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The Velg Training VET Directory is a searchable database of organisations and consultants that specialise in Vocational Education and Training (VET) products and services. Our aim is to provide a resource for finding a wide range of products that can be browsed by specific search parameters.
We're doing things a bit differently this year as a direct response to |
Previously, the team at Velg Training created each NVC program with the intent of aligning topics into streams... however, we’ve come to realise that this can limit our scope. |
Our ability to redefine our program, based on our delegates’ insight, is something we take very seriously. Which is why #2021NVC will feature |
Show me the Content Categories |
7:30am - 9:00am Registration |
9:00am - 9:05am Welcome to Country |
9:05am - 9:20am Official Opening - Velg Training |
9:20am - 9:30am (Invited) Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business |
9:30am - 9:55am ASQA Update, Saxon Rice, Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, ASQA |
9:55am - 10:15am National Skills Commission Update, Adam Boyton, National Skills Commissioner |
10:15am - 10:30am Housekeeping |
10:30am - 11:00am Morning Tea & Networking |
11:10am - 12:00pm
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Compliance
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Welcome to VET: Intro to the Standards Part 1 of 2
Michelle Charlton |
Government/Regulator
|
ASQA Session 1
ASQA Representative |
Management
|
Making Micro Credentials Work in Your RTO
Matthew Dale |
VET in Schools
|
Mental Health or Myth? How we can help our students.
TBC |
Exploration
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Innovation in Adaptive Skill Set Development for Future Employability
Peter Nolan and Professor Eddie Blass |
12:10pm - 1:00pm
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Compliance
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Welcome to VET: Intro to the Standards Part 2 of 2
Michelle Charlton |
Training/Student Engagement
|
Learning Differently - Addressing the challenges faced by students with Dyslexia and other learning differences
Karen Dymke |
Assessment
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Influences of AQF on assessment questions
Anni Yaringa |
RTO Administration
|
What Auditors are Looking for in Completed Student Files
Kevin Ekendal |
Exploration
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Re-Defining Competency: Time for a new approach
Michael Hartman |
1:00pm - 1:50pm Networking Lunch |
2:00pm - 3:00pm
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Government/Regulator
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ASQA Session 2
ASQA Representative |
Training/Student Engagement 1
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Enhanced Retention and Recall with Lessons from the Cognitive Sciences
Tony Kirton |
Compliance
|
How to Rectify Non-Compliances Following an Audit
Kevin Ekendahl |
VET in Schools
|
How to ensure that your VET in Schools, School-based Apprenticeship and Traineeship Delivery is Audit Ready
Simon Cochaud |
Training/Student Engagement 2
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Principles of Adult Learning for the Future
Chemène Sinson |
3:00pm - 3:20pm Afternoon Tea & Networking |
3:30pm - 5:00pm
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VET in Schools
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Trainer & Assessor Compliance and Effective Industry Engagement
Melanie Alexandra |
Training/Student Engagement
|
Permission to Play
Jason Ash |
Management
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Building a Kick Ass Strategy for the New Decade
Jason Blinman |
Exploration
|
Tips and tricks for DIY digital learning resources
Kerri Buttery |
Deep Dive
|
Compliance: The annual approach
Angela McGregor |
7:30am - 9:00am |
Registration |
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9:00am - 9:05am |
Welcome to Country |
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9:05am - 9:20am |
Official Opening - Velg Training |
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9:20am - 9:30am |
(Invited) Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business |
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9:30am - 9:55am |
ASQA Update, Saxon Rice, Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, ASQA |
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9:55am - 10:15am |
National Skills Commission Update, Adam Boyton, National Skills Commissioner |
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10:15am - 10:30am |
Housekeeping |
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10:30am - 11:00am |
Morning Tea & Networking |
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Compliance
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Government/Regulator
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Management
|
VET in Schools
|
Exploration
|
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11:10am - 12:00pm |
Welcome to VET: Intro to the Standards Part 1 of 2
Michelle Charlton |
ASQA Session 1
ASQA Representative |
Making Micro Credentials Work in Your RTO
Matthew Dale |
Mental Health or Myth? How we can help our students.
TBC |
Innovation in Adaptive Skill Set Development for Future Employability
Peter Nolan and Professor Eddie Blass |
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Compliance
|
Training/Student Engagement
|
Assessment
|
RTO Administration
|
Exploration
|
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12:10pm - 1:00pm |
Welcome to VET: Intro to the Standards Part 2 of 2
Michelle Charlton |
Learning Differently - Addressing the challenges faced by students with Dyslexia and other learning differences
Karen Dymke |
Influences of AQF on assessment questions
Anni Yaringa |
What Auditors are Looking for in Completed Student Files
Kevin Ekendal |
Re-Defining Competency: Time for a new approach
Michael Hartman |
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1:00pm - 1:50pm |
Networking Lunch |
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Government/Regulator
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Training/Student Engagement 1
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Compliance
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VET in Schools
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Training/Student Engagement 2
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2:00pm - 3:00pm |
ASQA Session 2
ASQA Representative |
Enhanced Retention and Recall with Lessons from the Cognitive Sciences
Tony Kirton |
How to Rectify Non-Compliances Following an Audit
Kevin Ekendahl |
How to ensure that your VET in Schools, School-based Apprenticeship and Traineeship Delivery is Audit Ready
Simon Cochaud |
Principles of Adult Learning for the Future
Chemène Sinson |
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3:00pm - 3:20pm |
Afternoon Tea & Networking |
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VET in Schools
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Training/Student Engagement
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Management
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Exploration
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Deep Dive
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3:30pm - 5:00pm |
Trainer & Assessor Compliance and Effective Industry Engagement
Melanie Alexandra |
Permission to Play
Jason Ash |
Building a Kick Ass Strategy for the New Decade
Jason Blinman |
Tips and tricks for DIY digital learning resources
Kerri Buttery |
Compliance: The annual approach
Angela McGregor |
8.45am - 8.55am Welcome to Day 2 |
8.55am - 9.15am Strengthening Career Information in Australia, National Careers Institute |
9.15am - 10.00am Motivational Speaker |
10.00am - 10.30am Morning Tea & Networking |
10.40am - 11.40am
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Compliance
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How to Prepare for an ASQA Audit
Chris Enright |
Training/Student Engagement
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Engaging the Unengaged
Jane Goodfellow |
Assessment
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Collecting Meaningful Evidence
Marc Ratcliffe |
Management
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The Future of Work Start with your Own VET Workforce
Allison Miller |
Exploration
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Some Observations on Observation
John Dwyer |
11.50am - 12.50pm
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Management
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‘Glimpsing the future: why supply chain careers just became the new black’
Paul Walsh |
Deep Dive
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Analyzing Learning Effectiveness
John Blake |
Training/Student Engagement
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Training the Learning Magician...it's a skill and incredibly enjoyable
Laurie Kelly |
RTO Administration
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The Keys to RTO Administration Success!
Angela McGregor |
Government/Regulator
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VET Student Loans – past, present and future
Kathy Dennis |
12.50pm - 1.40pm Networking Lunch |
1.50pm - 2.40pm
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RTO Administration
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Retention of Evidence
David Garner |
Training/Student Engagement
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WVAR: A Paradigm for Design
Geoff Cake |
Compliance
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I See You! Ensuring your website ticks the boxes
Maria Langwell |
Assessment
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Self-Assuring Your Assessment
Melanie Alexandra |
VET in Schools
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VET for Secondary School Students: Trends and destinations
Simon Walker |
2.40pm - 3.00pm Afternoon Tea & Networking |
3.10pm - 4.10pm
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Management
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Using `big data’ to Understand, Find, and Attract your Ideal Student
Melanie MacDonald |
Compliance
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Future Proofing Your RTO!
