With over 3 million students currently at private training providers, Vocational Education and Training (VET) remains an important pathway into work and further study for a diverse set of learners, from school leavers to those returning to education as experienced adults. In recent years, however, the industry has also been criticised in high profile media stories, with reports raising questions about how courses are sold and funded. This informal session goes beyond the media hype to share insights from a number of perspectives across VET, from regulatory issues to curriculum design. Our presenters will reflect on themes and learnings from key conferences they have attended and contributed to this year, including NCVER (National Centre for Vocational Education Research) and ACPET (Australian Council for Private Education and Training).

1. RESPECT. DRIVE. ADVENTUROUS. GENUINE. RIGOUR. CONVICTION.
September 2016
THE FUTURE OF VET
“You can’t Google the future”

2. RESPECT. DRIVE. ADVENTUROUS. GENUINE. RIGOUR. CONVICTION.
Vocational
Education
& Training
Uberization
of education
services
Big data,
disruptive
technology &
the platform
economy
Accreditation
frameworks,
regulation
and funding
regimes
New skills
and
capabilities
required
THE FUTURE OF VET
2
“You can’t Google the future”
Government policy
objectives unlikely to
change…
• Australia will enjoy
sustainable economic
growth & a stable
society
• Policy & funding
decisions can be based
on accurate data
• Regulation will ensure
high quality educational
outcomes
• Australians will prosper
in the global economy
The VET
environment is
changing…

3. RESPECT. DRIVE. ADVENTUROUS. GENUINE. RIGOUR. CONVICTION.
Uberisation of education
services
•Learners in the driver seat
, relationships based on
trust
•Teachers understanding
student motivation and
capacity
•What will a well designed
learning program look
like?
•How will teachers respond
to their “Uber-scores”? Eg
the rise of the teacher
Superstar
•How will teachers rate
their students???
•How will teachers support
learning beyond the
classroom?
•Online learning – a poor
performer? Not in
China/India. Not for IT
certification (eg Cisco,
Microsoft).
•The future role of
institutions as providers of
accreditation – challenged
by industry credentials,
micro-credentialing, etc.
Big data, disruptive
technology & the platform
economy
•Big data, massive data-
gathering capability,
myriad data-gathering
“touch-points”. Eg
learning metrics gathered
from students’ online
engagement used to
improve the learning
experience
•Use of data by
governments, learners,
teachers, commercial
interests, - the right data
for each user ; and access
to data (Eg VOCSTATS,
MySkills)
•Disruptive technology
eliminating the need for
physical campuses eg
MOOCs, Zoom, Skype
•The platform economy –
eg Uber, AirBnB, Amazon,
e-Bay – facilitating direct
relationships between
teachers and students
Accreditation frameworks,
regulation and funding
regimes
•Gov’t regulation response
– current focus on costs,
quality, demand,
completion rates and
measuring student
satisfaction
•versus
•Innovation – graduates
with transferrable skills,
students bypassing
traditional credentialing
channels
•Will training packages
working for sectors
experiencing rapid
technological change? Will
they work for industries
that trust (and recruit) their
own credentials?
•Relationship between
industry, Higher Ed and
VET – parity, pathways
and a three-way
relationship?
Skills and capabilities
•WORKFORCE: Soft
skills, technical skills,
STEM skills,
entrepreneurial skills,
globally transferrable skills
•YOUNG JOB-SEEKERS:
Analysis by the
Foundation for Young
Australians
(www.fya.org.au)
•Problem Solving
•Creativity
•Communications
•Teamwork
•Financial Literacy
•Digital Literacy
•Critical Thinking
•Presentation Skills
•TEACHERS: Technical
and teaching capabilities
THE FUTURE OF VET
3
“You can’t Google the future”

4. RESPECT. DRIVE. ADVENTUROUS. GENUINE. RIGOUR. CONVICTION.