November 2009
- From the Chair
- NQC Member Profile
- Strengthing the AQF
- RTO Voluntary Recognition
- Evaluation of Training Packages Development and Endorsement Process
- NQC engagement with the Flexible Learning Advisory Group (FLAG)
- Review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act
- Skills for Sustainability
- International VET
- National Consistency
- Quality of Assessment
- Training package reform on the way
- Equity
- Training Packages Glossary
- 2009 Future NQC Meeting Dates
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From the Chair
Welcome to the third edition of the Quality Council Focus for 2009.
Since the last meeting of the NQC in June 2009, I have had the opportunity to meet with the VET Ministers for both Victoria and Western Australia (the Hon Jacinta Allen and the Hon Peter Collier respectively) and the VET Advisor to the NSW Minister, all on VET quality issues.
In early September, in my role as Chair of the TVET Board, I attended the COAG National International Student Strategy Regulators’ Roundtable meeting in Melbourne. Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments are working collaboratively on the International Student Strategy- with the aim of improving the quality of education provision to overseas students studying in Australia. The purpose of this meeting was to provide regulator input into the development of the Strategy and representatives from all State and Territory Registering Bodies participated.
Both of the regulatory frameworks designed to ensure quality VET provision to overseas students studying in Australia - the Commonwealth Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act and the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) were discussed at this meeting. Concerns were raised by some Registering Bodies that the continuous improvement focus in the AQTF standards made the regulation of highly non-compliant providers more difficult. This matter will be further considered by the NQC’s National Consistency Action Group within its role of overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the AQTF.
As the body responsible for overseeing quality assurance and ensuring national consistency in the application of the AQTF, the NQC will work to pro-actively address these issues. The NQC does not want to lose the intent of the Standards – which are working for most providers.
I will be attending a meeting of the Chairs of Registering Bodies and TVET Australia in early November at which the Hon Bruce Baird has been invited to update us on the review he is undertaking of the ESOS Act. Mr Baird addressed the NQC at their September meeting and advised us that a discussion paper had been prepared to assist those wishing to provide a submission. The NQC has provided a submission to the Review.
At the September NQC meeting, members considered a number of matters including the development of a NQC Strategic Plan, a draft of the 2010 NQC Work Plan, a final report of the Evaluation of the Training Package Development and Endorsement Process, and progress reports from each of the Action Groups – National Consistency, Quality of Assessment, International VET, Skills for Sustainability, and Framework Implementation (VET Products for the 21st Century).
The upcoming December meeting will finalise a good deal of Action Group work for the year including a model for quality assurance of offshore delivery of Australian VET qualifications; ways of strengthening the AQTF to take account of the international student experience of studying in Australia; a report of the stocktake and gap analysis of sustainability skills in Training Packages; and a report on possible voluntary standards for RTOs as providers of Green Skills. I look forward to discussing these items and others in the next newsletter.
Regards,
Patrick McKendry
NQC Chair
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NQC Member Profile
Rod Camm
Associate Director General
Skills Queensland
Skills Queensland will drive reforms of the vocational education & training sector through innovative purchasing strategies aimed at ensuring industry ownership of the skills agenda & flexibility & responsiveness from training providers.
The Tertiary & Non-State Education Division plays an important role in ensuring value for money & quality from Queensland's significant investment in Education & Training.
Rod Camm was previously the Chief Executive Officer, Construction Skills Queensland which is the centre of excellence for the building & construction industry in Queensland.
Construction Skills Queensland was launched on 31 July 2007. As CEO, Rod was responsible for leading skills solutions in partnership with government & industry, & for developing & driving strategies on workforce development.
Rod has also performed a range of other executive roles in Government.
At Parliament House, Canberra, on 19 & 20 April 2008, the Prime Minister led the Prime Minister’s Australia 2020 Summit. The summit was designed to bring together 1000 people to consider the key reforms required for Australia, Rod attended as one of the QLD participants.
Rod has performed the role of director on a range of boards, & is currently on the board of TVET Australia Limited, NCVER & the Queensland Overseas Foundation.
Rod is also a member of the Premier’s Employment Taskforce. The Taskforce was launched in January 2009 to provide information on the economy, expert advice on how to protect jobs, & to inform government policy in the economic downturn. Membership of the Taskforce includes a range of experts from industry, business, representative bodies & the not-for-profit sector.
