TAFE Enrolments

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Tafe Enrolments (Proof)
About this Item
Speakers - Torbay Mr Richard; McMahon Ms Lylea; Deputy-Speaker
Business - Private Members Statements, PRIV

TAFE ENROLMENTS
Page: 86
Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands—Speaker) [6.40 p.m.]: Although not much good news is forthcoming from the global economic crisis, I have some good news to report to the House today. One of the positive stories from my Northern Tablelands electorate is an overall increase in TAFE enrolments of 15 per cent this year. Part of that increase is attributed to people wanting to upskill because of the uncertain job market. The increase in enrolments has been recorded across the New England Institute catchment and is consistent at the Armidale, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and Inverell campuses in the Northern Tablelands. Other reasons being given for this increase in enrolments are that more school leavers are enrolling immediately in TAFE, the breadth and range of courses now being offered, the value given to TAFE qualifications in the marketplace, and the flexible delivery of courses and training.

Last week Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, outlined the Federal Government's vision for its education revolution in the tertiary sector. She singled out the forging of closer relations between TAFE colleges and universities as part of the drive to engage more students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in higher education. In my area, that process is already underway. The New England Institute signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of New England last year. Through this agreement, negotiations on articulation in counselling, social work, health, nursing, and tourism and hospitality are underway. Such arrangements have existed for some years. Students undertaking the TAFE Diploma in Children's Services are articulating directly into the University of New England Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood). This innovative arrangement sees students complete their Diploma in Children's Services, work in a children's service for one year and then become eligible to apply for entry into the third year of the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood). Enrolments in children's services courses have increased again this year.

The institute and the University of New England have a further successful joint venture through access centres that are available to both TAFE and University of New England students. These centres offer students IT facilities, online access to course work and other facilities that otherwise may be unavailable because of isolation and distance. They are located at Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield, Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, Moree, Narrabri and Quirindi. TAFE provides a wide range of delivery strategies from the traditional face-to-face tuition in the classroom to more flexible delivery modes such as online and workplace training. The Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety course, run through the Tenterfield campus with students enrolling from across New South Wales, is an excellent example of successful online delivery. Fast-tracking carpentry apprenticeships online is another example. Through this scheme stage 1 apprentices who enrolled last month will complete 120 hours of training by July this year, reducing by 168 hours the time taken for first year apprentices to complete their training. Apprentices will commence stage 2 of their training in July and be halfway through their apprenticeships by the end of the year.

Community partnerships are now a part of every TAFE campus in the Northern Tablelands. Inverell, Glen Innes and Tenterfield staff are working with Best Employment to improve employment opportunities for clients. Glen Innes and Inverell are involved in the establishment of Sorry Gardens in their communities. The Inverell campus has been an active partner in the development of the Men's Shed, which is a very successful operation. The Armidale campus is offering a series of innovative workshops, including Living Sustainably, involving a range of community organisations as a follow-up from the TAFE commitment to Armidale's Sustainable Living Expo. The New England TAFE has also entered an innovative training partnership at Hillgrove Mine outside Armidale. It is a new work-based training model to provide the company with qualified trainees quickly and efficiently by recognising their existing in-house training.

This innovative technology-based recognition system minimally disrupts Hillgrove's productivity because it is built on the mine's existing workplace training infrastructure. Existing workplace training and documentation is mapped to the training package qualifications for staff. A similar arrangement with Armidale Dumaresq Council is providing qualifications for outdoor staff in civil construction. This is undertaken through recognition of existing skills, and then gap training onsite with employees. When she spoke at the Big Skills' Conference in Sydney on Friday, Julia Gillard described TAFE and the community sector as "the engine rooms for much of Australia's training effort and success". TAFE in my electorate, through its innovative programs and community involvement, is already fulfilling this brief and should receive strong Government backing now and into the future.

Ms LYLEA McMAHON (Shellharbour—Parliamentary Secretary) [6.43 p.m.]: I thank the member for Northern Tablelands and Speaker of this House for bringing to our attention the innovative programs that TAFE is offering in his electorate. As we all know, the Speaker is a hardworking local member. I am particularly interested in, and appreciate, the courses that TAFE has to offer in remote and rural communities, particularly when they are offered in a flexible and innovative manner. This enables students from remote communities to participate in education and to obtain skills so that both their families and communities can continue to grow. I commend the Speaker for bringing this issue to the attention of the House and I agree with his sentiments about TAFE New South Wales providing excellent services.

The DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I can only concur with the Speaker. As a graduate from the University of New England and hailing from that area, I know it is a sensational university. It has always been very good at providing distance education. In fact, it is sensational at whatever it does. I understand that the university has a new chancellor who is doing an outstanding job. I cannot image who that could possibly be, Mr Speaker.