Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Workplace Relations

Inquiry into the Role of Institutes of TAFE
Submissions

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Submission 29

South West Institute of Technical and Further Education

Response to the Inquiry into the Appropriate Roles of Institutes of Technical and Further Education

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education & Training

Issue 1: Roles of TAFE Institutes

1 Because TAFE Institutes have progressively been required to shape themselves into "training businesses", they have developed all the diversity of businesses within any market sector - therefore definition of "Roles" can only be related to the roles of the Sector rather than the characteristics of individual TAFE Institutes.

2 TAFE has three (3) broad roles:

• Prevocational training in Vocational Education and Training (VET)
• Workplace re-skilling in new or more advanced skills areas
• Providing cornmunity enrichment and opportunity through VET

3 All three are critical roles but the greatest proportional of TAFE work falls in (ii)

4 The key characteristics of TAFE programs are that

• they are locally available, flexibly accessible and relatively low costs
• they are up-to-date, relevant, tightly focused and generally brief
• they are available as a "just-in-time" source of skill training to the client

5 Students are drawn from the widest possible range of ages and socio-economic backgrounds, but the overwhelming characteristics is that they are predominantly mature age (two thirds 25+ year old)

6 Significant roles a TAFE Institute plays in any community include:

• providing a responsive, flexible, rapid response, accessibly VET training option

7 In a regional setting, a TAFE Institute also provides for

• a community skills babe across a range of disdplines that may not otherwise be present
• access to current technologies, philosophies and skills for the workplace.
• demographic stability by reducing emigration of people seeking training opportunities
• infrastructure strength supporting employers and businesses in retaining and recruiting a competitive skill base amongst their employees.
• a significant enterprise In its own right which has economic as well as educational significance

Issue 2 : The Overlap of Roles between TAFE & Universities

1 Before identifying appropriate overlap in roles between TAFE Institutes and Universities, it is necessary to identify the roles of Universities

• Universities education role is predominantly pre-vocational and extensive in depth and duration
• Universities have a significant role in original research and the generation of original knowledge.
• Universities have a broader educational spectrum incorporating cultural, artistic and philosophical learning not normally within the scope of vocational training

2 As a result of the differing rules of Universities from those of TAfE, their functions are significantly independent.

3 Although the courses from both sectors can appear to cover similar employment outcomes, the different roles of the Institutions will normally result in courses with different outcomes. Sometimes, the courses are actually complimentary or sequential. The difference is often in the "how" rather than the "what".

4 Some TAFE students, on completion of their courses then seek to move into University study. A greater number of University students decide to transfer to TAFE or add immediate vocational skills to a University qualification.

5 University students are still predominantly younger people (less than 25 years) and predominantly from higher socio-economic groups.

Issues 1 & 2 in a Regional Setting

In a regional setting the presence of higher education through a TAFE and/or a University is highly valued. It is valued because of:

1. Demographic Stability:

The dramatic loss of post school young people (15 - 24 yo) in centres without Higher Education facilities and the relative retention in centres with them, is clear in all regional age profiles. The retention of young people, particularly those with skills, is a key factor in economic and employment growth.

2. Support of Professional Infrastructure

The presence of a Higher Education facility is a major factor in attracting and retaining senior staff and a range of professional people to a region. The availability of professional enrichment opportunities for these people and their families is a significant issue for them.

3. Economic Impact

Higher Education institutes are highly labour intensive businesses and require a broad range of support services. in most regional settings, a higher education facility is a significant business within the regional economy.

4. Cultural Impact

Higher Education Institutions provide a focus for cultural and intellectual activity within a regional community. The facilities, staff and students all add dimensions not available in communities without such an institution. within this factor, the potential impact of a university is normally likely to be greater than that of a TAFE institute because of the previously noted difference in focus.

5. Research Capacity

The presence within the community skills base of people with research and analysis skills, contributes greatly to a regions capacity to analyse, forecast and develop its potential including its industry. This resident capacity provides a much stronger and better informed community research base than any imported consultancy can provide.

Within a Regional setting, the extent of overlap that should exist between TAFE and University education is not different from that existing in a metropolitan area. While it is possible for both to co-exist within the one administrative unit, where limited population bases make this necessary, attempts to 'blend' the courses are usually unsuccessful. The resultant courses usually lose either the immediacy and targeted focus that TAFE program provide, or the broader and deeper educational background of a University course.

Wherever possible, Regions need to support both University and TAFE presence as they provide different strengths. If this is not possible due to resource and population base factors, then a joint administration providing course delivery in the two separate ways is an alternative.

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