Steve GhostManaging Director

SkillsTech Australia

SkillsTech Australia

• SkillsTech Australia a product of the Queensland Skills Plan

• Formed July 2006

• State wide responsibility for building & Construction, Automotive, Manufacturing and Electrical/electronics

• One stop shop for all public provider training in Queensland

• MOU with Swan & Weltec

Total Apprentice Withdrawl from Training - June to July 2007Total 246

38

1

46

36

44

61

6

3 2

9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Automotive Bricklaying Carpentry Electrical Engineering -Fabrication

Engineering -Mechanical

Floor Covering Furnishing Painting Plumbing

No

of A

ppre

ntic

es

•Attrition rates in Queensland in the late 1990s 57%-67% for apprentices using NCVER methodology. 38% for 1996/97 period using DETYA methodology

•Recent research indicates a significant number of apprentices leave their contracts to take up permanent jobs with better pay and conditions

•Other reasons cited for leaving apprenticeships are:

•No proper on the job training

•Literacy/numeracy difficulties, but not stupid

•Inadequate career advice

•Used as cheap labour

Issues

Text

ISSUES

• The way young people learn

• 526000 young people underemployed/unemployed

• Labour shortage not skills shortage

• TAFE & trade training presents as old fashioned and old world • Pre exposure to trade may reduce attrition to 8%

• Majority of school based apprentices not in economically important sectors-only 9% in manufacturing

Identify student needs through a profiling approach to provide best fit training method (essential for adult learners)

Focus on literacy/numeracy and learning profiles to allow gaps to be identified before the student enters formal training

Build a student focused learning plan and pastoral care support

Reconstruct learning experiences based on profiles - for immediate and authentic task alignment – early wins

Build knowledge and skills through topic and task structures mapped back to competencies

Engaging and empowering apprentices to take control of their learning program:

SkillsTech Australia Apprentice Education Model

Employability Skills Induction Program

(ESI)

Training Package Core

Trade Stream Specific (Applied)

Trade Stream Specific (Diagnostic)

1

- Undertaken within 3 months of training contract being signed- Student profiling: preferred learning style, literacy and numeracy assessment, RPL assessment- 3 common competencies: occupational health and safety, hand and power tools, personal computers- Employability skills

2

- Re-aligned core knowledge and skills - Synergies with competencies common to qualifications across different training packages are exploited by delivering them together - Self paced, computer based - Teacher centric

- Competencies specific to trade stream- Core knowledge is applied to specific trade stream - Fully self paced- Project approach to skills set acquisition

- Competencies specific to trade stream- Diagnostic level ie trouble-shoot, analysis and problem solving- Fully self paced- Project approach

3

4

Queensland Skills Plan

• 2 years old

• Learnings from plan to inform QSP 2

• Likely to be a stronger focus on youth