AVETRA - Australasian Vocational Education and Training Research Association - Conference - DAY 1 morning

 Finally able to get back to f2f conferences :)

This year's AVETRA conference is being held in Melbourne with streaming online of keynotes etc. and some presentations.

The day opens with sharing of the welcome to country from yesterday evening's welcome reception and introduction to the conference's themes by Kira Clarke, AVETRA president. 

Keynote 1 is from Professor Peter Dawkins, the interim Director for Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA). He speaks on 'job and skills Australia: Expanding the evidence base to inform skills needs and strengthen the VET sector'. Began with some overview of the various 'authorities' tasked with working out the job and skill needs for Australia, their roles and responsibilities and contribution to informing the National Skills System. The conceptual map means the National jobs and skills roadmap informs strategic activity, in turn driven and connected to labour market skills analysis (to expand the evidence base) and all trying to come to grips with the complexities to enable better decisions. Overviewed the range of programmes, projects and products and detailed 5 JSA papers relevant to VET. Shared statistics on mobility of learners (remote/regional learners tend to access local programmes); jobs in demand (nurses, aged care etc) and the categories of these shortages (including 'quality gap' -enough applicants but not of sufficient quality; skills mismatch). Reported on work in progress to expand the VET evidence base - VET national data access and Registered Training Organisation (RTO) typology. JSA is relatively 'new' but working hard to provide sufficient evidence base for better decisions for learners, employers, industry, providers etc. 

A ministerial address from Minister Brendan O'Connor follows. Thanked researchers for their work which help inform on how policies etc. impact on communities. Supported the importance of VET to Australia. Skills shortages creates challenges and also opportunities. Announced increase from Commonwealth to all the States to fund VET, to enable more inclusive VET so all Australians are able to skill up and contribute to the occupations which are experiencing shortages. Reiterated the importance of research to inform how these initiatives impact where they are targeted and how they can be improved to provide better solutions. JSA created to provide stronger evidence to inform future development of VET. Support for sustainability/green jobs to help Australia meet carbon zero targets. Care and support sector also prioritised. Support provided to lift the status to VET and also the number of VET researchers. Suggested opportunities for research - understand why half VET learners do not finish; getting more women in to male dominated occupations; 4000 RTOs and how to assure quality and consistency and how they operate, business models etc; how to extend TAFE and what does it look like into the future; and high quality VET workforce required. Evidence informed actions needed in these. 

The conference is then officially opened by Craig Robertson, CEO for the Victorian Skills Authority. Updated on Victorian education space; detailed underlying principles to think through VET; and how the new world of collaboration across VET. Helped to 'connect the dots' between federal and state requirements - moving away from national compliance etc. towards impactful implementation that works at the state level. 

After a short morning tea, presentations then follow across three streams: Challenges of our time, challenges that lie ahead and challenging times.

Notes of presentations I attended follow:

Associate Professor Gary Husband on 'revealing challenges faced by further, adult and vocational education providers through a detailed study of college governance in the UK'. From the project - Process and practices of governing colleges of further education in the UK: Uncovering the complexities of governing - a large 3 1/2 year project. Shared the range of research questions which revolved around the role, and relationships, practices, processes, strategic decision-making, accountability and aspirations and enactments inherent in the governance of further education colleges. Summarised research method which used observations of board meetings, interviews with key players and desk research of governing body paperwork. Then ran through context for the study. One of the rationales was that 45% of colleges were at financial intervention and guidance on governance was seen to one solution towards improving viability. Then summarised findings: non-standing items were key components which often did not receive sufficient attention. Outlined the policy churn and related impacts caused by Brexit and the pandemic which became crucial focuses for college councils, and the impacts of constitutional changes and financial pressures. National economic drivers and funding foci also impact on outcomes and experiences of learners. Concluded that colleges could respond to external factors, both positive opportunities and difficult challenges presented, colleges need to be able to respond quickly especially given the significant future changes. Also shared future work. 

Then Professor Antje Barabasch on 'Radical institutional change - the transformation of the New Zealand VET system'. Data gathered across 6 months in Aotearoa whilst working on another project. Worked on finding how NZ VET works, how is work integrated learning facilitated and what innovations were availed? Interviewed 60 people - government reps, managers, lecturers, industry, students and apprentices. Detailed the profound changes - see book for more detail. Summarised some of the challenges possibly inherent in the new system caused by creation of new entities. Then discussed the various institutional change theories which need to be drawn on to assist the shift of the sector into newer system. Ran through some of the characteristics and justifications for radical change - the market, externalisation, economic, organisation and social inclusion arguments. Compared apprenticeships in Switzerland and Aotearoa NZ contexts. Range of programmes from foundation to post-graduate post a challenge for VET providers i.e. Te Pūkenga. Discussed what may happen - continuation of RoVE; possible reversal as proposed by currently opposition political party; and delays requiring compromises. Encouraged development of VET research, especially to study the system, its efficacies and future possibilities. 

