Best Practice in VET Education  Moving Forward

1. Best Practice in VET Education  Moving Forward

2. About Me • Started in Refrigeration in 1994 • Have been lecturing since 2008 • Have completed a Diploma in Sustainability • See Sustainability as a common sense approach to living.

3. The Need for Change • By now most people understand that we need to change how we operate as a society. • We are contributing to climate change. • We are polluting our oceans. • We are endangering animal species. • We are destroying habitats which have taken thousands of years to create. • We have realised our resources are limited.

4. Sustainability in VET “Australia’s VET sector is based on a partnership between governments and industry. VET qualifications are provided by government institutions, called Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions, as well as private institutions. Our role as VET Educators continuously evolves as our environment changes. We as educators need to adapt to this change and provide the types of education demanded by our society. Australian governments (federal and state) provide funding, develop policies, and contribute to regulation and quality assurance of the sector. Industry and employer groups contribute to training policies and priorities, and in developing qualifications that deliver skills to the workforce”. Source: http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/global/australian-education/vocational-education Longitudinal surveys are conducted by NCVER to determine and measure these changes. They: “Track young people as they move from school into further study, work and other destinations. It uses large, nationally representative samples of young people to collect information about education and training, work, and social development”. Source: http://australia.gov.au/topics/education-and-training/vocational-education-and-training

5. Sustainability in VET It is clear from research that this agreement in particular has had an impact. A longitudinal survey found a significant increase in training for skills for sustainability in TAFE with respondents in 2008 indicating only 39% receiving information on sustainability through TAFE whereas by 2011 this had increased to 77%”. “Australia is a world leader in the area of greening skills. In 2000, the Australian Government established its first Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future: National Action Plan – a world first. In 2009, the states and federal government also signed a Green Skills Agreement to enable vocational education providers to expand their greener course offerings.

6. My Organisational Landscape Where I work my organisation is very much an advocate for sustainability. We have: • Recycling Programs. • Energy efficient lighting. • Automated building control services. • Solar power. • Policies for chemical storage and disposal.

7. The Project The outcome for me was behavioural change. I wanted to see if our lecturing staff could improve their sustainable practices in their work area. Recently I facilitated training to a group of lecturing staff. The training outcome for them was to achieve competency to deliver MSAENV272B – Participate in Sustainable Work Practices.

8. Activity At your table, discuss what Sustainability in Education means to you. Pick one person from your table as spokesperson, to share your response with the group. You have a few minutes now to discuss.

9. Delivering the Project This project: • Was delivered over 4 hours. • Was delivered in a workshop style setting • Was delivered to 8 Refrigeration Lecturers and 2 Engineering Lecturers. • There were two assessments.

10. EaS EaS is providing information to people on how they can be more sustainable. An example of this is speaking, showing a video, or demonstrating how much rubbish may be sent to landfill in a year, if each person in a community didn’t recycle all that was possible.

11. Assessment One Assessment one of this project was constructed to ensure that the Lecturers understood what EaS was. The task for this assessment was to identify two things they could do at work to be more sustainable and report on their findings.

12. Assessment One Results The results were surprising. Even in an organisational landscape which advocates sustainability there were still at least two things each lecturer found they could do better. As these things are demonstrated.. We will discuss both the financial and environmental savings.

13. Assessment One Results These included: • Re-using refrigerant in class room activities rather then send it back to the suppliers for recycling. • Reducing the size of classroom projects which require consumables to be constructed. • Using systems which require less refrigerant charge for student test evacuate and charge activities. • Using some new technologies to minimise waste such as hot wire cutters for the purpose of cutting polystyrene.

14. Assessment One Results • Reducing the number of waste bins in the office to reduce the number of plastic bags being wasted. • Shade structures be fitted with solar panels for night time campus lighting. • Manage personal use of consumables better. • Improve current use of soldering materials, by using a different strategy. Estimated financial saving of $750 per financial year.

15. EfS EfS is employing strategies which put EaS into measurable action and cause a permanent change in behaviour towards sustainability. The second assessment focused on this.

16. EfS Principles Transformation and change Education for sustainability is not simply about providing information but equipping people with the skills, capacity and motivation to plan and manage change towards sustainability within an organisation, industry or community. Education for all and lifelong learning Education for sustainability is driven by a broad understanding of education and learning that includes people of all ages and backgrounds and at all stages of life and takes place within all possible learning spaces, formal and informal, in schools, workplaces, homes and communities. Sustainability is an ongoing process that involves all people at all stages of life. Systems thinking Systems thinking is an approach that encourages us to look at systems in an holistic manner. It aims to equip people to understand connections between environmental, economic, social and political systems, and gain understanding by examining the linkages and interactions between the elements that comprise the whole. Examining the ‘big picture’ allows us to identify points of intervention to support constructive change Critical thinking and reflection To achieve change we need to increase the capacity of individuals and groups to reflect on personal experiences and world views and challenge accepted ways of interpreting and engaging with the world. Participation Education for sustainability recognises that active involvement and participation by everyone is critical if we are to achieve a sustainable world. Partnerships for change Education for sustainability focuses on the use of genuine partnerships to build networks and relationships, and improve communication between different sectors of society. Source: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, "Living Sustainably: the Australian Government's National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability" Envisioning a better future Education for sustainability engages people in developing a shared vision for a sustainable future. Conceptualising what we want for ourselves and future generations allows us to identify existing challenges and plan future improvements.

17. Assessment Two This required critically examining their current practices and make recommendations for improvement toward sustainability. Each lecturer involved proved there was at least one improvement they could have made to their existing practice. The Second Assessment asked the Lecturers to consider how they could use these EfS principals in their teaching and assessment. They were asked to select a Unit of Competency they deliver and look for the areas where sustainability outcomes are expressly required and also where there were opportunities to be incorporated.

18. The Project – What Worked Well • The lecturers attained the Unit of Competency for their PD record. • Collaborative learning proved to be crucial. • Removing the previously held views about sustainability • Having experienced assessors who had a great deal of patience and expertise. • Management support for this project was critical to its’ success. • Clear lines of communication.

19. The Buy In Behavioural change was noticed after: • Lecturers were able to establish a link between the learning material and their future employment. • Enabling them to see that there is a need for a change in how we as a society live, and that they CAN make a measurable difference by changing their own practices. • And asking the Question about our next generation...

20. The Question If we as educators do not teach the next generation to behave sustainably... THEN WHO WILL?

21. The Project – Areas for Improvement • Provide more explanation about the difference between EfS and EaS in the learning resources I chose. • The literacy and numeracy level I chose for this project was too high – I should have kept it at the level intended. • The initial choice to deliver this training online was an error in judgement. • Some of the assessment instructions were not clear enough.

22. The End Thank you for participation