- THE INDUSTRY VIEW – CAMPUS REVIEW
- SMART AND SKILLED UPDATE NO. 121 – 7 DEC 2020
- SMART AND SKILLED UPDATE NO. 120 – 2 DEC 2020
- JOB TRAINER
- SKILLING FOR RECOVERY – PRIORITY PART QUALIFICATIONS LIST
- GAS INDUSTRY TRAINING PACKAGE CONSULTATION
- DRAFT REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR VET DELIVERED TO SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS – FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITY
- NCVER – GOVERNMENT-FUNDED STUDENTS AND COURSES
- OTHER NCVER NEWS
- COVID-19 – REFRIGERATION SAVES THE WORLD!
- SAFEWORK NSW – REMINDER SUMMER HEAT STRESS
- HVACR INDUSTRY MUST RETHINK RECOVERY PROCESS
- TECHNOLOGY FAST-TRACKS HYDROGEN-FUELLED FUTURE
- A FRESH CHALLENGE: HOW TO ACCOUNT FOR ZERO OR NEGATIVE DEMAND?
- ELECTRICITY ENERGY NEWS – AEMC
- NEW DRAFT TECHNICAL STANDARDS ANNOUNCED FOR DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES
- SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE METERING FRAMEWORK
1. THE INDUSTRY VIEW – CAMPUS REVIEW
Campus Review has released two very timely and important articles in their latest publications of 27 November 2020 and 2 December respectively. The articles are two-parts of a four-part exposé covering industry views on Training Packages and training product reform. The first two are:
- Part 1: skill standards – more than just a name
- Part 2: employer views of vet and implications for training product reform
For anyone in the VET system or with an interest in Training Packages, apprenticeship training, skills and competency development or workforce development these articles are a must read. The author, Ms Jenny Lambert, Director, employment and skills at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has a strong background and understanding of the VET system and Training Packages. She has written both articles and should be commended for the excellent work thus far. We anxiously await the next two articles.
The introduction to the first article states, “One of the first priorities for the new National Cabinet Reform Committee on Skills, being the old Skills Ministers forum, is to identify a reform direction for Training Product Design and Development. In the first of four articles, I put forward industry’s view on what that reform could look like, and what path it should not go down.”
You can read the first article in full at Campus Review by clicking on the link: THE INDUSTRY VIEW, PART 1: SKILL STANDARDS – MORE THAN JUST A NAME
The introduction to the second article states, “In this second part in the series on industry views on training product reform, we tackle head on calls by non-industry stakeholders for VET to be more broad-based instead of being specifically job facing.”
You can read the second article in full at Campus Review by clicking on the link: PART 2: EMPLOYER VIEWS OF VET AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING PRODUCT REFORM
2. SMART AND SKILLED UPDATE NO. 121 – 7 DEC 2020
Smart and Skilled Update No. 121 (attached) – 7 December 2020, covers the following:
- Amendments to the NSW Apprenticeship/Traineeship Training Plan proforma – MANDATORY from 1 March 2021
- Details of Training Plan proforma amendments
- Amendments to related Policy & Procedure – Completing the Plan
- Amendments to Vocational Training Guideline – Training Plan
- Educational Pathways Pilot Program – 50% School Based Apprenticeship (SBA) Model
3. SMART AND SKILLED UPDATE NO. 120 – 2 DEC 2020
Smart and Skilled Update No. 120 (attached) – 2 December 2020, covers the following:
- Smart and Skilled TPPPQ Program Infection Control Training Strategy: Update
- Reallocation strategies
- Extension of existing PAS training enrolment and training completion dates
- Infection control training for CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support – Funding for fee-free delivery of the HLTSS00064 Infection Control Skill Set under Smart and Skilled
- Other important PAS and reporting requirements
- Recording of Smart and Skilled Provider Webinar 2, held Thursday 26 November 2020, now available
- NSW Department of Education – Christmas/New Year closedown
For more information visit: https://www.training.nsw.gov.au/smartandskilled/index.html
Or, for technical support in relation to this update, contact Training Market Customer Support at Training.Market@det.nsw.edu.au.
