The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning in TAFE: Challenges, issues and implications for teachers

Abstract

In recent times, governments have introduced new policies and programs to address the needs of early school leavers. One such initiative is the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), which aims to provide a vocationally-oriented alternative to the academic senior school certificate. Since the implementation of VCAL in the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) sector from 2003, TAFE institutes have been experiencing an influx of young learners for whom most teachers have not traditionally catered. To date, however, there has been inadequate research on the impact and implications of the VCAL in TAFE. This paper begins to address this gap by examining the challenges posed by the VCAL in TAFE from a teacher perspective. Based on a small-scale research study at one TAFE institute, the paper draws primarily upon data from in-depth interviews with key teaching and support staff. It finds that TAFE teachers face a number of significant issues which need to be addressed if the VCAL is to be delivered effectively in TAFE on an ongoing basis.