THE AUSTRALIAN GREEN SKILLS AGREEMENT

POLICY AND INDUSTRY CONTEXT, INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSE AND GREEN SKILLS DELIVERY

Martin Riordan – CEO TAFE Directors Australia

APEC Human Capital Policies for Green Growth and Employment Symposium Washington DC, 20th March 2012

POSTCARD – Sydney from Bondi Beach

POSTCARD – Sydney from Manly Beach

POSTCARD: Australia as a major resource producer

POSTCARD: Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Outline of presentation • Introduction – skilling priorities

• Policy context• Commonwealth Government

• The Green Skills Agreement• Other policy areas

• State Governments

• Industry perspective• Priority challenge• Vocational Education and Training Green transformation• Green Skills and the VET practitioner

• The green status of Australian TAFEs• Culture, campus, curriculum and community• National uptake of Green Skills

• Challenges and opportunities

http://projectmanager.com.au/news/nsw-buildings-receive-environmental-upgrade-boost-05122011/

7

1. Policy context

- Structure of Australian Training

- Industry-led training

61 Australian TAFE

Institutes

11 Industry Skill Councils

Membership consists of TAFE, Industry, Educators

Training Packages

Qualifications

NOTE – Australian training operates in an open competition -- TAFE (technical and further education) competes in a total market of 5,001 Registered Training Providers

8

Projection of population by age to 2025, Australia,

indexes 2010 =100, net overseas migration 220,000 per year

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

2010 2015 2020 2025

65 andover0-4

5-14

50-64

23-49

15-17

18-22

9

One in eight of 35-54 year old males not employed

Employed as % of population by age, Australia 1970 to 2010, males

Percent with qualifications who are in workforce and in work Persons aged 15-64, Australia 2009, %

10

Employment 88% of those with high literacy 48% with low Persons aged 15 to 74, Australia 2006, 000

11

Policy key areas• ‘COAG’ targets – on education, on sustainability

• Focus on education and training – linked to sustainability and carbon reduction drive• National drive to lift productivity -- OECD benchmarking showing Australia slipping in

productivity performance

• Address by Secretary of Treasury – Dr Martin Parkinson• Sustainability is more than environmental issues, and that energy, resource and environmental

efficiencies are key drivers of productivity

• Parkinson asserts that the theme of sustainability must shape the approach to policy development of this generation

• Links between productivity, sustainability and innovation are critical to a thriving economy

• The Green Skills Agreement was endorsed Nov 2009 – four Commonwealth policy areas influencing Vocational Education and Training

Policy Context (1)Commonwealth Government

Four policy areas1. National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability2. National VET Sector Sustainability Policy and Action Plan 3. The Green Skills Agreement (GSA)4. Clean Energy and Other Skills Package

The Green Skills Agreement• Develop national standards in skills for sustainability within the

requirements of the national regulatory framework.• Review and revise Training Packages to incorporate skills for

sustainability• Up-skill VET practitioners so they can provide effective training and

facilitation in skills for sustainability• Implement strategies to reskill vulnerable workers in the transition to a

low-carbon economy.

Policy context (2)

State & Territory governments•NSW – Green Skills Strategy Implementation Plan

•South Australia - a series of initiatives to enhance the opportunities of South Australian TAFEs in delivering skills for sustainability

•Victoria – courses in energy efficiency, sustainable painting and workplace project delivery, Green Skills audit and Victoria’s TAFE Development Centre delivered sustainability courses over 500 VET Teachers

•Western Australia – Report in 2010 (Skilling for a Sustainable Future) recommendations yet to be implemented

•Queensland - Under the Skills for Sustainability Policy and Action Plan- includes funded support for Skills for a Low Carbon Economy and Green Building Skills Fund

Industry perspective• Influencing the green skills agenda

• Dr. John Spiering’s role • Skills Australia

• Reported that sustainability will be one of 6 major drivers of skills needs in Australia

• Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) • The eleven ISCs collectively produced a publication (Environmental

Sustainability: An Industry Response) • The majority of ISCs have now incorporated sustainability in training

packages• The Australian Industry Group

• Report in 2012 – “the industry has recognised the important alignment of sustainability and innovation”

• Business Council of Australia• Indicated that investment in innovation and education is vital for a

sustainable future

http://thirdsectormagazine.com.au/news/industry_associations_unite_to_improve_green_collar_skills/063577/

Vocational Education and Training Green Transformation

• The leadership of TAFE in Australia• Central Institute of TAFE, Swinburne TAFE,

Sydney Institute of TAFE and TAFE NSW North Coast Institute of TAFE

• The Green Skills Agreement has seen the embedding of sustainability in training through:• Green technical skills • Skills for Sustainability ‘bolted on’ • Sustainability embedded • Qualifications in sustainability (for

sustainability professionals)

http://ecommunities.tafensw.edu.au/pluginfile.php/918/mod_page/content/39/CoreCompetencyFeature.png

Green Skills and VET practitioners• Some challenges

• Competence in understanding the principles of sustainability - Education about sustainability AND engaging students to reflect on their own ’values and attitudes’ towards sustainability - Education for Sustainability

• Education for Sustainability includes learning based strategies around

systems thinking, problem solving, critical thinking and reflection

• Recruiting difficulties in competent teachers in nascent or emerging technologies

The green status of Australian TAFEsCulture, curriculum, community and … campus – a survey of 61 TAFEs was undertaken in December 2011.

• Culture – 83% of Institutes had a current sustainability plan with targets for environmental indicators, teaching and learning and infrastructure.

• Curriculum - 81% Institutes cited active programs in sustainability. 30% of courses registered included sustainability competencies. PD in sustainability varied with some only delivering basic courses

• Community – a modest response with several Institutes, mostly regionally-based, having strong community, regional and industry partnerships in sustainability

TAFE and Sustainable Campuses

National uptake of Green Skills (1)

Green Skills/ energy efficiency training enrolments (Aust 2008 – 2010) Source NCVER Students and courses database)

State training NSW - https://www.training.nsw.gov.au/training_providers/greenskills/general_resources.html

National uptake of Green Skills (2)

Green skills/energy efficiency enrolments by industry, Australia 2008 – 2010 (Source: NCVER, Student and courses database)

Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges:•Workforce delivery and community engagement

•Building institutional capability

•Demand for TAFE (and other) Institutions to develop quality and profitable programs in green skills delivery

Opportunities:•A proliferation of teaching resources for green skills programs to support Institutions and teachers

•Professional Development opportunities across Australia for VET Practitioners

•The Australian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) has launched a sustainability benchmarking tool (LiFE)

•The potential development of Green Skills Networks – currently scoping Community of Practice between Australia and the USA Community College network

In conclusion• Productivity, innovation and sustainability are closely linked in a thriving

economy

• The Green Skills Agreement has had a significant impact on the VET sector

• Industry is engaging with sustainability through a focus on productivity and innovation

• The VET sector is transforming and delivering on Green Skills

• The most significant changes in the VET sector are infrastructure with culture and curriculum gaining momentum

• The national uptake of green skills has doubled in the past 5 years

• Challenges and opportunities are being addressed

Contacts

Martin Riordan -- TAFE Directors Australia

Email: mriordan@tda.edu.au

Telephone: + 61 2 9217 3180

Facsimile: + 61 2 9281 7335|

THANK YOU