Tasmania

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Tasmania
A State of Learning
A Strategy for Post-Year 10 Education and Training
Tasmania DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION
TASTA Conference 29 March 2004
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Tasmania
A State of Learning

• A Learning Together initiative to achieve
  Tasmanias vision for a world class education,
  training and information system
• The states first strategy for post-Year 10
  education and training
• Jointly launched by the Premier Jim Bacon and
  Education Minister Paula Wriedt on 16 December
  2003

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Why
State of Learning is needed

• Tasmanias apparent retention rate of full-time
  school students for Year 10 to Year 12 is 75.
  The states rate has improved relatively by 23.6
  since 1997, compared with 3.4 nationally
• Each year, however, there are approximately 1000
  young Tasmanians who do not go onto Year 11
• Participation in higher education by Tasmanian
  15-64 year olds increased from 3.7 in 1996 to
  4.6 in 2002
• Tasmania, however, has the lowest proportion of
  its population with a bachelor degree or higher
  at 11.4 compared to a national average of 17.8

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Why
State of Learning is needed

• Vocational education and training participation
  rates increased by 7.4 from 1999 to 2002,
  compared with 3.5 nationally
• Business and industry, however, continue to
  report skills shortages among young and adult
  Tasmanians
• 2002 Competition Index confirms that the skills
  base of the Tasmanian workforce is the lowest of
  all Australian states
• 1996 ABS research considers only half of
  Tasmanians aged 15-74 capable of coping with the
  literacy demands of everyday life

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Community
Consultation

• The strategys development was guided by a
  steering committee and reference groups
  comprising representative of education, training
  and information service providers, employer and
  employee organisations and government agencies
• An initial paper was released in February 2003,
  inviting Tasmanians to comment on the strategys
  scope and intent
• This scoping paper was followed by a series of
  nine issues papers released to enable broader
  community involvement in the strategys
  development

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Issues
Papers

• Adult and community education
• Youth pathways
• Literacy throughout life
• Informal learning
• Career, work and enterprise education
• Workforce skills development
• Youth at risk
• State priorities for higher education
• Community learning partnerships

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Community
Consultation

• More than 160 submissions were received in
  response to the issues papers
• Various regional and stakeholder forums were also
  held in 2003
• Regional Youth Pathways forums were held (one
  each in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart), with over
  100 people attending
• Stakeholder forums included a series of workshops
  involving more than 40 ACE sector representatives
  and a Workforce Skills Development forum
  attracting 35 business and industry
  representatives

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Education
Revolution
An education revolution is on the way in Tasmania
(The Mercury, 18.11.03) Tasmania is poised to
lead the nation with a new approach to learning
(The Mercury, 18.11.03) State of Learning offers
a package of wide-reaching reforms to make
Tasmanian education the best anywhere (The
Mercury, 18.12.03) The significance of this
initiative needs to be understood. There is
nothing like it nationally or internationally, on
the same scale (The Mercury, 18.12.03)
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Innovative
Blueprint
An innovative blueprint heralding a new era in
the states formal education system (The
Examiner, 17.12.03) A national first for Tasmania
that deserves full political, community and
business support (The Examiner, 18.12.03) A
positive approach... Nothing can be more
important for the future of this state than
encouraging people of all ages to maximise their
education (The Advocate, 18.12.03)
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Framework
Strategic
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Overall
Aims

• To improve young peoples participation in
  education and training beyond compulsory
  schooling
• To enable second chance learning opportunities
  for people of all ages
• To build a skilled workforce with the capacity to
  support business and industry in a growing
  economy
• To create communities that value lifelong
  learning.

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Guaranteeing
Futures

• Requirement to participate in education and
  training beyond Year 10
• Years 11 and 12 curriculum review
• Area taskforces
• Pathway planning and transition support teams
• Simplified funding
• Joined up youth services
• Learner support

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Ensuring
Essential Literacies

• Joint State/Commonwealth taskforce on adult
  literacy
• New family literacy program
• States first policy on adult literacy

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Enhancing
Adult Learning

• Adult Ed relocation to new DoE Adult and
  Community Learning Program
• Joint State Government/University workforce
  planning and research project
• Extended VET provision
• Education and business partnership
• Workforce development fund
• RPL taskforce

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Building
Learning Communities

• Improved service delivery for partnerships
• Program to develop leadership skills and capacity
  within communities
• Learn for Life communications strategy
• New peak body for post-Year 10 education and
  training

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Where To
From Here?

• Tasmania A State of Learning to be implemented
  from 2004
• Strategy Unit being established within OPCET
• Implementation planning underway
• 2 million already committed towards implementing
  a number of initiatives in 2004/05

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More
Information

• Visit www.education.tas.gov.au/stateoflearning
• Email stateoflearning_at_education.tas.gov.au
• Contact Nick Evans, Director (Strategic Planning
  and Development) OPCET, 6233 2019