3.1. JOB TRAINER
NSW JobTrainer provides free or low-fee training courses for young people, job seekers and school leavers to gain skills in Australia’s growing industries.
Explore hundreds of courses and register your interest via the link: SKILLS THAT WORK
3.2. SKILLING FOR RECOVERY – PRIORITY PART QUALIFICATIONS LIST
A list of the part qualifications that are approved under Skilling for Recovery can be found in the documents below. The list includes details of the Units of Competency, price and loadings amount for each part qualification. Part qualifications on the List are either nationally accredited skills set or locally designed skills groups that have been approved for delivery under Skilling for Recovery by the National Skills Commission.
NOTE: The Skilling for Recovery Priority Part Qualifications List is a live document and will be updated frequently as more part qualifications are approved. Check regularly for latest version.
Visit the Smart and Skilled qualification prices (Skilling for Recovery) following links:
- Priority Part-Qualifications – v2.1 2/12/2020 [Pdf] Version 2.0
- Priority Part-Qualifications – v2.1 2/12/2020 [Excel] Version 2.0
4. GAS INDUSTRY TRAINING PACKAGE CONSULTATION
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) has circulated a notice seeking feedback on development work, stating, “On behalf of the Gas Industry Reference Committee, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has drafted Training Package materials for the Data Loggers project and would like your feedback.”
The notice states, “Five new Units of Competency have been developed to address the skill needs of gas technicians to install, operate and maintain data logging equipment. The TAC also reviewed and updated three existing Units of Competency for working with gas meters.
VIEW DRAFT MATERIALS AND SUBMIT FEEDBACK
Detailed mapping information, tracking changes to the existing Training Package, is also available to view.
Please submit your feedback by close of business Friday, 15 January 2021.
For more information on this project, please contact the Industry Manager: Klausch Schmidt, Industry Manager – Electrotechnology, Electricity Supply & Gas ON M: 0417 568 967 | E: klausch.schmidt@aistnds.org.au
5. DRAFT REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES FOR VET DELIVERED TO SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS – FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITY
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) has advised that a Tasmanian education project to craft “Requirements and Guidelines for VET delivered to secondary school students (Tasmania)” is seeking national feedback. The circular states, “The Years 9 to 12 Project, a collaborative, cross-sectoral project involving key Tasmanian education and training stakeholders, has released DRAFT Requirements and Guidelines for VET delivered to secondary school students online for consultation, and stakeholders across the education and training sectors are invited to provide input.
The draft document titled “Requirements and Guidelines”, relates to the delivery of VET for school-aged learners, and will apply across the three secondary education sectors. There is also a draft Framework for School and Industry Partnerships, Career Education, Work-based Learning and Apprenticeships / Traineeships for school aged learners available for feedback.
The key proposals requiring feedback relate to:
- Mandatory vocational placements
- Limiting full qualification delivery to Years 9 and 10 students
- Limiting delivery of Certificate III qualifications.
While the draft documents focus on the roles, requirements and responsibilities for schools and education stakeholders, it is important that industries have the opportunity to provide feedback and are informed and aware of any potential changes that may impact on their interactions with schools, teachers and students. Feedback surveys for the document will be open until Monday, 14 December.”
The links to the documents are available on the ‘the Years 9 to 12 Project website’. Click on “Draft Vocational Learning documents” or contact Vocational Learning and Career Education, Department of Education on 61655759 or vlce@education.tas.gov.au.
6. NCVER – GOVERNMENT-FUNDED STUDENTS AND COURSES
NCVER has released its latest publication on “Government-funded students and courses – January to June 2020”
This publication provides a summary of data relating to estimated students, programs, subjects and training providers in Australia’s government-funded vocational education and training (VET) system (defined as Commonwealth and state/territory government-funded training).
