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Priority
Areas - Disability - Indigenous - Rural & Remote - Urban - Years 9&10 - Pushing the Boundaries | |
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Pushing the Boundaries Project
15-Dec-2000
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Midland Districts Schools Industry Training Association
ECEF Priority Areas project by Vanesssa Waghorn |
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| MDSITA is an industry based organisation established by the Swan Chamber of Commerce in 1998 in response to employer requests to minimise disruptions and multiple contacts by schools in organising VET placements for students. | |
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The “Pushing the Boundaries" project's aim was to establish a centrally coordinated service using industry based field staff for liaison with schools and employers in placing students across a range of school-to-work programs with employers. |
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Key Features: The project over the last 2 years had 3 main stages. The first stage of the project enabled MDSITA to: · Establish a Board of Management with key industry, education, training and community representatives; · Establish School Industry Working Groups (SIWG’s) to exchange information, identify needs and progress industry specific learning requirements; · Employ a field officer to canvass, recruit, induct, support and provide information to employers on VET, SWL Traineeships and new apprenticeships · Identify and communicate business needs to the education and training sectors; · Employ a project coordinator to develop the business, administrative and strategic requirements of the organisation; and · Develop a comprehensive database of employers willing to offer SWL placements. The second stage of the project enabled MDSITA to: · Train employers in workplace supervision and develop a pool of employers with Certificate IV qualifications in workplace training and assessment; · Research and obtain feedback from stakeholders on skill gaps and develop strategies to address shortages; · Promote, market and conduct awareness raising sessions with stakeholders; and · Facilitate links between industry, schools, employment, training and community sectors by conducting work ready sessions, site visits, keynote speakers and functions. The third and final stage of the project focussed on establishing a regional coordination model between the three providers in the region to: · Reduce over canvassing and duplication of services to employers; · Identify and work together in increasing student and industry participation in gap areas including those of special need students and · To progress VET initiatives into areas beyond Structured Workplace Learning and into areas of enterprise and community education. Outcomes: MDSITA has achieved significant recognition and credibility in the region for its’ services. The project achieved the following outcomes: · Increased employer participation and commitment rates. (We currently offer more places with employers than students available on our database); · Enabled many small business staff the opportunity to be trained in workplace supervision, training and assessment techniques, adding value to their human resources; · Provided a valuable link between VET and employment outcomes for students. Employers are recruiting and selecting from the pool of students who have been placed through the program; · Offered a viable cost effective, quality service to schools in the region, who realised through outsourcing administrative and placement aspects of VET in schools to MDSITA, that they now have time for staff to focus on educating, managing and developing VET courses for students in schools. · Through establishing a range of industry, training, community and school links have enabled a cross fertilisation of information resulting in a range of partnerships where stakeholders gain experience and knowledge on what each player can offer in developing VET; and · Gained recognition as an effective, cost effective industry driven delivery model resulting in an agreed amalgamation with the Swan Education Office in 2001. Future: MDSITA will continue to progress a regional model and amalgamation with Swan Education in 2001. Considerable effort will be placed on identifying what each player brings to the merger and developing new strategies to progress beyond SWL and into areas of enterprise, community education and assisting special need students. Learning experiences: It has at times been a challenging process, in part due to the many players and position of various groups, agencies and philosophies in the VET sector. In summary: · Ongoing funding assistance for non-education based organisations remains an issue. A 12 month funding cycle is unrealistic for projects to establish suitable infrastructure and not in line with financial operations of agencies accessing our services; · Considerable lobbying to manage and embrace change has been necessary on a number of fronts; · MDSITA has confirmed that industry and partnering adds considerable value to many programs; and · On reflection, we should have made time to have our achievements recognised through applying for high profile awards, but then again, our priority is servicing our clients and the real recognition is knowing that our model will form the basis of the merger and that students and young people in 2001 can look forward to a greater range of school-to-work programs. |
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Key contact: |
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Vanessa Waghorn Development Officer |
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VECO - a Project of ECEF All Rights Reserved maintained by: VECO Coordinator first designed by: Bruce Young design revisions by: ozline.com database development: Datawise Consulting The NetRide |
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