Maciek Fibrich |
Training/Student Engagement
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Literacy Tech Tools and Student Wellbeing: They go hand in hand
Greg O'Connor |
Deep Dive
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Using Brain Science to Guide Education
Dr Dan Hill |
Government/Regulator
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Future Work, Future Jobs
Brett Hall |
8.45am - 8.55am |
Welcome to Day 2 |
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8.55am - 9.15am |
Strengthening Career Information in Australia, National Careers Institute |
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9.15am - 10.00am |
Motivational Speaker |
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10.00am - 10.30am |
Morning Tea & Networking |
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Compliance
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Training/Student Engagement
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Assessment
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Management
|
Exploration
|
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10.40am - 11.40am |
How to Prepare for an ASQA Audit
Chris Enright |
Engaging the Unengaged
Jane Goodfellow |
Collecting Meaningful Evidence
Marc Ratcliffe |
The Future of Work Start with your Own VET Workforce
Allison Miller |
Some Observations on Observation
John Dwyer |
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Management
|
Deep Dive
|
Training/Student Engagement
|
RTO Administration
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Government/Regulator
|
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11.50am - 12.50pm |
‘Glimpsing the future: why supply chain careers just became the new black’
Paul Walsh |
Analyzing Learning Effectiveness
John Blake |
Training the Learning Magician...it's a skill and incredibly enjoyable
Laurie Kelly |
The Keys to RTO Administration Success!
Angela McGregor |
VET Student Loans – past, present and future
Kathy Dennis |
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12.50pm - 1.40pm |
Networking Lunch |
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RTO Administration
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Training/Student Engagement
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Compliance
|
Assessment
|
VET in Schools
|
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1.50pm - 2.40pm |
Retention of Evidence
David Garner |
WVAR: A Paradigm for Design
Geoff Cake |
I See You! Ensuring your website ticks the boxes
Maria Langwell |
Self-Assuring Your Assessment
Melanie Alexandra |
VET for Secondary School Students: Trends and destinations
Simon Walker |
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2.40pm - 3.00pm |
Afternoon Tea & Networking |
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Management
|
Compliance
|
Training/Student Engagement
|
Deep Dive
|
Government/Regulator
|
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3.10pm - 4.10pm |
Using `big data’ to Understand, Find, and Attract your Ideal Student
Melanie MacDonald |
Future Proofing Your RTO!
Maciek Fibrich |
Literacy Tech Tools and Student Wellbeing: They go hand in hand
Greg O'Connor |
Using Brain Science to Guide Education
Dr Dan Hill |
Future Work, Future Jobs
Brett Hall |
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You have probably seen a lot of news stories lately about how our phones are listening to us and our social media apps are tracking what we do. This is the tiny tip of the big data iceberg. However, there is a positive side for RTOs. It is now easier than it ever was to analyse the demographic and psychographic profile of your ideal student, and then identify a target audience of more people `just like them’.
By using the intersection of technology and psychology to determine your target audience you can stop `broadcasting’ (putting your content in front of everyone e.g. on TV or radio which can be expensive) and start `narrow-casting’ (placing it just in front of the target audience).
All of the tools you need to do this are either free or very cost-effective! In this session, Melanie will show you some case study examples of how RTOs have applied this science, and show you step by step how to do this in your own RTO. She will also answer questions, offer solutions, and hear ideas from delegates on what they’ve tried in the past which you can then adapt, adopt or apply in your RTO.
This session was identified by the presenter as being a Deep Dive (pitched for those who have 5-10 years experience but still want validation of their knowledge/understanding)
After 17 years of running her own RTOs, Melanie MacDonald has a plethora of expertise to share with other education providers – the good, the bad, and the unexpected! Melanie and her team have thrived with annual intakes of 2,000 completely fee for service students, making it to the BRW Fast 100 fastest growing companies in Australia. Even during the VET fee help era, they still maintained 900 students/year – all without government funding and without competing on price. Along the way, while running her business and compliance focussed RTO (scope included QA, WHS, HR and similar qualifications) Melanie also bought a beauty therapy college, rebranded it, and grew it by 800% to be the biggest beauty college in Queensland (again fully fee for service) before selling it to a publicly listed company. It hasn’t all been plain sailing though and there have been some tough times but Melanie and her team met the challenges head-on and learnt from them all. In 2018 after exiting the RTO business she realised that what she had been doing to grow her own RTO quickly, could be replicated to help other RTOs. That’s when Mana Social was born – a business that focuses on growth strategies specifically helping RTO’s.
There is at least one certainty in business, especially RTOs, and that’s change.
Society and our industry are constantly evolving so if we (our RTOs) don’t keep up, we will quickly fall behind, making our RTO’s systems, processes, products and services old and out of touch.
With the challenges of 2020 already making an impact on the VET sector, as well as the ever-evolving regulatory framework heavily influencing our day to day operations, it is now more critical than ever to consider the evolution of our business. While this may seem daunting, ignoring the issues will not make them go away.
How do we ensure that we stay current with the needs of industry and our students while balancing compliance requirements? How do we evolve our processes to introduce things like autonomy into our business? How do we stay ahead by working smarter and not harder? And how do we protect our business and investment?
Learn how to grow and future proof your RTO in 2020 and beyond by exploring the use of basic business principles, integrating them with a systematic approach to compliance and operations and utilising freely available programs and apps to assist.
This session will look at strategies, processes and techniques you can take back and apply within your RTO to help embed compliance, product development, and good business practices into your RTO. It has been pitched by the presenter a being relevant to those who have RTO compliance experience but who might be looking for validation of their knowledge and some new ideas or ways of thinking when it comes to looking beyond 2020.
For almost 20 years, Maciek Fibrich has been challenging the status quo in the VET sector, often pushing the limits to achieve unexpected outcomes for RTOs. Some will also argue that disruption is part of Maciek’s DNA, but the reality is, Maciek is truly passionate about ensuring quality within the VET sector and working out ways to use technology to push quality, yet ensuring it never impacts on the human nature of training and assessment. Maciek commenced his VET journey in 1999 when he started his first RTO with his mother, and since then, he has seen the industry morph many times but has never lost sight of the industry’s main focus, educating our students.
This session has been designed to specifically assist participants to explore practical strategies using digital tools to ensure that all students and trainees, regardless of the barriers that currently exist for them around the literacy demands of vocational education, are actively engaged in their own learning. It is designed to help practitioners ensure that students and trainees are not reliant on institutional support, but actively personalising and owning their own learning.
Attend this session to gain an understanding of how student agency and student wellbeing are interconnected!
Psychology, Neuroscience and Education research share important fundamentals - they all relate to the function of our brains, and specifically, learning.
This session will provide a brief introduction to the topic of advances in neuroscience, psychology and education research and how this can easily be applied in all our training.
For those who are experienced trainers the session will serve to answer the questions:
The session will highlight the effects of each of these on training outcomes and will take a 'deep dive' into the 'how' we can apply these fundamentals to our training to maximise the learning experience and outcomes of our students.
Participate in activities that will highlight the effects of each of the key points on training outcomes and have your questions answered!
Over the last three decades, Dan has had the fortune of working in several industry sectors including defence, retail, wholesale distribution, mining, education and ITC. As a published author of several industry-leading titles, and a social media influencer with over 22,000 followers, Dan has gained a considerable reputation in adult education, and education leadership and management.
He facilitates nationally accredited courses in vocational education & training, leadership, business administration, frontline management, financial management, time prioritisation and customer service. Dan has also developed and run several specialised programs in the fields of emotional intelligence, workplace training and assessment, brain-based learning, and operational management.
As a passionate facilitator and speaker, Dan is able to engage groups with the right mix of humour, theory, practical activities and self-reflection. His professional experience allows him to draw upon interesting and poignant anecdotes and examples that link past experience in management, entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, operations and strategy to the context of any workplace or training environment.
The presentation will focus on key findings from Jobs Queensland’s Future Work project and how these findings can impact decision making across all industries including Vocational Education and Training (VET).
The economy and labour market are changing; our population is growing, and new industry sectors are emerging. The population is also living and working longer and alternative ways of working offer new possibilities for jobs and skills.
A highly skilled workforce is needed to underpin our future prosperity, and VET plays a major role in the supply of skills. What is unclear is how the VET system will need to transform to support the future workforce.
In late 2019, Jobs Queensland released Future Work, Future Jobs: Preparing Queensland for the evolution of work. The research and consultation undertaken to develop this report identifies five key areas in which action needs to be taken if we are to have a prosperous and harmonious future:
Our decisions today can influence the role VET has.
