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CREATE Training Packages

1st February, 2007

Visual Arts, Craft and Design Training Packages are to be developed under the auspices of ANTA, Australian National Training Authority. ANTA provides for the development and accreditation of certificate, diploma and degree courses through the nationally prescribed AQTF, Australian Quality Training Framework. Education and training institutions including private providers must develop and implement curriculum for accreditation according to these prescriptors. Which is why certain courses have certificate as opposed to diploma status.

CREATE has invited me, as your representative, to sit on the steering committee for these training packages. Because of my curriculum development experience, lecturing background and knowledge of studio requirements, I don't believe it to be a difficult or tedious chore. There are a couple more meetings and I will continue to represent AGDA on this project.

What is CREATE?

CREATE Australia is the national industry training advisory board on vocational education and training for the arts, media and cultural industries. CREATE advises the ANTA on current and future training needs for these sectors, as part of a national network of industries.

CREATE works with industry, unions, the national ITAB (represented by 8 state and territory Industry Training Advisory Boards), government, employers and employees to ensure that the industry receives high quality, relelvant and accessible vocational education and training.

Through CREATE, the multimedia industry was able to establish a series of training programs at Cert IV and Diploma levels. The Film, Television and Screen Industries have completed the development of their training packages and have paved the way for these VACD Training Packages to be developed this year.

What is a Training Package?

A Training package is a curriculum document which outlines the aims, delivery, implementation and assessment processes for all modules which have to be taught/achieved at a prescribed AQTF level. The VACD packages will be developed for qualifications up to Certificate IV level - a junior who produces work under guidance and instruction. These training packages will provide for the introduction of traineeships, whereby a trainee is able to study and work in the industry via a government subsidy of wages. In the Arts Administration and Multimedia sectors, employers of trainees are responsible for about $8K per annum of their wages.

I was unable to attend the initial meeting in Sydney, but have since been briefed by the South Australian ITAB, of the consultative process which took place recently in all the stakeholders workshops. All issues and concerns have since been tabled with CREATE through the State and national ITABs. The CREATE consultants will now gather all information from the workshops and develop a series of Training Packages in draft form.

The Steering Committee will be asked to provide permission for the first draft to be tabled for consultation with all state and terrritory stakeholders and workshop attendees. AGDA has the opportunity to make recommendations at this level. These will be taken on board and a second draft will be tabled with the Steering Committee for approval.

AGDA also has the opportunity during that process (via me) to make recommendations for change/improvement. The final draft will be sent to ANTA, which then consults with the state ITABs for final approval. AGDA again has an opportunity to make recommendations at that level.

I am satisfied with this briefing of the consultative process and we will stay with the process to ensure that we have authoratative input. I have viewed the Film and Television training packages and am also satisfied that the modules have been written to accommodate the creative and conceptual latitude that their industry needs. On that basis, the ones for our design sector has a model for success. If anyone is interested in viewing some samples of these documents, do let me know.

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