Data Standards between VET and Uni aren’t enough for seamless transition

Tertiary educators are facing barriers when they try to meet the Australian Universities Accord reforms to create better credit recognition and  seamless pathways from VET to uni. Establishing a collaboration framework that facilitates easy transition from VET into degrees needs to be built on an agreed regime in order to succeed. 

Data standards are just the beginning 

TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) is going to delver a TAFETalk on Harmonisation and the importance of shared data standards.

A critical challenge to harmonisation is that tertiary providers’ data systems are not aligned, limiting collaboration, creating duplication, and making student mobility difficult.

Australia has had agreed technical standards, that include agreement on semantics. Technical stuff is the easiest standard to negotiate. Security standards will be a critical issue.

Governance

Tertiary education providers need to agree on who is responsible for what and to what standard. These decisions can be value laden and difficult to negotiate.

Legal Framework

Establishing an agreed legal framework will be tricky as VET is a State government responsibility while universities are Commonwealth. Issues about international students, copyright and privacy will need to be agreed. It is easiest to all adopt Commonwealth legal frameworks.

Business Rules

We also need agreed Business Rules. How things are managed to preserve the reputation of collaborating organisations need to be agreed. This involves egos and personal preferences and they are the most difficult issues to negotiate. 

Financial Rules

If there is a standard framework then recognizing VET skills by unis will be low cost. VET providers will need to establish systems to ensure that unis don’t bare the costs involved in recognizing VET qualifications. 

Summary

The Australian Government developed its first Strategy for Joined Up Government in 2003. It is a great template that could be used by those trying to develop seamless pathways. Without an agreement, transition from VET to uni will continue to be ad hoc and wasteful.