New Credit Transfer and Articulation website launched
The TAFE NSW/Universities Credit Transfer and Articulation was launched on 30 September 2005, satisfying the NSW Government’s commitment to expand and increase cross-sectoral qualification linkages and students’ pathways. This new website coordinates and publishes, in one location, information about credit transfer and articulation between TAFE NSW and universities.
What information is available NOW? 
Stage One includes
- comprehensive background information about credit transfer and articulation
- credit transfer and articulation arrangements from university to TAFE NSW courses
- credit transfer and articulation arrangements from TAFE NSW to university courses
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sample Case Studies
- Related Links
- News Room
- Contacts
The website will be implemented in two stages. Stage One provides background information about credit transfer and articulation, as well as specific arrangements which recognise previous learning completed at both TAFE NSW and universities. At this stage only the credit transfer and articulation arrangements between TAFE NSW and the University of Newcastle and the University of Wollongong are published.
During 2006, as part of Stage Two, new and current credit transfer and articulation arrangements with the remaining universities in NSW and the ACT will be progressively incorporated onto the site.
Student movement between the sectors
Since 2001 the number of TAFE NSW graduates being admitted to university based on prior TAFE studies has increased by around 23 per cent. In 2004, 5,759 learners (10.4 per cent of total admissions) were admitted to NSW universities on the basis of prior TAFE NSW studies. These figures vary greatly from one university to another – ranging from 2.8% to 31.7 % of a university’s admissions. The related national figure in 2004 was 16,903 learners (9.4 per cent of total admissions.
Source: DEST Higher Education Statistical Collection
The flow of students between the sectors tends to be greater in the direction of university to TAFE NSW. In 2004, for example, there were 32,847 students enrolled in TAFE NSW who had previously completed a university qualification.
Source DET Annual Report 2004
How are credit transfer and articulation arrangements displayed on the site?
Credit transfer and articulation arrangements are available in both directions, that is, from TAFE NSW to university and from university to TAFE NSW. TAFE NSW has negotiated around 1,500 separate agreements with universities, some of which grant substantial credit.
Arrangements in the direction of TAFE NSW to university are displayed via a portal which links directly to the university’s public website where specific credit transfer and articulation arrangements are published.
Arrangements in the direction of university to TAFE NSW are classified by university and displayed on the site in a static table format. Key information is organised according to previous university studies and the corresponding TAFE NSW study for which students are eligible to receive credit.
Who is it for?
The primary audience for the website is current and future students in the TAFE NSW and university sectors. A broader audience includes teaching and educational staff and student/careers advisers across both sectors.
The website will make it easier for students to compare their credit transfer and articulation benefit, and will therefore considerably improve customer service levels.
The site will be valuable in marketing and promoting cross-sectoral pathways between TAFE NSW and the university sector. It will assist educational staff in both sectors to process applications for recognition during enrolment/admission periods.
Related sites
Linkages established with the HSC/TAFE
Credit Transfer website,
for example, will expand the scope of recognition pathways in the direction
of school » TAFE NSW » Universities » TAFE NSW. The
website will be beneficial to careers advisers and teachers in the schools
sector and will assist students in planning pathways.
Further development plans
Stage Two will involve the publication of credit transfer and articulation arrangements with the remaining universities in NSW and the ACT. This information will be gradually uploaded to the site over 2006.
The inclusion of features such as a search function, customer inquiry facility and the development of a template, allowing information deployed from external sites to be displayed in a consistent format, will occur as part of this stage.
Key national directions
In both the national and state arenas, clear policy directions and guidelines exist to encourage improved linkages between the Vocational Education and Training (VET) and higher education sectors. In May 2005, the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), endorsed:
Good Practice Principles for Credit Transfer and Articulation from VET to Higher Education and Principles for Good Practice Information Provision on Credit Transfer and Articulation from Vocational Training and Education to Higher Education
These principles are designed to facilitate consultation and contribute towards better coordination of national effort in the area of credit transfer and articulation.
Who developed the website?
TAFE NSW in collaboration with key stakeholder groups. The university sector, in particular the University of Newcastle and the University of Wollongong, were consulted in the development phase and participated in the quality assurance process. A sample of students, who were indicative of the target audience, was also invited to test the site in the final consultation phase.
Go to...
TAFE NSW/Universities Credit Transfer and Articulation or for further inquiries about the site:
Contact
Robyn Glaister
+61 2 9244 5269
Email robyn.glaister@det.nsw.edu.au