The data covers the period of 1 January to 30 June 2020. For comparative purposes, it also examines this data against previously submitted data for the 1 January to 30 June 2016 to 2019 periods.
Highlights
In the first six months to 30 June 2020, 853 200 students were enrolled in government-funded vocational education and training (VET). They included:
- 833 700 students enrolled in nationally recognised training
- 42 800 students enrolled in non-nationally recognised training.
Government-funded program enrolments comprised:
- 82.1% in nationally recognised programs
- 14.6% in locally developed programs
- 3.3% in non-nationally recognised programs.
78.4% of program enrolments were in qualifications:
- 71.6% of program enrolments were in training package qualifications
- 6.9% were in accredited qualifications
- 48.6% of qualifications were at certificate III level
- 18.5% of qualifications were at certificate IV level.
Visit the link for more information and to download a copy of the report: GOVERNMENT-FUNDED STUDENTS AND COURSES – JANUARY TO JUNE 2020
6.1. OTHER NCVER NEWS
- Latest VET completion rates available:
New data show 41.4% of all VET qualifications commenced in 2015 were completed, with the highest completion rates for qualifications at certificate IV level (47.0%) and certificate III (44.5%).
Learn more: VET QUALIFICATION COMPLETION RATES 2018
- NEW PODCAST: Rationalising VET qualifications
Our latest podcast asks the question: Are there too many underutilised qualifications in the Australian VET system?
Vocational Voices s5e04: RATIONALISING VET QUALIFICATIONS: SUPPORT FOR A CLUSTERED MODEL
- 2020-21 budgets: what’s in them for skills and training?
Summaries of funding allocated to skills and training in the 2020-21 Commonwealth, state and territory budgets are now available in the VOCEDplus VET Knowledge Bank:
7. COVID-19 – REFRIGERATION SAVES THE WORLD!
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has issued a media release regarding the vital role refrigeration will play in the transport and storage of COVID-19 vaccines.
The article highlights the important role of refrigeration, and significantly, the technicians who install, maintain and repair refrigeration systems, will be one of the most important in ensuring vaccines are delivered appropriately and can be stored until use.
The article states, “During the COVID-19 global pandemic, the role of refrigeration will literally help to save the world.
As scientists and big-pharma race to develop, test and get regulatory approval for vaccines, the one key component to keeping all the vaccines viable is refrigeration.
This ‘Cold COVID Chain’ has the responsibility of keeping vaccines cold during transport. And for some, they quite literally need to be kept ‘on ice’ until they are used. Reports suggest some of the vaccines need to be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius or below. If this chain fails, the vaccines won’t work.
And the numbers are staggering. Millions of doses are projected to be manufactured before the end of 2020. And then in 2021, millions become billions.”
…
The CEO of the Australian Refrigeration Council, Mr Glenn Evans said, “When you consider that surgical operations can’t happen without refrigeration facilities, or that there’d be no transport of meat or other perishables, let alone the development and distribution of life saving vaccines, you start to realise we’d be in a whole lot of trouble without the men and women of the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.”
For a copy of the Media Release, “Refrigeration saves the world!”, see attached.
For further information, please contact Alex Doran, General Manager, Communications and Business Development at the ARC on 03 9843 1601 or email adoran@arctick.org
8. SAFEWORK NSW – REMINDER SUMMER HEAT STRESS
A reminder as we head into summer of the need to consider the risks of heat stress. SafeWork NSW states, “Working in heat is a hazard that can result in severe health problems for many NSW workers – whether they work indoors or outdoors.”
To this end SafeWork NSW has a range of resources and awareness information available in its website to help employers and employees plan against potential heat-related injuries.
SafeWork Australia too has an array of very useful guides and resources available that can be downloaded as required.
