Learn Local
Focusing on the Future
Published by the
Department of Education and Training
Melbourne
Revised edition published January 2015
Original edition published August 2013
© State of Victoria (Department of Education
and Training) 2013
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ISBN 978-0-7594-0739-8
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
2
Contents
ACFE Chair’s foreword
5
Highlights
6
The need for a Learn Local strategy
7
Strategic Direction 1:
Refocusing and refining the role of Learn Local
13
Strategic Direction 2:
Promoting durable networks and co-location of services
to improve pathways and sustainability
16
Strategic Direction 3:
Building the Learn Local sector’s capability to deliver
high-quality education services
21
Implementing the strategy
24
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
3
Victoria’s Learn Local sector
The Learn Local sector—also known as the Adult Community Education (ACE) sector—plays a vital role in making sure that
all Victorians have an opportunity to access education and training.
The Learn Local sector in Victoria is made up of diverse, independent, community-owned and managed not-for-profit
organisations registered with and funded through the Adult Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board.
The sector attracts around 75,000 students to vocational training each year (including government-funded and fee-forservice places). Some have had limited access to prior education, have experienced disadvantage or have faced barriers in
learning. Their needs may not be met by more formal education institutions. Learn Local students include young people
who are disengaged from education, people with a disability, Indigenous Australians, culturally and linguistically diverse
(CALD) people, unemployed people and vulnerable workers. Adults wanting to improve their literacy, numeracy and
digital literacy often use Learn Local organisations to enter or re-enter learning.
Learn Local organisations offer pre-accredited training (initial vocational training courses that provide a pathway to work
or accredited training) and accredited training (courses that provide competencies or full qualifications that are nationally
recognised). Pre-accredited training courses are government-funded and purchased by the ACFE Board. Organisations
delivering accredited training participate in the contestable training market in the same way as TAFEs and private
Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). In 2012, the Learn Local sector delivered 14 per cent of publicly funded
Victorian accredited training.
Learn Local organisations play a particularly strong role in their local communities. More than two-thirds of the 300-plus
registered in Victoria are Neighbourhood and Community Houses. About half are in regional areas. Learn Local
organisations deliver a wide range of services to local communities, including recreation and leisure services, community
development activities, childcare and health services, and employment services and programs. The diversity of services
and support accessible from a single location or network makes many Learn Locals examples of ‘Community Service
Centres’. This is a key strength to be supported. This community focus means that many people first experience formal
training options and pathways through the accessible community services and activities offered by Learn Local
organisations.
Learn Local organisations can offer an informal and inclusive learning environment for people who have had negative
educational experiences in the past. Courses offered by these organisations are often complemented by other services
(such as childcare, family support and job placement services) that support the wellbeing of learners and encourage them
to continue with their education and training.
The Learn Local sector is critical to building an accessible and high-quality education and training system in Victoria. Learn
Local organisations are recognised as having specialist knowledge and experience and strong community focus. This
enables them to reach out and engage Victorians who face substantial barriers to accessing education and training and
who might otherwise miss out on opportunities to improve their education, skills and prospects in life.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
4
ACFE Chair’s foreword
For the past 21 years, the ACFE Board has worked with
the adult and community education sector and
government to support Victorians to broaden their social
networks, gain skills and careers, and contribute to their
communities.
Over that time, there have been sweeping changes. The
creation of the ACFE Board provided the adult and
community education sector with a means to advise
government on policy and investment. Funds specifically
for pre-accredited training have been introduced, and
adult and community education organisations have
begun delivering accredited vocational training in an
open market.
The ACFE Board has supported adult and community
education through the creation of tailored curricula for
adult learners. It has strengthened community learning
partnerships and advocated good governance and highquality teaching. It has promoted the sector through the
Learn Local ‘brand’.
Throughout the changes in the training system over the
past three years, Learn Local organisations have proven
they are flexible and can continue to deliver outcomes
for adult learners. Our expertise in supporting learners
who face barriers to participation and attainment has
been shown through the growing numbers of Victorians
most in need who have enrolled in training. The
community focus has been another strength of the
sector. Learn Local organisations continue to be proud of
the volunteers who create pathways for learners in their
communities.
However, clients now expect greater quality,
professionalism and accountability from Learn Local
organisations; the ACFE Board supports actions to meet
these changed demands.
The objective of this strategy is to work towards strong
outcomes for all learners through work that benefits
Learn Local organisations and the people who work
within them. In some cases, this means stronger
networks and integrated education and employment
services to ensure learners can access the full range of
training opportunities and pathways to work. There are
many examples of innovation within the Learn Local
sector and we want these practices to be supported and
shared between organisations.
We want to find opportunities to promote partnerships
between Learn Local organisations, and with business
and the wider community.
Government investment in the training sector is focusing
attention on improving training quality. The ACFE Board
will use the directions set out in this strategy to guide the
design and delivery of the programs to meet these needs.
The Board is confident that the strategy will build on the
strengths of the sector and ensure Learn Local
organisations remain a vibrant part of their local
community.
As we look towards the future, I acknowledge and thank
current members of the ACFE Board, Regional Councils,
Adult Education Institution Boards, Learn Local
organisations and staff from the Department of
Education and Training (DET) for their ongoing
commitment to supporting lifelong learning across
Victoria.
Rowena Allen
Chair
Adult, Community and Further Education Board
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
5
Highlights
This strategy will:









Deliver a record $14 million in pre-accredited
training in 2013–14;
Boost digital literacy across the state through
continued access to internationally recognised
digital literacy course content to promote key skills
for a digitally connected society, with a
20 per cent target for pre-accredited delivery in
2013–14;
Augment the Capacity and Innovation Fund with an
additional $1 million in 2014 to promote
partnerships;
Break down inter-generational patterns of
disadvantage through two pilot family learning
partnerships that help parents and children at the
same time;
Enable more Learn Local organisations to equitably
support learners impeded by a lack of affordable
childcare through the re-designed Family Learning
Support Program;
Expand the role of the ACFE Board to advise on
access and outcomes for adult learners across the
education and training portfolio, with a particular
focus on learners facing barriers to participation and
attainment;
Enlist the support of peak bodies and organisations
in promoting the Learn Local brand;
Better use government-owned buildings and
encourage co-location of services—for example, a
Learn Local organisation could be co-located with
children’s services or a school;
Expand and realign the current ACFE Regional
Council advisory function to reflect a broader areabased governance approach;





