Putting VET to the test: an assessment of the delivery of Vocational Education and Training in Schools

This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Education and Health Standing Committee inquiry into the delivery of the Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) program. The inquiry considered: (1) How well the program is meeting the needs of schools, students and industry; (2) Challenges for regional and remote areas; (3) Registration and ongoing monitoring of training organisations; (4) Resourcing of the program.

The report provides 12 recommendations which are: Recommendation 1 - The Department of Education cease using the term VETiS or VET in Schools and refer to vocational education and training delivered in secondary schools simply as VET; Recommendation 2 - The Department of Education must ensure that it maintains up-to-date guidelines and support materials to help schools navigate and manage the complexities of auspiced delivery arrangements with registered training organisations; Recommendation 3 - The Department of Education must ensure its investigation of collaborative models results in practical ways for schools to expand their VET offerings and increases equity of access; Recommendation 4 - The Department of Training and Workforce Development should consider amending the fee model used by TAFE for auspicing schools to ensure that TAFE can compete with private registered training organisations offering a similar service; Recommendation 5 - The Department of Training and Workforce Development should investigate ways to create more capacity for secondary students to study a wider range of fee-free industry-supported qualifications through the state training providers or other suitable registered training providers; Recommendation 6 - The Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia consider amending its accreditation standards for initial teacher education programs to include a vocational teaching component for secondary teachers, either as an elective or a core unit. The Minister for Education and Training could consider this as part of the current statutory review of the Teacher Registration Act 2012 (WA); Recommendation 7 - The Training Accreditation Council considers amending its Users Guide: Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 to direct registered training organisations to take into account the particular concerns of secondary school VET teachers in regard to maintenance of industry currency requirements; Recommendation 8 - The Minister report to the Parliament on any progress being made in regard to the suggestion to establish businesses at regional schools which could provide employment opportunities for VET students; Recommendation 9 - The Minister for Education and Training report back on initiatives to attract and retain VET qualified teachers in regional and remote schools; Recommendation 10 - The Department of Education considers mandating that public secondary schools offer at least a few Certificate II courses that are common to all schools, so that students can move between schools and still be able to meet WACE requirements for completing a Certificate II; Recommendation 11 - The Department of Education and the School Curriculum and Standards Authority should monitor whether the requirement to complete a Certificate II in order to graduate is delivering the best post-school outcomes for students; Recommendation 12 - Consideration should be given to greater integration of the Department of Education and the Department of Training and Workforce Development to: (a) Ensure philosophies on the education of secondary school students are aligned and (b) Focus resources on providing a range of course and workplace opportunities that will cater to the educational and training needs of secondary school students.

The State government has provided a response to each of the report's findings and recommendations.

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