Inquiry into the Role of Institutes of TAFE
Submissions

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Submission 4

This email is to support the notion that a close relationship can be achieved between TAFE and university in certain areas. Indeed is already happening.

We have at UNE developed two awards which articulate with the NSW TAFE Assoc. Dip. Soc.Sc. (Child Studies). They are the BTeach (Early Childhood) and the BEd (Early Childhood). These UNE awards are currently being considered by the Dept. of Community Services qualifications approval panel for qualifications for three and four years training.

We have achieved these developments with a high degree of collaboration with colleagues in New England and North Sydney Is of TAFE.

The rationale is that the TAFE award was considered for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Committee of the Faculty at UNE. Also the TAFE award is sufficiently high in the public estimation in this field. Further recognition is also given by Dept of Community Services for the NSW TAFE award for qualification as a two year trained early childhood worker.

Direct articulation following the TAFE two years into the UNE awards will be after at least one year of employment. Initially study will be external.

We have been overwhelmed by the interest in these developments.

I understand that UNE is not the only institution which has begun these kind of initiatives in the early childhood area. Further at UNE we are currently developing other initiatives including in the water resources area.

Yours sincerely

Tom Maxwell PhD

Chair, Teaching Committee, FEHPS, UNE

T.W. (Tom) Maxwell, PhD, Department of Education Studies,

University of New England, 2351, Australia.

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