Renamed VET Development Centre supporting Victorians to get the skills they need
Victoria’s TAFE Development Centre (TDC) now has a new name to reflect the changing nature of Victoria’s vocational education and training (VET) sector.
Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall said the TDC would now be known as the VET Development Centre (VDC) and would continue to support a professional, high performing and well-skilled VET workforce.
The TDC was established in 2005 to raise the professional standing of people working in the vocational education and training sector through the delivery of a range of professional development and support programs.
“Victoria has led the nation in the development of a diverse, high quality training sector and the name change more accurately reflects this expanded focus,” Mr Hall said.
“Half of all government subsidised training in Victoria is delivered by providers other than TAFE, so it makes sense for the TDC to formally broaden its role.”
A National Centre for Vocational Education Research report released last Friday confirmed that Victoria invests more in vocational education and training than any other state.
“Victoria provided a third of all state and territory investment in training delivery and support in 2011 and this year the Victorian Coalition Government backed up our commitment with a record investment of an extra $1 billion over the next four years,” Mr Hall said.
“The Coalition Government’s support of the VET Development Centre demonstrates our ongoing commitment to training and supports the National Partnership on Skills Reform which is seeking to achieve a more open and competitive training market.”
Mr Hall said the VET Development Centre would continue to analyse workforce development needs, particularly in line with changing state and national training policies and frameworks.
“The work of the TDC was always far broader than developing TAFEs alone, and included working to develop the Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) sector and working with a range of private providers,” Mr Hall said.
“The centre will continue to be an independent body for workforce development and will play a key role in analysing state and national training policy agendas.
“In an environment of ongoing reform to the training sector, the VET Development Centre will continue to help all providers, large and small, to adapt and benefit from these changes,” Mr Hall said.
In 2011:
- 48 per cent of government subsidised training was delivered by public TAFE providers, with 12 per cent through ACFE providers and 40 per cent by private (including not for profit) registered training providers.
- Adult and community education (ACE) and private providers have grown to provide 56 per cent of all training to VET students with a disability. TAFE enrolments of students with a disability have remained largely static.
- Females represented 52 per cent of private registered training organisation (RTO) government funded enrolments, compared to 40 per cent enrolled in TAFE.
- Graduate satisfaction with the overall quality of training for Victoria was 88.9 per cent. This is comparable to other States and Territories.