Brett has spent close to a decade working on issues related to skills and workforce development, workforce productivity, and Vocational Education and Training (VET). This has been in a range of policy development, research and program delivery roles across several state and federal government agencies. Brett is currently the acting Executive Director of Jobs Queensland– an independent entity established to provide advice to government on skills demand, future workforce planning and development, and apprenticeships and traineeships.
RTOs are faced with a variety of record-keeping requirements scattered across the Standards for RTOs, the Australian Qualifications Framework and the Data Provision Requirements. Where an RTO delivers courses to overseas students, they are also subject to such requirements in the National Code.
This session will provide an overview of these requirements and discuss the importance of having strong and efficient administrative processes to ensure these are complied with, without overloading the organisation in ‘administrivia’. This will include requirements for retention of assessment materials and issuance (and re-issuance) of certification.
David Garner is the Principal Consultant at [consult dg] and provides advice, development and research to the VET sector. He has worked in a variety of compliance related roles for over 15 years.
Most recently, as the General Manager Regulatory Operations for the Australian Skills Quality Authority, David was responsible for implementing ASQA’s regulatory strategy nationally, including monitoring compliance of both training providers, and intending providers, against the VET Quality Framework and Educational Services for Overseas Students Act.
David was also Director, Training Quality, in the Queensland Department of Education and Training. Prior to joining the Queensland department in 2005, David worked in and managed training providers for many years. David has been active in sports administration for over 30 years and sat for many years on the board of the Queensland Fitness, Sport and Recreation Skills Alliance.
When we think about the future of our learning content we need to remember that learning design is a complex process that requires logical pragmatism balanced with creative inspiration. This session explores a simple paradigm for designers to follow in order to achieve a balance between pragmatism and creativeness.
Geoff will unlock his WVAR (waiver) for design, a four-step process for making better instructional design decisions and delivering more targeted and effective learning solutions. Get your free pass to improved design!
The Presenter has identified that this session has been pitched for those who have some experience but still want validation of their knowledge/practice, those fairly new to VET, or those who are looking for fundamentals refresher.
Geoff has been with MRWED for eight years and brings more than 25 years of training and facilitation experience to the VET industry, gained in both Australian and international environments. He passionately demonstrates the ability to encourage learners to develop new skills and mind sets in a variety of diverse cultural and economic settings.
Access to RTO’s information via the web has never been easier. As our stakeholders embrace the convenience of this information source, it has never been more important to ensure that your RTO’s website’s content is accurate whilst putting your RTO’s best foot forward.
With your stakeholders including the VET Regulator and funding bodies alongside industry and potential applicants, this workshop will work through the kinds of information which will capably serve all audiences. It will also share ‘dos and don’ts’, mapped to the relevant Standards for RTOs (2015), to support you to prepare great content and to ensure your website is accessible by all.
This session has been pitched by the Presenter as suitable for those fairly new to VET or who are looking for a refresher in the fundamentals.
Maria Langwell has worked within the VET sector for over 30 years, commencing within TAFE NSW where she worked in several positions across the Western Sydney Institute including strategic policy and planning. On her relocation to Melbourne, Maria managed several priority VET and employment services and programs as a Victorian public servant, with her last appointment as the funder of the private provider sector. In 2009, Maria shifted back into service delivery, where she worked at AMES, prior to heading up Spectrum Education and Training, a small community-based RTO based in Broadmeadows. Within this period and in recognition of her leadership in servicing the most disadvantaged community members, SET was awarded the 2010 Small Training Provider of the Year. Maria moved to ITECA (former ACPET), where she supported compliance and quality across ACPET’s membership base as well as the wider VET community, through her initiation of ACPET’s PD program and health check services. Maria joined the Vocation Group as the Head of Quality Assurance and Education and led 3 of the RTOs to a fully compliant status. In 2015, Maria embarked on her boutique RTO consultancy service, where she continues to support RTOs nationally to interpret and apply the range of regulatory and funding requirements.
As VET practitioners we live and breathe a world of education change. Assessing evidence produced as a result of consistently documented instructions, and gathered through a range of methods and techniques, is a race often lost against ever-changing packaging requirements and industry relevance. This session explores self-assurance strategies that enable not only compliance confidence but the implementation of continued quality assurance across your assessment systems and practices.
The intent of this session is to equip you with some essential strategies for taking control of your own assessment practices and resources. Whether you are an RTO Manager leading a team of trainers and assessors or if you are the one responsible for designing, developing and conducting assessment, this session puts the spotlight on the differences between what is and what isn’t compliant assessment.
Meeting the requirements of the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence, as outlined within the Standards, may seem straight forward to some but, yet, validation and audit outcomes highlight anomalies where most thought they had got it right. With this in mind, Melanie Alexandra will use this session to highlight best practice approaches across the development of assessment tools and conducting of assessment, enabling you to put the reigns of self-assurance firmly back into your own hands.
Content covered will include:
This session is suited for:
Melanie Alexandra has held a variety of roles across both the academic and vocational education sectors including that of Trainer and Assessor, Curriculum Manager, RTO Manager, Head of Faculty, Head of Quality Assurance, and Senior Lead Auditor.
Over the past decade, Melanie has conducted hundreds of regulatory audits and registrations against the current legislated VET Quality Framework and now provides quality VET audit and compliance consulting services in support of Registered Training Organisations and providers of VET in Schools. Melanie is also the developer and facilitator of Velg Training’s Velg2Go online course content and a Consultant in her own right.
This presentation reports on findings from NCVER research that investigates the uptake and five-year employment and further training destinations of students who participated in VET for Secondary School Students (VfSSS) programs in 2011, and the relationship between these courses of study and ensuing destinations. The research links data from the 2011 National VET in Schools Collection to data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. Comparisons are also made with findings from earlier research in which data from the 2006 National VET Collection are linked to data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing.
The findings show that doing a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship increases the likelihood of VfSSS students gaining full-time and on-going employment in an occupation of choice five years down the track. They also show that doing a trades or trades-related program also has similar outcomes.
To find out how destinations vary between students who do VfSSS programs and those who do not, researchers also undertook an exploratory analysis using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY 2009 commencing cohort). When analysing the LSAY data, it became apparent that students who undertook VfSSS programs were not a homogenous group, and that a significant proportion (45.2%) also achieved an ATAR. A preliminary analysis indicated some significant differences between the outcomes of VfSSS students who achieved an ATAR and those who did not achieve an ATAR. Statistically significant differences were found between the employment and further training destinations of students who do VfSSS programs and those who do not.
Simon began his career in the public sector as a financial analyst for Central TAFE in Western Australia after starting his career in the private sector. Simon joined the WA Department of Training in 1997 and has since worked in a variety of senior executive roles with a focus on VET sector planning, policy and resourcing. Simon represented Western Australia on the national Senior Skills Officials Network (SSON) and the national Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration (MACSM) and was a representative on the Western Australian State Training Board. Simon was also the state and territory government representative on the inaugural Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC). Simon joined the NCVER board as a director in 2015 and took up the position of Managing Director of the NCVER in October 2018.
Supply chains are radically transforming! This presentation will deep-dive into what that transformation looks like, the economy-wide implications for industries and jobs, and the future skills required by industry in Australia and globally. It will stimulate and challenge business development managers and practitioners in VET to think and plan how they might best connect with this untapped yet booming area and ultimately deliver a suite of new Skill Sets recently developed by supply chain experts in Australia.
Explore ‘Supply chains in 100 seconds’ and the contemporary, digitalized, supply chains that exist today. This session will dispel the stereotypical image that it’s all freight and trucks – and illustrate how supply chains are literally all around us, across all industries and across the globe, continually moving people, goods and data.
As an attendee of this session, you will look at some of the qualitative and quantitative data that will help you understand the current composition (job roles), demographic and size of the supply chain workforce, and how digital transformation and automation of supply chains are eliminating some job roles but already creating dynamic new ones, which will, in turn, revolutionise whole industries!
