August 25, 2012

 

USQ Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) student Clare Anthony took advantage of the Tafe pathway by completing a diploma before beginning her degree.

AN initiative developed between the University of Southern Queensland and Tafe Queensland to encourage more students to take up tertiary education has returned promising results.

More than 740 students have already joined USQ after studying at Tafe’s throughout Australia.

It is a 121 percent increase in 2011 and early results indicate an even stronger result for 2012.

The Queensland Tertiary Education Network, established in 2011 is the second initiative of the university, designed to strengthen the connection between industry, the higher education sector and the vocational education and training sector.

QTEPNet project manager Di Paez said the increase in numbers indicated students were taking advantage of new seamless pathways into a university degree from Tafe programs.

“There have been a number of opportunities opened up for prospective students,” Ms Paez said.

“Many Tafe’s now offer dual awards with USQ with the benefit of being able to jointly market courses that give seamless transition into degree programs and expand on the number of articulation pathways that are already in place.”

Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) student Clare Anthony took advantage of the Tafe pathway by completing a Diploma of Events Management at the Bremer Institute of Tafe before beginning her degree.

“On completion, I was able to gain direct entry into a USQ business degree without having to reapply and it took one year off my three year degree,” Ms Anthony said.

“I decided to take this route as I wasn’t certain my OP would make the cut off to go directly into university.

“This way I still only had to complete a three year program, but I have a diploma as well as my degree.

“The Tafe to uni option really suited my situation and worked for me. USQ were extremely supportive and I think it is one of the best pathways to university I know of.

“There is no time wasting and you receive the credit you deserve for the hard work you already put in. If I can do it, than anyone can.”

Now in her final year of study, Ms Anthony said she planned to work as an accountant and continue studying to become a Chartered Accountant.

Source: The Chronicle 23rd August 2012

August 21, 2011

Parents – secure your childs future

The University of Queensland Foundation Year (UQFY) program prepares international students for entry into the first year of all undergraduate courses at UQ. Students from more than 40 countries are enrolled on this course. Graduates enter all faculties of UQ including Arts, Sciences, Business Economics and Law, Engineering, Architecture and IT, Health Sciences, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. Graduates of the program also enjoy a high measure of academic success at UQ. Studies undertaken indicate that UQFY alumni have an average GPA higher than that of other international students.

Since the program commenced, UQFY has become one of the most respected foundation programs in Australia with more than 85% of students continuing on to study undergraduate programs at UQ. To date, more than 3,000 undergraduate students who have entered UQ through UQFY.

The University of Queensland (Ranked third in Australia) was ranked as one of the top 50 universities in the world by the QS World University Rankings. The quality of the delivery can be judged by the teaching staff and their experience. Here are some of the teachers on the Foundation programmes:

Dr Peter Munro BSc (UQ, Hons Chem) PhD (UQ, Biochem) – CHEMISTRY CO-ORDINATOR

Peter taught for ten years in primary and lower-secondary Catholic schools in country Queensland. He enjoyed teaching but also wanted to gain a Bachelor of Science. He entered The University of Queensland as a mature age student in 1985 and studied chemistry, mathematics and physics. He enjoyed university so much that he stayed on to complete his PhD in 1994.

He moved to the USA for three years to undertake research work in the computer simulation of living systems. He returned to teaching in 2000 and taught maths and science in various high schools around Brisbane. He started teaching on the Foundation programme in 2008. His varied background gives him a good insight into the different paths open to university students. He enjoyed playing rugby and cricket when he was younger. Now, he is a keen bridge player.

Mr Max King – B.Arts (Mathematics), Teaching Diploma – DIRECTOR OF STUDIES

Teaches Mathematics on the UQ Foundation Year program since its inception in 1998. Mathematics has always been one of his passions and he really enjoys the interaction with students in the classroom. Some people tell him he is crazy because he also enjoys the timetabling part of his job.

It is treated like a mathematical puzzle and he tries to come up with the best possible solution to the problem to ensure that students are able to select a variety of subjects and not miss out because of conflicts.

Mr David Hooper – BAppSc (Biol)-QUT, Grad Dip Teaching (Science)-QUT – BIOLOGY CO-ORDINATOR

 

David has been a science teacher since 1985, with much of this time spent as the Head of Science in various public schools throughout Queensland. He has been the Biology Co-ordinator since 2000 and enjoys interacting with his students and how they politely laugh at all of his jokes!

The field excursion to North Stradbroke Island is a highlight of the course as it allows students to work with teachers outside of class and interact with nature. Most of his spare time is spent with his family, but he also has a long-standing interest in aviation, nature conservation and food! His latest passion is travel, and he has recently visited Hong Kong, Japan and Malaysia.

