Help more Tasmanians with training and education for the world of work
An education report shows Tasmania could do better, says Mike Frost
THE recently released review of years 9 to 12 schooling in Tasmania undertaken by national education research body ACER makes some very clear recommendations about enhancing the preparation of young people for the world of work.
The research was commissioned by the Tasmanian Government to help it address the state’s poor senior secondary completion rates and improve retention. A longwinded and cumbersome report, its recommendations range across curriculum reform, teacher workforce rejuvenation, the creation of multi-campus schools and better controls over data collection. The report’s recommendation to “Improve the status of VET and VEL (vocational education and learning) in schools through community involvement in the development of a future vision and associated implementation strategy” is one of the strongest.
About 25 per cent of Tasmanian students will complete a VET qualification or attain part of one by Year 12. This is well below, for example, the 50 per cent of Queensland students who undertake VET, a significant proportion of whom undertake a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship.
However the report makes clear that students undertaking VET or VEL courses are more likely to stay on at school so that it is a contributing factor in the slowly improving retention rate. This is particularly so in rural and regional areas.
Its time for the Tasmanian Government to recognise the social and economic value of vocational education in schools and to make a much bigger commitment to resourcing it. The report notes that there are currently five Department of Education officers responsible for vocational education, compared with two directorlevel appointments in the Northern Territory and a much larger staff commitment.
It is necessary to recognise that vocational programs can be more expensive, do require special arrangements such as providing workplacement opportunities, and have specialist staff training demands. This needs to be reflected in school and college resource allocation.
The report is critical of some of the Government’s current efforts to improve retention and school completion. Minister Jeremy Rockliff’s flagship Extension High School program is written off as “a resource intensive option, that may have low impact”, with limited capacity to offer VET programs and recruit suitably qualified teachers. It is worth noting that more than 90 per cent of Year 9 and 10 students interviewed indicated attending the nearest senior secondary college was the preferred pathway.
Overlooked in the report
however are the small number of success stories, like Huonville High and Jordan River Learning Federation, which are building successful retention and completion strategies around Trade Training Centres. In these centres VET/VEL are centre stage.
In elevating the place of VET/VEL the report refers to the need for the Government to build a statewide vision for the place of VET and a strategy for implementing change. This is important because, since the demise of the academy and polytechnic senior secondary reforms, many industry associations and employer bodies have become critical of schoolbased VET. They often cite school students as being inadequately prepared for the workplace despite undertaking a VET program and are particularly critical of schooldelivered qualifications above certificate II levels.
To address this the report recommends the Government drive a program to bring employers and industry associations and other stakeholders together to work with school teachers and trainers. However higher level leadership within the department is a key ingredient to do this and it needs to be at director level. Skills Tasmania, although not identified in the report, is another key agency with the capacity to drive school-based VET.
In other states the public provider like TasTAFE has been a major partner and stakeholder in supporting school-based VET. The report reveals some interesting insights around student perceptions and aspirations. A high proportion of students entering years 11 and 12 cite university as a preferred destination. The University of Tasmania actively recruits students as evidenced by the relatively high number of university places offered. Yet there is growing evidence that VET qualifications are likely to result in better employability. Nearly 80 per cent of VET students including those completing an apprenticeship or traineeship will be employed within six months of graduation compared with a little over 65 per cent of university graduates (Department of Employment 2016).
Minister Rockliff can draw little joy from the report on the effectiveness of the policy changes his agency has implemented to date. The dismantling of the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority and its replacement with Tasmanian Assessment Standards and Certification draws extensive criticism in the Report as does the abolishing of the pathway planning program and related student post-school transition efforts. There is some good news, however. Secondary colleges direct retention is improving, the proportion of part-time students is significantly decreasing and innovative efforts like the Rosny College driven school cluster program with local high schools are positive signs. Mike Frost is director of an education and training consultancy and a pioneer of school and college-based vocational programs in Tasmania.