Project 3 Overview 

Researchers:

• Dr Thanh Pham, Monash University
• Dr Andy Pham, Chisholm Institute
• Dr Ben Allitt, Chisholm Institute
• Jessica Corbett, Chisholm Institute

This project will provide research insights about national and international best practice in the design and implementation of ‘centres of excellence’. Centres of excellence have previously been established in Victoria in a number of different contexts including the Holmesglen Tunnelling Centre of Excellence, Kangan Automotive CofE and Health and Community CofE. More recently, they have been included as a policy initiative under the National Skills Agreement that would:

• provide national leadership in the delivery of skills, education and training
• bring together employers, unions, universities and other education and training providers to develop and implement real work and practical solutions to meet skills needs
• support industry and enrich students’ learning experience through applied research and problem-solving programs
• enable innovation in the delivery of tertiary education, such as the development and delivery of higher apprenticeships in areas of high skills need
• disseminate best practice across the TAFE network, and
• enabling organisational innovation and teaching and training excellence.

With the proliferation of activity associated with the establishment of centres of excellence (or entities that use the nomenclature of a ‘centre of excellence’) across many fields and sectors there is a risk that the term may lose specificity and key factors or criteria associated with their successful implementation may be lost. This project therefore aims to build understanding and provide advice to policy-makers and project design and implementation staff regarding the varied conceptualisations of centres of excellence. It will also provide foundational data and evidence to inform the development of an applied research framework for Victorian VET Providers (aligned with Action 18 in the Victorian Skills Plan for 2023 into 2024).

The primary output of the research will be an organising framework or model that presents the different conceptualisations of centres of excellence in a structured manner. 

AVETRA has been engaged by the Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) for a two-year programme to engage Australian VET researchers to produce ‘Research Insights’.

These Research Insights will translate findings and evidence from existing research into critical policy facing outputs. The Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) provides financial support to AVETRA under a grant agreement to support AVETRA members’ research activities. Although the VSA is providing financial support for this research, the research is not a statement of Victorian Government policy. The Victorian Government provides no endorsement of the research’s content, recommendations, or findings. By sharing the final research insight, VSA makes no representation about the Victorian Government’s intention to implement any recommendations or findings identified in the research.