As supply chains branch into every aspect of our lives and become ever more sophisticated, it’s become clear that many of the new and emerging skills are common across industries. Explore three such skill areas – blockchain, traceability and ethical practice. It will also illustrate how supply chains, and the jobs within them, are starting to tackle some of the most pivotal issues of our time such as sustainability, transparency, modern slavery and ethical practice.
The presentation will also showcase the 10 cross-sector Supply Chain Skill Sets that have been developed by industry and are now available for delivery! It will include a deep dive into:
Attend this session to get a full picture of the emerging supply chain careers and pathways, and how supply chain skills will enable people to move between industries, along with different aspects of a supply chain and work in countries around the globe. It will include marketing and promotion materials developed to help training providers create demand for their own business!
As Chief Executive of Australian Industry Standards (AIS), Paul’s focus is on delivering innovative world-class skills solutions to support careers, life-long learning and building business capability. He has been a member of the AIS executive and leadership team since 2012, previously leading its operations and overseeing the newly established AIS Global business unit. Previous to this, Paul amassed over 30 years’ experience in the transport and logistics sector both as an employee and as a company owner. Paul is a passionate advocate for skills development and was instrumental in seeing AIS expand its portfolio in 2016 to 11 industry sectors and establishing new working arrangements for Industry Reference Committees (IRCs) for the respective training package development. Paul has extensive experience in International Skills Capability Building Projects involving the establishment of skills recognition frameworks and enabling infrastructure needs across APEC, IORA and Pacific Alliance regions. These frameworks have been developed with a strong focus on developing current and future skills through industry engagement. Paul holds a Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training and a range of qualifications in Business, Operational Management, Project Management (PRINCE2), Media, Industrial Relations, and Workplace Health & Safety. He is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
This session typically applies to learning and development practitioners, course development consultants and middle to senior management of RTOs and industry training departments; CEOs, TAFE Directors, Principles, RTO Senior Management, RTO owners & managers, Training managers and Enterprise RTO management representatives. It has been identified by the Presenter as being relevant to experienced professionals - those who have been in the VET Sector for 5-10 years.
Why do we educate? What is the value proposition of our core business?
This session addresses skills and knowledge needed to reflect and evaluate training to measure the effectiveness value proposition of programs within your organisation. There will be strategic critical thinking goalposts used to analyse the impact of training of learners, the role of trainers and the benefits to relevant stakeholders including the learners, employers, organisations and the community.
It will explore:
With a unique industry skill set, John combines 30 years of work and teaching in Hospitality, EAL & Foundation Skills, and more recently, Educational delivery. He has written training programs and resources used in more than 10 countries and has liaised with dozens of clients for program start-ups and course design. Having worked in 20 countries in cross-dimensional environments teaching participants of all ages and walks of life in a variety of RTOs and businesses, John is passionate about the opportunity he has to inspire teachers and trainers to go beyond their PowerPoint and engage participants with multimedia learning platforms to build meaningful relationships. As teachers get excited at PD and seminars, they often take good ideas back into their own classes and practice and re-invigorate their educational strategies and approaches. With his own company, and having worked for both large and private RTOs, universities and dozens of organisations and industry groups enhancing training, John enjoys re-inventing vocational education, helping to make theory interesting through creative delivery approaches, contextualising assessments for specific industry needs and making a difference for the transformation of more knowledgeable industry-ready learners.
This session has been pitched by the Presenter suitable for those who have some experience but still want validation of their knowledge/practice.
If you are a great Trainer and Assessor, then here’s a title to add to your resume. As a great Trainer, you are, in effect, a “Learning Magician” because in Training, magic is the name of the game if effective transfer of knowledge is to occur.
“Magician?” I hear you say, “not me!”
Well yes, it IS you, and there can be light and fun in the training magician’s world – and we’ll prove it.
The Experience of Learning needs to be more than just ‘consumption’ of information. You may have your students physically present but getting them mentally and attitudinally present is the key.
For real learning and transfer of skills to take place, there must be a connection created within the learners’ brains. Your role is to become a Learning Magician in assisting this process to happen. Learning is about connecting brain cells. We need to closely look at what we are offering students in our training delivery.
Do we ...
This Presentation will both challenge you and have you experience what this means for you and your learning and delivery design. Be prepared to have fun and to shift mental mindsets. It will not be a talk feast but an experience where magic will happen, and practical skills learnt.
Laurie Kelly (Senior Consultant - Brain Friendly Training Pty Ltd) speaks both nationally and internationally on current knowledge of how the learning brain works to maximize the impact of teaching, and to create an openness factor in our approach to change and new learning. With over 30 years experience as a National and International consultant, he has a reputation for having an uncanny ability to communicate on a level that everyone can appreciate and is passionate about the importance of the information he shares. Laurie's experience in improving brain engagement and thinking skills is vast - he is one of the most sought-after presenters in his field. He preaches and practices the principles of Brain Friendly Training in all his work, so expect the ‘talk to be walked’. Have fun and enjoy the experience.
Administration of systems, processes and practices in an RTO is critical to its success!
Understanding and continuously improving the administration of an RTO is something RTO Managers, Operational Managers, Administrators and Trainers and Assessors ALL play an important role in.
So, what are the things we need to be aware of/focussing on when it comes to student files, trainer files, enrolment processes, preparing for validation, record keeping/retention requirements, AVETMISS reporting and assessment outcomes?
This session will unpack these important components of Administration of an RTO. It has been identified by the presenter as suitable for anyone who plays an administrative role (or manages administrative processes) within an RTO.
Content has been designed to support those fairly new to VET or who are looking for fundamentals as well as those who have some experience but still want validation of their knowledge/understanding.
Angela has successfully set up her own RTO in January 2003, which she successfully sold in July of 2012. As a practitioner dedicated to sharing knowledge, Angela has consulted through many forums pertaining to compliance issues and improvement strategies for training and assessment services. Angela is known for her current industry, knowledge and success in developing accredited courses and track record in setting up RTOs and assisting RTOs with compliance against the VET Quality Framework. Angela holds a number of qualifications including; Diploma of Quality Auditing, Diploma of VET Registration and Management, Diploma of Business, Diploma of Training and Assessment and Bachelor of Business majoring in Marketing.Angela McGregor is the owner and principal consultant of RTO Consulting who has been offering consulting services throughout Australia. RTO Consulting was also established to provide guidance, coaching and assistance to businesses wanting to become an RTO, existing RTOs and businesses wanting to develop nationally accredited courses.
This presentation will outline the learnings from the operation of the program since its introduction, the findings from key reviews, the impacts of covid and any proposed changes to the program.
Kathy is the Assistant Secretary responsible for the VET Student Loans Branch in the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. Kathy has been a senior executive in the Commonwealth Public service for 17 years and also spent 12 months working for the ACT Government.
She has undertaken a range of roles covering policy, program management and service delivery in the Department of Education, the ACT Health Directorate, the Department of Health, Medicare Australia and the Australian Taxation Office.
Regardless of the role you have in your RTO, Re-registration audits can sometimes feel burdensome! But if we approach them armed with a good understanding of ASQA’s requirements, and a plan of attack when it comes to preparation, your RTO can be in a great place when it comes to compliance.
This presentation will explore the ASQA audit approach and discusses how RTOs can use this framework to prepare for an audit. The presentation logically follows the student life cycle (as per the Chapters) and discusses tips for achieving compliance or strengthening compliance, common non-compliances at audit, etc.
With a focus on the Re-registration audit, topics covered will include trainer compliance (trainer files, PD evidence, industry currency, mapping competencies), Training and Assessment Strategies (volume of learning, amount of training, industry engagement, identifying cohorts, etc.), financial viability (common traps, key considerations when submitting to ASQA), complaints and appeals, fit and proper persons, marketing and recruitment practices, pre-training review and enrolment procedures, validation and continuous improvement.
This session has been pitched by the Presenter as designed for those who might be fairly new to VET or who are looking for a ‘fundamentals refresher’. However, it may also be of benefit to those who have some experience and looking for validation of their knowledge/practices.
Chris Enright is the Director of RTO Logic, a consultancy firm that provides wrap around services to the VET sector. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the Education and Training sector, assuming key leadership roles including operations and chief executive officer roles, driving business improvement and development for numerous respected companies.
