Skills for Education and Employment (SEE)
Program Changes
Introduction
In July 2012 the Department released the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP)
Discussion Paper, Creating a more flexible LLNP in 2013-16. The Discussion paper sought feedback
on program policies and how the program could be improved for the future.
There was an overwhelming response to the Discussion paper with high quality submissions received.
Table 1 below provides a summary of the program changes that will be implemented for the 2013-16
contract period and reasons for adopting the change.
In addition to the program changes covered in the Discussion Paper, the Department also reviewed
administrative procedures with the aim of streamlining due processes where possible. Feedback from
providers regarding improved administrative processes formed the impetus for this review. Other
administrative changes were required to align with the changes to the delivery of the program. Table 2
provides a summary of some of the administrative changes.
Table 1 – Summary of program delivery changes
Program Name Change
Change
Reason
Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program.
The Department undertook market research in 2010 to determine obstacles to
engagement in the program for Australian born jobseekers. Market research
feedback demonstrated there is a close identification between the name of the
program and perceived social stigma. The result of the research was a new
program name Skills for Education and Employment (SEE). This recommendation
supported the consistent feedback provided to the department that there is a
negative stigma attached to participation because of the name.
Discussion paper submissions were overwhelmingly supportive of changing the
name of the program from LLNP to SEE.
Business Service Area (BSA) to Service Delivery Area (SDA)
Change
BSA geographic boundaries have been aligned to the Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations - Employment Service Areas (ESAs) and
will be known as Service Delivery Areas (SDAs).
Reason
Aligning boundaries used by Employment Service Providers will reduce red tape,
create synergies between programs and reduce confusion through having to
maintain two different sets of maps.
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Expansion of a multi-provider model
Change
Expand the multi-provider model to more SDAs to cater to the growth in the
program. Deeds of Standing Offer will be entered into with successful
organisations as a result of the Request for Tender.
Currently 125 BSAs have a single LLNP Provider.
Some SDAs already have multiple providers and program funding has nearly
doubled since the last tender process. Expanding the multi-provider model is the
most efficient method of service delivery for the program. The ability to have
multiple providers in a service area is considered a key area of program
management improvement.
Reason
The change is intended to create an environment of improved quality training
delivery, as the market will be more responsive to demand within a geographic
area. The multi-provider model will also allow the Government to provide greater
coverage within a SDA as some providers may be stretched and unable to service
the whole area. If provider performance is poor, geographical coverage is limited
or the current provider goes out of business, the department will have the option to
select another suitable provider to service the required area. This will facilitate
increased program assurance, accountability and continuation of service delivery.
Training Block Removal
Change
Removal of the 200 hour blocks of training, however, regular assessment points
will continue to be a requirement.
The removal of the requirement for training to be delivered in 200 hour blocks will
enable providers to become more flexible in their delivery of curricula and will
result in less disruption to clients’ training. This change will also help providers to
incorporate vocational qualifications along with improving client’s LLN skills.
Reason


73 per cent of respondents supported the removal of 200 hour training blocks
to create greater flexible delivery of training.
However, respondents also indicated the need for regular assessment points.
For continuity 200 hour assessment points remain. For operational detail see
the Provider instructions.
Complementary Training (CT) and Advanced Vocationally Oriented Courses (AVOC)
Remove the need for specific CT and AVOC courses. All training courses
delivered should have contextualised training embedded as standard practice.
Change
All providers should now be contextualising the training to both the local
requirements as well as to the needs of their students – who are usually vulnerable
job seekers.
Reason
Contextualised training, including vocational courses, will be treated as normal
practice and not an additional concept or training process that requires prior
approval.
Discussion paper submissions were supportive of removing specific CT and
AVOC.
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Teacher and Assessor Qualifications
1. At a minimum, teachers and assessors must have:
- an undergraduate degree of at least three years duration;
AND
- A Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA40110) or equivalent,
as required by the AQTF, including a unit in foundation skills unit and at
least 100 hours teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) or Adult
Literacy/Numeracy in the last three years;
OR
- a specialist Adult Literacy qualification - including but not limited to,
emerging foundation skills courses recognised by the ASQA and any LLN
Scholarships courses funded by the department;
OR
- a recognised specialist TESOL qualification.
Change
In remote SDAs where the service provider is unable to recruit teachers and
assessors that meet the minimum qualification requirements, they may apply to the
Department for a waiver of the minimum teacher requirements. The waiver
application must include details of efforts made to achieve the minimum
qualification requirements.
Where the Department approves a ‘remote waiver’, the minimum teacher/assessor
qualifications are as below:
- an undergraduate degree of at least three years duration;
OR
- a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA40104) as required by
the AQTF;
AND
- at least 100 hours teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) or Adult
Literacy/Numeracy in the last three years.
Reason
2.
Alignment of assessor and teacher qualification requirements. This alignment
will allow providers some flexibility with the distribution of the LLNP
workforce.

