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The federal and Victorian governments have announced the creation of up to 62,800 additional fee-free TAFE positions in Victoria over a five-year period beginning in 2024. With a skills shortage identified in the construction sector – including among specialists in refrigeration and air conditioning – the announcement looks set to make training more accessible for […]
AIRAH has noted the positives in an election-focused Federal Budget 2025-26, while also signalling missed opportunities.
With the Australian HVAC&R sector facing a trade skills shortage, Nick Johns-Wickberg looks at novel approaches to recruiting and retention.
Louise Belfield speaks to fridgies and business owners to see what they think of mandatory continuing professional development.
The atmosphere was hot as six apprentices battled it out in a WorldSkills regional event at Box Hill Institute’s Elgar campus.
WA will establish Australia’s first TAFE Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence thanks to $70.5 million in funding.
We peek into the highly competitive “Olympics of HVAC&R skills” to see how the Australian team is preparing for WorldSkills Lyon in September.
Woolworths will mark World Refrigeration Day on June 26 with a series of site visits to transcritical CO₂ refrigeration plant rooms.
TAFE SA’s Tradie to Trainer program provides free education – and a salary – for experienced tradespeople to become lecturers.
On Thursday, November 23, RMIT held its Vocational Education Student Awards at the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne. The awards ceremony was the first of its kind, bringing together students from all streams of VE to celebrate the institute’s highest achievers in 2023. Deputy Vice Chancellor of Vocational Education and Vice President of RMIT University Mish […]
November has been a busy month for skills training in Australia. The federal and Victorian governments combined to announce funding for up to 62,800 new fee-free TAFE positions in Victoria – with the construction industry highlighted as a major area of need. Meanwhile, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released a report suggesting […]
Charles Darwin University (CDU) has marked International Women’s Day 2023 by announcing the launch of a new Women in Trades mentoring program. The program connects young women commencing their apprenticeships with women working in the NT trades sector. CDU Careers Centre has partnered with the NT chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction […]
At the National Jobs and Skills Summit, the federal government unveiled major initiatives to address Australia’s skills crisis. But industry insiders warn that the real work is still to come. During the summit, the government announced 465,000 additional fee-free TAFE placements, along with planned changes to Australia’s skilled migration system. Working with industry, unions and […]
Vocational education and training (VET) has long been surrounded by negative perceptions. In a recent “What if” paper, VOCEDplus discusses what would happen if we could overcome these negative perceptions. The paper notes that societal perceptions of VET are influenced by a variety of factors, including the terminology surrounding vocational training versus higher education. VET […]
Two new units of competency are being added to the Electrotechnology Training Package. The technical advisory committees (TACs) have now considered all stakeholder feedback and the draft materials are available for final validation to ensure they meet industry needs. The unit UEERA999Y Inspect, test and repair fire and smoke control features of mechanical services systems […]
A group of educators around the country are proposing a collaborative approach to implementing the new refrigeration and air conditioning training package. If successful, it would constitute a first within Australia’s vocational education sector. The new version of the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration trade course, UEE32220, was recently endorsed for national use. […]
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) is coordinating an update of the national electrotechnology training package and has made the draft materials available for final comments. The electrotechnology training package includes the materials used to teach refrigeration and air conditioning throughout Australia. It has undergone some important changes. Three units have been restructured so that students get […]
TAFE Queensland has opened a new high-tech training hub at its Ashmore campus. The fit-out, which cost $1.5 million, boasts state-of-the-art equipment and will benefit more than 1,200 electrical and air conditioning and refrigeration students. The hub has eight coldrooms, including two with freezer room options. There is a practical workshop area, a hybrid practical […]
A new HVAC Centre of Excellence at Holmesglen’s Chadstone campus was officially launched by the Victorian Skills Commissioner Neil Coulson on May 28. The launch was attended by around 100 guests from the HVAC and associated industries, including the organisations who supported the centre. The facility is a collaborative partnership between Holmesglen and the Air […]
To celebrate World Refrigeration Day on June 26, Woolworths is throwing open the plant room doors at two of its most technically advanced supermarkets and inviting the public to look around. The open day, supported by RACCA, AIRAH and RMIT, is open to anyone interested in getting a look at the inner workings of supermarket […]