Australian Technical Colleges are for students in Year 11 and 12. Students enter into an Australian School-based Apprenticeship in a trade at the Certificate III level, which leads to a nationally recognised qualification; study academic subjects, leading to a Year 12 certificate; and also gain IT, employability and business skills, enabling them to run their own business if they desire. They can also keep the option to go on to further study at university.
The Colleges provide an incentive for more students to stay on at school and encourage more students to pursue a trade qualification. They expand student choice by providing another pathway to a career involving trades. Facilities and educational services offered by the Colleges are high quality, establishing them as centres of excellence in trade training, thereby raising the profile of vocational and technical education in schools and strengthening the training system as a whole. The Colleges play an important role in expanding Australian School-based Apprenticeships, particularly in the traditional trades areas.
The College locations have been selected in regions across Australia experiencing gaps in the skills required for local industry. These regions were selected by taking into account a number of factors, including the existence of a strong industry base, identified skills needs and the level of youth population. The five priority industries targeted by the Colleges are:
- metal and engineering (e.g. machinists, fabricators, toolmakers, welders, sheet metal workers);
- automotive (mechanics, auto electricians, panel beaters, vehicle painters);
- building and construction (bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters);
- electrotechnology (including refrigeration, air conditioning and electricians); and
- commercial cookery.
Australian businesses report that their greatest challenge is finding people to take up skilled jobs. One of the fundamental elements of the Colleges, and a key difference to existing institutions, is the leadership role that local industry and business is playing in the operation and governance of the Colleges. This direct involvement of industry will ensure that what is learnt at the College will match what is needed in the local region.
As a result, the skills aquired by students will be directly relevant to the needs of the local industry. This will enhance the prospect of young people remaining in the region and give them the opportunity for further training and employment. This in turn supports the long-term prosperity of each of the regions in which the Colleges are located and, of course, assists Australian businesses to remain competitive in a global economy.
The Australian Technical College experience offers students much more that just a pathway towards nationally recognised trade qualifications. Students study relevant academic subjects, ones that ensure that the link between academia and the real world is recognised, they gain hands on skills in a real workplace environment, real working hours and conditions and gain skills and knowledge that allows them to start a rewarding career in the trades and eventually run their own business.
Today, we have skill needs across a variety of industries including automotive, building and construction, electrotechnology, commercial cookery, and manufacturing. Jobs go unfilled in these industries despite the fact that they offer young Australians the prospect of strong, secure, challenging and rewarding careers. To help our young people find and achieve their own potential in a career which suits them, and to cope with the skill needs in our growing economy, we need new approaches to attracting and training more young people into the trades.
Australian businesses report that their greatest challenge is finding people to take up skilled jobs. Industry has also been telling us for some time that training is not always responsive to their needs. It is vital that the teaching of skills is relevant to the future needs of industry. One of the fundamental elements of the Colleges, and a key difference to existing institutions, is the leadership role that local industry and business is playing in the operation and governance of the Colleges. This direct involvement of industry will ensure that what is learnt at the College will match what is needed in the local region.
By offering high quality training facilities and instruction linked to workplace requirements, the Colleges will raise the profile and status of vocational pathways in schools and demonstrate that these vocational courses are a genuine career path for students which should be at least as valued as going to university. The Colleges provide opportunities for young people to build a career for themselves in traditional trades.
This builds on the Australian Government’s achievements in promoting vocational technical education and training in secondary school. Today, over 90 per cent of Australian high schools offer some form of vocational training, through VET in Schools courses and Australian School-based Apprenticeships, to secondary students.
The Australian Technical Colleges link with other initiatives of the Australian Government to increase the up-take in trade careers, such as Trade Learning Scholarships for Apprentices and Trainees, access to Youth Allowance, tool kits for Apprentices and Trainees in skill needs trades, and additional incentives for employers of Australian School-based Apprentices.
Each Australian Technical College provides both academic and vocational technical education, as well as the opportunity for each student to commence an Australian School-based Apprenticeship in a trade.
