policy & reform
Good reform comes in small packages
The growth of the training package model is unsustainable under today’ s system. Change is necessary – and it needs to be smarter, rather than bigger. By John Hart
From training entitlements to transparency measures, the current pace and scale of reform in Australia’ s VET system has been unprecedented. Whilst these changes represent important pieces of the reform puzzle, it is the delivery of consistent and high-quality training and assessment based on industry-defined standards that remains the lynchpin of a successful system.
In recognition of this, Industry Skills Councils – with support from the National Skills Standards Council and the Department of Innovation, Industry, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education – has undertaken a project that proposes additional information for training packages to ensure the quality of delivery and assessment.
Fifteen years ago, the training package model was developed to align qualifications more directly with national competency standards and job outcomes, to reduce regulation by removing requirements for state-based course accreditation and to create greater flexibility in delivery strategies.
Today, training packages specify the skills and knowledge required to perform effectively in the workplace. This leaves trainers and supervisors with the
20 | Issue 8 2013 responsibility to develop learning strategies that are suitable to the individual learners’ needs, abilities and circumstances, enabling the national system to respond to individuals’ diverse educational, ethnic, social and geographic backgrounds. Most importantly, as industries’ needs evolve, so do the nationally endorsed qualifications and units of competency.
Since their introduction, training packages have been enormously successful.
The leaders of the Australian Industry Group, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Council of Trade Unions described them as“ one of industry’ s most prized strategic assets in building a world-class workforce and securing our position in the global economy”.
They also sit at the nexus of a large, diverse and complex system.
There are nearly 5000 registered training organisations, more than 1.4 million enrolments in training package qualifications annually and revenue in the sector totalling $ 8.38 billion. And given the introduction of demand-based funding, further expansion is all but guaranteed. Yet without addressing the issue of quality, this growth is unsustainable.
Industry Skills Councils represents the bodies responsible for developing the training packages, in partnership with their industry stakeholders. However, the skills councils have a limited role in ensuring that Registered Training Organisations( RTOs) consistently interpret, deliver and assess the requirements of the standards for all units and qualifications.
This is stymieing effective regulation and is a missed opportunity. Change is necessary, albeit without sacrificing flexibility and innovation in training delivery.
In short, we need smarter regulation, not more regulation.
The national VET regulator is on the record as supporting this type of approach. In its submission to the National Skills Standards Council’ s 2012 Review of the Standards for the Regulation of VET, the Australian Skills Quality Authority( ASQA) plainly stated that“ the link between the national standards for the regulation of VET and the training package requirements needs to be strengthened”.
The regulator’ s reason?“ To provide greater consistency in how industry and training providers interpret and implement vocational training.”
This is the missing link in safeguarding quality in the system.