Mr Theo Skordilis – MEd (Leadership), BEd(Phys/Chem), Dip Teach (Sc/Ma) – PHYSICS CO-ORDINATOR

Theo coordinates and teaches the Physics program and has also taught Chemistry for many years. Being a migrant and of Greek origin, Theo is well aware of the language, social and emotional needs of international students. Theo is a very experienced and innovative teacher having worked in many private colleges since 1985.

 

Source: Sunday Times, 21 Augusrt 2011

December 9, 2009

 

Technical and Further Education or TAFE (pronounced [tæɪf]) institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary educationcourses in Australia, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework. Fields covered include hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, secretarial skills, visual arts, computer programming and community work.

 

Individual TAFE institutions (usually with many campuses) are known as either colleges or institutes, depending on the state or territory. TAFE colleges are owned, operated and financed by the various State and Territory Governments. This is in contrast to the higher education sector, whose funding is predominantly the domain of the Commonwealth government and whose universities are predominantly owned by the state governments.

 

  1. Qualifications awarded by TAFE colleges

TAFE colleges generally award qualifications up to the level of advanced diploma, which is below that of Bachelor degree within the Australian Qualifications Framework. In many instances TAFE study can be used as partial credit towards Bachelor degree-level university programs.

 

From 2002 the TAFE education sector has been able to offer Bachelor degrees and post-graduate diploma courses to fill niche areas, particularly vocationally focused areas of study based on industry needs. As at June 2009 10 TAFE colleges (mainly in Victoria, but also Western Australia, ACT, and Queensland) now confer their own degree-level awards and post graduate diplomas, though not beyond the level of Bachelor degree; this practice is somewhat controversial due to the blurring of once clearly defined boundaries between sectors.[1][2]


Students who enroll in these undergraduate degree courses at TAFE are required to pay full fees and are not entitled to Commonwealth Government supported student fee loans. While Universities have the ability and power to design and offer their own degree courses, each TAFE degree course must be assessed and approved by the Higher Education Accreditation Committee (HEAC).[1]


TAFEs in some states can also teach senior high school qualifications, like the VCE and the HSC. Some universities, e.g. Charles Darwin University and Swinburne University of Technology, offer TAFE courses; these are funded by the local state and territory governments. Some High Schools also deliver courses developed and accredited by TAFEs.

 

Some private institutions also offer courses from TAFEs, however they more commonly offer other vocational education and training courses.

 

Note that many Australians refer to all sub-degree courses as ‘TAFE’ courses, no matter what institution creates or delivers the course. Before the 1990s, the TAFEs had a near monopoly in the sector. TAFE courses provide students an opportunity for certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma qualifications in a wide range of areas.

 

  1. Links to immigration outcomes

Taking TAFE courses may entitle the trainee to be eligible for the skilled immigration program of Australia [3]. This results in large numbers of international students who have enrolled into TAFE courses for seeking immigration outcomes.

 

  1. TAFE colleges by state/territory

In most cases, TAFE campuses are grouped into TAFE institutions along geographic lines. Most TAFEs are given a locally recognised region of the country where they exclusively operate covering a wide range of subjects.

 

A few TAFEs specialise in a single area of study. These are usually found near the middle of the capital cities, and service the whole state or territory. For example, the Trade and Technician Skills Institute in Brisbane, (from 1 July 2006), specialises in automotive, building and construction, manufacturing and engineering, and electrical/electronic studies for students throughout Queensland. Or the William Angliss Institute of TAFE in Melbourne which specialises in food, hospitality and tourism courses for Victoria.

  1. 4 Australian Capital Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory these include:

 

  1. 5 New South Wales

There are ten TAFE NSW Institutes in NSW which include:

 

  1. 6 Northern Territory

In the Northern Territory these include:

 

  1. 7 Queensland

In QueenslandTAFE Queensland includes:

 

  1. 8 South Australia

In South AustraliaTAFE SA includes:

  1. 9 Tasmania

In Tasmania, there are two government TAFE organisations:

 

  1. 10 Victoria

In Victoria these include:

 

  1. 11 Western Australia

In Western Australia TAFEWA includes:

 

  1. References
    1. a b TAFE gears up to offer degrees By Rebecca Scott, The Age July 24 2002. Accessed August 3 2008
    2. ^ Leesa Wheelahan, Gavin Moodie, Stephen Billett and Ann Kelly, Higher education in TAFE, Research report published by National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), September 3, 2009. Accessed September 24, 2009
    3. ^ Skilled migration coursesQueensland Government December 3 2008. Accessed November 9 2009

 

 

Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

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