Conference Concludes

How using VOCEDplus can build your Understanding of VET

Are you a training provider, VET practitioner or researcher? Then you need VOCEDplus! Find out why in this informative demonstration. We will introduce you to VOCEDplus and show you how to access everything you need to know about the VET sector. Discover quality information resources provided by VOCEDplus, including the VET Knowledge Bank, the VET Practitioner Resource, and the Pod Network. We’ll also show you the best ways to search the database to find key VET research, policy, practice and statistics from Australia and the rest of the world. Come along and learn why VOCEDplus is the VET sector’s not-so-secret weapon.

Engaging Learners - Resources and Activities

Whether improving the foundation skills of students and employees or providing pathways to lifelong learning, the responsibility rests with the trainer.

This session will provide a number of simple yet practical ideas for VET teachers, facilitators and trainers endeavouring to enhance their learners' knowledge in a training-world seemingly ruled by the computer, video and PowerPoint.

See how easy-to-create activities can align with multiple learning styles to engage your participants. By employing a variety of content-appropriate activities, learners can't help but enjoy acquiring pertinent knowledge for the field.

Riding the Reform Wave

Despite the disruption to education caused by COVID 19 major reviews of and reforms of post-school destinations have proceeded.

The Shergold Review has been released, VET reform continues at a pace, university funding has been radically altered and next steps on the AQF Review are unclear even though the recommendations have been accepted.

The Shergold Review - LOOKING TO THE FUTURE REPORT OF THE REVIEW OF SENIOR SECONDARY PATHWAYS INTO WORK, FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING – has deep ramifications for VET in the school setting.

Craig Robertson, CEO of TAFE Directors Australia will look at how Shergold’s recommendations will play out for schools alongside other changes in the post-school environment. 

Attend this session to consider some great insights that schools will find useful in contemplating priorities.

Afternoon Tea & Networking

Motivating Teachers to Engage with VET Outcomes and Compliance

Motivating Teachers to care about VET related compliance obligations can be challenging. The complexity of VET compliance and the associated paperwork can lead to difficulties with motivating Teachers and fulfilling our compliance obligations.

Thankfully, research from the fields of Social Psychology and Behavioural Economics provide valuable insights in how to influence people to engage in the workplace and motivate them to complete important, but what some might consider, mundane tasks.

Drawing on the work of Behavioural Economist, Dan Ariely and Social Psychologist, Dr Robert Cialdini we will explore several evidence-based principles for influencing and motivating people in the workplace.

Together, we will look at the (sometimes) hidden power of cognitive biases, or ‘mental shortcuts’, and how these can be leveraged to influence people and consequently motivate them to engage with and take ownership of their work.

You will leave this session with an understanding of how factors such as meaning, the need for human connection and ownership in one’s work can be used to influence motivation and engagement in the workplace.

Expect an interactive session where you will learn about research-based strategies for influencing and motivating your VET Teachers in activities such as compliance, completing administrative tasks, or achieving VET outcomes.

To get the most out of this session, please bring your internet connected mobile device.

Virtual Training: VET online teaching tool options

Are you looking for some ideas about how to use technology to improve your training experience for your students? Not sure about the tools available to enhance your classroom and eLearning programs?

This fast-paced session goes beyond selecting a Learning Management System (LMS)! It will focus on software options that can be used to enhance experiences within any LMS or to develop stand-alone resources that can be used in a blended delivery model.

Damian Noud, a Guru of eLearning, will provide an overview of the tools of the future for teaching VET that are available, organised into four focus areas:

• Interactive Presentations
• Video Production and Editing
• Webinar Delivery
• Feedback and Evaluation

Within each focus area, Damian will take you on an exploration of multiple leading products used in teaching VET. The objective is that participants will walk away from this session with a better understanding of what is available, and a short-list of software options they can confidently implement to improve the training journey of their students.

Future of Micro-learning & Micro-credentialing in the AQF

The way we learn, and work is changing. The way we make secondary education available to our students needs to be re-visited. Teachers need to be asking themselves if the teaching methodology, curriculum design and learning content that they are utilising is first of all responsive to the needs of learners, and secondly if they are preparing students for life and work beyond secondary education. Micro-credentials offer a range of possibilities and are already being used in secondary education across Australia.

This session will provide clarity and definition on exactly what a micro-credential is. It will explore a number of case studies where secondary schools across Australia have already started to use micro-credentials as a way of delivering engaging and responsive education to their students. • Finally, this session will help you to identify opportunities to develop and deliver microcredentials in your secondary school.

Lunch & Networking

Supporting Staff with Industry Currency & Building Industry Connections

Industry is a fast-moving train travelling through an evolving world of local, national and international destinations.   

As a proud nation, we seek to equip our future working generations with knowledge and skills that keep them in the running across a competitive employment terrain, whilst giving them a valid ticket to ride that train!   

As conscientious RTO Managers we look to ensure our VET teachers provide the next generation of workers with knowledge and skills essentials to meet current industry expectations and the needs of future employers.   

As such, this session has been designed to provide RTO Managers with focussed currency strategies by looking at:  

• The ‘whys and wherefores’ behind acquiring and maintaining industry currency 
• The role of the school RTO in supporting the currency of its teachers
• The importance of adopting and building relevant industry connections that give you, and your teachers, a higher level of control over scheduling and implementing currency activities, and 
• The ‘how to’ of establishing and fostering positive relationships between school and industry.

Incorporating Foundation Skills Into Training

As a vocational teacher or training manager of teachers, you play a crucial role in the lives of your student. In this interactive workshop, we'll discover how a focus on foundation skills can improve training outcomes and equip your learners for today's constantly-evolving world-of-work. We'll help you identify practical ways to build learners' foundation skills through your training. 

• Explain what foundation skills are and describe how they impact learner performance 
• Identify facilitation strategies that  
• Can be built into vocational training delivery 
• Help learners develop the foundation skills needed to attain competence and meet workplace expectations

Apprenticeships and Traineeships of the Future

The world of work is changing so quickly, but one thing that is not going anywhere is the role of VET and Australian Apprenticeships in creating successful and long-term career pathways for Australians.

With the continued growth in tech, skills shortages across many occupations, and increasing difficulties for young people transitioning to work, Australian Apprenticeships are becoming a more important pathway for success. Despite this, many people do not consider taking an Australian Apprenticeship pathway, and there is often mismatch between the aspirations of the apprentice and the type of apprenticeship they start.

In this presentation, AATIS will discuss what the future looks like for Australian Apprentices and Trainees. We will share stories from successful apprentices and trainees, employers and educations. After hearing their stories, you will agree – the future looks bright!

During the session we will discuss:

• Why robots aren’t taking our jobs
• Diversity in the workforce
• How to be inspired, and to inspire

 Resources to help get you started

How Does VET Scale in the New ATAR System

In this session QTAC will provide practical information on the introduction of ATAR in Queensland and targeted insights for VET practitioners and student advisers, including: 

• How ATARs are calculated;
• ATAR rumours, myths and legends;
• VET as a pathways to tertiary study; and
• The answers to questions that students are asking you! 

Dissecting a Unit of Competence

As VET Teachers how often do we go back to the actual unit of competency that we are delivering to our students? A unit of competency is a description of the skills and knowledge required for the JOB or JOB FUNCTION that is defined in the unit title. Through our delivery and assessment of the unit of competency we are preparing students to be “job ready”.

A unit of competency sets a standard. It is not a curriculum or set of teaching notes or an assessment activity although it will inform each of these. In particular it defines a way of measuring and judging “competence” with regard to the specified job role or job function.

This session will answer the question: How does a unit of competence really work and how can it be linked to our curriculum and assessment activities? It will explore how the unit and its associated assessment requirements work together, what the components of each of the parts are and how they are linked to our teaching and assessment activities

Join John Dwyer for this session where he will use actual unit components and actual assessment items to illustrate points made.

Purpose Power Passion - Understanding the psychographics of youth

Keep up to date with the latest research and insights from Year13 via this break-down of exclusive data from the very latest "After The ATAR III" report (the third instalment in the After The ATAR research). 

The After the ATAR research has been focussed on looking at some of the causes of the social and economic issues that young people today are facing. The third report really identifies the lack of sense of purpose and lack of passion faced by this country's youth when it comes to the transitional journey that is leaving high school. 

In this session you will learn about what is driving your people's decisions as they finish school and plan their future. Explore their perceptions of what 'purpose' means and the impact that purpose has on their decision making process.  

You will also hear about the "4th industrial revolution" and how it will be embraced in VET, Higher Ed and the world of work. 

Don't miss this thought provoking content that could really help you shape your students' futures!

Morning Tea & Networking

Mental Health in Secondary Schools - My mate and I

It can be really tough to see a student you’re working with struggling, especially when you suspect there may be a mental health problem at play.  We’re in the teaching profession because we want to help develop our students fully, enabling them to be the best they can be.  

We often wonder how to do that best when we suspect mental health problems might be in the mix. Should I say something? What if saying something makes things worse? What if I’ve got it wrong? What if I don’t do anything? These are all questions we ask ourselves along the way.  

I am one of those lucky people who went to school with their best mate, right from Kindergarten to Year 12. In this keynote, I’m going to share with you our story of going through school together, and the incredible impact our teachers had on us.  

I’m going to overlay that story with some facts and statistics on Mental Health and common Mental Illnesses.  

With one in five Australians experiencing a mental health problem every year, it’s incredibly important that we become fluent in Mental Health and common mental illnesses.  

It was over 20 years ago now, but my mate was one of the ‘one in five’, and looking back with the benefit of crystal clear hindsight, there were many times along the way where I think it was clear that he was experiencing anxiety. 

As an adult I have often wondered, what could have been different for him if the teachers knew how to spot the signs, and knew what to do when they did.    

Join me as I share our story with you.  We’ll explore what it’s like for a young person experiencing mental health problems at school. I’ll show you what the signs were for my mate, and what you can do when you see them. 

We’ll definitely laugh. We might even cry. But I guarantee you’ll leave feeling empowered and confident when considering the mental health needs in your school. 

QCAA Update

Welcome Address by Velg Training and Major Sponsor - Connect 'n' Grow

Registration