Building Capability in the 21st Century

Vocational Education and Training (VET) practitioners provide training across a vast array of industries and enterprises in Australia. Not only do they need to be capable of doing what is required of them as the 'facilitator', 'lecturer', 'teacher', 'trainer' - they also need to be able to contribute towards:

- achieving their organisation's strategic goals
- achieving State and Federal Government Skills Reform Agendas, as well as
- achieving their own professional development objectives

This requires a diverse range of skills from the 'New VET Practitioner' in the 21st Century.

In order for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), both Public and Private, to help build their own staff's capabilities they will need to:

- develop an Organisational Capability Framework which reflects the organisation's strategic goals
- improve the way they manage their Staff Performance, and
- provide a supportive e-Portfolio system which enables staff to manage their own learning and performance outcomes.

"Building individual capability requires people to value their own worth, build on their strengthens, know what they lack, be self-aware and, above all follow their hearts and passions. They need to take ownership and responsibility, plan their career while keeping their eyes open for opportunities, and be able to sell their ideas effectively. This requires a fair degree of self motivation, as well as an awareness of the wider world in which they are operating. Effective mentoring and support (especially from management) help as well, but people also need to take risks, be innovative with their own learning and prepared to fail. They also need to connect their personal learning to the organisation's goals." (1)

Perhaps it is not only the 21st Century VET Practitioner who needs to build their capabilities - the VET RTO also needs to ....

(1) Hugh Guthrie, Having your say: Views from the Sector on enhancing vocational education and training provider capability, NCVER, 2008