Providing Vocational Education and Training (VET) for NSW Rural Schools and Students: the 'Stage of Play'

Abstract

A strategic framework for VET in Schools (1998-2000) was developed by the Department of Education and Training to coordinate the development and implementation of Vocational Education andTraining (VET) in government schools across NSW. One clear advantage of the vocational education curriculum in schools is that it offers a broader range of choices to students and has the potential to satisfy the needs and aspirations of a broader range of students than can be accommodated within the traditional curriculum. Vocational learning and VET are also emerging as major mechanisms for helping young people negotiate the complex transition from CHILD to ADULT. The major distance education provider for NSW school and TAFE students is the Open Training and Education Network - Distance Education Directorate (OTEN-DE). OTEN-DE meets the needs of students across the state who must access vocational education and training by means of distance education, either as isolated learners or as students in smaller rural schools. This paper explores some conceptual and practical issues associated with the provision of vocational learning and VET for students in isolated and rural areas.