Case study 2: VET in Schools and pre-vocational programs in building and construction

TAFE SA (Marleston campus)

Embracing the future

What’s it going to be like in five years time? What will the kids of school age now want in the way they are taught? Where are trades going and what impact will the big economies have on our little training networks here in Australia? – Brian Gepp, Lecturer

Marleston campus building and construction teachers want to use e-learning so they can anticipate and meet the future, head-on.

Their concern is two-fold: the learning needs of students who are coming out of school now, and the changes occurring in the building and construction industry.

Although the building and construction department takes on apprentices, an important part of their training is the VET in Schools and pre-vocational programs. It is in these two programs that e-learning tools have been used so successfully. The quest for the teachers is to keep the students engaged and motivated by building on their interests and the digital understanding that many already have.

The pre-vocational program is run over 20 weeks. There are two intakes each year; 75 students in the first intake and 45 students in the second. The VET program takes in 100 students each year.

The students come from a range of colleges and schools. Don Bills, the coordinator of pre-vocational programs, has noticed a significant difference in the computer literacy of those from the independent colleges and the state schools. Students from independent schools are more conversant with computers.

There are four electronic tools that staff are using which we explore in this case study – AutoCAD 3D, Moodle, digital storytelling (video) and Excel.

TO READ THE FULL CASE STUDY - DOWNLOAD THE PDF