Chris is passionate about professional development and regularly facilitates workshops on a range of topics from intimate business strategy sessions to large full day workshops focusing on RTO compliance. His down to earth approach ensures participants walk away with a practical understanding of their obligations within the sector.
Chris is also the Board of Governance’s Chair for Carringbush Adult Education, a not-for-profit training organisation in Melbourne’s inner East. Chris now spends the majority of his time providing business strategy and compliance advice to RTOs across the country. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School.
There are many reasons why our students become unengaged. This session will not only explore these reasons but provide trainers with some practical strategies to …. Engage the Unengaged! Bring your phone and an open mind and walk out with a tool kit of ideas.
Key topic covered:
This session has been identified as being relevant for those who have training experience but would still like validation of their knowledge/understanding.
Jane Goodfellow is the Australian VET Teacher/Trainer 2017 winner and has a keen interest in alternative and innovative training methods.
Jane has worked as a TAFE trainer for nearly 25 years and presented at many conferences around Australia sharing her new ideas for engaging VET students.
Compliant assessment requires the development of assessment tools that are directly linked to the requirements of the unit, are relevant to the learner needs and reflect industry practice. As practitioners, we need to be sure that these tools are likely to produce quality evidence and need mechanisms in place to make appropriate decisions with this evidence collected.
However, do we spend enough time on ensuring that we truly collect meaningful evidence? This session will help you to identify how to collect relevance and meaningful evidence that clearly links to the unit of competency requirements and appropriate AQF level indicators.
The presenter has identified that this session content has been pitched as relevant to those who have some experience but still want validation of their knowledge and/or those fairly new to VET or who are looking for fundamentals refresher.
Marc Ratcliffe is a multi-award-winning trainer, author and education entrepreneur. He is the CEO and founder of MRWED Training and Assessment, a private RTO that specialises in Trainer Training. He is a strong advocate for "edu-tainment" and believes that learner involvement and fun are integral to student success.
He continues to be an in-demand conference speaker and workshop facilitator, having presented at more than 50 conferences in a dozen countries in the past decade and was recently named as the winner of the “Best Training and Development Leadership” Award for 2017 at the World Training and Development Congress in Mumbai.
The future of work is predicted to be significantly disrupted by digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, robots, visualisation and automation (NCVER, 2019). At the same time, the demand for digital literacy skills in job advertisements has increased by 200% (FYA, 2016).
This has serious implications for all industries and will require the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector to provide the skills needed to allow Australia to remain competitive in global economy. However, this must start with a VET workforce who has the digital capability and experience to not only deliver the technical skills for Industry 4.0 but to also be able to do this using progressive training methodologies which adopt digital technologies to deliver and support training and assessment (TAFE Queensland, 2016).
This session will take participants on an Appreciative Inquiry journey using a range of easily accessible digital tools to discover how their current trainers' digital literacy compares with their colleagues in the room. The presenter will encourage attendees to dream and design a VET workforce of the future for their organisation using established digital skills frameworks for building capability in the vocational education and training sector.
The presenter has also identified this session has been designed for those who have been in VET for 5-10 years, who have some experience but who could be looking for validation of their knowledge.
Allison Miller is a professional learning and business development leader of 25 years. She is the Director and Lead Consultant of Digital Capability, an organisation which specialises in cutting edge online learning and online business solutions. Allison also helps educational organisations ensure that their training and assessment is effective and compliant, especially online.
Allison has a Master of Learning and Development (Organisational Development), Graduate Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Bachelor of Education (Secondary Business), Diploma of VET, and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Diploma of Business. She also leads the ePortfolios Australia professional network and the annual Australian Eportfolio Forum.
Session Overview Coming Soon!
John Dwyer is a national VQF/AQTF trainer/assessor and consultant with having worked in education and training spanning more than 60 years.
He brings extensive Registered Training Organisation (RTO) experience and has a comprehensive history in developing and delivering a range of workshops and webinars on assessment, compliance, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), moderation and validation processes relating to VQF/AQTF compliance.
When offering vocational education pathways amidst a predominantly timetabled academic curriculum, a school’s primary focus is the integrity and relevance of content provided and the success of course outcomes. This session analyses the expectations of trainers and assessors delivering VET in schools unpacks legislated requirements and how these impact upon those training and assessing, and describes how effective engagement with industry representatives can play an integral role when implementing industry relevant practices.
Delivering vocational education and training (VET) in schools certainly has a wide range of implications to consider and not least of all for those teaching across both academic and vocational programs.
The primary focus of schools lies within the provision of quality education for its senior students. Those providing nationally recognised training within schools, therefore, have an obligation to ensure that they themselves represent the current practices associated with the vocational training area being delivered.
So, as trainers and assessors of VET in schools, how can we maintain the integrity of current and industry-relevant content and outcomes amidst a predominantly academic curriculum?
Just as importantly, what can schools do to enable and support their trainers and assessors in ensuring the highest level of currency within their respective vocational training areas?
VET practitioners delivering VET in schools are gleaned from a variety of situations. They may be:
Whichever approach your school, or RTO delivering VET within schools, uses to engage its trainers and assessors, each of these individuals is subject to the same trainer and assessor requirements.
Throughout this 90 minute session, we shall endeavour to:
Melanie Alexandra has held a variety of roles within the Academic and Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector over the past 25 years winning awards for practice excellence in teaching and learning and outstanding leadership. As a Trainer and Assessor, Head of Faculty and Program Manager Melanie has authored and developed academic curriculum and vocational qualifications from Certificate I to Degree level, delivered nationally recognised and accredited programs to learners in schools, colleges and universities, and provided professional development workshops, webinars and online learning programs to training professionals in schools, higher education institutions and registered training organisations.
As an RTO Manager, Melanie has lead RTO teams and businesses from a critically non-compliant status to successful re-registration and as Head of Quality Assurance and Lead Verifier worked extensively with regulatory bodies to ensure high standards of quality and compliance. Melanie worked as Senior Lead Auditor for the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, conducting regulatory audits and registrations against the current VET Quality Framework and Standards for RTOs 2015, and now provides quality VET audit and compliance consulting services in support of Registered Training Organisations and providers of VET in Schools.
As children, we embraced the joy of exploration, the wonder of discovery and the excitement of creativity. But as adults, we often lose our way, which is why we need to give our learners and ourselves permission to play.
In this session, we will explore why it is important to play, how we can influence play around us and finally set a plan to introduce the concept of play into our regular practice.
This session is designed to empower attendees to be creative in their training approaches, the Presenter has pitched that this session could be for those fairly new to VET, or for those who are experienced trainers looking for validation of/ideas about new approaches.
Jason has more than 15 years of training and assessment experience, gained predominantly in corporate environments. He has specialised in delivering training in sales, coaching, business communication and management and has received international acclaim for his work in Learning and Development. Jason was the winner of the Platinum Award for “Best Young Learning Leader” at the 2011 LearnX Asia-Pacific Awards and was named a young trainer to watch by US Training Magazine in 2012.
Jason is a two-time MRWED Trainer of the year and is one of only three trainers in Australia certified to deliver Bob Pike’s Train-the-Trainer Boot Camp, the world’s most well-respected trainer training program. A strong advocate for the participant-centred approach to training, Jason has spoken on the topic of Creative Training Techniques at conferences all over Australia and at multiple events in the United States.
Why do our strategies not hold firm, or get lost somewhere in the G:/Drive only to make an appearance at the annual staff meeting? - Because it’s not KICKASS! Much like ourselves, our organisation, individual departments and the amazing staff within them get lost without a map, and our strategy is the company road map to tomorrow. So, if you too get lost without a map, let us be your Google Maps to a session created just for you!
Building a kickass strategy for the new decade will encompass a whirlwind of techniques and skills to embed within your own company strategies to help build a business that becomes a force to be reckoned with. You will not only learn all about building a kickass strategy for the new decade, you will also have the opportunity to manifest your very own business/department strategy. The Maven Effect’s CEO and Founder will guide you on your journey to:
WARNING: This session is not for the faint of heart. Building a kick-ass strategy for the new decade requires – courage, tenacity, passion, inspiration, and an attitude to rise to the occasion with an open mind.
