Our Strategic Plan for 2019-20 was released today.
The development process had started with the 2019 Strategic Review and Planning day on 25 June 2019 in Melbourne. Members were invited to participate and two facilitators assisted the review and planning process.
In summary, our overall Purpose, Vision and Mission were re-confirmed with the goal of becoming “the Meeting Place” for Thought Leaders on all things Professional.
Our next Strategic Review and Refresh is planned for April 2020.
Our 2018 AQF Review Terms of Reference Session is was followed‐up in early 2019 with our active participation in the “Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Review” lead by Prof. Peter Noonan who also keynoted at our inaugural National Summit on Micro‐Credentialing and Accreditation in Melbourne. We supported a targeted Review Session for Professional Associations, submitted formal recommendations on behalf of our Member Associations and enabled our Member Associations to directly converse about our Submission with the AQF Review Panel.
Our submisssion is at https://submissions.education.gov.au/Forms/AQF2019/Documents/109-Professions-Australia.pdf
The Australian Council of Profession’s inaugural series of Community of Practice Round-Table meetings continue the discussions and discourse that began at the Micro-Credentials National Summit in March 2019.
The intent of these Round-Tables is:
Current definitions of the various micro-credentialing models are both confusing and varied. The way learning and training is recognized, accredited and validated is also changing with intrinsic on-the-job skills and best practices providing the most value and benefit to association members.
How can Professional Associations assist in developing a common language to best underpin this new educational landscape? How can we clearly define the differences between badging for learning and credentialing skills capability capture?
Professional Associations face a common challenge — how to remain relevant and expand their footprint in their particular domain. Success depends on the ability to create value for their brand. This free Round-Table is your opportunity to work with your peers within the Australian Council of Professions to determine how best to provide accreditation oversight of how Professional Practice credentials can help Associations address these common challenges.
Who should attend:
– Leaders of Professional Associations
– Directors of Professional Standards
– Heads of CPD/CPE Programmes
Topics discussed at the Round-Tables:
The Round-Tables were held:
Sydney: 30 May 2019, Australian Computer Society
Melbourne: 25th June 2019, Deakin University
The generous support of the Australian Computer Society and DeakinCo is gratefully acknowledged!
The inaugural National Micro‐Credentials Accreditation Summit on 7&8 March in Melbourne was a run‐away success with over 270 registrations. We had to extend the event to two days and change the venue twice to accommodate the interest in the Summit!
After an inspiring Welcome to Country our keynoters A/Prof Marcus O’Donnell (Pro‐Vice‐Chancellor Education, Deakin University), The Hon Trish White (National President and Chair, Engineers Australia), Prof Susan Elliott AM (DVC Education, Monash University), Prof Belinda Tynan (DVC Education, RMIT), Prof Peter Noonan (AQF Review and VU), Prof Marcus Bowles (Director/Chair, The Institute for Working Futures), Anthony McClaran (CEO, TEQSA), Dr Simon Eassom (Executive General Manager Education, CPA Australia), Glenn Campbell (Executive Director, DeakinCo), etc. highlighted the various opportunities, aspects and challenges that Micro‐Credentials bring.
Overall, the speakers and participants agreed that Micro‐Credentials are well and truly upon us with all university speakers confirming that their programs to create and deliver Micro‐Credential units are well advanced or have already commenced. However, the issues of how Micro‐Credentials are evaluated and accredited as well as if they will eventually replace the traditional under-graduate degrees are still quite unclear and need more deliberations ‐ see the Summit Communiqué below. These questions will be explored in the two Micro-Credentials Round‐Tables in Sydney and Melbourne!
In another first, five of our Member Associations awarded CPD/CPE points to participants.
A very special Thank You to Dr Ash Jones and the team at DeakinCo for their generous support!
Klaus Veil FACHI FHL7 – Convener and Summit Chair
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2016 commissioned an Independent Review of Accreditation Systems (ASR) to explore and address concerns about cost, transparency, duplication and prescriptive approaches to accreditation functions.
The final report was considered by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) and publicly released in October 2018. We were invited to comment and submitted extensive comments from our Members in February 2019.
In December 2018/January2019 we collated your feedback on behalf of the Department of Education and Training (DET) for a Ministerial briefing on the posibility of increased regulation of higher education course accreditation.
With our Members we researched and compiled a comprehensive briefing draft that we delivered to DET in January 2019.
It is our understanding that the facts put forward in our briefing draft dissuaded the Minister’s office from rushing into new regulation of the accreditation of higher education courses.
As a TEQSA MoU Partner since February 2017, we represented our Members at the “Industry Professional Bodies Forum” held by the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) in December 2018.
The event was intended to provide bodies who have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TEQSA to articulate their thoughts and experiences.
In February 2018 we convened the inaugural National Professional Accreditation Best Practices Summit. The Summit was hailed by the participants as a very timely event with more than 140 participants, many intensive discussions between the higher‐education thought leaders in Australia and a communiqué ap‐ proved in the closing session.
The Summit was opened with a video address by Education Minister Birmingham
Minister Birmingham favourably mentioned the Summit in his speech to the ~1150 attendees at the University Australia Conference held a week later in Canberra, saying “Just last week, Professions Australia held a National Professional Accreditation Best Practice Summit, which was a great opportunity for participants to discuss the relationship between our higher education system, professional associations, industries and employers and students. This was an important and impressive initiative that demonstrates the commitment of the professional and university sectors to a collegiate approach regarding identification and adoption of good practice in professional accreditation.“
Keynoters included Professor Mike Woods, Emeritus Professor Christine Ewan AM, the Hon Trish White, Anthony McClaran from TEQSA, Professor Kerri‐Lee Krause from Universities Australia as well as the Deputy Chairs of the Washington and Seoul Accords, Emeritus Professor Elizabeth Taylor AO and Pro‐ fessor Michael Johnson.
In February 2018 we explored and collated our Members‘ views and opinions by convening a Members‐Only Forum to provide formal input into the “Australian Qualifications Framework
(AQF) Review Terms of Reference” project conducted by
Prof Christine Ewan for the Federal Department of Education and Training (DET).
The Australian Council of Professions (ACoP or “Professions Australia”) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency that will allow for greater collaboration and sharing of information between the two organisations.
At the MOU signing during our 2017 Strategic Planning Day, TEQSA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Anthony McClaran, said the agreement further strengthened the existing relationship between two organisations who both share a strong interest in protecting the quality of Australian higher education. “I am very pleased for the opportunity to formalise this arrangement with Professions Australia which will see us work closely to share information,” Mc McClaran said. “The relationships we are building with industry professional bodies will ultimately assist TEQSA to streamline regulation and reduce the accreditation demand on providers.”
Professions Australia Chief Executive Officer, Ms Liz Lang, said she was delighted to sign the agreement on behalf of member associations who represent more than 420,000 professionals nationwide. “This MoU will help TEQSA to reach out and increase its engagement with the professional associations represented by Professions Australia and enable information sharing and collaboration between TEQSA and the professions,” Ms Lang said. “We have a mutual interest in maintaining and improving the quality of higher education for students who graduate and practise as professionals across Australia.”
Read the TEQSA Press Release.
If you are interested in more information about our collaboration with TEQSA, please contact us on 1300 664 587 or CEO@Professions.org.au.
