Positioning General Education for the 21st Century: Renewal in the Riverina
Introduction
Change is a constant in the vocational education and training (VET) sector but in recent times, a fundamental shift has occurred. In TAFE NSW, TAFE in 21st Century has spearheaded this shift. One aspect of this change involves devolving key responsibilities to the TAFE Institutes, with many implications for teaching and administrative staff
The Commonwealth government’s Bradley Review will also impact heavily on the VET sector, with strong indications that there will be more interaction between this sector and universities. In addition, the Victorian Government has just released its Skills for Victoria on changes to its VET sector, with strong emphasis on contestable funding and enhanced support for the private VET sector. The NSW TAFE in 21st Century project follows a similar reform agenda with emphasis on greater customer focus, more involvement with community and business groups and more emphasis on getting students into work.
Background Issues for General Education
Access and General Education (A&GE) is in a unique position in that its courses are designed from the competencies within the Australian Education and Employment Framework (AEET) Framework. The AEET does not align to a specific industry as its competencies link to employability skills that are applicable to all industries.
In the light of changes to the statewide Access and General Education Curriculum Centre, maintaining currency became an issue of concern for the General Education faculty at Riverina Institute .Additionally, further concerns lay around resourcing to develop new curriculum and resourcing to maintain competitiveness in a contestable funding arena.
A new Faculty Focus
The faculty decided to take a proactive approach in the new environment, by identifying issues to inform strategic planning. This would take the form of a new Faculty Business Plan and an approach to make the Faculty more relevant, more visible and more proactive.
This process started in November 2007, when a group of staff consisting of heads of department and discipline mentors met and formulated an email survey to all staff with three focus areas:
- What are we doing well?
- What are our future directions?
- What strategies should guide our thinking?
The First Planning Day
The results of this survey were fed into a planning day, facilitated by Frank Chadwick, Head of Studies, Primary Industries Centre and National Environment Centre. It was important to have an objective facilitator from outside the faculty and Frank’s wide-ranging skills were vital to the success of the process.
This planning day identified key areas and strategies for the faculty to move forward, informed by Riverina Institute planning priorities. For instance, the 45-64 year old student target group was one of the key targets for all Institutes in 2007/08.
Key strategies:
- Refocus General Education provision to align more closely with skills shortages. This includes targeting skills to align with job outcomes and operating in a business environment, as well as developing a higher profile within the Institute.
- Increase community and industry partnerships.
- Align more closely with every Curriculum Centre and form alliances with other faculties. This could include explicitly teaching employability skills in vocational courses and promoting the value of learner support. Promote General Education’s role in providing provides pathways to higher level qualifications.
- Develop outcomes evidence - concentrate more on student tracking, to provide quantitative data and testimonials and measure students’ achievement of employability skills. Aim to directly align our courses with job outcomes (paid or voluntary) .
- Become more entrepreneurial by exploring contestable funding and commercial opportunities, in collaboration with others.
Widening the context
We decided to link these strategies to the faculty’s Professional Development plan because many of the strategies linked to the changing role of General Education teachers in the changing VET environment.
A second planning day was held, again facilitated by Frank Chadwick. The planning day was held to position unit within the Institute’s Business Plan and also within TAFE’s strategic agenda for the future.
Our reviewed philosophy, formulated to drive change, has become: :
We will work with our students to shape the future by…
- Creating capacity for employment and a stronger economy
- Up skilling the ageing population
- Empowering individuals to overcome disadvantage
- Community capacity building through social inclusion
Driving the change
Four working parties were formed to identify strategies to drive change in four key areas These are:
- Track outcomes to identify employment outcomes, skills gained from TAFE and future pathways, including further study and/or increased participation in the community
- Market/raise the profile of the faculty internally and externally, identify ways of working more closely with other groups, strengthen internal relationships and identify strategies for promotion within DET and externally .
- Access funding by identifying funding opportunities and sources, including developing skills in writing tenders and facilitating partnerships
- Opportunities for growth/diversification by seeking to embed General Education Units in vocational courses and work with other vocational areas to give diversity and flexibility into the future.
Conclusion
These working parties have representation from all campuses, including at least one Head of Department. Each working party has held teleconferences and continues to work on its strategies. At the September 2008 Faculty Meeting, each group met to discuss practical outcomes for its working party and is currently developing resources, making contacts and liaising with other faculties.
By taking these actions, the General Education Faculty will be better prepared for change and better able to adapt to the new paradigm. The Faculty has shifted to a more proactive stance – we can see a way forward to thrive in the 21st Century.