Just-In-Time Learn Local Industry Partnerships – Specifications for 2024 Projects

Download the Just-in-Time Project Specifications and EOI Form

You can download a pdf version of the Just in Time Learn Local Industry Partnerships Specifications for 2024 Projects. Alternatively you can access an online version of the Specifications for 2024 Projects below.

The Just in Time Expression of Interest form as a word document is here:

Specifications for 2024 Projects

Context

The Ministerial Statement on Adult Community Education and the ACFEB Strategy 2020 -2025 identify Learn Local provider partnerships with industry as a means of supporting local workforce needs. 

Establishing partnerships between Learn Local providers and industry/businesses requires, in many cases, considerable effort with associated costs. 

The Just in Time initiative addresses the associated costs barriers in particular instances.

Objectives

The Just in Time (JiT) initiative contributes to the cost of further building an already emerging partnership between a Learn Local and a local employer whose business has immediate foundation skills needs at lower ASCF levels 1 -2. The foundation skills are English Language, Literacy, Numeracy, Employability and Digital (LLNED) skills.

The Just in Time (JiT) initiative is to enable an already emerging Learn Local -Employer partnership to codesign a pre-accredited training program contextualised to meet the employer’s immediate workforce foundation skills needs so that completing learners can retain jobs or apply for a job including with the employer partner.

The Just in Time initiative is designed to cover the cost of services such as:

• Administration of the Just in Time project
• Brokerage of employer involvement
• Tools for skills needs assessment of employers and adult learners
• Teaching and learning resources and program development
• Related resources development (e.g. marketing promotional tools etc.)
• Legal advice
• Other (Learn Local to identify).

Delivery of the contextualised LLNED pre-accredited training program must also occur within the Just-In Time contract period of 12 months to at least one intake of lower skilled adult learners to test the developed pre-accredited program and finalise its resources that meet copyright guidelines. The delivery will be funded separately and from Learn Locals allocated general pre-accredited training SCH hours.

Outcomes monitoring for participating adult learners in the contextualised LLNED pre-accredited training program also must occur for the duration of contract period of 12 months.

Further details on these costs/ items are provided in the funding section below.

Expected outcomes

The Department expects that Learn Local Just in Time Industry Partnership projects will:

• Create contextualized foundation skills teaching and learning resources for a business that solves immediate foundation skills needs of the workforce of an employer and meets focused adult learner needs so that completing learners can retain jobs or apply for a job including with the employer partner
• Create useful other resources (e.g. assessment, promotional, working with employers tools etc.)
• Develop Learn Local industry relationships models that can be used in future without additional funding support
• Contribute to a shared understanding of what works in Learn Local partnerships with businesses, to feed into Engaging Employers Guide for sector use.

Contracted outputs

• Contextualised LLNED teaching and learning resources in the new stronger by design/PQF plus format and that include at a minimum, a course plan, session plan, and teacher and learner book that meet copyright guidelines and are copyright assigned to the ACFE Board*. The materials should meet the needs of the business partner and learners but also be designed to facilitate broader use by the sector
• Improved employment focused outcomes for the learners: (a) worker retention with the business partner or (b) new recruitment into a job with the business partner or (c) recruitment into a job with another employer.
• Three reports:
  • Progress report 1 in the provided template when codesign of the training program should be underway (at 5 months)
  • Progress report 2 in the provided template when delivery should be occurring (at 9 months)

  • Final report in the provided template at contract end (12 months) that details employer engagement process and outcomes and lessons learnt for sharing with the Learn Local sector and a financial acquittal report.

    With the final report the final contextualised LLNED teaching and learning resources developed in the new stronger by design/PQF plus format including at a minimum, a course plan, session plan teacher work book and learner work book that meet copyright guidelines. Attribution of sourced text and photographs or images is essential. Please consult the Copyright guidelines available on the secure portal and pay due diligence to these when developing the resources.

* Please be aware that the ACFE Board will have copyright ownership of all teaching learning and assessment and other resources developed as part of a Just in Time project in accordance with clause 16 of the underlying contract to the Service Agreement and so that the Department can share Just in Time developed resources with the Learn Local sector and keep them updated. The sharing occurs after the resources have been through the ACFE Board quality assurance (QA) process with developers of the resources expected to respond to QA findings.   The ACFE Board will continue to recognise Moral Rights, as defined in section 189 of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), of the author and original designer of the Just in Time resources developed. The author and original designer can use the resources.

