Welcome to Charles Darwin University

Collaborative training group lands national award

15 November 2004

A vocational education and training group of which Charles Darwin University is a member was recently recognised with a national TAFE award.

Charles Darwin University is a member of the Australian TAFE Consortium (ATCON) which took out the Australian TAFE Marketing Association Award for Strategic Partnership and Innovation.

Established in 1994, ATCON is the result of a strategic alliance between TAFE providers in each State and Territory of Australia. It is the largest nation-wide provider of vocational education and practical training in Australia with more than 80,000 teachers located at over 600 metropolitan and regional locations

The award recognised a collaboration between 11 Consortium members for the delivery of a public services training package to the Department of Defence.

In July 2003, ATCON responded to a national request for tender from the Department of Defence for the provision of training under the Public Services Training Package.

The Department was seeking a training provider, able to deliver face-to-face training to civilian and military personnel, across Australia. It wanted to enter into an arrangement with a single entity (not multiple groups) with national coverage and an ability to ensure high-quality training with comparable outcomes, regardless of the geographical location of the individuals completing the training.

Subsequently, the Consortium developed a competitive proposal that involved 11 TAFE providers (including Charles Darwin University). This collaboration was awarded the two-year contract for the Department of Defence in February 2004 with the possibility of extending the contract for an additional two years.

Other ATCON members working together on this initiative are CIT Solutions, TAFE NSW, TAFE SA, Challenger TAFE, Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE, Open Learning Institute of TAFE, Kangan Batman TAFE, Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE, Gordon Institute of TAFE and TAFE Tasmania.

The strategic collaboration between these members has developed a strong client relationship through:

  • One point of contact centrally
  • Local contacts matched to Defence units
  • Shared resources (where a trainer is unavailable from one provider, another ATCON member can step in to ensure the client’s needs are met)
  • Ongoing evaluation and improvement (through conducting evaluations of facilitator and student feedback and coordinating local and central reports for Defence)

Evidence of the growing relationship is apparent in the fact that Defence have willingly agreed to act as a referee for ATCON on two separate tender opportunities in which the consortium is involved.

Furthermore, discussions have commenced with significant players in federal government and it is envisaged that ATCON will begin to more vigorously investigate these opportunities as the success with Defence grows.

Already, the Consortium has come together on two further tender opportunities, one a grant for a National Centre and one for the provision of services to a major national Government owned body.