Visit the following links for the their latest information:
- SafeWork Australia:
- WORK IN HEAT
- CODES AND GUIDES
9. HVACR INDUSTRY MUST RETHINK RECOVERY PROCESS
In the latest Climate Control News (CCN), Editor Sandra Rossi explores an issue of awareness amongst industry, specifically technicians in relation to the potential for, and risk with, non-flammable refrigerant quickly becoming flammable during the recovery process.
The article states, “With the refrigerant landscape changing so quickly Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) is looking at ways to manage this new environment.
RRA general manager, Kylie Farrelley, said the HVACR industry must understand the risks associated with flammable mixes because what goes into a system may not be what is returned for destruction at end of life.
“The challenge we face is not knowing at what ratios and blends a mix becomes flammable at end of life, there is no software app to calculate this yet,” she said.
“We are working to develop software with like-minded groups internationally to address this problem.
“What we do know is that at 40 per cent concentrations some mixtures become flammable.”
Speaking at CCN Live 2020, Farrelley said the amount of flammable refrigerant received by RRA in 2019 was just short of 40 per cent and it is increasing every year.
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“As an industry we need to rethink how unwanted gas is handled, stored and destroyed.”
RRA recommends using a gas analyser to identify what’s left in the system, especially when using a blend that starts with a four or a five.
In future wholesalers will provide a non-flammable recovery cylinder and a flammable recovery cylinder.
“My advice is to stay informed because this landscape is changing quickly,” Farrelley said.
To review the full article visit: HVACR INDUSTRY MUST RETHINK RECOVERY PROCESS
10. TECHNOLOGY FAST-TRACKS HYDROGEN-FUELLED FUTURE
Sean Carroll at Electrical Connection writes about the breakthrough Australian researchers have made in finding a much more efficient means of turning water into rare and valuable pure hydrogen – long heralded as the efficient clean energy alternative.
The article describes the work LF Loxton Research Fellow Dr Shenlong Zhao and the team are working on, stating “the promising technology aims to reduce costs associated with hydrogen conversion”. Saying also, “the team is on the cusp of the hydrogen age and the adoption of large-scale technology brings us within striking distance.”
The article goes on, “A team of engineers from the University of Sydney have made strides in the development of clean energy storage for hydrogen fuel cell.
…
The New South Wales government recently announced a $32 billion renewable energy plan. Dr Zhao believes research like his could be used to develop long-range hydrogen powered aircraft and fuel cells for industrial purposes.
The team now hopes to work with a collaborator to build a larger-scale device.”
To review the full article visit: TECHNOLOGY FAST-TRACKS HYDROGEN-FUELLED FUTURE
11. A FRESH CHALLENGE: HOW TO ACCOUNT FOR ZERO OR NEGATIVE DEMAND?
EnergyInsider (Energy Networks Australia (ENA) and Australian Energy Council joint newsletter), reports on the latest challenges for the electricity market as minimum demand levels continue to fall to new record lows.
Stating, “The continued fall in minimum demand levels to new record lows in South Australia is raising new challenges for the market. It’s now projected that zero or negative regional demand could occur as early as September 2021. It has also thrown up a fresh and unexpected challenge for the market operator and retailers – how to recover AEMO’s non-energy costs in this situation.”
Read more at: HOW TO ACCOUNT FOR ZERO OR NEGATIVE DEMAND
For more, contact Carl Kitchen, Australian Energy Council
12. ELECTRICITY ENERGY NEWS – AEMC
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) latest newsletter highlights two major initiatives are underway. These are:
12.1. NEW DRAFT TECHNICAL STANDARDS ANNOUNCED FOR DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES
The AEMC has published a draft determination and rule to support system security by establishing technical standards for small energy systems like rooftop solar to follow when connecting to the distribution network. READ MORE HERE
12.2. SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE METERING FRAMEWORK
The AEMC has today announced it will review the rules governing electricity meters to see what more can be done to help customers benefit from smart meter technology. READ MORE HERE