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- Australia's technical and further education (TAFE) institutes
have an ageing teaching workforce, whose impending departure endangers
the institutes' skill base. This is at a time when workplace change
demands (from TAFE and the broader vocational education and training
[VET] sector) a more highly skilled teaching workforce than ever
before. TAFE institutes greatly depend on the vocational competency
of their teachers-their technical competency and currency, comprehensive
industry know-how, networks and high-level teaching skills-to
maintain and build their credibility.
- Retaining, developing and renewing TAFE institutes' organisational
capability involves planned recruitment, and the retention of
key mature teaching staff through appropriate incentives and arrangements.
More commitment is needed to targeted training and re-training,
as well as to strategies which help share the critical knowledge
that is otherwise lost as highly experienced teachers leave.
- TAFE institutes need to draw more upon similar experiences
and processes used in other sectors and organisations to maintain
their skill base. Such approaches need to be properly resourced,
and supported by funding bodies, policy-makers, TAFE management
and teachers.
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