Australian National Training Authority Agreement

The Agreement between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for vocational education and training applies in respect of the years 2004 to 2006 inclusive.

Purpose

This Agreement is intended to ensure that vocational education and training (VET) is an essential ingredient of lifelong learning and provides opportunities for all individuals to acquire skills through life, to optimise their potential in the workforce and ensure all Australians become active citizens in a democratic society. The Agreement aims to promote employer investment in and commitment to their employees' acquisition of skills, knowledge and national portable qualifications; to ensure equity in access for all communities, particularly those in regional and remote areas, and to deliver high quality outcomes relevant to current and emerging labour market needs, primarily through the maintenance and growth of a well resourced national Technical and Further Education (TAFE) system.

The purpose of this Agreement is to create the basis for a partnership between governments, industry (ie: employer associations and unions, including education unions), community groups and students, and through the development and refinement of a quality national vocational education and training (VET) system to:

1. build a leadership role for industry, (ie: employer associations and unions, including education unions) and other stakeholders in national VET decision-making, planning and advisory processes;

2. enhance the National Recognition Framework and the acquisition of portable national qualifications through national co-operative action;

3. develop a highly skilled and educated Australian community, including by working with the school sector to expand vocational education and training opportunities, by working with the higher education sector to improve educational pathways and by building a strong viable national public TAFE system, and where appropriate other quality Registered Training Organisations (RTO's).

4. increase education and training opportunities and employment outcomes for individuals;

5. define national priorities and outcomes to guide State and Territory directions in the delivery of VET.

6. ensure TAFE is equipped to deliver community service obligations to its student, and to access and equity groups particularly in regional and remote areas;

7. encourage the development of a quality assured, effective and co-operative training system including through an appropriate framework for competency standards, recognition and qualifications;

8. encourage a training culture in Australian enterprises and throughout the Australian community; and

9. improve the efficiency, effectiveness and increase the provision of quality VET around Australia.

10. ensure TAFE remains the benchmark quality education and training provider whose staffing arrangements emphasise security of employment provisions.

1. a spirit of co-operation and a commitment to partnership at a national level by State, Territory and Commonwealth Governments working closely with industry (employer associations and unions, including education unions), community groups and students as key stakeholders;

2. a key role for industry (ie: employer associations and unions, including education unions), community groups and students in providing leadership and advice, particularly in relation to the ongoing development of the National Training Framework;

3. a recognition of the individual needs and characteristics of States and Territories within the context of the need for a national approach to VET;

4. promotion of clear, nationally shared objectives and goals for VET;

5. clearly defined and complementary roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders; and

6. transparent and accountable funding arrangements and relationships including the provision by the Commonwealth of growth funds to the States and Territories to ensure the objective of developing a highly skilled and educated Australian community is achieved by the end of this Agreement.

The key objectives of a national system for VET are:

1. to equip Australians effectively for the world of work and for participation as active citizens;

2. to enhance mobility in the labour market through the acquisition by workers of quality national portable qualifications and by providing opportunities to upgrade and acquire new skills with the context of lifelong learning objective;

3. to overcome the skill development, recognition barriers and access and equity issue for all groups particularly those living in regional and remote locations;

4. to maximize quality outcomes for public expenditure by increasing participation and completion rates in VET but particularly in TAFE;

5. to increase investment in training by industry;

6. to ensure effective arrangements are established to guarantee that the quality of VET provision and outcomes under the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) are in place nationally and that national consistency is achieved;

7. to continuously improve educational programs to ensure they meet current and future skills and knowledge needs, including for the current workforce and those preparing to enter the workforce;

8. to establish more effective arrangements within the VET sector to facilitate pathways from schools to VET, including recognition of VET outcomes achieved in schools for the purposes of entry to higher education and between VET and higher education including through full credit transfer and recognition of prior learning;

9. to implement an agreed national marketing strategy for VET focussing on TAFE as the public Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and developing a National Plan for TAFE.

Noting the need to implement arrangements to avoid duplication and overlap, the following roles and responsibilities are agreed.

ANTA Ministerial Council

The Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Ministerial Council (MINCO) will be the peak national decision making body for vocational education and training. MINCO will maintain a full national co-operative agenda and process.

The Council will consist of the Ministers from each State and Territory and the Commonwealth responsible for VET and will be chaired by the Commonwealth.

Each State and Territory will have one vote and the Commonwealth will have two votes and a casting vote. All matters will be decided by a simple majority.

The functions of the Ministerial Council will include overseeing ANTA and decision making on national strategic policy and planning, including funding, and national objectives and priorities. Other priorities of MINCO will include:

1. agreeing on necessary Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation establishing ANTA and defining the relationship between ANTA, the Ministerial Council and State training agencies;

2. deciding on the appointment of members of the ANTA Board and their removal;

3. deciding on the appointment of the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the ANTA Board;

4. endorsing an annual plan for ANTA, which includes planning for efficiencies, work priorities and its proposed expenditure;

5. determining national objectives and priorities for VET with specific attention to the National Plan for TAFE;

6. determining the National Strategy based on advice from ANTA, consistent with agreed national objectives and priorities;

7. determining, in the context of the National Strategy, the principles to be applied for the allocation of funding, including growth funding, between States/Territories and for any national programs;

8. identifying and planning for future growth requirements, including demographic growth, and requirements arising from major changes in factors affecting demand;

9. agreeing planning arrangements for the delivery of vocational education and training nationally;

10. ensuring that ANTA operates in an quality effective and efficient manner;

11. resolving any dispute between ANTA and a State/Territory training agency or any other issue raised by a Minister;

12. giving references to ANTA on other issues of training policy;

13. being accountable to the Commonwealth Parliament for the operation of ANTA and the expenditure of Commonwealth funds; and

14. approving the Annual National Report.

The ANTA Board will support MINCO in all of its functions and will have the capacity to give effect to industry (ie: employer associations and unions, including education unions) and community leadership arrangements with a strategic focus to develop and recommend on national policies and strategies, and will exercise the following core roles:

1. development of a draft National Strategy for MINCO;

2. provision of advice to MINCO on annual VET Plans;

3. provision of advice to MINCO, in the context of the National Strategy, of the principles to be applied in the allocation of funding, including growth funding, between States/Territories and the release of Commonwealth funds;

4. provision of information and advice to MINCO to assist MINCO to identify and plan for future growth requirements, including demographic growth, and requirements arising from major changes in factors affecting demand;

5. development, management and promotion of the national aspects of the National Training Framework;

6. policy review, evaluation and research on national priorities agreed by Ministers from time to time (ensuring that descriptions of all research documents are circulated promptly and simultaneously to all MINCO members);

7. advising MINCO on the development of key performance measures and reporting objectives;

8. ensuring agreed national data is generated;

9. coordinating major national initiatives agreed by Ministers from time to time;

10. with the agreement of the Commonwealth and States/Territories, facilitating co-operation between State/Territory systems and, where appropriate, the Commonwealth on specific matters agreed from time to time; and

11. administration of arrangements for payment of Commonwealth funds to the States and Territories.

The Chair of the ANTA Board will be the principal point of contact between the ANTA Board and members of MINCO.

The Board will act as an advocate for encouraging industry investment and involvement in training.

Appointment of members to the Board will be determined by MINCO. The composition of the Board will include one large State and one small State/Territory training agency, industry representatives (ie: employer associations and unions, including education unions) community and student representatives and in appointing members will ensure gender, Indigenous, ethnic and regional representation. The structure of the Board will be reviewed by MINCO at regular intervals to ensure all stakeholders are involved.

The ANTA Board will be the accountable authority for its staff and resources and be responsible to MINCO.

State/Territory training agencies

The principal role of State/Territory training agencies will be to address, within the national framework, training needs and priorities of industry, the community and individual students within their State/Territory. In addition to their State/Territory based roles and responsibilities, State/Territory training agencies will be committed to and actively involved in the national VET system through:

1. providing advice to their respective Ministers on significant aspects of the national VET system;

2. participating in the processes for the formulation of national strategic policy, national planning and national objectives and priorities;

3. implementing agreed national priorities and initiatives within the context of State/Territory needs and priorities;

4. administering the National Training Framework within the State/Territory;

5. consulting with and supporting industry networks at the State/Territory level; and

6. providing advice to the Minister on resource allocation at the State/Territory level and ensuring the effective and co-operative operation of the training market within the State/Territory.

The Commonwealth department responsible for vocational education and training will have the following role in the national VET system:

1. ensuring that VET is responsive to emerging national economic and social priorities including linkages between skill formation and migration policy and administration;

2. providing advice to Commonwealth Ministers on all aspects of the national VET system;

3. participation in the processes for the formulation of national strategic policy, national planning and national objectives and priorities;

4. administering arrangements for accountability to the Commonwealth Parliament on Commonwealth VET expenditures;

5. advising the Commonwealth Government on determining the global level of Commonwealth resources for the VET sector;

6. management of Australia's bilateral relationships with counterpart Governmental agencies, and of Australia's participation in relevant international organisations;

7. facilitation, with the States/Territories, of co-operation between education and training providers in international marketing;

8. co-ordinating training aspects of labour market programs within the national VET system planning processes; and

9. encouraging and improving pathways between educational sectors by the provision of advice on linkages between schools, VET and higher education.

