Supporting benchmarks:
3.1.1 Proportion of children meeting the Kindergarten Development Check
3.2.1 Proportion of persons (15-74) who are considered to be functionally literate
3.2.2 Student performance against national literacy and numeracy benchmarks
3.3.1 Retention from Years 10 to 12
3.4.1 Proportion of Tasmanians with high level skills/qualifications (Certificate III+)
3.4.2 Participation in post-secondary education and training
3.4.3 Number of Tasmanians commencing apprenticeships and traineeships
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Activity directed towards achieving the benchmarks during 2006-07
Launching into Learning
Launching into Learning is an initiative to provide support and intervention before children begin Kindergarten. A four year commitment to families and young children from birth to four was implemented in 42 schools across the state.
Kindergarten Development Check (KDC)
The KDC assists teachers to identify kindergarten students at risk of not achieving expected developmental outcomes.
In 2006, 74% of students achieved all 21 markers of the KDC.
Additional Tutorial Assistance (ATA) Program
Additional Tutorial Assistance is an ongoing program. It provided assistance to apprentices and trainees who needed support to develop their literacy and numeracy competencies.
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Reading Together
The Reading Together initiative supports family literacy by encouraging parents to participate in their children’s pre-reading development.
Adult literacy awareness sessions and volunteer literacy tutor training were delivered to Reading Together coordinators by TAFE Tasmania’s Adult Literacy and Basic Education (ALBE) program in partnership with the State Library of Tasmania.
The Literacy and Numeracy Monitoring Program
All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 were tested in reading, writing, spelling and numeracy through the Literacy and Numeracy Monitoring program.
Schools used the testing results to undertake planning for the future learning needs of their students. Schools reported test results to parents and carers.
Reading Recovery Literacy Intervention Program
In 2006, 52 schools and 60 teachers were involved in the Reading Recovery literacy intervention program. Twenty-seven teachers were trained as independent observers able to administer assessment tasks.
Reading Recovery teacher trainers facilitated literacy intervention in schools for Prep to Year 4 classes. Forty-five teachers participated in these sessions.
First Steps
First Steps is a professional learning resource that provides a strategic whole-school approach to improving students’ literacy outcomes. The 12-hour reading and writing courses, provided by skilled facilitators, were undertaken by over 500 teachers.
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Being Numerate in the Middle Years Project
In 2006, the Being Numerate in the Middle Years project provided teachers in selected schools with targeted professional learning in key mathematical concepts.
Mathematical Foundation for an Innovative Australia Within Reform-Based Learning Environments (MARBLE) Project
The MARBLE project, jointly funded by the Australian Research Council, the Department of Education and the Catholic Education Office, aims to improve student outcomes and student confidence in mathematics, numeracy and information and communications technology (ICT) in the middle years of schooling. Schools from the East Tamar and Derwent Valley areas participated in the project.
Primary Connections Program
The Primary Connections program links the teaching of science with that of literacy and includes professional learning, background information, classroom ideas, activities and assessment guides. Trained Primary Connections facilitators conducted whole-school workshops for teachers. The published materials were made available for teachers.
Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) Professional Learning for Teachers Program
The Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) is a targeted program aimed at achieving improved literacy and numeracy skills for Indigenous students at key points of their schooling.
In 2006, 87 teachers were employed as ITAS tutors in Tasmanian Government schools.
Approximately 75% of ITAS teachers accessed professional development to assist them deliver additional support to Indigenous students using an inclusive practice model.
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Moderation
Moderation of student work from Kindergarten to Year 10 ensures that awards students receive against the Tasmanian Curriculum are valid, reliable and fair. Moderation at the school, cluster and statewide level enables targets to be identified for improving student learning outcomes.
Schools and Learning Services were provided with statistical moderation reports that gave them reliable feedback on the performance of their students. These reports were based on comparisons between teacher assessments and modelled results derived from centrally administered monitoring and assessment programs.
Inclusive Curriculum Project
A focus of the Inclusive Curriculum project was the development of the Getting Started resource to support teachers of students with disabilities. Selected schools worked closely with Inclusive Curriculum leaders to investigate, develop and share models of good practice.
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Guaranteeing Futures Legislation, Pathway Planning and Transition Support
Through the Guaranteeing Futures legislation, pathway planning was provided for all students from Years 8 to 10. Work began on the development of a pathway plan for adult learners to be used in colleges, and in the training, adult and community learning sectors.
An increased number of vocational learning opportunities were offered to Year 10 students by the development of education, community, business and industry partnerships.
A project to design a process for all Tasmanian schools to lodge their Year 10 students’ intentions, entitled Intention to Participate, was undertaken with the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority (TQA).
Funding Higher Level Qualifications
In response to a resolution of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), a review of Australian Qualifications Framework levels 4, 5 and 6, funded under user-choice arrangements, was undertaken.
