Australia and China make skills connections with Huawei

The Abbott Government has welcomed a $30 million investment in training in Australia by Chinese technology giant Huawei as a sign of the breadth and strength of the Australia-China education and training relationship. Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham today visited Huawei’s flagship executive briefing centre in Beijing, China for the announcement…

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Recruitment under way for Student Identifiers Registrar

The Australian Government is looking to recruit a Student Identifiers Registrar. Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham said the Student Identifiers Registrar, a statutory office holder, played an important role in overseeing the implementation and management of the Unique Student Identifier (USI) Scheme. “There are approximately three million vocational education and training…

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MySkills update helps inform VET consumers

Vocational education and training (VET) students and potential students, their parents, teachers, careers advisers and employers will benefit from new updates to the MySkills website, the national directory of VET organisations and courses. Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham and Federal Member for Lindsay Fiona Scott MP officially launched the next round…

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New Apprenticeship Network up and running in Lindsay

Local Western Sydney apprentices, people looking for a new career, and employers can now get more help than ever before with the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network up and running across the region.   Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham today joined Federal Member for Lindsay Fiona Scott at Chambers Apprenticeship Support Australia, one…

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Reducing red tape for Australia’s international VET sector

The draft Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment Bills 2015 released for public consultation today highlights the Australian Government’s commitment to high-quality international vocational education and training (VET). Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham welcomed the consultation, saying the growth in the numbers of international students studying skills training in Australia demonstrated…

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New Apprenticeship Network Open for business

Australian apprentices, people interested in an apprenticeship, and their employers will be able to get more help, from more locations, than ever before with start of the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (Apprenticeship Network) today. Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham said the new Apprenticeship Network was the biggest reform to apprenticeship support…

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Tougher VET FEE-HELP guidelines effective today

The Government has today released the new vocational education and training (VET) guidelines, implementing important reforms to further safeguard the VET FEE-HELP student loan program. Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham said the latest measures come into effect in two tranches – 1 July 2015 and 1 January 2016 – and tighten…

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New data supports focus on student choice and VET quality

New data on vocational education and training (VET) enrolments supports the Australian Government’s reforms to lift the quality of all vocational education and training (VET) providers and support greater student choice. Assistant Minister for Education and Training Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham said the Government-funded students and courses 2014 report, released today by the National…

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Tonight at a reception celebrating National TAFE Day an unexpected election announcement by Shadow Minister Sharon Bird showed that Labor has no idea where they stand. 12 months ago, on the last National TAFE Day, Mr Shorten said “And I have asked our Shadow Minister for Vocational Education Sharon Bird to work with all of…

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Reduced Financial Burden on Registered Training Organisations

In a further bid to strengthen the vocational education and training (VET) sector, the Coalition has confirmed additional funding to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).  Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham, said the additional funding to ASQA will help bolster the Authority’s regulatory powers and remove excessive paperwork and red tape…

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