The Skills and Workforce ministerial council has developed a National Skills Agreement, which is a 5-year agreement between the Australian and state and territory governments. The Agreement includes agreed reforms, one of which is to improve foundation skills training capacity, quality and accessibility. The Adult Community and Further Education (ACFE) board has responded by funding several projects focussing on professional development, industry contextualised partnership programs and investigations into further needs of the sector.
Watch this space for further announcements.
I am so excited to be part of the VALBEC team putting together the very first adult numeracy conference in Australia (fact check welcome!) Please jump on the website to register - noting that it is free, however a no-show will incur a $50 catering fee. Our speakers cover a range of numeracy areas and include the industry network projects funded through ACFE. Dr Lorraine Gaunt will present, as well as Bridget who is a volunteer numeracy tutor as well as a qualified maths teacher who has worked in the TAFE space. The refreshed Strength in Numbers will be presented with interactive workshops so participants can get their hands dirty with numeracy fun. Dave Tout will kick us off with a keynote and many other VALBEC numeracy luminaries will present including Pam Mahlis and Chris Tully.
I attended the Learn Local Awards ceremony, which is always a fantastic occasion. I am always thrilled to attend the awards - it is an opportunity to hear about the great work in the sector - and how broad the sector is. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners. In the 2026 editions of Fine Print, we will bring you stories from the finalists and winners (once we track them down and ask them). You can read more about the Learn Local Awards in the 2025/2 edition of Fine Print - in your letterboxes early December.
Linno Rhodes, VALBEC President
VALBEC Membership
You can join or renew online.
https://valbec.org.au/membership/
If you join in August, September or October, deduct 50%. Renewal falls due the following February.
Members receive:
- Fine Print two issues per year – a high quality journal for discussion and debate about good practice, theory and policy issues. Feedback and contributions are actively sought from members about content and issues.
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eVALBEC – our e-mail communication keeping members informed of professional development activities, general committee activities and more up to date policy changes.
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Discounts for the Annual Conference and other VALBEC statewide professional development.
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Issues-based forums.
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Focus on significant policy issues impacting on the field.
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Free numeracy resources.
Join us for the VALBEC 2025 Inaugural Numeracy Showcase!
9:00am – 3:30pm
Friday 28th November, 2025
Angliss Centre,
Level 5, 555 La Trobe Street, Melbourne
We invite adult numeracy educators to an event that promises to be both enlightening and inspiring.
Showcase Theme: Context is Everything
This showcase will highlight the critical role numeracy plays in our daily lives. Our presentations will focus on relevant issues and practices within various numeracy contexts.
Showcase registration closes Friday 14th November.
Free Registration however no-shows will incur a $50 catering fee.
Tickets are able to be transferred into other people’s names - just let us know so we can change the name tag. Maximum number of participants is 100.
Call for Presentations: Context is Everything
We invite adult educators to submit their presentation proposals around the theme of context is everything with relevance to numeracy education. Presentations should focus on stimulating thought and discussion around relevant issues and practices within various numeracy contexts.
More information: Call for Presentations
VOCEDPlus and ACAL webinar
Free to ACAL members and those of you who work for an organisation with an ACAL membership. Otherwise, $25.
Webinar: VOCEDplus: your gateway to literacy and numeracy research and resources
Presenter: Tracy Gamlin
Date: Wednesday, 12th November 2025
Time: 5:00pm Sydney (AEDT)
Tasmania has launched the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Tutor Manual: From Research to Practice — a joint achievement between Libraries Tasmania and TasTAFE.It’s freely available, grounded in evidence, and designed to help tutors build learner confidence, independence, and opportunity. Click here for the PDF downloads.
Fine Print issue 2/2025 will be in your letterbox in early December. As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for content
Please see attached the CGEA program for the upcoming CGEA PD on Thursday November 27th.
To register for the PD please click on the link below. Registrations close Monday 24th November 2025
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: The start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Deadly Story
A place for Aboriginal Culture, Country & Community.
Congratulations to the following winners of the 2025 Learn Local Awards announced at a lunchtime gala event on Thursday 9 October at Zinc at Fed Square in Melbourne: Kyabram Community and Learning Centre - Small Provider of the Year, Community College Gippsland - Large Provider of the Year, Get Ready for School - Family Learning Partnership Innovation Award, