VET News

Global Action Week for Education 2017

Sunday  23 to Saturday 29 April 2017 is Global Action Week for Education (GAWE).  Each year, the annual campaign focuses on raising awareness of sustainable, quality education in participating nations by supporting them to reach the education goals within the Education 2030 Framework for Action. 

The Education 2030 framework was adopted in May 2015 at the World Education Forum and is part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda is a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, of which number 4 encompasses the Education 2030 Framework. Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) is about ensuring ‘inclusive and quality education for all and promote[ing] lifelong learning’.

As participant nations push to realise their achievement of these goals, GAWE 2017 encourages accountability for SDG4 and citizen participation toward transparent and participatory governance of education policy making and monitoring.  Key SDG4-Education 2030 commitments include a commitment to encourage ‘expanded and equitable access to vocational skills development’.

In keeping with the theme of action on global education, a delegation of Australian government and Vocational Education and Training provider representatives led by the Hon. Simon Birmingham travelled to India before Easter to participate in the 2017 Australia-India Skills Mission.

Meeting as part of the Australia-India Skills Conference, the event recognised the growing role Australian providers can play in skilling a global economy and helping the Skill India vision of training 400 million people by 2022. 

Among others, member of Velg Training, Sue Freeman, a member of the Federal Government’s International Education Council, head of the Queensland Skills and Education Consortium (private and public RTOs operating in India), and member of the Council for International Education, attended the Conference.  Sue and her RTO have been actively involved in upskilling vocational trainers in India, which is one of the key initiatives to support improved education and training opportunities for the country’s youth.

The aim of the Australia-India Skills Mission was to strengthen collaboration between Australia and India and to foster new ways of collaboratively addressing skills and labour market challenges, whilst confirming Australia’s commitment to global education and skilling.

For more information about GAWE, you can view the:

• Global Action Week 2017 website;
• UNESCO website on SDG4 – Education 2030;
• Education 2030 Framework for Action PPT by UNESCO; and
• 17 Sustainable Development Goals. 

For more information about Australia-India Skills Mission, you can view the:

• Department of Education and Training website;
• 2017 Australia-India Skills Mission website; and
• media release from Senator Birmingham’s office.

Date posted Apr 27, 2017