Two hundred and sixty international and national delegates will be in Adelaide this week for the 21st National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference, colloquially known as ‘No Frills’.
Co-hosted by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) and TAFE SA, this year’s conference features keynote presentations from local industry leader Adrian Smith, globally recognised artist and TAFE SA Adelaide College of the Arts Board Chair Robyn Archer AO, and internationally recognised thinker on skill systems, Professor David Finegold.
“We’re thrilled to have such eminent speakers at this year’s special anniversary conference”, said Dr Tom Karmel, Managing Director, NCVER.
“Mr Smith’s opening presentation, Modernising South Australia’s vocational education system, discusses the South Australia reforms being introduced in response to changing economic and social needs.
“In doing so, he raises the important question of whether the current approach to learning in the vocational education and training system, the competency-based model, continues to meet students’ and industries’ needs.
“For many in the creative arts, hands-on training is critical, as Robyn Archer will point out. In her keynote presentation Hands-on and Hands-up on Friday, Ms Archer will discuss whether the vocational education system, with its emphasis on more contact hours and the master/apprentice model, is a better fit for those who want a qualification in the arts than the more academic approach of universities.
“Professor Finegold will share results from ongoing research into the rapidly developing education and training systems of China and India, and will draw out the implications for Australian training providers, companies and individuals.
“Given the centrality of skills in the national debate about productivity, I’m delighted that the 21st National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference is presenting such a fine line-up of keynote speakers”, said Dr Karmel.
Office of TAFE SA Chief Executive Elaine Bensted said TAFE SA is proud to host the NCVER national conference at our city campuses.
“As South Australia’s largest provider of vocational education and training (VET) we deliver more than 500 courses to over 80 000 students each year across 48 campuses and also online”, Ms Bensted said.
“Our strong working relationships with business and industry means that our courses are designed to give students the skills that employers want, and we are focused on providing state priority courses for growth industries and skills shortage areas in line with the State Government’s Skills for All reforms.
“NCVER research findings show that TAFE SA is at the forefront of developing the State’s future workforce, with 88 per cent of students employed or in further study after graduating, and 95 per cent of our graduates would recommend the training they undertook to others.”
The 21st National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference will run from 11-13 July 2012.
NCVER would like to acknowledge:
- co-host - TAFE SA
- support from the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, through the National VET Research & Evaluation Program, and South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology, and Training and Skills Commission.
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