Week 10



  Week 10
In the TAFE system teachers are dual professionals. Teachers are employed having qualifications and expertise in specific industries and professions and a minimum qualification to teach and assess is also required.  Teacher must maintain currency and expertise in their industry /profession through continuous professional development as well as in their education qualifications. ASQA legislative standards for National registration require that trainers and assessors must continue to develop:
             Vocational Education & Training knowledge and skills
             Trainer/assessor competence
·                  Industry currency
Professional Development Planning and performance planning review are part of TAFE system processes through the human resources management systems all staff are required to complete an annual review and professional development action plan.  Commitment to currency and professional development is costly and challenging to the organisation and individual.
In the Vocational Education sector the minimum level of teacher qualifications is a Certificate IV Training and Assessment.  Full time teaching staffs are encouraged and supported to achieve higher level qualifications in Education through professional development programs.

Teachers must have qualifications at the same AQF level or above to be able to deliver and assess teaching and learning programs and increasingly TAFE institutes are offering Higher education courses. In the South Western Sydney teaching staff are encouraged to apply for Leadership building and development programs including increasing current qualifications at Diploma, Graduate Diploma and Masters level through scholarships and professional development programs. Government     demands to increase offers of higher level qualifications at diploma level and above has increased the  need to build teachers capabilities. Which is a turn around as pre 2008 all teachers in TAFE held a.                               degree qualification in 2008 the minimum qualification was change to a certificate IV in Training and assessment which is now in its third version with each update to the certificate IV teachers have been required to update their qualification to remain current with the 
 minimum qualification despite many teaching staff holding education degree and masters qualifications.  

In Victoria surveys of participation and outcomes from continuing professional development programs in 2013 by the VET Development Centre indicate that there is endorsement by VET practitioners for continued professional development with higher level qualifications and professional networks. A survey of 532 respondents evaluating the VET Development Centre’s on of continuing professional development programs, in 2013 indicate that “Approximately 62% had either undergraduate or postgraduate awards, If diplomas and advanced diplomas are included, approximately 90% of the respondents report having high-level tertiary education”(P.19).
The results below suggest some respondents did not have a minimum of a Certificate IV, perhaps these respondents were undertaking the Certificate IV Training and assessment qualification at the Vocational Development Centre when responding to the survey as this is the minimum qualification to be employed to teach and assess any qualification in the VET sector.       
                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                           
The VET Practitioner Capability Framework has been developed by Innovation & Business Skills 
Australia (IBSA) in association with the Commonwealth Government .A key aspect of the framework is to assist with professional development planning and workforce development in the VET sector.
The framework provides
·        Three Levels of expertise and responsibility
·        Four Domains describing specialist skills
·        Six Skill Areas of generic work skills
The framework allows practitioners and managers to recognise and clarify role expectations and capabilities required at three different levels.  IBSA support the framework with a range of resources and an online community of practice the fact. The framework is however limited as is based on three specific qualifications the
·        Level 1- Certificate IV TAE40110          

·        Level 2- Diploma TAE50110                        
·        Level 3 - Graduate Certificate TAE80113  

Whilst a great deal of consultation and planning has gone into development of the VET practitioner pathway to a Graduate Diploma The framework should commence at Bachelor degree level  which was the minimum requirements for teacher’s in TAFE pre 2008 when TAFE teachers held or undertook appropriate tertiary qualifications in education.  University-level qualifications at a minimum level of a Teaching Degree are essential for capability development of vocational education and training teachers who require depth of knowledge and understanding of pedagogy and educational process.

For  TAFE Higher Education to build ranking and recognition in the Higher Education sector  the qualifications of teachers should be equal across the education sectors . Teaching in higher education, vocational education and training and schools should require a minimum qualification of an appropriate education degree qualification. 
The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) specifies the standards for educational qualifications in higher education, vocational education and training and schools details the Higher education regulatory requirements for qualifications in Australia.

Australian Skills Quality Authority web site accessed 18th May 2014 from http://www.asqa.gov.au/
AQF 2013, Australian Qualifications Framework 2nd Edition January 2013. Australian Qualifications Framework Council. Accessed 18th May 2014 from http://www.aqf.edu.au/Portals/0/Documents/2013%20docs/AQF%202nd%20Edition%20January%202013.pdf
Billett, S, Choy, S, Smith, R 2013, Evaluation of continuing professional development programs provided by the VET Development Centre, VET Development Centre, Melbourne.
Retrieved 18th May 2014 from http://vetcentre.vic.edu.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=263&Itemid
Innovation & Business Skills Australia (IBSA) VET Practitioner Capability Framework (2013). Retrieved 18th May 2014 from https://www.ibsa.org.au/free/ibsa-vet-practitioner-capability-framework

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