In 2004, Rod was awarded the Premier’s Scholarship for the Executive Masters of Public Administration from the Australian & New Zealand School of Government.
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Strengthing the AQF
Strengthening the AQF
The NQC supports the Australian Qualifications Framework Council work to strengthen the AQF and endorses the need for a single, cross-sectoral qualifications architecture which is consistent with international best practice. From a VET perspective, the Council sees that a strengthened AQF must provide a clear and transparent expression of the qualification needs of industry; support the capacity for individuals to navigate pathways between qualifications and sectors; and support recognition of formal, informal and work based learning. The NQC recognizes that while there are potential benefits for the VET sector in the AQFC proposals for a single, cross-sectoral qualifications architecture for the AQF, there are also risks.
The NQC will continue to participate in the public discussion around the strengthening of the AQF with the aim of ensuring the particular interests of the VET sector are understood and sufficiently reflected in a strengthened AQF. The Council will develop a formal response to the second AQFC consultation paper which is available at http://www.aqf.edu.au/Portals/0/Strengthening the AQF - An Architecture for Australias Qualifications.pdf
The second round of consultative workshops will be conducted by the AQFC in mid October.
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RTO Voluntary Recognition
RTO Voluntary Recognition
As part of the drive to improve the quality and accessibility of reliable information about providers in the VET sector, the NQC has supported the implementation of a program of voluntary certification of RTOs against the AQTF Excellence Criteria. A successful trial of the criteria was completed in 2008, and the program is scheduled to be rolled out across the national training system in early 2010. It will provide an evaluation of the performance of an RTO by an independent expert panel against specific criteria, and a public listing of high quality providers.
This voluntary certification will provide an objective measurement of quality to inform the public of the performance of RTOs thus responding to recent concerns about Australia’s reputation in international education by making available to students better market information about providers.
Better market information about quality providers in the VET sector will provide a service to consumers, will lead to improvement in the quality of the VET system and allow quality providers to differentiate themselves in the training market.
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Evaluation of Training Packages Development and Endorsement Process
Evaluation of Training Packages Development and Endorsement Process
Consistent with its charter to endorse high quality training packages for the national training system, the NQC has undertaken an independent evaluation of the training package development and endorsement process.
A streamlined process to develop and endorse Training Packages was progressively introduced from January 2008 with the intention of developing higher quality Training Packages and increasing the ‘speed to market’ of new qualifications, skill sets and units of competency. An independent evaluation of the new process has now been completed and a copy of the consultants’ final report is available at http://www.nqc.tvetaustralia.com.au/nqc_publications
The evaluation found that most stakeholders are positive about the new policy and process. A number of areas for improvement have been identified, particularly around clarifying roles, policy interpretations and processes and developing a common understanding of these but the overall finding is that the new process is achieving greater levels of trust between key stakeholders which will continue to deliver benefits.
Shifts in the existing policy and process are proposed in a number of key areas including: the introduction of a more systematic and ‘batched’ approach to continuous improvement changes to Training Packages; some streamlining of the endorsement documentation; a tightening of quality assurance arrangements; and removal of the requirement for Ministerial approval of NQC endorsement decisions.
While technically outside the scope of the evaluation, the report also identifies a number of issues in the post-endorsement, implementation phase which have a significant impact on the speed to market of newly endorsed Training Packages and recommends further collaborative work to address these issues and ensure national consistency in product roll-out.
At its September meeting, the NQC endorsed all the recommendations in the report, along with an additional recommendation that until the new NTIS is in place, ISCs will provide TVET Australia with a copy of the final, electronic version of the Training Package that is lodged with NTIS for upload and that this version will be the nationally endorsed product.
The Council also agreed that the Commonwealth and TVET Australia will work together on a plan to implement the recommendations of the report, noting that the recommendation for removal of the requirement for Ministerial approval of NQC endorsement decisions will be referred to the Ministerial Council.
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NQC engagement with the Flexible Learning Advisory Group (FLAG)
NQC engagement with the Flexible Learning Advisory Group (FLAG)
The Flexible Learning Advisory Group (FLAG) is the key policy advisory group on national issues related to the directions and priorities for the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the VET system and Adult and Community Education (ACE).
As an initial step in formal engagement between the NQC and FLAG, representatives from the FLAG including the Chair, Mr Rod Arthur (QLD) and the Victorian and ACT representatives attended the September NQC meeting to discuss areas of common interest and influence such as flexibility and responsiveness, assessment, and access and equity in the national VET system.