Redesign and reconfigure pre-accredited funding
contracts with organisations to support the
establishment of durable partnerships, networks
and organisational consolidation. This includes
opportunities for longer-term contracts to help
organisations plan for their future, and the use of a
whole-of-government Common Funding Agreement
to reduce the burden of administrative compliance
and auditing;
Boost the availability of targeted professional
development opportunities for all sector staff;
Facilitate engagement of Learn Local organisations
in cross-sectoral Community of Practice networks;
Streamline pre-accredited registration and
contracting to further reduce the informationprovision burden on Learn Local organisations and
avoid duplication in departmental processes; and
Improve access to information such as training and
labour market data and the results of the
longitudinal study on pre-accredited training.
We are committed to consulting with the Learn Local
sector on the three strategic directions that form the
basis of this strategy to support implementation of the
strategy over the longer term:



Refocusing and refining the role of Learn Locals to
meet local community needs;
Promoting durable networks and co-location of
services to improve pathways, service levels and
sustainability within the role of Learn Locals as
‘Community Services Centres’; and
Building the Learn Local sector’s capability to deliver
high-quality education services.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
6
The need for a Learn Local strategy
High-quality education and training is essential as
Victoria grows and becomes more connected to an
increasingly sophisticated, information-rich and
interdependent global economy. Individuals benefit
through increased and improved access to work and
greater community engagement. Society benefits
through the enhanced economic and social contribution
of individuals. Our economy benefits through a more
skilled workforce. There are significant quality of life
benefits for learners engaging with adult and community
education, particularly those older learners who are
often re-engaging with education and their local
communities after a significant absence from the system.
This also contributes to economic participation. For these
learners, Learn Local can provide learning opportunities
and a chance to interact with people of a similar age in a
welcoming, informal setting.
Vocational training plays a vital role in Victoria’s training
and education system. In 2012, more than 510,000
Victorians accessed government-subsidised vocational
training courses. This is in addition to those people who
self-funded their accredited training or accessed training
funded by their employers. However, many Victorians
still face barriers in obtaining an initial qualification. The
Strategic Review of Effective Re-Engagement Models for
Disengaged Learners conducted by DEECD in 2011
estimates there are around 625,000 Victorians aged
between 15 and 64 who have not attained at least a
Level III Certificate within the Australian Qualifications
Framework (AQF) and who are unemployed, not in the
labour force or in low-skilled jobs.
The vocational training sector has responded to Victoria’s
move towards a high-value, high-skill economy and the
increasing expectations of Victorians for quality,
personalised and lifelong education opportunities. The
sector now places greater emphasis on students,
business and industry exercising choice over what, where
and when they engage with vocational training. There are
more types of training and organisations for students to
choose from; people can decide what is best for them;
and organisations compete to offer services that meet
this need.
For some people, the barrier arises because of where they
live. In particular, Victorians in rural and regional areas may
not have local access to the training services they need. For
other people, low levels of previous educational achievement
make it difficult for them to find training that is suitable for
their needs and circumstances. Within some Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, poor English
literacy can limit a learner’s ability to engage. Others who are
experiencing poverty, homelessness and poor health also face
barriers to engaging with training.
The introduction of the Victorian Training Guarantee has
resulted in growth in government-funded training activity
enrolments. The number of people in training has increased
from approximately 380,000 in 2008 to 670,400 in 2012. This
includes an increase in enrolments across all learner groups
and all training provider types. The vocational training sector
is an important pathway to employment, with around 120,000
unemployed students now engaged in government-subsidised
training, an increase of 33 per cent between 2011 and 2012.
Learn Local organisations play a critical role in delivering a
range of community services to meet learners’ needs. Data
shows that Learn Local organisations deliver a greater
proportion of their services to learners whose
characteristics suggest they may experience barriers to
participation and attainment. For example:

Although more than one-third of Learn Local
students are employed at the time of enrolment,
this is considerably less than the roughly two-thirds
for TAFEs and private training providers;

Learn Local has the highest proportion of students
with a disability (19 per cent compared with 14 per
cent in TAFE and 4 per cent in private training);

Nearly two-thirds of students at both TAFE and
private training providers had completed Year 12 at
the time of enrolment, compared to just under half
of Learn Local students. 1
These broad aims are the foundations for Learn Local:
Focusing on the Future.
The government recognises that some learners in Victoria
face barriers to participation in education and training.
1
Victorian Training Market Quarterly Report Full Year 2012
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
7
In addition, the wide geographical distribution of Learn
Local organisations means they have an important and
distinctive contribution to make in helping people to
gain skills that lead to productive, secure work and to
build the capabilities they need to enjoy high levels of
wellbeing and engage fully in community life.
Learn Local organisations form part of the Victorian
vocational training sector through the delivery of
accredited training, as well as pre-accredited training
which provides pathways to further training and
employment. They contribute to the diversity, choice
and accessibility of training for Victorian learners and, as
independent, community-based organisations, they are
well placed to identify and meet learners’ needs.
The Learn Local sector’s challenges and opportunities
arise from three connected characteristics:

their community-based provision

their geographic spread and provision of training in
regional areas
 their focus on training for Victorians who face
barriers to participation in education and training
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
8
Community-based provision
The Learn Local sector is made up of small, medium and
large organisations. This diversity, developed in response
to local community needs, is one of the greatest
strengths of the sector. In 2012, there were 80,217
government-funded accredited and pre-accredited
enrolments delivered through Victoria’s Learn Local
organisations.
Learn Local organisations are generally smaller than
private RTOs or TAFEs. Over half deliver training to fewer
than 100 students, whereas less than one-third of
private providers—and no TAFEs—deliver services to
fewer than 100 students.
The small size of many organisations, their unique
community focus and the variety and breadth of their
services gives the Learn Local sector a strong platform
from which to deliver training. However, it also means
that Learn Local organisations may lack economies of
scale and are limited in the scope of training they can
provide.
Learn Local organisations are best placed to enhance
their training offerings and meet expectations of training
quality when they have efficient back-office functions
and the required investment in infrastructure, which
may depend on having a particular size and scale. Larger
organisations find it easier to meet compliance costs
associated with operating under multiple agreements
with different agencies and across jurisdictions. It is
easier for larger organisations to invest in staff (both in
terms of salary and professional development).
Significant cost pressures will be placed on Learn Local
organisations as a result of wage increases ranging from
23 to 45 per cent following the decision by Fair Work
Australia on 1 February 2012 to award pay increases to
social and community services (SACs) workers and pay
increases related to the Educational Services (Post
Secondary education) Award (the modern award).
Learn Local organisations also deliver a broad range of
community services including, but not limited to,
education. The table below shows the range of services
provided.
Learn Local business mix breakdown—20112
Services
% respondents
Pre-accredited training programs
98
Accredited training programs
54
Recreation and leisure
70
Community development
65
Childcare
36
Community and health
37
Employment services/programs
15
VCE/VCAL
9
Other3
15
To continue to successfully deliver services, the Learn
Local sector needs to find a way to manage the
challenges of scale, and develop stronger business
models to support the quality of training, while
maintaining the core strengths of community provision:
local presence, flexibility and accessibility. The
government will assist this by promoting and supporting
partnerships between organisations.
Learn Local organisations deliver a wide range of services
to local communities, including recreation and leisure
services, community development activities, childcare
and health services, and employment services and
programs. The diversity of services and support
accessible from a single location or network makes many
Learn Locals examples of Community Service Centres.
Through strengthening providers’ ability to better reach
and service learners, the broader range of community
services on offer is also strengthened.
2
CWCC, The Changing Face of Community Business 2011—
based on responses from 138 Learn Local organisations
3 ‘Other’ includes youth programs/support, programs for
children, venue facility hire, men’s shed and other specific
programs/courses.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
9
Provision of training in regional areas
Learn Local organisations are dispersed widely across the
state. Approximately half are located in regional areas
and are sometimes the only training provider in a local
community. The Learn Local sector provides more than
70 per cent of all government-funded training in nine
Local Government Areas, all in regional Victoria. 4
Location is an important factor for learners when
considering their study options. About 69 per cent of
students surveyed in 2011 said they chose to study at
their Learn Local organisation because it was easily
accessible.5
Learn Local organisations have identified that their future
lies in expanding their training offerings in their local
communities.
The specific characteristics of delivering training to
smaller and more rural communities can exacerbate
issues relating to scale. Small populations, large
geographic areas and narrower regional economies mean
that Learn Local organisations increasingly need to
develop partnerships and pathways to deliver the full
range of training options sought by their communities.
Training provision by Learn Locals is growing faster in
regional areas than in metropolitan areas. Between 2008
and 2012, training delivered by regional Learn Local
organisations increased by 118 per cent, while provision
in metropolitan areas grew by 77 per cent.6
Location of Learn Local organisations across Victoria 7
4
In the Shires, of Hindmarsh, Mansfield, Strathbogie,
Murrindindi, Moira, Buloke, Golden Plains and Surf Coast and
the Borough of Queenscliffe
5 ACFE, 2011 Learner Satisfaction Survey, 2011
6 Regional areas include the DEECD regions of Barwon South
West, Grampians, Loddon Mallee, Hume and Gippsland.
Metropolitan areas include the DEECD regions of Eastern,
Western, Southern and Northern.
7 NCVER (2010) Hard to Reach Learners: what works in reaching
and keeping them?
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
10
A focus on training for Victorians with low educational
attainment
Learn Local organisations have a strong track record of
successful engagement with adult learners and with
retention of learners whose earlier experiences with
education and training have been limited or not been
positive. Recent longitudinal studies of learners in Learn
Local pre-accredited training programs8 show that
productive employment and learning pathways can be
built from a basis of non-accredited learning.9 Moreover,
many Learn Local organisations have demonstrated the
ability to develop successful partnerships for planning
and delivery of training initiatives to people with low
prior educational attainment. There is a significant
potential for Learn Local organisations to continue to
expand their provision of training to these Victorians.
Partnerships supporting learners with low prior
education attainment
To build the literacy level of residents living on the
Collingwood Estate, Carringbush Adult Education worked
together with Belgium Avenue and Collingwood
Neighbourhood Houses, Yarra Parish Mission, the Office
of Housing and the Brotherhood of St Laurence to
provide an integrated literacy program to local residents.
Together the partners developed a program that
embedded literacy into the resident’s existing social
activities. The program blended literacy into a social,
music and information technology program that targeted
socially isolated men from the Collingwood Housing
Estate and men living in supported accommodation in
the area.
Individually the partners had experience engaging with
the members of the targeted group and together they
were able to build on their strengths and created a
program that provides opportunities for people
experiencing barriers to community participation to gain
new skills.
8
Pre-accredited training refers to government-funded courses
purchased by the ACFE Board that offer initial vocational
training and provide a pathway to work or accredited training.
9
Longitudinal Study for the ACFE Board, Centre for Research on
Education Systems, University of Melbourne 2012.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
11
All Victorians, particularly those with barriers to entry to
training, should be able to access integrated pathways of
learning that extend from pre-accredited training
through to the achievement of higher certificates in
accredited training and beyond. As the complexity and
scope of the training required to achieve good outcomes
can be beyond the capacity of individual organisations, it
is unreasonable to expect Learn Local organisations to be
‘one-stop shops’ for all training needs. The sector needs
greater support in forming partnerships, alliances and
networks, and integrating more effectively with other
training providers and community organisations. This
would provide a complete service for learners and result
in programs being accessed by a greater number of
people.
The government, the ACFE Board and stakeholders have
worked together to understand and support the next
steps to enable the continued development of the Learn
Local sector. This has led to identifying three key
strategic directions for the future:



Refocusing and refining the role of Learn Local—
ensuring that the government better signals and
supports its objectives for the Learn Local sector by
setting clear priorities and improving governance
arrangements.
Promoting durable networks and co-location of
services to improve pathways and sustainability—
placing clients at the centre of service design and
improving the sustainability of Learn Local
organisations by reforming pre-accredited funding
settings and the more effective and efficient use of
Board-managed assets, programs and expertise.
Building the Learn Local sector’s capability to deliver
high-quality education services—enabling the sector
to deliver better outcomes for learners by cutting
red tape and harnessing broader vocational and
educational system supports.
This strategy will support the Learn Local sector to secure
its critical role in education and training in Victoria. Most
importantly, it will increase the sector’s capacity to
support those Victorians who face significant barriers to
increasing their skills and entering and staying in the
workforce.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
12
Strategic Direction 1: Refocusing and refining
the role of Learn Local
The government recognises that the Learn Local sector:

has a particular and well-tested strength in
supporting learners who face barriers to
participation in training and gaining qualifications
and meeting the needs of adults who choose Learn
Local to enter or re-enter training at the foundation
level.
To refocus and refine the role of Learn Local, the
government will:

can better target and tailor their pre-accredited training
offerings and ensure they deliver even more successful
outcomes for learners.
In addition to strengthening the impact of pre-accredited
training, the ACFE Board will work with Learn Local
organisations to break down inter-generational patterns
of disadvantage. The nature and ethos of Learn Local
organisations means they have the potential to play an
important role in the creation of ‘family learning
partnerships’.
Supporting Victorians who face barriers to participation
in education and training
These partnerships seek to simultaneously raise the
educational engagement and attainment of parents and
their children. They do this by engaging with parents in
family-based settings (such as early childhood centres,
schools and community centres), encouraging parents’
progression to further learning and employment and
giving them the skills to support their child’s learning and
development. These partnerships will also provide the
whole family with the skills and capabilities to become
lifelong learners, as well as help the most vulnerable
Victorians become more confident and have greater
control over their lives.
Learn Local organisations are funded by the Victorian
Government to provide initial vocational training known
as pre-accredited training. This training is a vital pathway
and it needs to be as strong as possible.
The government looks forward to working with the Learn
Local sector in designing and delivering family learning
partnerships for Victorians where and when
opportunities arise.
Recent longitudinal studies of learners in Learn Local preaccredited training show the potential of these programs.
Studies have shown that, of those surveyed who had
undertaken a pre-accredited program in ACE, around
seven in 10 had made a transition into an accredited
pathway.10 This is a solid foundation but more can be
done to reinforce the role of pre-accredited training.
Supporting learners with children to access training

increase the capacity of the sector to support adult
learners to increase their skills and to enter and
remain in the workforce.
broaden the remit of the ACFE Board to provide
advice to the government on effective policy
settings for improving outcomes for learners who
face barriers across the vocational education and
training system.
The government will work with the Learn Local sector to
strengthen the contribution made by pre-accredited
training to helping people who face barriers to education
to make the shift into work or accredited training.
The ACFE Board will invest in improved data collection
and analysis of the impact of pre-accredited training,
building on its completed three-year longitudinal study of
pre-accredited training in Victoria. By knowing more
about the needs of learners, Learn Local organisations
Access to affordable childcare can be the difference in
enabling learners to access training and education. The
ACFE Childcare Program will be improved to become the
Family Learning Support Program. This will target
disadvantaged learners specifically and expand access to
all eligible Learn Locals. The formerly limited number of
providers participating in the program will be expanded
to meet the needs of all eligible learners across rural,
regional and metropolitan Victoria. The program
management will be overseen by the ACFE Board to
ensure that childcare provision is aligned principally to
support the access and attainment of learners served by
the Learn Local network.
10
Longitudinal Study for the ACFE Board, Centre for Research
on Education Systems, University of Melbourne 2012.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
13
Helping isolated Victorians to connect
Learn Local organisations have a critical role to play in
helping socially isolated Victorians to gain the skills they
need to connect with their communities. Supporting and
strengthening this role will be a priority when
implementing this strategy.
A key priority is the development of digital literacy skills,
particularly among older Victorians. The government
recognises the need to prevent digital exclusion (people
being left behind in our technologically sophisticated,
knowledge-based society). In particular, there is a need
to address an increasing digital divide between those
who have access to, and an understanding of, digital
technology and those who do not.
literacy training, to offer seniors an opportunity to build
their capabilities to self-manage more aspects of their
lives and remain connected to their families, friends and
communities.
Learn Local is well placed to be able to deliver digital
literacy training programs. These skills are best
developed through vocational training that is flexible,
caters to the needs of all ages and supports the
attainment of both vocational and pre-vocational skills.
The ACFE Board is providing Learn Local organisations
with access to internationally recognised digital literacy
course content that focuses on the key skills adults need
to be part of a digitally connected and inclusive society.
Senior Victorians have been identified as potential
learners who are at significant risk of being isolated and
disadvantaged by their lack of digital literacy skills. To
address this, the government is investing in digital
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
14
Improving alternative settings for school-age young
people
Expanding the role of the ACFE Board and adult learning
across the education and training sector
Schools often partner with other organisations to provide
of alternative educational settings outside schools,
designed to suit the learning needs of particular young
people. Alternative settings should provide additional
flexibility to meet the needs of disengaged, vulnerable
and at-risk young people.
The government recognises the value and benefits of
adopting a stronger focus on adult learners across the
education and training sector.
Some Learn Local organisations currently offer an
alternative setting for young people who have
disengaged from school. Where this is done in
partnership with the school, these settings can be an
appropriate and effective response to the needs of some
students. Other Learn Local organisations provide
services directly to young people who are disengaged
from school. Where this occurs, there is broad
agreement that accountability for the outcomes of these
students is unclear and that they often find themselves
studying courses designed for adults.
As part of this strategy, the government will support
Learn Local organisations working with schools and other
providers of alternative settings to ensure that young
people receive an education that is tailored to their
needs and circumstances in appropriate settings. The
arrangements between schools and Learn Local
organisations should ensure that students have
connecting pathways back to school, are taught to an
appropriate curriculum and that the accountability for
learning and development outcomes remains with the
school.
The ACFE Board’s role will be expanded to monitor and
evaluate the contribution the Learn Local sector makes to
vocational education in Victoria and whether the needs
of adult learners overall are being met, particularly with
respect to access, equity and pathways. The Board will
advise the government on effective approaches to raising
outcomes for adult learners, including learners who have
low prior educational attainment.
The ACFE Board’s functions and responsibilities will be
further examined to identify areas of duplication and
opportunities to streamline and increase the
effectiveness and efficiency of the Board’s operations.
Reviewing regional governance
The government will review the functions and
responsibilities of the ACFE Regional Councils so they are
best positioned to provide advice to government. The
government will also consider how ACFE regional
advisory functions will reflect the expanded role of the
ACFE Board and whether they should be a part of a
broader review of the governance of education and
student transition services. How best to ensure that the
views and voices of volunteers and communities are
heard and considered will be a priority for the
government and the ACFE Board.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
15
Strategic Direction 2: Promoting durable
networks and co-location of services to
improve pathways and sustainability
The government recognises that:



A defining characteristic of the Learn Local sector is
its ability to establish and maintain strong
connections with its local community.
Learners need to be placed at the centre of service
design. This is already a key strength for the Learn
Local sector, but clients should all benefit from
programs that have a clear purpose and are tailored
to their needs. This may mean access to integrated
pathways of learning from pre-accredited training
(for example, digital literacy) through to accredited
training at a higher level.
To build on the first objective and ensure the
second occurs, Learn Local organisations will benefit
from more integrated and cooperative models of
service delivery with organisations, including shared
infrastructure and co-location of services.
To ensure investment in the Learn Local sector produces
real systemic change, as opportunities arise with willing
local partners, the government will:


Provide support to enable the formation of durable
partnerships to provide high-quality programs,
develop stronger pathways and improve provider
sustainability.
Promote the integration of adult learning with other
education, employment and social services to
support the concept of Community Service Centres
through more effective and efficient use of Boardmanaged assets and other funded initiatives
supported by the Board.
The Learn Local sector has developed informal and
formal networks for a range of activities such as
professional development, marketing and informationsharing. There are opportunities to support more Learn
Local organisations interested in undertaking additional
functions such as training delivery and administration
through networks. In particular, more formal networked
arrangements allow organisations the opportunity to
improve the breadth and quality of training options for
their clients (‘front-of-house’ change) as well as create
‘back-of-house’ efficiencies.
The front-of-house benefits that could flow from more
networks and partnerships include the establishment of
tutor and teaching pools, the capacity to leverage
funding for infrastructure by pooling resources, the
provision of more professional development
opportunities for staff and the ability to better cater for
student needs by sharing scope of registration. A
partnership in the City of Knox has shown that networks
can increase the number of tutors available and also
increase the profile of the Learn Local sector within the
region (see box overleaf).
Network business arrangements also offer Learn Local
organisations the opportunity and flexibility to focus on
their areas of expertise and interest. This will provide
clarity and consistency of service delivery, increase
efficiencies, enable stronger support for specialisation
and ensure the long-term viability of particular training
activities—all of which means better outcomes for
learners.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
16
Case Study 1: Networks making training easier to find
for learners —Knox
Case Study 2: Networks building pathways to further
study—MACE
The City of Knox network of Learn Local organisations
now promotes their offerings through a range of
strategies including a Learn Local-branded website that
details the pathways and opportunities that can begin
from participation in a short introductory learning
program. The alliance between five Learn Local
organisations in the municipality has grown from an
initial shared approach to producing course brochures to
a broad-based collaboration across their training
activities.
Swinburne University and Mansfield Adult Continuing
Education (MACE) have entered into a partnership to
increase university participation rates in the region.
Through the provision of supported and seamless access
to a three-tiered degree program, learners in the Hume
region are able to gain tertiary qualifications locally.
While retaining their individual identities, governance
structures and community connections, the members of
the alliance share tutor registers, work together to
develop the high-quality pre-accredited programs they
promote through the ‘Short Courses in Knox’ website and
collaborate on one-off projects such as the recently
launched ‘pop-up learning’ initiative.
Their collaboration recognises that a strategy that is
maximising the opportunities and choices for learners by
promoting every member organisation’s courses and
programs benefits their business and supports learner
engagement.
As the case studies here show, Learn Local organisations
have taken innovative approaches to building
relationships with other training providers, employment
services and universities. The government will support
and fund organisations to move towards more
sustainable business models and enter into strategic
partnerships and alliances with other Learn Local
organisations, training providers, local government and
community organisations. Such partnerships create
benefits for learners and the organisations that come
together.
The program provides multiple pathways and includes
tertiary transition skills. Learners can choose from a
range of Diploma study areas which, upon completion,
can lead to an Associate Degree and onto the third year
of a Bachelor program.
Online curriculum materials have been developed to
support local access. The Diploma study areas are
conducted by MACE in classroom settings while the
Associate Degrees and some components of Course in
Tertiary Transition Skills (CTTS) are delivered online. It is
anticipated that the Bachelor study areas will be online in
the future.
The program has been widely promoted across the
region in secondary schools and Learn Local
organisations. Seventy people are enrolled in the CTTS
and other Diplomas concurrently, mainly in areas of
Business and Community Services.
As one participant articulated, “For someone who always
wanted to gain tertiary qualifications but couldn’t, this
program is perfect!”
As organisations move towards shared service and
governance arrangements that enhance the sustainability
of their activities and strengthen their organisational
viability, they will be offered the option of negotiating
longer term (multi-year) funding arrangements for preaccredited delivery. These arrangements will reduce the
administrative burden of the current annual funding
cycle and support long-term efforts to establish more
durable business models.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
17
Over time, the government will establish streamlined
access to pre-accredited training delivery contracts and
grants programs for Learn Local organisations that
demonstrate they have entered into durable networks,
partnerships or alliances that deliver real improvements
in sustainability, scale and quality. For example, two
Learn Local organisations—CREATE and Karingal—have
recently merged in order to ensure their long-term
sustainability and improve training pathways for learners
(see box).
Approaches to give effect to these outcomes could
include:



Providing longer activity schedules (currently
annual) as part of the funding contracts for preaccredited training to individuals or networks of
Learn Local organisations that can deliver an
amount of training above a specified level (i.e. a
particular number of hours or to a number of
learners).
Consideration of multiple-year funding contracts to
Learn Local organisations that enter into durable
and consolidated structural arrangements for the
delivery of pre-accredited training. One example of
this benefit is the merger between CREATE and
Karingal in Geelong, which improved both
sustainability and improved the pathways for
learners from pre-accredited and accredited
training.
Applying a greater consideration of scale,
sustainability and Learn Local provider networks
and partnership durability to inform the operation
of the Capacity and Innovation Fund Grant program.
Case study 3: Networks creating opportunities—CREATE
CREATE Inc is a Geelong community-based RTO offering a
range of courses and programs, with a particular focus on
young people and individuals with a disability. In 2012,
the CREATE board sought a more sustainable future for
the individuals and families it serves. It raised the
prospect of a merger with Karingal Inc, a similar
organisation with experience in providing services to
people with a disability or mental illness, older people
and the disadvantaged.
The merger took place in January 2013. Karingal has
successfully maintained all services within existing
community locations and students are continuing their
studies in a range of courses including Aged and
Community Care, Child Care and Disability Services. The
integrated business model has proved successful and
means there are now a broader range of learner support
services available and strong pathways open for a wider
cross-section of the Geelong community.
Partnerships between Learn Local organisations and with
other training organisations and employment services
can provide a powerful service to assist learners to
achieve vocational outcomes. These partnerships can be
fostered through co-location of training and allied
services to become Community Service Centres.
The advantages of co-location include the potential to
reduce costs through shared back-office services and
improved coordination of services between
organisations.
Victorian learners stand to gain from co-location. Colocation should make training more accessible and allow
a broader range of training to be offered. It should also
facilitate pathways through training by consolidating the
provision of services to one site. For example, families
with multi-generational educational, training and social
needs will be better served by co-location.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
18
The co-location of services is logical, practical and
efficient. Services should be appropriate to the needs of
local learners and may include early childhood, family
and education services. Co-located services could offer
improved opportunities to link to broader State
Government services including services provided by the
Department of Human Services, and to services provided
by other tiers of government, such as Job Services
Australia organisations, Centrelink and regional
employers.
Co-location will depend on the particular learning needs
of communities and the availability of existing services
and infrastructure. Possible models for Community
Service Centres may include:



Expanded neighbourhood houses:
Complementary education services could be
included within an existing Learn Local location
where the community need is for more informal
educational settings and where no other
infrastructure is available.
Education precincts:
Learn Local vocational training services could be
located with an existing educational service with
good infrastructure, such as a school or early
childhood centre. This form of co-location could
be appropriate in communities where the local
school is a strong focus of community life and
activities and where there may be issues with
intergenerational unemployment.
Community hubs:
Facilities could be centralised and shared across
a range of training, education and other social
services and located in a single, integrated
community facility. This may be appropriate in
outer metropolitan and regional centres where
there is a wide range of government and
community services with dispersed and
duplicated infrastructure.
infrastructure needs of the Learn Local sector and
Victorian learners.
In consultation with tenants, the government will, on a
case-by-case basis, consider proposals to dispose of
Board-owned facilities and use the proceeds to support
new fit-for-purpose facilities in settings such as, but not
limited to, those described above. Proposals will be
assessed against the objectives of increasing benefits to
learners, strengthening employment pathways,
improving community and family education outcomes,
and ensuring the organisational sustainability and
durability of service provider partnerships housed within
any such new development.
Case study 4: Co-location of facilities improving the
learning experience—Vines Road
The Vines Road Community Centre Inc, a Learn Local
organisation in the northern suburbs of Geelong, has
been operating in one of the old Geelong Teachers
College buildings on Vines Road since February 1985. As a
result of the collaborative efforts of DEECD, the former
Department of Planning and Community Development
and the City of Greater Geelong, the site has recently
undergone a major redevelopment and the centre is now
co-located with Western Heights College and the Vines
Road Senior Citizens Club.
Adult and school age learners can interact, adding to the
local community and enriching their learning through the
mutual sharing of knowledge and resources. Learners
attending the centre also now access vastly improved
facilities including a large hall, multipurpose rooms of
various sizes, the joint use of the Western Heights
College library (part of the Geelong Regional Libraries
Network), a café, a computer room with fast internet
access, a large fully equipped kitchen, sporting facilities
and onsite car parking.
The ACFE Board currently manages a number of
community-based assets across the state occupied by
Learn Local and other community tenants. Opportunities
may exist to better use these assets to support the
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
19
The Board will undertake a review of property assets and
their management with an aim of reinvesting resources
equitably back into the sector as locally driven
opportunities arise. Board-owned facilities occupied by a
limited number of Learn Local organisations could and
should benefit the broader Learn Local provider network.
The ultimate benefit will be to Victorian learners who will
enjoy increased opportunities to access a wider range of
pre-accredited and accredited training in a range of local
settings, such as schools, early childhood centres and
community hubs. These partnerships will help to increase
learners’ connectedness to their communities and create
stronger pathways to higher education and the
workforce.
Case study 5: Partnerships creating pathways to
employment—Encompass
Encompass Community Services has been working with
the local community to tailor programs that address the
low employment rate of residents in Whittington,
Geelong. Whittington Works supports Encompass
Community Services to tailor its Certificate III in Aged
Care and Home & Community Care and establish
pathways to local employment opportunities for
students. This partnership benefits students such as
‘Steve’, 59, who had been unemployed for two years
before retraining through the program and gaining
employment in the aged care industry.
The creation of Whittington Works—a group of 17
organisations from across the employment, training and
education sectors—has resulted in a group that works
together to enhance pathways for students with barriers
to employment. Jobseekers are linked to jobs through
the Education to Employment program, where training
organisations and Job Service Australia providers work
together to deliver local education and training in a
supported environment.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
20
Strategic Direction 3: Building the Learn Local
sector’s capability to deliver high-quality
education services
The government recognises that:
 The Learn Local sector plays a critical role in offering
Victorians with low educational attainment the
opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills
needed for stable employment, career progression and
social inclusion.
 Remaining constantly up to date with the best
information on what works in teaching practice,
curriculum and assessment can be a significant
overhead for smaller organisations.
 Meeting administrative and regulatory requirements
can tie up the resources of smaller Learn Local
organisations.
To build the sector’s capacity, the government will:
 Improve the educational capabilities of Learn Local
organisations through initiatives to support professional
development, encourage communities of practice and
provide access to integrated careers advice for clients.
 Cut red tape and harness broader vocational and
DEECD supports.
 Provide better access to training and labour market
data
Supporting continuous quality improvement and
professional development
The government and the ACFE Board are committed to
supporting and continuously improving the quality of
training programs delivered by Learn Local organisations.
For example, professional development for the Learn
Local sector is currently provided through funded training
delivered by the VET Development Centre across
Victoria. These opportunities support Learn Local
organisations and practitioners to develop and improve
the quality of their pre-accredited programs and general
instructional practice and will be expanded under this
strategy.
The government is also committed to providing Learn
Local staff with up-to-date information and research on
all aspects of their pre-vocational and vocational training
activity to support high-quality course design and
delivery. Learners will benefit from a sector that is more
responsive and can better meet their needs and
preferences. They will also benefit from improved service
delivery and stronger links between the sector,
community and industry, which will increase their
pathways to higher learning and the workforce.
Encouraging communities of practice
To support continuous improvement in teaching and
learning practice in the sector, the government and the
ACFE Board will encourage Learn Local organisations to
share information and build collaborative practices in
relation to pre-accredited training delivery.
Collaboration between organisations will focus on
improvement and innovation in training curricula,
pedagogy and assessment that aligns with the
government’s objective for the broader training sector to
deliver high-quality training.
Importantly, Learn Local organisations should have the
ability to share innovative practice with other
organisations that face similar challenges. This could
occur through the creation of networks of professional
practice (‘Communities of Practice’) or linking
organisations into existing networks with support from
the DET regional offices (see box opposite). It may also
require support for the use of new technologies across
the sector. The government recognises that Communities
of Practice are most successful when initiated and
maintained by organisations themselves. While the
government will provide support where needed,
Communities of Practice will be expected to be selfsustaining and require little ongoing assistance.
Communities of Practice benefit individual practitioners
and individual organisations. The benefits for individual
practitioners include enabling workers to manage
change, giving them access to new knowledge and
fostering a sense of common purpose among staff. The
organisational and network benefits include the informal
dissemination of valuable information, improvements in
productivity and the fostering of innovation.
These benefits complement the broader directions of the
Victorian vocational training system by providing learners
with greater access to integrated services and stronger
pathways to education and the workforce. With the
increased focus on quality has come a strong emphasis
on the need for staff within the Learn Local sector to
understand performance and outcome setting,
monitoring and measurement. As a mechanism for
knowledge creation and sharing and capability building,
Communities of Practice can provide significant support
to staff implementing and monitoring the performance
and quality of Learn Local training programs.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
21
Case study 6: Networks enhancing training quality—
Coonara
they require to secure a better future. The government
will facilitate increased access to career services by Learn
Local organisations to help meet these needs.
The Eastern ACE VET Network (EAVN) was established by
Coonara Community House in 2003 to provide support
and assistance for Learn Local organisations that are
RTOs in the Eastern Metropolitan Region delivering
children’s services. The network now works to improve
all aspects of training provision. At present it brings
together 15 Learn Local organisations—11 from the
former Eastern Metropolitan Region and four from the
North Western Metropolitan Region.
Many Learn Local organisations have reporting and
funding relationships with Local, State and
Commonwealth Governments other than those related
to their training delivery. For the community sector, the
interaction between education regulation and other
regulation by Victorian Government departments such as
Human Services and the Commonwealth is an ongoing
issue.
The EAVN meets to exchange information and knowledge
about the quality operation of their respective
organisations. Members meet regularly to provide each
other with feedback on the educational integrity and
quality assurance of their operations, and share their
expertise on educational processes. This joint work aims
to ensure that their quality is consistent with industry
and education expectations. Collaborative professional
development activities and moderation and validation
sessions are conducted each year.
Network members report that the arrangements have
made compliance more manageable, extended staff
members’ networks and provided an external benchmark
for organisations.
Improving career advice
Providing advice on learning and career pathways is
fundamental to ensuring successful outcomes for
learners who have faced economic and social barriers to
participating in education and training. It is critical that
Learn Local organisations provide comprehensive and upto-date career advice to facilitate their clients’ transitions
to further study or employment.
Some Learn Local organisations have initiated and
funded their own career development programs. For
example, Learn Local organisations have used the
Victorian Careers Curriculum Framework online resource
to develop a careers focus in pre-accredited course plans.
The framework helps teachers, trainers and careers
practitioners to develop a localised and customised
quality career development program for young people.
Learn Local organisations have also embraced curriculum
tools such as Career Action Plans, the Resource for
Career Practitioners (ReCaP) and the Careers and
Transition Resource Kit.
These examples demonstrate the innovative practices of
Learn Local organisations in catering to student needs.
The government recognises that further support is
needed to enable all Learn Local organisations and their
staff to provide learners with the advice and information
The Office for the Community Sector11 is leading the
Victorian Government’s efforts to reduce the
administrative compliance burden and strengthen the
capability and capacity of not-for-profit organisations. It
is contributing to legislative reform and the development
of a whole-of-Victorian-Government Common Funding
Agreement.
From 2014, funding agreements with Learn Local
organisations to provide pre-accredited training services
will include confirmation of the ACFE registration process
requirements in a single, three-year whole-ofgovernment agreement. Whereas previously Learn Local
providers have been required to respond to multiple
administrative compliance and audit requests from
government, this move will streamline these processes
and significantly reduce information requests from
government to Learn Local organisations.
The single whole-of-government contract will also open
up the potential to share information with regulators and
across training provision, further reducing the
information-provision burden on Learn Local
organisations and avoiding duplication in departmental
processes.
Supporting better business intelligence
The government will give Learn Local organisations
greater access to critical business intelligence including
demographic, labour and training market information.
This will enable Learn Local organisations to better tailor
their training offerings to local demand and be more
strategic in their forward business planning.
This work has already begun, with the ACFE Board
commissioning a three-year longitudinal study of preaccredited training in Victoria. With greater intelligence
around the needs of learners, Learn Local organisations
can better target their pre-accredited training offerings.
11
The Office, formerly under the previous Department of
Planning and Community Development, is part of the
Department of Human Services.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
22
DET has developed the Victorian Skills Gateway which
provides information for learners on their local training
options. It will continue to enhance this site over the life
of the strategy by providing more tailored content which
will directly benefit Learn Local organisations.
Victorian Skills Gateway
The Victorian Skills Gateway is the new one-stop online
shop for information about vocational training in
Victoria. It includes a searchable listing of RTOs and their
course offerings. Users can browse occupations or
industries or search for courses via occupation, course or
training provider. They can also search for courses or
organisations in their area and find out if the provider
offers government-subsidised training.
Providing better access to training and labour market
data for Learn Local clients
Informed, engaged and active students and businesses
make better training decisions based on clear, robust and
easily accessible information about organisations,
courses, prices and quality of outcomes for students and
businesses. Learn Local organisations can play a greater
role in providing their learners and local businesses with
such information and advice. The government will
encourage and support the sector to promote
information initiatives such as the Victorian Skills
Gateway.
Occupation descriptions on the site include case studies
and Victorian-specific job prospect information and are
linked directly to related courses to make it easy to find
the right course for a particular job. The Victorian Skills
Gateway also includes a clickable list of skills shortage
areas and specialist occupations in which there is likely to
be demand in the near future.
To help users navigate the vocational training system, the
site provides useful information and links to other
resources tailored to the specific needs of five audience
groups: students, adult learners, employers, parents and
careers practitioners.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
23
Implementing the strategy
A number of important steps are being taken by the
government and the ACFE Board to begin the process of
implementing the strategy’s directions. These actions are
detailed below.
The three strategic directions will be further developed in
consultation with the Learn Local sector, the ACFE Board
and Regional Councils. This will support the efficient and
effective implementation of the strategy over the longer
term.
Refocusing and refining the role of Learn Local
Investment in digital literacy
Recognising the urgency for investment in digital literacy,
the ACFE Board has notionally allocated 20 per cent of its
pre-vocational delivery budget for 2013–14 to invest in
digital literacy delivery. A key priority is the development
of digital literacy skills among older Victorians. The ACFE
Board will continue to give Learn Local organisations
access to internationally recognised digital literacy course
content that focuses on the key skills that adults need to
function as part of a digitally connected and inclusive
society.
Support family learning partnership models
The Higher Education and Skills and Early Childhood
Development Groups of DET will initiate two pilot family
learning partnerships in 2013–14 to establish and inform
the development of future family learning partnership
models. Family learning partnership models will also be a
key focus of asset renewal and infrastructure investment
which will support co-location of services. The
department is also supporting families by enabling more
Learn Local organisations to equitably support learners
impeded by a lack of affordable childcare through the redesigned Family Learning Support Program.
Transfer marketing functions to the sector
To create greater awareness of the Learn Local brand,
the ACFE Board will enlist the support of peak bodies and
organisations in promoting the brand. This approach
recognises that Learn Local organisations are best placed
to promote the benefits, opportunities and services that
Learn Local offers. With greater brand awareness, the
distinct role that Learn Local organisations play in their
communities will be better recognised, making it easier
to attract potential learners and partners.
Promoting durable networks and co-location of services
to improve pathways and sustainability
Consult with the sector
The ACFE Board, in conjunction with DET, will undertake
a comprehensive consultation with the sector in the
second half of 2013 that will focus on:



restructuring and streamlining funding and property
management arrangements to support certainty
and efficiency
identifying and supporting opportunities for colocation
new partnership models.
Learn Local organisations will be key partners in the
refinement and implementation of the strategy.
Integrate Learn Local into DEECD planning and
resourcing processes and strategies
The ACFE Board will work with the DET’s Regional
Support Group and its Infrastructure Group to explore
opportunities and develop robust processes to
incorporate Learn Local into local precinct planning and
early childhood service and asset strategies.
Refocus the role and scope of the ACFE Board
Improve regional governance and give a strong voice to
the Learn Local sector
The role of the ACFE Board will be expanded to advise on
access and outcomes for adult learners across the
education and training portfolio, with a particular focus
on learners facing barriers. The role and function of the
ACFE Board will be reviewed as part of this expansion
with relevant legislative changes made in the course of
2013 and 2014 as required.
DEECD and the ACFE Board will expand and realign the
current Regional Council advisory function to reflect a
broader area-based governance approach, with the aim
of embedding adult education needs and outcomes into
the operation of the Victorian education and training
system.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
24
Aligning funding with strategic directions
DET and the ACFE Board will redesign and reconfigure its
pre-accredited funding contracts with organisations to
support the establishment of durable partnerships,
networks and organisational consolidation by providing
improved funding certainty and clearer guidelines to
support co-location and improved use of Victorian
Government owned properties. This may include:


providing longer activity schedules (currently
annual) as part of the funding contracts for preaccredited training to individual or networks of
Learn Local organisations that can deliver training
above a specified delivery level. This could include
consideration of multiple-year funding contracts for
pre-accredited training to Learn Local organisations
that enter into durable and consolidated structural
arrangements for the delivery of accredited and
pre-accredited training.
applying greater consideration of scale,
sustainability and Learn Local organisational
networks and partnership durability to inform the
operation of the Capacity and Innovation Fund
Grant program.
Building the Learn Local sector’s capability to deliver
high-quality education services
Funding for professional development
Building on the current professional development
program available for Learn Local organisations, the ACFE
Board will fund targeted professional development for
the sector through the VET Development Centre.
Support for Learn Local organisations involvement in
communities of practice
DET Regional offices will facilitate engagement of Learn
Local organisations in cross-sectoral Community of
Practice networks. Further assistance will be a priority
within the operation of the Capacity and Innovation
Grant Program.
Streamlining registration and contracting processes
From 2014, funding agreements with Learn Local
organisations to provide pre-accredited educational
services will be managed through a single, three-year
whole-of-Victorian-Government agreement. This
agreement will cover the ACFE registration requirements,
and aim to avoid Learn Local organisations providing the
same information multiple times to different State
Government agencies.
The ACFE Board, in conjunction with regulators and
departmental agencies (such as those agencies
contracting the Victorian Training Guarantee), will review
current registration processes to identify opportunities to
further reduce the information-provision burden on
Learn Local organisations and avoid duplication in
departmental processes.
Improving access to information
Databases on training and labour market data will be
made available to all training providers in 2014, including
Learn Local organisations. Local content on the Victorian
Skills Gateway will provide more tailored information to
benefit Learn Local organisations.
The government will publish recent findings of the
longitudinal study on pre-accredited training and host a
series of provider forums to discuss the implications of
the study and identify further areas of focus for the
research.
Evaluation
The final element of the strategy is an evaluation
mechanism, coordinated by the ACFE Board as the
advisory body responsible for the Learn Local sector. In
particular, the ACFE Regional Councils and DET, including
the Market Monitoring Unit, will assist the ACFE Board by
monitoring and identifying local training needs, trends
and practices. Ongoing evaluation and monitoring, across
the strategy, will consider the performance of the sector
against the strategy’s objectives and initiatives with a
focus on the public value delivered and will help to
inform future resource allocation.
The strategy provides a framework to ensure that
decisions and choices made about the relative priority
given to future Learn Local sector capabilities and
directions, and the effective and efficient use of existing
resources, are consistent and aligned. Importantly,
ongoing evaluation of the strategy will ensure that the
Learn Local sector fulfils its promise, develops more
innovative and responsive services, and meets the needs
of Victorian learners, businesses and local communities.
Learn Local: Focusing on the Future
25