This session has also been identified by the presenter as being pitched at those who have been in VET for more than 5 years, not requiring fundamentals.
Jason Blinman is currently the Chief Executive Officer & Founder of The Maven Effect, but more recently, feedback has founded him to be classified as “A Unicorn; a majestic creature to behold both personally and professionally yet amazing to watch in action due to our limited comprehension of its magical abilities”.
Jason has held Senior, Executive and Board roles in RTO’s, Corporate L&D, Human Resources and Operations arenas. Before opening The Maven Effect, Jason held the role of Operations Manager of a prominent club in Sydney Australia. Combining exceptional strategy building techniques with “out of this world” people skills, Jason lead the company to boost its profit growth by $15 million in one financial year.
Jason is a highly regarded Leader of industry, who brings a wealth of experience to each interaction, working with and learning from some of the World’s most recognised and loved brands such as The Disney Institute and McDonald’s Australia’s RTO.
Jason's Vision - "I want to change the hearts of Leaders everywhere".
The recent massive shift to online and digital learning has meant many Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) have needed to pivot quite quickly to a different mode of delivery. For many, this has simply meant putting learner guides online and conducting webinars with students. For others, a huge investment has been made in paying for professionally produced online resources. However, is there a middle road? How much of this can an RTO develop in-house without an eLearning expert? The answer is – a lot!
This session will take you through some practical tips and tricks, including demonstrations, of how to develop cost-effective digital learning resources using a combination of free or low-cost tools that don’t require you to be a coding expert. Join the session to learn about:
Kerri Buttery has a long history of working in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector and in the development of digital learning resources. As a qualified business and information technology teacher, she began developing digital learning resources for students to access in the late 1990s in the form of learning websites. This moved across to using “The Learning Place” and completing her first formal training in online learning in 2002, allowing her to cater for composite classes by creating self-paced resources for students to maximise their learning in a classroom setting with competing priorities. Fast forward to 2017-2018 and Kerri completed formal university studies at UNE, undertaking a Graduate Certificate of eLearning.
Kerri has a passion for ‘educating educators’ in how to engage learners, particularly in an online setting. She regularly runs professional development sessions on various digital learning tools and coaches teams of staff within RTOs in working towards their own in-house development of affordable digital learning resources.
This session will assume you already have a strong understanding of the obligations of the Standards for RTOs 2015 and instead of explaining these obligations we will explore proven strategies that RTOs can implement to achieve and maintain compliance.
Creating a culture of compliance rather than functioning via a reactive approach often means first identifying the key areas of risk, gaining a ‘where we are at now’ status and unpacking the potential consequences of not identifying and addressing non-compliance. Once this occurs an RTO can then truly look at developing and implementing strategies to manage compliance obligations as a part of everyday business.
This Deep Dive session aims to shift our thinking from looking at one person within the organisation as being solely responsible for all-things-compliance, to sharing the compliance obligation across the organisation. An approach where the key compliance person is responsible for overseeing evidence gathering and supporting others to achieve compliance as an embedded practice, through targeted activities that scheduled across the year to ensure that compliance evidence is current. Attendees will explore the importance of thoughtful planning, identification processes and action, action, action!
This session has been identified by the presenter as suitable for those who have been in the VET industry for 5 or more years who do not require fundamentals.
Angela McGregor is the owner and principal consultant of RTO Consulting who has been offering consulting services throughout Australia. RTO Consulting was also established to provide guidance, coaching and assistance to businesses wanting to become an RTO, existing RTOs and businesses wanting to develop nationally accredited courses. Angela has successfully set up her own RTO in January 2003, which she successfully sold in July of 2012. As a practitioner dedicated to sharing knowledge, Angela has consulted through many forums pertaining to compliance issues and improvement strategies for training and assessment services. Angela is known for her current industry, knowledge and success in developing accredited courses and track record in setting up RTOs and assisting RTOs with compliance against the VET Quality Framework. Angela holds a number of qualifications including; Diploma of Quality Auditing, Diploma of VET Registration and Management, Diploma of Business, Diploma of Training and Assessment and Bachelor of Business majoring in Marketing.
Session Overview Coming Soon!
One of the central roles of educators is to find ways of interrupting the processing of forgetting and help students to develop mental models about how to perform tasks and solve problems. Unfortunately, many learning strategies advocated in the past and still employed today, fall short of helping students learn and may even hinder their progress.
Drawing on research from the cognitive sciences, this presentation will discuss the benefits of retrieval practice and spaced retrieval, two research-based learning and instructional strategies are proven to enhance retention, recall and even increase student satisfaction. We’ll discuss ideas for implementation that are applicable to classroom, eLearning and even work-based learning environments.
Expect a presentation that will provide you with effective and relatively easy to implement instructional strategies that improve learning outcomes.
Instructional designers, trainers, assessors or anyone interested in improving retention and recall should attend.
Bring your internet-connected mobile phone or tablet to get involved.
The presenter has pitched this interactive session as being designed for those who have some experience but who would still like validation of their understanding/application of this content.
Tony Kirton is an instructional designer and workshop facilitator with more than ten years’ experience in learning and development.
Founder and senior designer at resource design consultancy Engage Learning and Development (formerly DES Learning), which contracts to the public and private sector, Tony develops traditional learning programs as well as e-learning using Articulate Storyline.
Tony has extensive experience in the application of learning design theory, having designed many training programs and hundreds of assessment resources.
Tony’s recent instructional projects include major programs for:
Known for his engaging and evidence-based approach to workplace learning, Tony also facilitates training and assessment with some of Australia’s leading training providers including the Australian Institute of Management, NSW Health and SafeWork NSW.
Continuing to extend his expertise and keep up-to-date with the latest practices in learning and development, Tony recently completed a four-month leadership program with the University of Michigan. He is currently completing an Instructional Design and Technology MicroMasters program with the University of Maryland (USA).
In addition to his current studies, some of Tony’s qualifications include:
When your organisation has been through an audit and has had adverse findings and non-compliances, its sometimes daunting to know how and where to start the process of rectification. This session will look at how to take a strategic and systematic approach to rectifying and re-mediating non-compliances.
This session will cover:
Kevin Ekendahl is the Managing Director of Audit Express, Kevin is passionate about Australian training and education, specialising in the provision of quality training, compliance consulting and internal audit. He has been a vocal and energetic campaigner for the reduction of regulation and red tape in the VET sector and frequently provides advice to Ministers and Departments at state and Commonwealth levels.
Kevin was previously a board member of the Victorian Board of the Medical Board of Australia and also publishes regularly on the topic of regulation and industry best practice. Prior to his work with Audit Express, he was the General Manager of Social Enterprises for a not-for-profit organisation and he also worked in the advertising sector in print and radio.
VET in Schools (VETiS) has proven to be agile and flexible during the pandemic and continues to create engaging learning opportunities for students. It is a state, territory and national priority and continues to remain an area of creativity, inspiration, debate and regulatory focus.
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) Regulatory Strategy 2020-2022 identifies VET in Schools as Target area 2. In 2018 the number of VET in Schools students was 230 700 with school-based apprentices and trainees representing 7.9% of all VET in School students (NCVER 2020). VET in Schools continues to provide pathways for our diverse cohorts and provides many and varied opportunities and experiences.
With ASQA’s continued focus on VET in Schools, this session will provide some insights on current VETiS trends and what good might look like. You will explore the two distinct models of VET in School delivery and assessment, Secondary School (standalone RTO) and Secondary School (Auspiced Arrangement with partner RTO), with a focus on how to achieve best practice in teaching and learning whilst maintaining a compliance lens to support quality outcomes.
You will leave this session with a clear understanding of the differences and benefits of each model. Unpacked and discussed, will be the regulatory obligations a Secondary School with Auspicing agreements is required to meet, as well as how to achieve these and continue to create an enriched VET in School learner experience. This session will share audit insights and provide tips on where to focus your quality and compliance resources for your VET in School, school-based apprenticeship and traineeship programs.