Australian Technical Colleges are for students in Year 11 and 12. Students enter into Australian School-based Apprenticeships in the trades at the Certificate III level, which leads to a nationally recognised qualification; study academic subjects, leading to a Year 12 certificate; and also gain IT, employability and business skills, enabling them to run their own business if they desire. Thus students learn a trade whilst studying towards their Year 12 Certificate and, if they choose to, study subjects that would give them the option to go on to university.
The Colleges provide an incentive for more students to stay on at school and encourage more students to pursue a trade qualification. They expand student choice by providing another pathway to a career involving trades. Facilities and educational services offered by the Colleges are high quality, establishing them as centres of excellence in trade training, thereby raising the profile of vocational and technical education in schools and strengthening the training system as a whole. The Colleges play an important role in expanding Australian School-based Apprenticeships, particularly in the traditional trades areas.
There is no single model for their operation and the Australian Government has not prescribed the design of each College. There is, however, certain governance, administrative, curriculum and learning outcome requirements which each College must meet.
Local industry and community representatives have a leadership role in the governance of each of the Colleges. The direct involvement of industry and community leaders ensures that the skills taught to students match those skills required by local businesses. Students will be trained in these skills through an Australian School-based Apprenticeship which leads to a nationally recognised qualification. At the same time students will also complete the academic subjects required for their Year 12 certificate.
To ensure that the quality and success of the Colleges contributes to lifting community perceptions of the status and value of trade training, Colleges are clearly identifiable and ‘badged’ as Australian Technical Colleges, with participating students formally enrolled in the Colleges.
Australian Technical Colleges are specialist schools with high quality facilities providing tuition for Years 11 and 12 students where all students will undertake academic studies relevant to a career in the trades and trades-related vocational courses, as well as developing employability and entrepreneurial skills. This combination, together with employment as Australian School-based Apprentices, makes it essential that the delivery of services to the students is through flexible delivery arrangements and timetables.
Industry play a pivotal role in both leading and supporting the Colleges, particularly through the governance and the employment of the students as an Australian School-based Apprentice.
The Colleges provide students with the opportunity to pursue trades training, leading to a nationally accredited qualification, as well as complete their senior secondary education. Students at the Colleges will have the opportunity to commence an Australian School-based Apprenticeship. The Australian Technical Colleges operate autonomously, with a governing body chaired by a local business or industry representative and involving local communities.
In addition to Australian Technical Colleges, a range of new and continuing initiatives are available to address shortages in skilled occupations, including:
The Australian Government has announced $2.5 billion over 10 years to enable secondary schools across Australia to apply for funding of between $500,000 and $1.5 million for Trade Training Centres.
The Trade Training Centres in Schools Programme aims to improve access, quality and relevance of trade training in schools to encourage greater participation by Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 students in vocational education and training.
Addressing Australia’s skills shortage is a priority for the Australian Government, particularly in traditional trade areas. Through the new programme funding will be provided to schools to build or upgrade metal, woodwork, automotive, building and construction, electronic technology and other trade workshops for secondary school students. Funding will also be available to build or upgrade technical facilities such as commercial kitchens and hairdressing facilities or to fund the purchase or replacement of a range of equipment, such as safety equipment, soldering and welding equipment; ovens; wood and metal turning lathes, grinders and drills; and equipment that will give students experience with new computer-aided technologies.
The Australian Government currently contracts organisations, known as Australian Apprenticeship Centres (AACs), to deliver apprenticeship Support Services across Australia. Employers of Australian School-based Apprentices who are Australian Technical College students will be eligible for AAC services on the same basis as other employers.
AACs provide a free service to employers to help them with the administration, including sign-up, and lodgement of a Apprenticeship Training Contract. In addition, AACs:
- provide information on apprenticeship options to employers, apprentices and trainees and other interested people;
- market and promote apprenticeships in the local area;
- administer the Australian Government’s Apprenticeships Incentives Programme, including the processing of applications and claims;
- work with the State/Territory Training Authority to provide an integrated service; and
- establish effective relationships with Australian Government contracted Job Network Members, training providers, schools and other organisations
These free services will be available to employers, students and other interested parties associated with the Australian Technical Colleges, as appropriate. To find an Australian Apprenticeship Centre in your region please call 13 38 73.