Craig Robertson is positioning TAFE as a public good

The TAFE Directors Australia chief presents his members as a national resource which merit different treatment to private training providers.

Yesterday he was wondering why TAFE is regulated on the same basis as private trainers.

“We are asking … why public providers, subject to the oversight of their government and accountable to voting citizens, cop a policy based on low trust compliance. Why is it that public providers with this system of quality control from their owner endure additional measures that are effectively designed to guard against the excesses of private VET activity? There may be a risk-based approach to compliance but checking and reporting requirements based on the lowest common denominator too quickly sap educational spark.”

Last week he questioned the efficacy of micro-credentials in training, warning “it is inevitable for these bite sized learnings to be celebrated as the full extent of VET.”  And he made the case for what TAFE does, “reliable quality control gives the public and employers confidence in the capability and skills of a person awarded a qualification. The more assurance there is, the more good providers can invest with confidence to develop their education services. That’s why we should be pleased ASQA is pursuing robust assurance across the sector, provided it is fair.”