Key points covered within this session:
The Presenter has pitched this session as being for those who have some experience in the VET sector.
Simon has been engaged in the VET sector for more than 10 years, having worked as Manager and Director for large TAFE Institutes, Manager of an Industry Skills Council and as a Lead Regulatory Officer with the VET Regulator – ASQA. Simon’s practice areas include quality, compliance and risk, learning and teaching, people and culture and transformational change. Simon has designed and facilitated many professional development programs. Prior to working in the VET sector, Simon worked for a number of global advertising agency networks as print production director in Asia Pacific.
The principles of adult learning underpin how we help people develop the skills and aptitudes they need to thrive at work. Join Chemène as she offers a version of the principles of adult learning for the 2020s—one that brings together recent research and discoveries about adult learning and performance.
This session aims to help you answer the ‘so how’ question: ‘So how can I use these latest insights?’
You will have a chance to reflect upon and identify ways to incorporate the updated principles of adult learning into your own practice.
The Presenter has identified that this session could be for anyone in VET (experienced or new) who is interested in adult learning principles.
Chemène is the founder and Principal at Blackwater Projects, an independent practice that provides advice, products and services that support adult learning and improve performance.
Chemène uses her diverse background in education to inform her work. An Olympian, she has coached elite athletes and mentored coaches. In the school system, she has taught kindergarten, year 12, and a few years in-between. Since launching Blackwater Projects in 2000 she has worked with a mix of corporate, community and government-sector clients.
Chemène has worked in VET for 20 years and specialises in TAE qualifications. She is a TAE trainer and has written TAE materials that more than 100 RTOs have used since they were introduced. She regularly runs professional development events for new and experienced trainers and assessors who want to go ‘beyond the basics’.
Chemène works with her professional network to remain informed of latest research and trends in learning and performance around the world.
The role of the RTO within the Australian VET system is pivotal to the future supply of skilled workers. All RTOs are governed by the legislative instrument, Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015, which outlines the requirements that an organisation must meet to be [and stay] an RTO.
In an NVC first, ‘Welcome to VET’ is a dual session with Parts 1 and 2 running on the Day 1 program.
Presented by Michelle Charlton, ‘Welcome to VET’ is specifically designed to offer a helicopter view of the Standards. Michelle will go through each of the eight Standards and their underlying Clauses, and give a summary of what these mean and how they apply to an RTO, its operations, its staff and overall requirements. Throughout, Michelle will offer guidance on interpreting the Standards, and how your RTO can use the Standards to inform its operations and overall compliance.
After providing overall context for the Standards and where they fit in the provision of vocational education, Part 1 of ‘Welcome to VET’ will discuss the role of the National Regulator, and will give a summary of the eight clauses and what they mean for your RTO. Part 2 will review Standard 1 which contains the requirements to provide nationally accredited training and assessment, and also the Clauses against which RTOs have most difficulty at audit.
‘Welcome to VET’ is positioned as ideal for anyone new to the VET sector, new to RTO operations and/or anyone who would like a refresher or confirmation of their own practice. Information will be at beginner level and there will also be an opportunity for Q&A.
One of Michelle’s greatest interests is ‘why’ and she looks to ignite and share this curiosity for learning at every opportunity.
Michelle is an experienced presenter and facilitator, a qualified trainer and assessor, and has industry qualifications and experience in project management, leadership and management, training and education, and business operations. She holds tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Adult and Vocational Education, and Training and Development.
Michelle currently works with her team to offer specialised RTO and VET services, through resource development, validation services, and VET professional development opportunities.
Up to 20 % of the population are impacted by Specific Learning Disorders such as Dyslexia and Auditory processing disorders. Although not currently researched, the number of students accessing VET programs, in particular, would appear to be much higher as students access alternative methods of learning that are more hands-on.
This session aims to provide attendees with an understanding of how SLDs such as Dyslexia present, how to identify a student who learns differently, as well as insights into some of the day-to-day learning challenges these students face in the classroom. It will also provide some practical, easy-to-implement strategies that will progress student learning – without funding – that will make your classroom accessible to all your students, especially accommodating students who need to learn differently.
This session has been pitched by the Presenter as being designed for those who have been working in the Sector for 5-10 years.
Karen Dymke is an educator with over thirty years’ experience across a range of sectors, as a teacher, trainer, senior leader, coach and consultant. Her work includes lecturing at Latrobe University in Alternative Educational Models, including VET and the VCAL, as well as travelling Australia as a highly sought-after presenter sharing the latest educational research. Her passion is focused on partnering with educators to progress and support student learning, achievement and well-being, with a speciality in applied learning settings such as VET and TAFE.
Karen’s work has been acknowledged through the Outstanding Teacher/Trainer of the Year award from the TAFE Development Centre, various scholarships and most recently with a Fellowship from the International Specialised Skills Institute, investigating the professionalization of adult educators. She thinks it should be fun (if hard work) when you learn!
Units don’t have an AQF level – that’s what we’re told. However, the AQF combined with other schema are essential considerations when deciding the type and complexity of questions to ask in an assessment event. They also impact on how, and indeed whether, technology can be used as the assessment medium. This session outlines the importance of AQF, LLN, Foundation Skills, Bloom’s taxonomy and technology in the design of effective knowledge assessments for a unit or cluster of units of competency.
This session has been identified by the presenter as being relevant for those who are either new to VET or who might be looking for a fundamentals refresher.
Anni has worked in the vocational education and training sector for more than 30 years and has witnessed all the changes from the original introduction of competencies in the late 1990s and the various national VET frameworks: NFROT, ARF, AQTF, VQF and the current Standards for RTOs.
Her work in the last 15 years has focused on compliance – particularly relating to assessment. Anni’s goal is to find the simplest solution that works. She works independently, facilitating capability development workshops, developing assessment materials, validating assessment materials and judgements. Her passion is to help the front line educator work effectively within the constraints and rules we are bound by.
Our students are at the core of the Vocational Education and Training ecosystem. Student administration and specifically the contents of the student files are critical to the success of the student, the teacher and the Registered Training Organisation.
This session will look at a student file from the auditor’s lens. What are the must-have documents to meet your regulatory obligations, what are the maybe documents and the nice to have documents in a student file? What is a student administration file verses a student assessment file? Which approach and tools are best to manage student files and how do we encourage a culture of inclusivity where everyone is responsible for student files?
How long do we need to keep student files, and what is the best approach for preparing our student files for an internal audit and an external audit? What are the differences in audits and preparation, and how do you ensure ongoing compliance and quality processes?
You will leave this session with a clear understanding of the requirements and regulatory obligations for student files, including advice and tools on how to prepare a student file from the auditor’s lens for a best practice to support the student experience and best practice outcomes.
Key points covered within this session:
Identified by the presenter as suitable for those who have some experience but still want validation of their knowledge/understanding
Kevin Ekendahl is the Managing Director of Audit Express, Kevin is passionate about Australian training and education, specialising in the provision of quality training, compliance consulting and internal audit. He has been a vocal and energetic campaigner for the reduction of regulation and red tape in the VET sector, and frequently provides advice to Ministers and Departments at State and Commonwealth levels.
Kevin was previously a board member of the Victorian Board of the Medical Board of Australia and also publishes regularly on the topic of regulation and industry best practice. Prior to his work with Audit Express, he was the General Manager of Social Enterprises for a not-for-profit organisation and he also worked in the advertising sector in print and radio.
When we think about a Vision for the Future in the VET Sector, we ask ourselves, what might it look like? Take a Deep Dive into a new perspective in this session, where participants will have the opportunity to step back from their day to day management or leadership role and consider the bigger picture of the role of the VET Sector!
What does it mean to be work-ready, competent or proficient? This presentation seeks to define these terms in a way that would allow the VET sector to play to its strengths and reduce the current levels of compliance required by RTOs, whilst increasing the level of trust by industry.
There has never been a more important time to have a vibrant and flourishing VET sector. Massive and unprecedented technological advancement is changing equipment, skills and processes, therefore fundamentally altering the way work is done. Yet not all enterprises move at the same pace, and the “old ways” of doing things are just as relevant for many workplaces, including those in transition, so the VET sector needs to be able to provide for both current and future skills needs.
