Continuous Improvement in VET Forum - August 2007

The objective of the Reframing the Future Engaging VET practitioners subprogram in 2007 is to establish an ongoing forum for knowledge sharing and generation among VET practitioners and stakeholders in making effective professional judgments about continuous improvement.

Continuous Improvement in VET

Over 300 VET practitioners attended a series of forums around Australia that focused on strategic approaches to the continuous improvement of registered training organisations.

Forums provided an opportunity for RTOs to consider ways of implementing integrated responses to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) directions and recent National Quality Council (NQC) changes including the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF 2007).

The forums involved the use of a technique, appreciative inquiry, that systemically highlights current successes in using continuous improvement, identifies ideal futures for continuous improvement strategies and processes, examines optional designs for teams or partnerships implementing continuous improvement and creates individual catalysts and innovation teams who can operate in a continuous improvement context in the long term.

Continuous Improvement forums will also be conducted at the New Ways of Working in VET Forum 4 in Brisbane on 19 and 20 November 2007. click here

The facilitators were Suzy McKenna, National Project Director, Reframing the Future, John Mitchell, John Mitchell & Associates, and the presenters were Helen McNamara, and John Ward from Chisholm Institute of TAFE.

Continuous Improvement in VET resources

RTO's are encouraged to use the following resources to design their own Professional Development to promote continuous improvement in their organisation. Individual VET practitioners can use them for personal study.

• Information Flyer
• Background paper
• Program
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Activity Directions
• Continuous Improvement in VET powerpoint
• Chisholm Institute - Student Survey, a design for sustaining continuous improvement
• Powerpoint and Thinkpiece
• Readiness for Change in VET organisations questionnaire
• Self Evaluation Model
• Measuring Impacts Model

The publications below form a set of strategies for skill development and change management to support continuous improvement in VET

• Facilitating Workbased Learning Groups
• Participating in Workbased Learning Groups
• Core Ideas Communities of Practice and the national training system
• Core Ideas Knowledge Management and the national training framework
• Applying Information and Research - Good Practices from 2005
• Core Ideas Strategic and Change Management and the national training system
• Core Ideas Change Agents and the national training system
• Core Ideas Networking and the national training system

A detailed presenters program and the results of the Appreciative Inquiry activities will be placed on the website soon.

A resource book on continuous improvement in VET will be available in November.