MWC - a pathway towards the skills we need for the future we want

Ian Curry has recently released a couple of good thought provoking opinion pieces titled

"The Skills We Need for the Future We Want"

See part 1 and 2 that outline the need for a fundamental rethink of VET in order to restore certainty and confidence in the system. The two core themes are?

1). Recognising that the primary purpose of the VET system as being the production of skilled and adaptable workers productively employed in the economy in occupations related to their training

2) The need for formal and standardised "occupational profiles" that define industry relevant and transportable competencies

There is a major review of the VET system currently underway, so it is vital to raise these issues and have these discussions while there is opportunity for industry to have input and influence.?

MWC has been privileged to be involved in the MEM package review, assisting with the development of the draft unit MEM05069 Undertake advanced weld repair and maintenance (which is largely based on the Mining Welder Competency) and providing input on other related units as part of a Cert IV level package. But completing a Cert IV, or even single units, can be a big time and cost commitment that is simply not appropriate or necessary? for many individuals and businesses. The problem remains with how to establish whether a welder is competent, and a similar concept may apply for other trades too. It’s a matter of understanding what industry actually needs.?

?Over the last 3 years, we have worked to develop the “Maintenance Welder Competency - Mining”? (www.miningweldercompetency.com) in response to the following industry needs;

1. Provide a means for establishing a welder's ability to carry out typical maintenance welding work in heavy industry
2. Address the skills gap by providing an accessible and affordable condensed training and assessment package
3. Be a simple to use and easy to understand competency framework based on competency level packages
4. Provide a safety based VoC assessment system that covers the welding and allied processes in order to meet WHS requirements
5. Allow portability of competency recognition between employers and across industry.?

?What we didn’t realise is the potentially? much greater role that an industry based competency framework can provide and how it may integrate and augment existing accredited VET. The articles by Ian Curry got us thinking that the Maintenance Welder Competency may also provide the following benefits

• Establish a pathway for post trade upskilling to progress through competency levels
• Provide an industry relevant competency based framework for RPL
• Drive the VET sector to deliver the necessary training packages to produce graduates with the desired/required fundamental knowledge and skills to be able to meet competency requirements.? In fact, it is conceivable that if industry leads the development and management of the occupational based competencies, this may provide the missing link for engagement between industry and the VET sector.?

?As Ian pointed out, industry needs certainty and confidence, so ensuring the integrity of the training and assessment is of utmost importance. At the same time, the competency process must be industry relevant and recognised,? as well as providing portability between employers and sectors.?

?To achieve these objectives, Maintenance Welder Competency acts as the authorising body, and accredits service providers to deliver training and assessment for clients in their area. This is an unusual model - sort of like if ASQA franchised a training package such as a Certificate III - but it is the only way to deliver a consistent and scalable best practice framework that meets the objectives outlined above. The whole MWC framework is managed via the MWC Portal, with separate log-ins for employers and MWC Accredited Providers. The MWC Portal drives the whole program and all assessment data is fed into it for review and grading, with all MWC related documentation issued directly by MWC. In this manner, the MWC Portal acts as a single source of truth and the integrity of the MWC Program can be maintained.?

?I am curious to know what peers in the LinkedIn community think - are we on the right track? Do you think a similar concept could work for your industry sector?