The NQC will continue its engagement with the FLAG through collaborative work in specific areas of mutual interest.
For more information on the role and current priorities of the FLAG visit http://www.flag.edu.au/
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Review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act
Review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act
At their September meeting the NQC heard from the Hon Bruce Baird on the Review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000. Council members raised many issues with Mr Baird including:
- that barriers to entry for new RTOs are too low, and that the new ‘fit and proper person’ governance requirements in the Act should be extended to require expertise in managing educational institutions
- the need for a separation between providers, migration agents and providers of work experience and accommodation to students
- that issue of qualifications to international students who do not meet competency requirements may have significant flow on implications for domestic students seeking employment
- that students undertaking institutional pathways need access to appropriate workplace based training
Council agreed to make a formal submission to the Review.
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Skills for Sustainability
Skills for Sustainability
A priority for the NQC’s work in 2009 is to embed sustainability in Training Packages and Accredited Courses as requested by Ministers. This work is well under way. The Council has released a discussion paper which examines possible points of intervention to ‘ramp up’ sustainability in VET products, including ‘greening’ existing Units of Competency in Training Packages, developing better learning and assessment materials, and providing professional development for VET Trainers. The discussion paper can be found on the NQC website.
Voluntary AQTF standards for Green Skills Providers are also under development and will be tested with stakeholders before being considered by the Council in December 2009.
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International VET
International VET
The NQC is looking at ways it can add value, but not duplicate the work underway to improve the quality of delivery to international students. The Council is focusing on the areas for which it has responsibility and decision making powers, particularly the registration of providers under the AQTF which occurs prior to any influence by CRICOS or the ESOS Act.
In December the Council will consider ways in which the AQTF can be strengthened to provide clarity to regulators who implement the AQTF, particularly in the context of RTOs who deliver to International Students.
By the end of 2009 the Council will also have considered a model for quality assurance of RTOs that deliver Australian qualifications offshore, as well as solutions to ensuring Training Packages can be contextualised to meet the needs of international students studying offshore without undermining the validity of Australian qualifications.
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National Consistency
National Consistency
The standards embodied in the AQTF assure nationally consistent, high quality training and assessment services for the clients of Australia’s vocational education and training system. The NQC has an ongoing role in overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the AQTF. Current work is focusing on:
- Monitoring the implementation of the Quality Indicators for RTOs during the transitional period to June 2010, at which time a formal review will take place;
- Getting feedback from Registering Bodies about their concerns regarding the capacity of the AQTF in supporting the regulation of seriously non compliant RTOs;
- Development of an implementation plan to address issues identified by states and territories in the AQTF Activity Reports;
- Benchmarking activities being undertaken by Registering and Course Accrediting Bodies in the following areas:
o risk assessment;
o complaints handling;
o registration and re-registration and regulatory approaches;
o managing non-compliance;
o industry regulator engagement;
o processes for accreditation of courses, and
o an outcomes approach to auditing, including consideration of models for working with industry in auditing, auditing approaches and interpretation and audit evidence requirements; - Finalising Quality Indicators for Registering Bodies and for Course Accrediting Bodies, and the reporting mechanisms to be used. These are currently under consideration by the NQC.
To support its monitoring role, the NQC seeks input and feedback from a range of groups within the National Training System including RTOs, Registering and Course Accrediting Bodies, and individual users. Of particular value is the AQTF Continuous Improvement Register on www.training.com.au. All users are encouraged to provide comment and feedback on the AQTF to the NQC through this Register.
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Quality of Assessment
Quality of Assessment
The achievement of quality assessment practices, improved assessor capability, and strengthened assessment quality assurance arrangements are high priorities for the NQC. It has undertaken a number of projects in support of these objectives. Recently completed reports are available at http://www.nqc.tvetaustralia.com.au/nqc_publications.
The Quality of Assessment Practices (Stage 1, Parts A and B) report identifies the characteristics and critical components of quality assessment and the key issues impacting on quality assessment in the VET sector, and identifies the assessment materials that are currently available to support quality assessment.
Linked to this report, the Quality of Assessment Practices (Stage 2) report evaluates the assessment related support materials identified in the Stage 1 report, and recommends a strategy for addressing the issues raised through the evaluation of the national stock of assessment support materials. In particular, issues are raised in relation to currency and quality of materials and the need for a maintenance strategy.