62 per cent of respondents to the discussion paper believed that the
qualifications should remain above the Australian Quality Training Framework
minimum requirements.
There was also support from respondents in relation to flexible arrangements
for rural and remote areas. The arrangement allows for continued high-quality
accredited training, but with added flexibilities.

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Work Experience
Change
There is no longer a requirement to seek prior approval for a client to undertake
work experience. Instead, providers will be required to ensure the work
experience is clearly linked to the desired learning outcomes for that client. A
process will be established to independently verify these linkages.
Work experience is a critical component of adult learning. The current
administrative load on providers may reduce their capacity to source work
experience opportunities for their clients.
Reason
Work experience placements are currently not linked to learning outcomes and
approval is only sought for clients to undertake work experience. The introduction
of the assessment of learning outcomes is expected to improve the quality of work
experience placements and to have this activity linked to learning gained.
The discussion paper submissions were overwhelmingly supportive of removing
the requirement for departmental approval of work experience.
Pre Training Assessment (PTA)
Change
Reason
Providers can elect to undertake a PTA assessment within the first two weeks of
training. However, for most job seekers, it is expected that undertaking a PTA
before training commences will continue to be the most appropriate approach.
In recognition of the difficulties for Providers to engage and retain some of the
more vulnerable job seekers with the current process of undertaking the PTA, the
Department is allowing PTAs to be undertaken within the first 2 weeks of training.
This will give providers more flexibility in assessing clients’ capabilities.

57 per cent of respondents to the discussion paper also support the extension of
time allowed to conduct the PTA.
Payments
Change
Reason
Milestone payment system will be removed and replaced with an hour by hour
payment process.
The current system disadvantages providers by not paying for services delivered
when job seekers leave courses prior to reaching the next milestone. This may
discourage providers from taking on more disadvantaged job seekers who may be
more likely to leave courses prior to completion. The new system aligns with the
increased flexibility resulting from the removal of the 200 hour training block
structure.

90 per cent of respondents to the discussion paper agreed that milestone
payments should be replaced with hour for hour payment.
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Key Performance Indicators
Removed: KPI Retention and KPI Data Accuracy.
Retention

The Retention KPI has been removed to reflect the removal of the 200 hour
training blocks. Instead, there will be a focus on client attainment.
Data Quality and Accuracy