Professor Stephen Billett presents on 'Vocational education futures: purposes, processes and practices'. New challenges are being presented with current increased in geopolitical tensions leading to the need for national self-sufficiency. Development of further adaptable occupational capacities enabling problem solving and to initiate and secure workplace innovations and to remake their occupational practices. Reviewed the personal capacities required - canonical occupational knowledge, situational competence, adaptability. Workplace contributions include ability to innovate and maintain sovereign capacity. Focuses for VET future - assist identifying of occupations which suit; initial occupational preparation; continuing education and training; informing and engaging young people in VET and occupations; and initating and enacting workplace innovations. Without adequate interest and engagement by sufficient numbers and kinds of students, VET occupations' future is perilouf; personal and institutional investments wasted, initial occupational preparation needs to promote adaptability as a foundation for future applicability; CET provisions aligned to working people's needs. 

Therefore need to enhance engagement in VET as a worthy education sector; assistance in identifying 'suitable' occupations; initial occupational preparation needs to include occupational adaptability; educational processes promoting adaptability; provisions for CET needs to be accessible, flexible and responsive; possessing lots of work experiences, making it relevant and engaging. Workplaces provide access to knowledge required for both occupational capacities and situational performance. Initiating and enacting workplace innovations needs to be supported. Therefore localised engagements important and the need to promote learner agency and engagement. 

Followed by Dr. Don Zoellner on 'Optimising Australia's conceptually confused National Training System: One economic option for post-market VET'. Went though with an analysis of the VET policy trail in Australia. Understanding how policy has been made in the past informs what might be possible post-competitive markets with optimisation of a system rather than contestability amongst thousands as one solution. Declining VET markets is part of the market cycle. Applied Foucault's archaeological era discourse analysis to understand the discontinuities. Warns of conceptual confusion, especially in VET research. Multiple realities exists, requiring 'field experts' to interpret into various contexts. Proposed six maps of the notional national VET system and discussed each chronologically with their impacts. 

Lunch provides good opportunity to network and catch up with many across the AVETRA community. 

The life cycle of markets - what does the data tell us about VET - AVETRA OctoberVET presentation notes

 Dr. Don Zoellner, Northern Institute of Charles Darwin University, presents at an OctoberVET session. 

He talks on the Australian market-led VET approach and asks the question "Is the market still what's needed now"? Highly topical as Aotearoa New Zealand has, through the the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) moved away from the market-driven model for VET education (more on the Aotearoa NZ reforms and its implications in this book). 

Based on a recent journal article - on mature VET market 

The presentation based on several working hypothesis - VET markets are not an aspiration that are yet to be achieved; introduction of VET markets exemplifies successful public policy implementation; and just because one disagrees with the policy does not mean that it was implemented unsuccessfully.

VET quasi-markets have followed a predictable life cycle and are mature; providers require new thinking about how to deal with market revival or have post-maturity options. Unfettered competitive markets are only one option. Now that Australian VET quasi markets are in the decline phase, it might be better to look at other options as system optimisation or as a public good.

Ran through the key features of the VET quasi-market - choice, competition, new public management, heavy regulation and national consistency and 30 years of bipartisan support.

Summarised the corporate market life cycle for Australian VET through birth, growth, maturity, revival and decline. 

Shared findings from analysis of the smallest 5 Australian VET markets - Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia - 20% of Australian population and provided details on the method and data sources. 

Findings included the existence of 8 types of business entities offering VET ranging from private, incorporated, government, public companies, sole traders and trusts. Private companies just over 50%, 76% are for-profit entities, not for profits range from 21% to 40%. The market has been dynamic with over 1/2 of RTOs registered from 1992, having left the market. There are relatively smaller numbers being registered over time but 40% of those registered from 2004 are still in the market. Not for profit sector RTOs exhibit longevity, indicating maturity of the market.

Reduced funding has caused the it to offer similar qualifications, across 11 training packages. 85% of students are enrolled in the top 15 training packages but there are some regional differences with primary industries and mining higher in NT and WA but ICT, retail and public services higher in ACT.

Concluded the market might now be in decline and not much shift in the mature RTOs who concentrate on those qualifications with high margins. Low margins means high volumes required. Issues of choice for learners is perhaps now not being met as RTOs shift to markets that pay.

Concludes that repetitive application of marketisation has blocked consideration of more promising reforms to public service delivery. System optimisation rarely achieved through competition. Competition increases contestation rather than the best outcomes to the public. Oligopolies emerge rather than monopolies! There are inefficiencies due to high regulation and duplication. Governments serve communities by creating public value and this requires the acceptance of diversity and the rejection of market-non-market dualisms. Public value management one post-market option to shift the market across to revival stage.

Interesting presentation and something to follow up with regards to the Aotearoa NZ context.