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Our 2011 research 'Paths to promotion' found that head teachers in TAFE NSW valued their positions which mixed teaching and leadership. They said that the most important aspects of their role were educational leadership, section management, increasing quality in teaching, working with industry and other providers, and supporting innovative teaching and learning practices. They valued the tertiary education qualifications they held. However, they also said they needed to further develop their skills and capabilities so that they could be part of the future direction of TAFE. They needed to develop their financial management skills, technological skills, entrepreneurial skills and leadership skills. Given the current focus on professional development of vocational education and training (VET) practitioners/professionals and the consideration of a national VET professional association, the time is right to find out what is happening in the rest of the country. This research paper will tap into similar positions in TAFE institutes in the other states and territories, to find out their views. How do they manage educational, management and leadership roles? What qualifications do they have? What skills and capabilities do they think they need for their roles in a changing VET sector? What qualifications do they believe they need to effectively undertake their jobs in the future, and how can they gain such qualifications? This research has the opportunity to impact on current policy development around capabilities of the VET sector, and to influence funding allocation for professional educational leadership skills development.

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One of the stated aims of the workshop was to extend the parameters of the AVETRA workshop in 2009, where there was a discussion around teacher education qualifications in the vocational education and training (VET) sector and current research and issues. A statement was developed from the 2009 workshop describing the need to ensure that there is recognition of professional teaching qualifications for VET teachers. In 2010, we wanted to consider the research that had or was currently taking place, and the support by various governments for higher level qualifications for VET teachers. The workshop heard from various people on the current research, discussed what it is that makes up a good VET teacher qualification, considered how TAFE and universities can work together in this area and future directions for research.

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The foundation for transition from education and training to employment is established during school. It is during these formative years that young men and women develop notions of what is possible for their future. What is not possible is also reinforced. Unfortunately, gendered stereotypes and perceptions around certain career options for young women are still reinforced within schools and create barriers to widening young women's participation in non-traditional areas of work. The continued underrepresentation of women in many industries including construction, mining and information technology (IT) is not only bad for gender equality, it undermines economic productivity. Career transitions however, are not only the responsibility of schools, but also vocational education and training (VET) and adult education organisations. These organisations offer a pathway for unemployed and underemployed Australians to employment and also career progression for existing workers. What stereotypes are reinforced when there are few female teachers in non-traditional areas? How effective are adult education programs in ensuring mature-aged women are presented with a range of options when looking to re-enter the workforce?

This paper considers these and other questions that are significant in ensuring women have the opportunity to pursue interesting and successful careers in a range of industries. The paper draws on a series of research projects undertaken by Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE) on female participation in the workforce in Australia over several years. It traces not only the challenges faced by young women as they transition from school to work, but also the educational needs of older women looking to re-enter the workforce and pursue a different career. As part of the research a national Australian survey was undertaken of career advisors and industry and VET stakeholders, as well as interviews held with relevant educators. The data informed case studies which identified successful strategies to overcome these challenges and which inform this paper.

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Women are one of the six equity groups identified by [National VET Equity Advisory Council] NVEAC, yet little has been researched and published about specific programs for women in vocational education and training [VET]. Research into disadvantage in general often includes gender, and this issue has been explored as part of 'disengaged youth', the need for increased language, literacy and numeracy skills, and training needs of older workers. This research will focus on programs that are specifically run for women in TAFE, and seek to measure their success, especially in their access to pathways that will take women into further education, community engagement or employment. We will focus on access programs, either in specific skills areas such as IT or through Outreach programs. We will seek to measure these programs against the principles for successful equity programs identified by NVEAC, including: supported learner pathways and transitions built into the learning experience; training being integrated with work experience and/or aligned with areas of labour; embedded support for foundation skills; and the voice of the learner being heard and acted upon. Our research will include a literature review and five case studies of programs run for women and measured against these principles.

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Governments continue to spend considerable amounts of funding to support increased numbers of women and girls studying in what are considered to be non-traditional trades. Often such funding is targeted at increasing the awareness of career opportunities for girls including through Skillsone TV, try-a-trade projects, and helping to establish networks to support women and girls during their studies and in their jobs. Current networks include Women in Mining and Resources, Women in Horticulture, Women in Automotive and Tradeswomen in Building and Construction.

Despite these programs, the number of women and girls in non-traditional trades has remained relatively static. [The authors'] study looks at increasing the number of female trades teachers providing further role models for women and girls, and career opportunities. [The authors] survey two TAFE Institutes in [New South Wales] NSW, Women NSW, [Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency] AWPA, the Industry Skills Councils and NSW [industry training advisory bodies] ITABs, Group Training Australia and a range of women's networks. [The authors] ask the questions: What numbers of female trades teachers are there? In what ways would these teachers have a positive impact on increasing numbers of women and girls in non-traditional trades? What strategies do you suggest to attract female trades teachers?

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This survey was undertaken in February 2011 of Head Teachers and Special Program Coordinators in TAFE NSW, and those who either aspired to be Head Teachers or managers who had once been Head Teachers. The survey was sent out to some 1200 respondents across TAFE NSW, and when closed on 18 February, there were 420 responses, around a third of the number of Head Teachers in TAFE NSW. Given it was a busy time of year, we may have been able to gather more responses a little later in the term. Eight-five per cent of respondents said that they were currently Head Teachers or Special Program Co-ordinators, and an additional 30 respondents said they were currently acting in Head Teacher positions. The aim of the survey was to provide a basis for a paper entitled 'Paths to promotion' which focused mainly on the current skills and capabilities of Head Teachers, their current and future challenges and the qualifications they would need. It is a follow-up to the work we undertook during 2010 on 'Raising the bar on VET teacher education qualifications', where over 500 TAFE teachers responded and overwhelmingly said that they needed tertiary level teaching qualifications to do their jobs effectively. TAFE Head Teachers have been identified as holding possibly the most critical positions in TAFE NSW, in which they undertake both leadership and management roles. This frontline role has been described as 'where the rubber hits the road as far as doing business is concerned' (Mulcahy 2003, p.57). In his 2009 research 'Head Teacher voices', funded by the TAFE Teachers Association, Stephen Black detailed the concern of Head Teachers that they were not recognised and appreciated in their roles. As one of the respondents to his survey said, 'I love my job but am frustrated constantly by unrealistic expectations'. We wondered whether anything had changed in almost three years, but in the main we wanted to focus not on the jobs but whether Head Teachers believed they had the skills and capabilities to effectively undertake the jobs as they saw them, and what skills and qualifications they might need in the future. It is about the future of the Head Teacher role, and as such the data collected may provide some useful advice to TAFE management and the State Government. It is not however about the current industrial agreement that operates in TAFE NSW and is under review. Consequently we hope to be able to ask similar questions of frontline managers in some relevant private [registered training organisations] RTOs in [New South Wales] NSW, to consider any possible similarities or differences. The survey is separated into four sections: (1) general information; (2) qualifications; (3) skills and capabilities; and (4) issues for Head Teachers. We wanted to know which aspects of the job they saw as being most important, what they saw were the challenges for the future, the qualifications they currently had, and what skills and capabilities they thought they might need to continue developing in their roles. The survey and this report are also very timely in also picking up on the work of John Mitchell and John Ward on advanced VET practitioners, and the Productivity Commission's report on the vocational education and training workforce.

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