As a result, 14 additional qualifications in skills shortage areas were approved as funded apprenticeships and/or traineeships.
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Skills for Growth
The Skills for Growth initiative established a range of programs to address skills shortages that the government and industry identified as constraining growth.
The five programs established under Skills for Growth were:
- Trades Express - an accelerated trades recognition and training program
- Supporting Enterprise Development - affordable training to targeted industries
- Skills Direct - programs to meet specific industry skill requirements
- Training Outcomes for Migrants and Refugees - opportunities to develop a wide range of skills and knowledge to support their participation in work and training
- Extension of the Apprentices and Trainees Travel program - financial assistance to apprentices and trainees who need to travel to attend training.
Skills for Growth also supported the development of the Competitive Manufacturing Skills program. Under this program Tasmanian manufacturing enterprises can access funding for training to implement contemporary manufacturing best practice. This program is designed to promote partnerships aimed at improving international competitiveness through skills and training.
Targeted Training for Casual Workers in the Hospitality Industry
Training programs for casual workers in the hospitality industry, purchased in the 2006 competitive tendering program, were fully subscribed. Similar programs were included in the purchase schedule for the 2007 competitive tender TasSkills.
Fishing, Maritime and Aquaculture Industry Training
In 2007, 10 fishing, maritime and aquaculture industry training programs were purchased through the competitive tendering program TasSkills. Two training providers, the Australian Maritime College and Seafood Training Tasmania, were successful.
Approximately 137,000 hours of training were purchased at a cost of around $800,000, representing 620 full-time equivalent training places.
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School-Based Traineeships and Apprenticeships
Industrial relations barriers were removed allowing expansion into traditional trade industries including hairdressing, plumbing, and electrotechnology. Numbers continued to grow in other industry areas including agriculture, children’s services, and hospitality.
Procedures for the employment of school-based trainees in retail, business and information technology were streamlined. Employers continued to support the school-based traineeship program with nearly 200 school-based trainees and apprentices employed in May 2007. A destination survey to track the progress of past school-based trainees was undertaken.
Skills Equip Program
The Skills Equip program provides targeted training for people who have additional support needs in order to develop work skills. Target groups include people returning to work, people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, older workers and prisoners.
In 2006, six programs were offered for tender under the Skills Equip program for the delivery of 87,000 nominal hours of training, equivalent to 560 full-time equivalent places.
Ten training providers offered contracts to deliver training in all regions of the state, including rural and remote areas.
Equal Partners Stage 2
Equal Partners is the state action plan for the national strategy, Bridging Pathways which supports increased access to vocational education and training (VET) for people with disabilities.
Implementation of the Equal Partners Stage 2 action plan included targeted training opportunities for people with disabilities, promotion of employment of people with disabilities to employers, disability awareness training for Registered Training Organisation (RTO) staff and promotion of the work-experience training for students with disabilities.
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oana mallacka
oana mallacka is the state action plan for the national strategy, Partners in a Learning Culture. This strategy aims to increase access to VET for Indigenous people.
Achievements from the oana mallacka action plan included substantial funding for Aboriginal VET programs delivered by TAFE Tasmania and other training programs, through the Skills Equip program, to improve employability skills.
Professional Development for Flexible Learning Through LearnScope
LearnScope works to increase the capacity of VET professionals to use flexible learning and new technologies in training delivery. A total of 186 VET practitioners increased their skills in using online communication tools and developed their own e-learning tools.
Tasmania participated in the Australian Flexible Learning Framework to increase the uptake of e-learning opportunities.
Government Industry Priority - TAFE Tasmania Fee Reduction
TAFE Tasmania offered a 50% fee reduction for courses of economic and state significance. In 2007, the fee reduction was available in traditional trade areas for non-apprentices over 25 years of age, children’s services and aged care, career pathway programs, and higher level post-trade training in building and construction, subject to quotas in each area.
Government Building and Construction Training Policy
The Government Building and Construction Training policy requires contractors for government building construction projects with a value of $250,000 or more to employ apprentices/trainees for a minimum of 20% of labour hours. A high level of compliance with the policy’s provisions was achieved in 2006-07.
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TAFE Fee Cap for Young Apprentices
A fee cap of $300 for all 16 to 19 year-olds in all apprenticeships, traineeships and identified pre-employment trade courses was introduced in the 2006-07 Budget to assist young people to obtain apprenticeships and traineeships.
Competency-Based Completion of Apprenticeships and Traineeships
Following a decision of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), the Tasmanian Training Agreements Committee (TTAC) agreed that apprentices and trainees could complete their training contracts once they were deemed to be competent, without having to serve a set time or make special application for early completion. Apprentices and trainees will be able to gain their qualifications and embark on their careers earlier. This strategy will assist to increase the number of skilled workers in the workplace.
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Strategic Activities
Goal 1