Relevant Organizations

A brief description of relevant major national organizations now follows.

· Ministers of Vocational Education, Employment and Training (MOVEET/Ministerial Council)

The Training Reform Agenda was substantially adopted by Special Ministerial Conferences in April 1989 and November 1990. The second agreed to establish a new council of Ministers of Vocational Education, Employment and Training (MOVEET). The new ANTA is to report to a ministerial council that is substantially the same as MOVEET.

· Australian National Training Authority (ANTA)

The Australian National Training Authority was established to implement an agreement which came into effect on 1 January 1994. ANTA consists of five people plus a secretariat of about 100 people to run the authority and report to the Ministerial Council.

ANTA is to achieve national consistency in the delivery of vocational education through the development of agreed ‘national goals, objectives and priorities’, ‘national strategic plans’, ‘firm targets and priorities’, coordinated funding arrangements, and ‘profiles’ for vocational education and training at national level. State and Territory authorities will advise ANTA on State and Territory ‘profiles’.

Industry will participate through membership of ANTA and through the Industry Training Advisory Bodies (ITABs) network. National ITABs will advise ANTA on national ‘profiles’, and State and Territory ITABs will be considered and adopted by the Commonwealth, State and Territory ministers in the Ministerial Council.

· National TAFE Chief Executives’ Committee (NTCC)

The National TAFE Chief Executives’ Committee (NTCC) consists of the technical and vocational education chief executive officers. It replaced the Australian Conference of TAFE Directors (ACTD).

· Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET)

The Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) was established in 1987 to integrate the constituent elements reflected in its name more effectively than they had been under preceding administrative arrangements. With the establishment of the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), the Vocational Education and Training Division of DEET, which has played a major role in the development and promotion of the training reform agenda, has been reduced in size.

· National Board of Employment, Education and Training (NBEET)

The National Board of Employment, Education and Training (NBEET) was established to advise the federal Minister for Employment, Education and Training, replacing the former Commonwealth Schools Commission, the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission, and the Australian Research Grants Committee. NBEET has one Council with technical and vocational education responsibility: the Employment and Skills Formation Council (ESFC).

· National Training Board (NTB)

The two special ministerial conferences in April 1989 and November 1990 agreed to establish a National Training Board as a company owned jointly by the Commonwealth, States and Territories. The NTB promulgates national competency standards which have been developed by approved competency standards bodies (CSBs) which are representative of relevant industry interests. (Some CSBs are Industry Training Advisory Bodies: see below.)

The NTB is supported by a memorandum of understanding in which all States and Territories agreed to deliver vocational education that is nationally consistent with NTB approved vocational competency standards. Vocational competency standards are related to the eight-level Australian Standards Framework, which has been developed by the NTB. Vocational competencies are distinct from, and underpinned by generic key areas of competency.

· National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER)

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER) used to be called the TAFE National Centre for Research and Development Ltd. The TAFE National Centre was established in 1982 as a company owned jointly by the Commonwealth, States and Territories to undertake research on TAFE.

In 1992, the name and role were changed to a more inclusive one of dealing with vocational education, encompassing community and private providers and vocational education and industry training, as well as State and Territory TAFE.

The NCVER undertakes and funds research on vocational education, provides a clearing-house and database service on vocational education research throughout the Asian-Pacific area, analyses vocational education statistics for the Commonwealth, States and Territories, and disseminates information on vocational education.

· Australian Committee on Training Curriculum (ACTRAC)

The Australian Committee on Training Curriculum (ACTRAC) has developed from the former Australian Committee on TAPE Curriculum (ACTC), which in turn evolved from the former Curriculum Projects Steering Group. ACTRAC has a broader, inclusive brief, to develop curriculum for private and industry providers, not just TAPE. It reports to ANTA.

· Industry Training Advisory Bodies (ITABs)

Industry Training Advisory Bodies (ITABs) is the general term for bodies variously called committees, boards and councils in the federal network and the different States and Territories. They form the main link between industry and the providers of technical and vocational education.

· National Framework for Recognition of Training (NFROT)

NFROT provides for national recognition of providers, accreditation of courses, and recognition of credentials attained.