Carr, Deb - Think About Learning

Response:

Yes. 

What does industry engagement mean to me?
Industry engagement is the active recognition of the VET sectors partnering role in ensuring skills are available, contemporary and of a quality to maintain and advance the industries collective knowledge and skills.

How can industry be encouraged to connect with the VET system? What does this look like? 
My practice and research interest is in leveraging RPL for better labour market efficiencies. RPL is a form of competency based assessment that assesses individuals' existing skills and knowledge. 
   * Employers can be encouraged to connect with RPL opportunities for their workforce by *understanding the benefits* for their workforce and business direction. Benefits include optimising skills in the existing workforce that are regularly underutilised and unknown, encouraging reflective practice of their workforce towards improved productivity, reduced staff turnover due to improved staff morale, optimising discovered skills to improve the businesses' market place agility and more efficient use of the training budget. 
   * Employers can offer workplaces for RPL assessment. RPL assessment/readiness aligns with individuals' existing work tasks and with appropriate assessment design, demands very little investment from employers.

Industry bodies and employer associations can support RPL by encouraging employers in their sector to engage with RPL opportunities towards improved and enlarged collective of skills. Research has shown 'employer dynamics' act as a barrier for RPL candidates. Candidates seek evidence of their work experience. Sometimes they need to approach past employers. There is no impetus or imperative for employers to engage with past employees to aid their RPL assessment. 

As the national discussion for independent assessment progresses. RPL should be considered as a feasible and desired option integral to this discussion. 

These strategies would intrinsically lead to better industry investment into skills development and skills matching across Australia, whilst enabling all businesses to access and grow their workforce in a climate of rapid change. 

Response:

Yes

Response:

​​​​​What works well and what could be improved? How could it be improved?

I provide feedback as an experienced instructional designer and VET Accredited Course designer. 

The concept works well. It is important for industry to contribute to training package development so that it remains relevant. It could be improved through designing units of competency with less prescription, and utilising a 'bank' of units that reflect common capabilities such as the new BSB training package. Overly prescriptive units of competencies (UoC) disallow for contextualisation in a rapidly changing market place. Additionally, overly prescriptive units disallow for innovation in terms of training and assessment content. 

Also, consultation can be collected through other means such as through RTOs active engagement with industry. RTOs are in an idea position to hear and respond to employers' feedback of training package content. 

If 'independent assessment' is introduced, the system can include a mechanism that collects ongoing feedback as to the relevancy of training package content. 

Response:

How can workers be equipped with skills that can be applied across different jobs? How can industry support this through the VET system?
It could be improved through utilising a 'bank' of units that reflect common capabilities such as the new BSB training package and trusting in the competency of assessors and instructional designers to: 
   * A/ contextualise capability units to different sectors. 
   * B/ engage with employers

Less prescriptive units of competency will enable relevancy across more work applications. Workplace assessment as opposed to classroom/simulated assessments is required to:
   * A/ help to contextualise assessment
   * B/ present as authentic industry engagement

Industry can support this through providing workplaces for assessment. 

Response:

Are the different needs of industry and learners effectively considered in designing qualifications in the current system? What works well and why?

Overly prescriptive units do not optimise industry use. Overly prescriptive units become outdated quickly and cannot be adapted to innovation, new technology and emerging practices. 

What works well is allowing for units to be contextualised at RTO and employer level and lessening the prescriptive nature of units of competency. 

In consideration of Australia's diverse business landscape, qualification design attempts to consult at an impossibly granular level. Small businesses are frequently NOT represented as are businesses that operate in remote and regional areas of north Australia. In the past, 'range statements' were used to 'guide' contextualization rather than mandate overly prescriptive assessment conditions and performance evidence. Range statements can be re-introduced; and with mechanisms for workplace assessment, authentic and relevant contextualisation can be achieved. 

Response:

No response provided.