Skills First – a new funding model in 2017 for Victoria

Skills First – a new funding model in 2017 for Victoria

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Skills First

SKILLS FIRST | Real training for real jobs | Victoria’s new training system

Skills First | a new training system and funding model for Victoria.

The Victorian Minister has announced Skills First – a new training system and targeted funding model for Victoria in 2017.

What do we know so far?

The new system seems to be very focussed on [emaillocker id=6291] TAFE providers and boosting training and employment in regional Victoria. The new system prioritises courses that support Victoria’s growth sectors and are most likely to get people into high-skilled, well-paid work.

Under the Skills First system, the Victorian Government will continue to invest $1.2 billion annually in the training and workforce development of Victorians.

The system will be focussed on supporting quality training providers. It is expected that many training providers with a poor track record of funding contract compliance and student satisfaction will not receive a funding contract in 2017.

Skills First Funded Course List Methodology

A six stage process was taken to define the funded courses list.

 

Application Process

  • The Department have announced that the call for expression of interest (EOI) for a 2017 VET Funding Contract will open on 1 September 2016.
  • The Department will run a series of information sessions across Melbourne and regional Victoria from 1-8 September 2016. The information sessions are already open for registration via SVTS.
  • The call for expression of interest documentation and Draft 2017 VET Funding Contracts will be published on SVTS and the Department of Education and Training website on Tuesday 30 August 2016.

The information sessions are expected to provide a brief overview of the Skills First reforms to the VET system, explain the 2017 VET Funding Contract and outline the provider selection process.

The Department have advised training providers that CEOs, managing directors and operations managers are encouraged to attend these sessions. The Department have set a limit that a maximum of 3 representatives can attend the information session per training provider.

 

2017 Funded Course List

The Department have already released the 2017 Funded Course List.

There are 500 less courses on the 2017 list than in 2016, however it is noted that a number of the courses removed are superseded qualifications.

The courses are still to be subsidised per nominal hour, and the Department have defined four Delivery Characteristics that will be used to determine whether funding is available for a particular delivery mode(s), and the amount of funding that will be available per nominal hour for each delivery mode(s).

The four Delivery Characteristics are:

  • Non Apprenticeship/Traineeship
  • Traineeship
  • Apprenticeship
  • Apprenticeship Only (AO); or Traineeship Only (TO)

A number of courses have been determined as High Risk. It is expected that training providers delivering courses that the department have determined as high risk will be more scrutinised.

A number of courses that link to the Victorian Governments objectives and growth sectors have been determined as High Value Traineeships. It seems that the delivery of high value traineeships will be funded at a higher rate per nominal hour as an incentive to attract more training to be delivered in these target courses.

Skills First Funded Course List Spreadsheet

The updated course list has 500 less funded courses than the 2016 funded courses list. That is a 30% cut to the total number of funded courses.

 

Is this good or bad for your RTO or TAFE?

We will not know what the 2017 contract means for Victorian training providers until we review the 2017 draft contract, eligibility criteria, fee guidelines and detailed application process when they are released via SVTS on 30/08/2016. The devil is always in the detail.
We are eagerly waiting to see the draft 2017 contract and eligibility criteria that will tell us which training providers are eligible for a 2017 contract. 

Want to apply for a Victorian Funding Contract for 2017?

If you are wanting to apply for a Victorian Skills First funding contract for your RTO you will first need to register for an SVTS profile. You may also like to refer to the guide to accessing SVTS.

If you have any questions or would like assistance preparing your application for a 2017 Funding Contract contact Audit Express on 1300 73 55 41. [/emaillocker][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The time for a true national VET system is now.

The time for a true national VET system is now.

When ASQA became the (national*) regulatory body for the vocational education and training (VET) sector on the 1st of July 2011, the VET sector was sold the vision of Australia moving towards a true national VET system. Fast forward four years to 2015 and it is pleasing to see that there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel.

The opportunities associated with the Australian VET sector are endless. With the slowing Australian mining industry, the right education policy reform could see education rise to be our largest and most successful industry over the next 10 years.
There are an increasing number of opportunities in the VET sector, including: [emaillocker id=6291]

  • Global international students wanting to experience our reputable, quality education system both here in Australia and offshore in their home countries.
  • The ongoing demand to meet the skilling needs of our own nation
  • The opportunity to compete with NZ, UK and the USA education providers to meet the skilling needs of our neighbours across the wider Asian-Pacific region. This in itself is a multi billion dollar opportunity.

Senator Simon Birmingham has worked hard at this important piece of education reform that will strengthen our current fragmented and disjointed sector. It is also really pleasing to see that the Australian Council of Private Education and Training is also playing an active role in campaigning and lobbying for the much needed reform that our sector is crying out for across the nation.

AuditExpress look forward to continuing our work with ACPET in seeing this much needed reform passed through parliament in this term of government.

You might like to take a look at the following Financial Review article that was recently published about Senator Birmingham’s work on this important reform:
http://www.afr.com/news/policy/education/simon-birmingham-makes-progress-in-reforming-vocational-education-20150908-gjhxxp

We will leave you with this quote:

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new” [/emaillocker]

CHANGE