Ali posted on February 28, 2011 10:14
IBSA Chair John Vines, OAM launched the new Integrated Telecommunications Training Package (ICT10) at the recent joint Telstra – TAFE NSW IT and T Engineering Qualification Accreditation Program launch, highlighting the role Telstra has played as a key business in the telecommunications industry and the vital role TAFE NSW has played in the development work for the new package. He noted that the package has undergone enormous change to bring the skills and learning guidance to the standard needed by a rapidly changing industry and drew particular attention to the focus on emerging skills and training needs in digital technology.
IBSA Chair, John Vines OAM addressing the Telstra-TAFE NSW program launch participants
The launch celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between TAFE NSW and Telstra Operations for training to create many more future career development opportunities for Telstra employees.
The Chair stressed that achieving skilling excellence requires “true partnership approaches” and that the joint Telstra-TAFE NSW project is an exciting example of IBSA’s industry connection. In his words: “the Telstra partnership is important to our Skills Council and not only as an industry adviser on the updating of ICT10; Telstra also has an IBSA facilitated Enterprise Based Productivity Places project that is using the newly revised qualifications to upskill existing employees in five certificates - Telecommunications Network Planning and Network Engineering, Advanced Telecommunications Engineering and two levels of skilling in Project Management”.
L-R: John Vines OAM IBSA Chair, Pam Christie Deputy Director-General TAFE and Community Education, Michael Coutts-Trotter, Director-General of Education and Training and Managing Director of TAFE NSW, Michael Lawrey, Executive Director, Architecture, Online and Media, Telstra.
The Chair also noted the importance of mentioning that these areas of upskilling have been undertaken through the Enterprise Based Productivity Places Program which is an innovative approach to funding industry skilling that has been adopted and supported by the Australian Government.
IBSA’s training package work was strategically overseen by an industry reference group that provided valuable input to the underpinning knowledge to support industry skilling for building the Australian economy’s modern telecommunications systems. “Telstra has played a very significant role in the development of higher level qualifications and was engaged in both the consultation and development process”, he said.
The Training Package now contains 26 qualifications and 238 units of competency along with the Skill Sets that provide additional pathways for the telecommunications workforce.
L-R Gabriele Giofre Industry Manager IBSA, Ralph Curnow Digital Switchover Taskforce Telstra, Barry Melville Digital Switchover Taskforce Telstra, Rosalie Staggard General Manager Industry Projects IBSA.
For more information about the Telstra-TAFE NSW project, please go to the website