followed by withdrawing funding contributions to the Joint Group Training Program( JGTP), quickly followed by Tasmania.
Fast forward to the Gonski school funding boost. The early signing to Gonski by NSW was entirely predictable under premier O’ Farrell with his haste to secure the‘ 2 for 1’ share of schools funding offer from Canberra – too good to be true, came the Macquarie Street comment! Yet NSW was forced to eye off increases in VET fees to fund the difference, ironically hitting industry, and putting employer sponsored training, including apprenticeship, at risk.
However, the‘ rot’ had started some years before, led by Canberra. Trace back to Julia Gillard as minister for
tertiary education and skills. The GFC crunch caused a promised three per cent compound rise to skills funding to fizzle, with short term Education Infrastructure Fund( EIF) grants introduced to placate an angry industry sector.
Last year’ s‘ budget rationalisation’ led by senator Evans boasted that there was strong justification to slice employer subsidies for apprentices amid worsening economic conditions.
As a result, apprenticeship centres now confirm that this action single-handedly created one of the sharpest falls in apprenticeship commencements for more than a decade.
December 2012 trend data from the government’ s research agency, NCVER, confirming steep declines.
Earlier NCVER data released in September 2012 had indicated that apprenticeship numbers were fragile. The trend was earlier forecast by Alex Maroya, national training director at Master Builders Association, when speaking at TDA’ s National Conference in Perth last year.
Tom Karmel and David Roberts published a detailed paper( NCVER, 2012) highlighting the delicate issues affecting apprenticeships in Australia including culture, employer size, and capacity to support those already under training contracts. Errol Cocks and Stian Thoreson followed recently with further research reviewing the ongoing barriers faced by disability candidates in apprenticeships( NCVER, 2013).
Despite declining apprenticeship enrolments, the Australian government’ s data confirms Australia still has underlying skill shortages, mostly in technical trades, although these conditions are easing as the market weakens.
Conversely, last month Germany’ s iMOVE agency published its success in attracting 25 per cent of its trade enrolments from university graduates with a widening social cohort undertaking education. Australia’ s failure to support employers with adequate funding for technical and trade training remains a real threat to the supply chain to support skills in our economy.
Yet our budget deficit crisis may not allow leaders’ room for retreat. This will demand industry and unions join with providers – public and private – to find creative education solutions to Australia’ s deepening skills shock. n
Martin Riordan is CEO of TAFE Directors Australia.
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The 2nd Annual ATEM / Campus Review 2013 Best Practice Awards in Tertiary Education Management
For 37 years the Association for Tertiary Education Management( ATEM) has been at the forefront of developing, nurturing and encouraging the tertiary education management professional. ATEM has sought to recognise the achievement of our members and to encourage best practice.
In the 2012, ATEM, together with Campus Review, held the first ever best practice awards in tertiary education management. The awards were a great success and we have established what we believe to be a great tradition.
In 2013, applications are invited for the 2nd Annual ATEM / Campus Review Awards for Best Practice in Tertiary Education Management.
The ATEM / Campus Review Best Practice awards in tertiary education management seek to recognise best practice and celebrate not only the winners but all who seek to excel in their profession.
ATEM once again acknowledges the support of Campus Review, the premier magazine dedicated exclusively to the sector, as the awards main sponsor. Last year, Campus Review’ s support was crucial in gaining wide publicity for the awards.
Categories:
u The LH Martin Award for Excellence in Leadership( page 4)
u The ResearchMaster Award for Excellence in Research Management( page 5)
u The Higher Ed Services Award for Excellence in Financial Management( page 6)
u The Dragon NaturallySpeaking Award for Excellence in Innovation( page 7)
u The Knowledge Partnership Award for Excellence in Marketing, Communication and Public Relations( page 8)
u The Professional Staff Union Award for Excellence in Community
Engagement( page 9)
u The Global HR Innovation Award for Excellence in Human Resources
Management( page 10)
u Award for Excellence in Student Administration & Customer Service( page 11)
u The Cyon Knowledge Computing Award for Excellence in IT Management( page 12)
u The Campus Living Villages Award for Excellence by a Young Person in Tertiary Education( page 13)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is a government-funded tertiary institution in Hong Kong. It offers programmes at various levels including Doctorate, Master’ s, and Bachelor’ s degrees. It has a full-time academic staff strength of around 1,200. The total consolidated expenditure budget of the University is close to HK $ 5 billion per year.
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is seeking a highly motivated individual with a PhD related to Construction Engineering, Infrastructure Management, or Transportation Engineering. The Department enjoys high reputation in conducting application oriented research and has well established connections with industry partners and government agencies in Hong Kong. The new appointee will further add to existing research strengths in infrastructure engineering and project management, such as automation and real time systems, intelligent computing and visualization, pavement management, transportation engineering and infrastructure management.
The Department offers academic programmes at various levels, including MPhil degree and PhD degree, in the disciplines of Construction and Transportation Engineering, Environmental Engineering Science, Geotechnical Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, and Structural Engineering. The Department currently has more than 35 faculty members and about 35 technical and administrative personnel and is committed to the international standards of excellence in teaching and research. Please visit the website at http:// www. cee. polyu. edu. hk for more information about the Department.
Assistant Professor in Infrastructure Management / Construction Engineering
The appointee will be required to( a) teach relevant subjects at various levels;( b) supervise student projects and theses;( c) initiate, lead and participate in research activities; and( d) undertake relevant administrative duties.
Applicants should( a) have a PhD degree in Construction Engineering, Infrastructure Management, Transportation Engineering or a related discipline;( b) have strong commitment to excellence in teaching and research;( c) have a good record of research and scholarship; and( d) be able to demonstrate effective classroom teaching skills and have good interpersonal skills.
Preference will be given to those with demonstrated track record and expertise in infrastructure management and construction engineering. Preference will also be given to those with an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering. Relevant professional qualifications and working experience as a civil engineer will be an asset.
Remuneration and Conditions of Service A highly competitive remuneration package will be offered. Initial appointment for Assistant Professor will be on a fixed-term gratuity-bearing contract. Re-engagement thereafter is subject to mutual agreement. Applicants should state their current and expected salary in the application.
Application Please submit application form via email to hrstaff @ polyu. edu. hk; by fax at( 852) 2364 2166; or by mail to Human Resources Office, 13 / F, Li Ka Shing Tower, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. If you would like to provide a separate curriculum vitae, please still complete the application form which will help speed up the recruitment process. Application forms can be obtained via the above channels or downloaded from http:// www. polyu. edu. hk / hro / job. htm. Recruitment will continue until the position is filled. Initial consideration of applications will commence on 2 July 2013. Details of the University’ s Personal Information Collection Statement for recruitment can be found at http:// www. polyu. edu. hk / hro / jobpics. htm.
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