The sector is enthusiastic about meeting these and other challenges, yet it is bedevilled by issues such as the need to access to an unrealistic definition of competence and a compliance system which limit VET's ability to deliver much-needed services across all industries.
VET delivery hours represent less than .005% of all hours worked in the Australian economy. How can these delivery hours provide the best value to industries to support them with the skills required to compete domestically and globally?
Every person in the room is making a key contribution to the sector. This session will explore and recognise the value of that contribution with a focus on how we could all deliver so much more, in a VET reform environment open to policy changes that could make a huge difference.
The Presenter has pitched this session for those experienced VET professionals who have more than 5-10 years in the industry via a deep dive into a potential new approach for VET!
Michael has more than 30 years of involvement in work-based learning and vocational education and training. As CEO of ForestWorks for 10 years, he led the industry’s skills standards and qualifications program including an industry-wide Innovation Skills Program to support the development of the forestry and timber building products industries. As CEO of Skills Impact (from a start-up in 2016), he is now responsible for services which support skill standards and qualification development for a broad range of industry sectors.
Michael has broad and deep knowledge of industry, productivity, workplace learning, education and training to engage and add value with industry and VET sector stakeholders. He holds a Diploma of Management (Community Services), Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, Corporate Governance qualifications, Innovation for Leaders Skill Set and trade qualifications.
The role of the RTO within the Australian VET system is pivotal to the future supply of skilled workers. All RTOs are governed by the legislative instrument, Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015, which outlines the requirements that an organisation must meet to be [and stay] an RTO.
In an NVC first, ‘Welcome to VET’ is a dual session with Parts 1 and 2 running on the Day 1 program.
Presented by Michelle Charlton, ‘Welcome to VET’ is specifically designed to offer a helicopter view of the Standards. Michelle will go through each of the eight Standards and their underlying Clauses, and give a summary of what these mean and how they apply to an RTO, its operations, its staff and overall requirements. Throughout, Michelle will offer guidance on interpreting the Standards, and how your RTO can use the Standards to inform its operations and overall compliance.
After providing overall context for the Standards and where they fit in the provision of vocational education, Part 1 of ‘Welcome to VET’ will discuss the role of the National Regulator, and will give a summary of the eight clauses and what they mean for your RTO. Part 2 will review Standard 1 which contains the requirements to provide nationally accredited training and assessment, and also the Clauses against which RTOs have most difficulty at audit.
‘Welcome to VET’ is positioned as ideal for anyone new to the VET sector, new to RTO operations and/or anyone who would like a refresher or confirmation of their own practice. Information will be at beginner level and there will also be an opportunity for Q&A.
One of Michelle’s greatest interests is ‘why’ and she looks to ignite and share this curiosity for learning at every opportunity.
Michelle is an experienced presenter and facilitator, a qualified trainer and assessor, and has industry qualifications and experience in project management, leadership and management, training and education, and business operations. She holds tertiary qualifications in Psychology, Adult and Vocational Education, and Training and Development.
Michelle currently works with her team to offer specialised RTO and VET services, through resource development, validation services, and VET professional development opportunities.
Session Overview Coming Soon!
This session has also been identified by the presenter as sitting under the Deep Dive category (and will skip the fundamentals, diving straight into the content).
The Australian Vocational Education System is at a crossroad and is needing to re-establish its purpose and relevance for the future. Current NCVER VET data confirms that enrolments into nationally recognised programs (qualifications) are declining year-on-year, whereas enrolments into stand-alone enrolments (single units, skillsets and microcredentials) are increasing year-on-year.
RTOs need to look closely and carefully at the way they structure, design and deliver AQF qualifications, skillsets and stand-alone units. In doing this, RTOs should be considering the role of microcredentials and digital badging in the development and delivery of their training programs. This session will unpack the definition and concepts of micro-learning, micro-credentials and badging, and will explore the benefits that each of these can offer your organisation. You will leave this session with a clear understanding of the difference between microlearning, microcredentialing and digital badging. You will also gain insights on how to start offering micro-credentials in your RTO.
Key points covered within session:
Matthew Dale is the Chief Operations Officer of Audit Express, Matthew is passionate about Australian training and education, specialising in organisational development, knowledge management, quality, compliance and internal audit. He has been a vocal and energetic campaigner for policy change and the reduction of regulation and red tape in the VET sector.
Matthew was previously a senior policy advisor to the Victorian Minister for Skills and Training, and also publishes regularly on the topic of regulation and industry best practice. Matthew is a graduate of Monash University with his studies focussed on Adult Learning and Development, he has previously worked as an RTO Manager, and Compliance Manager for both an industry-focussed not-for-profit organisation and a large national RTO which operated in all states and territories.
Who would have foreseen ‘Mental Health’ being one of the biggest issues facing adolescents in the 21st Century? Sadly, alarming statistics are on the increase and, as Teachers/Trainers and Assessors, we find ourselves working with adolescents who are oftentimes labelled as having behavioural issues. So, how do we support those who struggle with this illness?
In this session, we will look at some statistics on mental illness and ways to recognise this in our students. We shall explore what that means for us, as VET in Schools practitioners, working with and supporting these adolescents in a VET environment.
We will also have an opportunity to look closely at two of the most prevalent mental health conditions namely: anxiety and depression, as well as dispel some of the common myths and misunderstandings about them.
This session has been designed to explore how Mental Health affects us all within our Schools, RTOs and workplaces generally and what we can do to help those affected, including ourselves.
Key questions that will be unpacked:
TBC
While the intent to deliver and develop foundation skills is always present, having the tools and curriculum to support such development across a range of different VET courses, and finding the time to focus on them, is another issue. On reflection, we try to make Training Packages suit everyone and every need and fit every change and technology and every generation …. In the end, they are too big, too complicated, too costly too unwieldly to adapt, update, deliver etc etc
PEER aims to have the most sought after apprentices in South Australia and to achieve that goal, we need to ensure the employability skills of our graduates are first class.
“There’s a major shift happening in the skill sets people need to stay relevant……One of the most important ingredients to success in life and business is the ability to adapt as technology changes and new trends emerge…….You can start preparing yourself for the future of work by investing in yourself and what matters to you.”
What if there was an innovative way to support shifts in skill sets, adaptive to new technology and new trends?
This presentation reports on a trial we ran with the Inventorium, an innovative online skills-based curriculum, to boost the 21st-century work skills of our pre-apprentices. The trial revealed some fascinating results and we are now extending the use of the platform to our VET in schools, and apprenticeship programs to see if we can replicate the results. Of particular interest was how an online platform managed to increase skills confidence and bring around an attitudinal shift compared to a control group, as we took part in this innovation project. The presentation outlines what we did, how we did it, how the platform operated, what the results were, our key learning going forwards, and an update on where we are now.
Peter Nolan Peter joined PEER in June 2106 as the CEO, having had over 20 years’ of involvement with the training and employment of apprentices. With extensive experience in construction and mining, he has also led organisations in the hospitality and property sectors. Peter has a strong commitment to the health, safety and pastoral care of apprentices and trainees and creating an innovative, high-performance culture. PEER is a non-profit industry-based organisation, a Group Training Organisation (GTO) and an award-winning Registered Training Organisation (RTO), delivering nationally accredited training to meet South Australia’s skill development needs. The PEER Academy ensures students are trained, coached, mentored and supported to be their best – as trade professionals and as individuals. PEER supports the whole-of-person development for our learners, which provides them with opportunities and pathways to become a skilled professional within the Building and Construction industry. PEER – the 2018 South Australian Training Provider of the Year and the 2018 Australian Small Training Provider of the Year – has invested in a significant upgrade of its training facilities to ensure it continues to deliver the leading trade training experience and outcomes for South Australians. Professor Eddie Blass Professor Eddie Blass is the Founder and CEO of the Inventorium, an online platform that transforms the experience of learning for anyone aged 15 and over. It was designed to bridge the gap between kids disengaging from school and their future economic sustainability and can be used with high school kids and RTOs for foundation skills and school VET.