The planning and accountability arrangements for the national VET system will include the following:

National Strategy

The National Strategy will be a medium term strategic document which focuses on the operation of the National Training Framework, national objectives, policies, priorities and initiatives. The Strategy will also identify agreed key performance measures for the system.

A draft Strategy will be developed by ANTA in consultation with all stakeholders for consideration and approval by MINCO.

Annual national priorities

A national priorities document will be prepared which provides an annual statement of agreed national priorities based on the National Strategy. This document will identify agreed national priorities for VET together with agreed outputs/outcomes.

The priorities document will be developed by ANTA, in consultation with the Commonwealth, States/Territories and key unity and industry groups (ie: employer associations and union, including education unions), for consideration and approval by MINCO.

State/Territory planning arrangements within the national response to annual national priorities and national strategy

Within the national planning arrangements the content of State/Territory VET planning documents will be a matter for each individual State/Territory to determine. There will, however, be a requirement for States/Territories to respond to the agreed Annual National Priorities and to report on progress against the National Strategy.

Each State/Territory will provide an Annual VET Plan for MINCO.

Each Annual VET Plan will include the State/Territory's response to the Annual National Priorities and a report of progress against the National Strategy. It will also include an activity table which shows the distribution of VET activity to be achieved annually by industry and level of training. The Annual VET Plan will include an agreed use of Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information and Statistical Standards (AVETMISS).

State/Territory Annual VET Plans will be considered and agree by MINCO, acting with the advice of the ANTA Board.

Annual National Report

The Annual National Report will provide the basis for reporting against the national strategy and national priorities, including against the agreed key performance measures.

The report will be the mechanism for reporting to the Commonwealth Parliament on the operation of the national VET system.

Funding

The Commonwealth and the States/Territories will continue to provide funding stability for the national VET system and growth in enrolments will be achieved through increasing Commonwealth funding. For the duration of this Agreement States/Territories agree to maintain outputs or outcomes, to be measured on a basis agreed by the Ministerial Council, over the life of the Agreement.

The Commonwealth recognises that its three year funding freeze imposed in the ANTA Agreement 1998-2000 denied education and training opportunities to thousands of Australians, one measure of which is unmet demand for TAFE places, estimated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) at 40,000 for 2002.

The Commonwealth's commitment to restoring growth funding in real terms applies to the funding appropriated under the Vocational Education and Training Funding Act 1992 in respect of 2004, 2005 and 2006, being base funding in 2004 of $1,138 million plus an additional $180 million in growth funds and $33m as the Commonwealth share for 2004 of a $200m jointly funded three year program to provide quality improvement and equity programs.

The total amount for 2004 is $1,351million. Growth funds are to be provided on an accumulative basis to ensure for 2005 the provision of an amount of $360 million and for 2006 an amount of $540m (indexed).

The additional growth funds are to begin to implement a 'youth training guarantee' ensuring that every young person leaving school, who is unable to gain employment or a higher education place, be entitled to at least complete a Certificate IV or Diploma level qualification in the industry or occupational area of their choice.

A Quality Improvement Program (QIP) should be jointly funded by the Commonweaslth and States/Territories additional to profile funding to provide for quality improvement strategies, including national curriculum development, quality innovation projects, increased cooperation between TAFE and schools in the delivery of VET and a national TAFE/VET teacher registration body.

An Education Equity Program (EEP) should be jointly funded by the Commonwealth and States/Territories to ensure that services, programs and support structures meet the needs of disadvantaged students and local communities.

Such programs should be linked to the Disadvantaged Regional Areas Program (DRAP) which would provide resources for a hole range of government approach, combining industry policy, labour market programs, job creation, job placement, education and training and community and welfare support and services.

These funds will also assist in the establishment of a National Centre for Applied Innovations Research (NCAIR) to encourage cooperation between TAFE Institutes and industry to add value to the inventions and innovations developed by workers in industry.

The Commonwealth Government will contribute additional funds on a dollar for dollar basis to the States/Territories to assist TAFE institutions enrolling a disproportionate number of disadvantaged students.

The States/Territories are to maintain base funding effort at 2003 levels and be responsible for operational and staffing issues and for implementation of quality assured delivery and assessment processes including a non-duplication test between States/Territories that ensures resources are not used to fund private provision where public provision already exists.

Commonwealth funds will be released on the advice of MINCO following MINCO consideration of and agreement to the State/Territory Annual VET Plans.