The NQC has also published a range of products designed to improve validation and moderation processes including:
- A Code of Professional Practice for Validation and Moderation;
- Implementation Guide: Validation and Moderation
- Guide for Developing Assessment Tools.
These materials are also available on the NQC website.
The NQC recognizes the potential of these reports as a means of building the capability of VET assessors and enhancing the quality and national consistency of VET assessment practices. It has endorsed a dissemination strategy which provides for a number of interactive information sessions in the states and territories. The sessions will be conducted jointly by Victoria University and Learning Australia.
Session dates are currently tentative but will be held in each State/Territory capital city as follows:
| City | Date |
| Sydney | 16 or 17 November (2 sessions to be offered, preferably on the one day) |
| Hobart | 23 November |
| Melbourne | 24 or 25 November (2 sessions to be offered, preferably on the one day) |
| Perth | 1 or 2 December |
| Adelaide | 3 December |
| Brisbane | 7 or 8 December (2 sessions to be offered, preferably on the one day) |
| Darwin | 9 December |
If you are interested in attending one of these information sessions, please contact your State Training Authority directly for details.
Partnership strategies between RTOs and Industry/Enterprises that support the quality of workplace training are explored in a recently completed NQC project report Industry/ Enterprise and RTO Partnerships. Strategies were developed from case studies of good practice and tested through a number of action learning sites. The report can also be downloaded from the NQC website at the above link.
The National Strategic Industry Audit of the TAA40104 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment is now underway and is being coordinated by the Training Accreditation Council (WA) on behalf of the NQC. Recommendations from the audit, together with the IBSA review of the Certificate IV will feed into a proposed high level strategic report which will pull together and connect the findings of both projects, considering both implementation and design issues and their relationship. The outcome will support the NQC in enhancing quality arrangements in this critical area and provide for the high level of capability required by trainers and assessors within the current context.
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Training package reform on the way
Training package reform on the way
Following extensive research and consultation under the leadership of the NQC, work is now underway on an updated design for training packages, as part of the VET products for the 21st Century Project.
Responding to the changing needs of industry and students, the NQC initiated key reforms including –
- Streamlining Training Packages including separating the performance standards from guidance and supporting information
- Reviewing packaging rules in Training Packages to ensure maximum flexibility and consistency within and across Training Packages and accredited courses
- Revising the current definition of “competency” to embody the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge to new situations and environments
- Increasing the focus on preparatory and enabling qualifications and language, literacy and numeracy requirements in VET products and how best to address equity needs.
- Investigating the introduction of a national credit system, jointly with the Australian Qualifications Framework Council (AQFC)
NQC Chair Patrick McKendry, supported by members representing employers, employees, VET providers and government, considers this project a priority part of the Council’s drive for ongoing quality improvements to Australia’s training sector.
Megan Lilly, Associate Director Education and Training for the Australian Industry Group (AiG) and Chair of the NQC Action Group overseeing the reforms, is looking forward to the improvements that will occur. “The new policy framework will benefit users - that is industry and individuals - by encouraging more responsive and adaptable VET products to meet emerging needs.”
With more than 12 months of research work completed in June 2009, the project will now focus on the design improvements in particular to training packages until late 2009, before beginning the implementation of the new policy framework in early 2010.
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Equity
Equity
The National Quality Council is committed to the principle that ‘equity is everyone’s business’ and has taken steps to ensuring equity is considered in everything it does. It has started working with the new National VET Equity Advisory Council (NVEAC) to develop working arrangements between the two Councils. It has also developed an equity impact assessment tool which will assist in identifying and building equity considerations into its current and future work plans, and ensure equity is front and centre in its decision making processes.
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Training Packages Glossary
Training Packages Glossary
The NQC has now finalised the Training Packages Glossary and agreed that the Glossary definitions will be reflected in all other key VET documents. The Glossary will be maintained as part of the Training Packages Development Handbook and is available at www.deewr.gov.au/tpdh
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2009 Future NQC Meeting Dates
2009 FUTURE NQC MEETING DATES
National Quality Council (NQC)
> Thursday 3 December 2009
Quality of Assessment Action Group
> Monday 9 November 2009
Framework Implementation Action Group
> Tuesday 10 November 2009
National Consistency Action Group
> Monday 16 November 2009
Skills for Sustainability Action Group
> Monday 23 November 2009
International VET Action Group
> Thursday 25 November 2009
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