Professional Practice and Recognition Framework

Development of a professional development framework for the Learn Local workforce* directly relates to the implementation of the 2019 Ministerial Statement on the Future of Adult Community Education in Victoria (2020–25) (the Ministerial Statement) and the Adult, Community and Further Education Board Strategy (2020–2025) (the Strategy).

The Ministerial Statement (p.6) identifies the core purpose of the Learn Local sector:

'To play a lead role in adult literacy, numeracy, employability and digital skills education and training for Victorians and engage and support adult learners who need these core foundation skills to develop them for work, further study, and to participate in society as valued citizens.'

The Strategy provides the mechanism for supporting this ambition. The Strategy identifies four strategic directions (p. 9). One of these is Our People including Investing in the Learn Local workforce and in Improved Products and Tools for use by the workforce.

This focus on Our People is viewed as pivotal to achieving the gains sought in much of the rest of the Strategy. As stated in the Strategy (p.12), the talents of the existing Learn Local workforce are not only valued but are to be recognised and invested in:

'Adult community and further education leaders, teachers and volunteers are valued. We will professionalise the Learn Local workforce through a framework of skills recognition and professional development. This will help move us towards a consistently qualified, professional workforce delivering non-accredited training and supported by volunteers.'

The ACFE Board set a priority for 2022 to define the key capabilities of the Learn Local workforce based on the Ministerial Statement, Strategy and workforce data, and to develop and implement a workforce professional practice and recognition framework.

A first attempt at identifying the wide-ranging practices of Victoria's diverse Learn Local workforce was made by the department with assistance from Escalier McLean Consulting across 2022 – 2023.

The draft Framework was provided to every Learn Local provider via their regional office along with a consultation paper, with a number of initial consultation workshops conducted in August 2022, with follow-up sessions across February – March 2023.

The testing process yielded individual staff profiles detailing current professional capabilities and application levels. The process also enabled staff to talk with others about their self-assessments and priority areas for development through a collaborative approach involving 360-degree feedback.

The Framework identifies and describes the collective practices of the wide range of Learn Local staff (teachers, trainers and managers, coordinators and administrators) responsible for the development and delivery of quality pre-accredited Language, Literacy, Numeracy, Employability and Digital (LLNED) skills programs to adults needing to develop these core skills for study, work and life.

The Framework consists of 5 domains of practice:

1. Engaging learners
2. Teaching LLNED skills
3. Determining learner gain
4. Collaborating and networking
5. Leading and managing

The Framework provides a state-wide perspective. Not all practices may be performed at the one Learn Local, nor might there be staff at all descriptor levels of practice. The Framework's purpose is to:

• Explain and recognise the breadth of professional practices Learn Local providers perform,
• Allow Learn Local staff to self-assess their skills and knowledge and identify their professional goals; and,
• Enable the ACFE Board to fund professional development programs that are responsive to current Learn Local workforce practices and emerging needs.

The final Framework can be downloaded at the following links:

The Framework also includes a complementary online self-assessment tool to assist Learn Local staff to enable Learn Local staff to self-assess their skills and knowledge, guided by the practices outlined in The Framework:

Professional Practice and Recognition Framework Self-Assessment Tool 

The tool is intended for personal use and personal reflection, and not as a performance appraisal tool.

The tool provides a structure for staff to gauge how they are performing against Practice Descriptors in the Framework. It also enables staff to identify areas for personal development and for career planning.

Not all practitioners will need to self-assess against all Domains of Practice, nor all Practice Areas. For example, and depending on job roles within an organisation:

• Teachers and trainers may initially self-assess for the Practice Domains: Teaching LLNED Skills and Engaging learners and then possibly move on to Determining learner gain prior to addressing their skills in Collaborating and networking and Leading and managing
• Managers or coordinators may focus initially on self-assessment against the Engaging Learners and the Leading and managing Domains before moving to Collaborating and Networking
• Some staff who undertake management and teaching/training roles may undertake their self-assessment across all of the Domains.

At the end of the Self-Assessment for each Practice Domain you will receive a summary of the skills and knowledge that you already have and your priorities that you would particularly like to develop. It is quite likely that you will have skills at various levels. This is called a ‘spiky profile’.

Teachers, trainers, coordinators and managers are encouraged to share the outcomes of their self-assessment with their colleagues to assist them in confirming or modifying their initial self-assessments. Building a collaborative approach involving 360-degree feedback where teachers, trainers, coordinators and managers share the outcomes of their self-assessment will assist all in confirming or modifying their initial self-assessments.

To build the Learn Local sector's capacity and capabilities, it is very important for users to clearly identify skills they need or would like to develop for their personal professional development and for career planning, through informal and formal professional learning and development.

*‘Learn Local workforce’ refers to anyone employed within the Learn Local sector supporting the delivery of pre-accredited training.