AMES Bulletin: Consultative committee report back
15 September 2011
THE AMES/teachers consultative committee met on Tuesday, September 13. The primary agenda items revolved around previous concerns raised over workload, including the PPRD and the emerged issue of the Certificate IV TAE and its implications for workload and possible career impacts.
In addition, the winding down of the ELICOS program, despite its high reputation, was discussed. Contracts for 2012 and the timing of the selection process were discussed. The intention is to determine needs and conduct the 2012 selections in November.
Workload
Visits and follow-ups have been conducted by the education manager. These, particularly the follow-up visits, appear to have been positively received. Now that data and reflections have been collected, work is taking place to manage the compliance workload and streamline it. The AMES response, to be published shortly, will look at how the system's structures and processes can be improved to give clarity and flexibility to support local solutions.
Problems with FRONTIER were acknowledged and are being probed. This has caused significant access problems. Management was confident that many of the issues were transitional and both streamlining and certainty would be delivered.
Overall, local and systemic groups have been created to look at solving the problems at both levels. The emphasis will be on local solutions.
The PPRD appears to be evolving at different speeds at different centres — it was agreed the mid-cycle review was essentially a progress report and should not be onerous, though some people had created their own work.
Qualifications upgrade
The Australian Qualifications Training Framework (AQTF) mandates the qualifications requirements for teachers and assessors in registered training organisations (RTOs).
While the AEU does not accept that the Certificate IV TAA/TAE is a teaching qualification, it is a requirement of the AQTF, and each RTO must comply.
Much of the anxiety over support for teachers to upgrade stemmed from a lack of detail from Holmesglen, which had initially thought one day would suffice for most teachers.
This has now been revised to two-to-three days. AMES will allocate at least two days.
AMES has also been anxious to assure quality control, ie that the program actually be worthwhile, not just a certificate.
The AEU has been assured by AMES that all teachers will have access to the necessary time and any additional support necessary.
Individuals who need more time or support will be supported at a personal level to receive the amount of time actually required.
Details will come in a central bulletin from AMES to be issued shortly.
Gillian Robertson
Deputy branch secretary
Greg Barclay
Deptuy vice president
TAFE and adult provision