It has proved difficult to effectively capture meaningful information on data
accuracy. Current system rules have reduced data entry errors.
Amended: KPIs on Participation, Attainment and Quality
The Participation, Attainment and Quality KPIs are valid measures of program
performance but have been reworded to clarify their definition and measurement
and to reflect program changes such as the removal of 200 hour blocks.
Participation
Key Performance Indicator
Minimum Performance Standard
KPI: Participation (revised)
Change
Number of clients recommended
for training who commence in the
program.
90% of clients recommended for
training actually commenced
training.
KPI: Participation (previous)
The extent to which Program
places funded on an annual basis
are taken up by Clients
- no less than 90% of offered places
are filled
Attainment
Key Performance Indicator
Minimum Performance Standard
KPI: Attainment (revised)
Client benefits from program
training as measured by ACSF
improvement.
80% of clients attain one ACSF
indicator per full 100 hours of
training.
KPI: Attainment (previous)
The extent to which Clients who
complete a block of 200 hours of
training achieve satisfactory
progress against the agreed
benchmark.
- no less than 80% of all streams and
all blocks of 200-hours achieve
satisfactory progress or above.
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Revised Assessment and Quality Training
Key Performance Indicator
Minimum Performance Standard
KPI: Accurate Assessment
Client assessment is accurate in
accordance with the ACSF.
80% of client assessment outcomes
are appropriate and accurate against
the ACSF.
KPI: Quality Training
Client receives quality training
aligned to the ACSF
Reason
80% of client learning outcomes are
appropriate and accurate against the
ACSF.
These changes will bring the KPIs in line with the program’s objective to increase
the LLN skill levels of clients. The 2010-13 contract KPIs involved external
factors which were not within the control of the LLNP provider and these factors
have been removed from the revised set of indicators.
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Table 2 – Program administrative Changes
2012 - Australian
Core Skills
Framework
The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) was revised in 2011 and the new
version includes the addition of the ACSF Pre Level 1 Supplement. Clients’ skill
levels will be assessed against the revised ACSF.
Absence
Tolerance
The absence tolerance policy is no longer required due to the removal of the
milestone payments and the introduction of the hour per hour payment system.
Out of Area
Referrals
Out-of-area referrals no longer apply due to the expansion of the multi provider
model.
Suspensions from
Training
Removal of training blocks means that operational policy needs to be modified to
reflect the new approach to servicing. Clients engagement continues to be a
critical component and therefore clients cannot be suspended for more than four
consecutive weeks, and no more than 12 weeks in 800 hours of training
Removal of training blocks means that the assessment points originally conducted
at the end of 200 hour training blocks have been reviewed.


Assessment Points

Regular assessments can now be undertaken at any time during a client’s
training, but will be required to be completed at least once in every 200 hours
of training.
Where clients do not improve in ACSF indicators, a waiver will not be
sought. Instead the provider will need to make an assessment whether the
client will improve their LLN skills by continuing in the program
Failure to achieve improvements will be reflected in the Attainment KPI. Ongoing poor performance in the Attainment KPI will result in performance
discussions.
Previous assessments required for the program will continue but will be split into
two different assessment points. These are, Interval Progress Assessment
(produced at regular assessment points) and Learning Outcome Assessment (final
assessment). Together these will replace the Block Exit Statement. The changes
have been made to reflect the introduction of 800 hours of continuous training.
The cap of 40 hours is removed as 200 hour training blocks will no longer apply.
Work Experience
Clients must complete 30 hours of Face to Face Delivery first before commencing
work experience. Training must be no more than four consecutive weeks, and can
be utilised no more than 12 weeks in 800 hours of training.
Small Group Training is still considered an important assimilation option and will
continue to be part of the program delivery with a minor change.
Small Group
Training
The training should apply for the first 20 hours of training only as it is expected
that after 20 hours of training, clients can commence in larger groups of training.
There will be a new payment for the delivery of SGT, paid in the form of a 50 per
cent percentage loading.
A mix of face-to-face and distance mode training is an important training delivery
option.
Mixed-mode
Training
To reflect the removal of the 200 hour training blocks, clients must complete 30
hours of Face to Face Delivery first before commencing the distance component of
Mixed Mode study. The distance component of training must be no more than
four consecutive weeks, and can be utilised no more than 12 weeks in 800 hours of
training.
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Table 3 – Remote Servicing
Remote Servicing
In recognition that delivering LLN training services in remote areas is complex,
LLNP providers have been seeking separate guidelines as delivery in remote areas
has unique issues and requirements that are not currently covered in the LLNP
guidelines. This feedback was supported through responses to the Discussion
paper.

Change
96 per cent of those who responded on this specific issue to the discussion
paper believe that a community-based model would improve remote client
participation.
Changes to the mainstream program have addressed many of the remote issues
raised, allowing the program to continue the same objective with some
administrative relaxations in remote areas. Therefore, separate provider
instructions for those delivering in remote areas will not be developed.
The remote service chapter outlines the different service delivery options available
in those areas that does not exist for the delivery of the program outside of remote
identified SDA. Some of the differences include:




The ability for providers to scope potential communities to determine
whether there is a need for LLN training and whether the delivery of the
program can be sustained;
Community protocols in remote areas and Indigenous community
engagement;
Consider more flexible recording of referral process; and
The need to create strong working relationships with Remote Jobs and
Community Program providers.
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