Project requirement

Specific criteria for assessment of applications form part of the EOI documentation. Applications should cover the following elements:

1. Evidence that the Learn Local has started or has an established relationship with a business or cluster of businesses external to the Learn Local provider
2. Evidence that the business partner has an emerging existing worker or new entrant foundation skills need and a commitment to offering employment opportunities for completing learners
3. A support letter provided from the business partner on their commitment to the project and to interviewing completing students of the contextualized program looking for a job
4. Detail about how the project provides a solution to an existing specific workplace skills need
5. Identification of the foundation skills (LLNED) that the pre-accredited course will address
6. A description of how the funding will impact learners- to engage in training, meet their educational needs and benefit learners upon completion the training, particularly around employment outcomes
7. Detail about what the project will develop or produce and how the requested funding will be spent based on the above objectives, outcomes and outputs
8. Detail on materials to be developed with the funding – i.e. in the new stronger by design/PQF plus format course plan sessions plan, teacher and learner book that meet copyright guidelines and are copyright assigned to the ACFE Board. - and how the material can meet the specific needs of the business but also at project end how generic versions can be provided to the ACFE Board for sector interest and use
9. Confirmation on whether professional learning assistance is required from the department to produce  teaching and learning resources in the new Stronger by Design/PQF plus format
10. The ACFE Board’s quality assurance process is applicable to materials developed with the funding that are submitted to the Department. The application should identify a willingness to work with the department to address any quality assurance matters arising from a review of final resources
11. Planned number of learners, place and mode of delivery e.g. at the workplace (bearing in mind current ACFE Board policy on pre-accredited work experience / Learn Local providers)
12. Confirmation that the Learn Local has the SCH in its 2024 plan to commit to delivery of the developed program or if a later in 2024 application has the SCH in their 2025 plan
13. Identify the evidence and indicators to be used to assess whether project objectives and outcomes have been achieved
14. Training will be approximately 20 to 60 hours to ensure both a timely response and just-in-time work readiness. Further training can occur once candidates are in employment, if required.

The Department will assess each application individually upon receipt.

Successful applicants must participate in evaluation of the initiative and potential case studies undertaken by the Department.

The ACFE Board may invite applicants with similar projects to work together.

Funding

Providers can apply for up to and no more than $75,000 (excl. GST) evidenced per expression of interest (EOI). Providers previously funded for a Just- in- Time must have an employer partner from a different industry field in their new application.

Providers can contribute to more than one application in the case of submissions where multiple Learn Locals are involved. The application will however need to specify which Learn Local is the lead. The lead will receive the contract and funding and be responsible for meeting contractual obligations.  Also, one single EOI may include multiple employers.

The Just in Time is initiative is designed to cover the cost of services such as:

• Administration of the Just in Time project (this is to cover management of the JiT in all its aspects it does not include costs associated with day-to-day Learn Local operations such as office furniture and fittings or repairs and maintenance.  operational costs)
• The costs of Learn Local brokerage with an employer - for an existing emerging partnership with an employer who must have an immediate entry- level workforce skills need and is willing to identify and explain their skills needs and help design suitable pre-accredited course and interview course completers for available jobs
• Initial assessment and placement tools to assess employees and business needs: where relevant the PRIAK 2.0 tool should be used for literacy and numeracy assessment of learners rather than development of a new tool for literacy and numeracy skills check purposes
• Teaching and learning resources and program development: where relevant ACFE Board centralised industry focused curriculum housed on the Learn Local Secure Portal or the LearnLocal.org.au site is to be used as the starting point for course design modification to the employer needs to reduce cost and minimize quality assurance work with due diligence paid to attribution of all sources of materials and photographs. Existing centrally developed programs are on the secure portal and also are located on the Learn Local website
• Related resources development such as promotional tools -please specify each tool and its costs
• Legal advice: please specify in detail and its costs
• Other (Learn Local to identify and specify its costs).

Out of scope - program delivery

The ‘Just in Time‘ Learn Local-Industry Initiative does not include funding for training delivery. Learn Local providers will use their allocated SCH hours in 2024 or 2025 via the General Pre-accredited Training process.

While the initiative does not cover training delivery costs it can cover non delivery costs associated with testing the developed resources and approach and making any final modifications to the resources.

The bespoke Just in Time pre-accredited training program must have at least one intake of lower skilled adult learners within the contract timeframe.

EOI Timelines

JiT EOI Applications can be made any time between 20 February 2024 and 31 October 2024 or until all available funds are exhausted. Please note that there is limited funding allocated for the JiT initiative. Applications will be assessed upon receipt by the Department.

Ahead of preparing an application please undertake an information session with Dr Kaye Bowman, ACFE by emailing kaye.bowman@ecodev.vic.gov.au

Project deliverables

* Progress and final reports will be delivered using a provided template to Dr Kaye Bowman, ACFE Division at kaye.bowman@ecodev.vic.gov.au as well as to your regional ACFE office representative.

** Resources developed with ACFE Board funding will be available in readily accessible electronic format and delivered via email Dr Kaye Bowman, ACFE Division at kaye.bowman@ecodev.vic.gov.au

How to apply

1. Undertake an information session with Dr Kaye Bowman, kaye.bowman@ecodev.vic.gov.au
2. Complete the Application Form (EOI) separately provided
3. Send your completed Expression of Interest on the application form to Kaye Bowman and cc your regional office.

Next steps

• Applications will be assessed by the Department when received
• A contract letter with Service Plan will be sent to successful organisation’s signatory and executed via SAMS2 once all steps have been completed for execution. Please note, your signatory will have a five-day window to review and accept the Service Plan, after which SAMS2 will automatically accept on behalf of your signatory.

Contact details

If you have any questions, please contact Kaye.Bowman@ecodev.vic.gov.au or your regional office.