42nd Meeting of the Australian Industry and Skills Committee
VET Reform update
The Committee received an overview of the new VET Reform industry engagement arrangements announced by the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business on 28 October 2021.
The Committee noted the AISC will play a key role until 31 December 2022 in ensuring continuity and stability of the VET system during transition to the new arrangements.
Transition Approach Update
Following announcements in October 2022 on the way forward on industry engagement reforms, the Committee agreed to extend all IRC memberships (including all Chair and Deputy Chair appointments) until 31 December 2022. The extension will enable IRCs to focus on completing existing training product projects throughout the transition to the new industry arrangements. Members noted that filling any IRC vacancies throughout 2022 will be considered on a case-by-case basis, including consideration of the volume of outstanding work that is yet to be completed.
The Committee also noted the Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Plan and reaffirmed their commitment to support IRCs during the transition period.
Training packages: Project/Policy Issues
Entry into Care Roles Skill Set
The Committee welcomed Ms Jodi Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer, Human Services Skills Organisation who presented the outcomes of an evaluation of the Entry into Care Roles skill set trial approved by the AISC Emergency Response Sub-Committee in May 2020. The skills set was developed for the aged and disability care sectors to enable redeployment of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and is due to expire on 31 December 2021.
The evaluation found the skills set broadly equipped learners with the intended skills and knowledge to support a clear pathway to further learning or employment, particularly for disadvantaged jobseekers. Based on these findings, the Committee approved the removal of the expiry date of the skill set so it remains an ongoing component of the CHC Community Services Training Package.
AISC Statement on First Aid Training (review)
At its 20 April 2021 meeting, the Committee agreed to advice being provided to RTOs regarding the delivery of first aid training, allowing RTOs to resume the training and assessment of breaths directly into a manikin for cardiopulmonary resuscitation within associated First Aid units. The advice enabled RTOs to make reasonable adjustments to training in the context of ongoing concern regarding community transmission of COVID-19.
Members noted this advice had been recently reviewed by the First Aid IRC and, in the context of the likelihood of COVID-19 risks remaining into the medium-term, agreed consideration should be given to the necessity of reviewing the statement again in 6 months’ time.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker
The Committee welcomed: Mr Warren Locke, Chair, and Mr Karl Briscoe, Deputy Chair, of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker IRC, as well as Melinda Brown, General Manager, SkillsIQ, to present the case for endorsement to update six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker qualifications.
The Committee noted there was support to update five non-practice qualifications in the case for endorsement, however, there was insufficient evidence of industry support for superseding and eventually deleting the current Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice (Certificate IV in Practice) with the proposed Diploma in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice (Diploma of Practice).
In considering the proposed Diploma of Practice and replacement of the Certificate IV in Practice, the Committee felt it did not have enough evidence to make an informed decision on whether the proposed Diploma of Practice aligned with a job role (particularly an entry level job role), or to be confident that the proposal to supersede the existing Certificate IV would not result in removing a qualification aligned to a current or emerging job role. Although the Committee noted the revised Diploma has been mapped to the accreditation standards and professional capabilities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, these capabilities relate to the requirements for registration and are defined in such a way to recognise a range of qualification pathways, and therefore are not specific to a particular job role.
2021-11-12T12:00:00Z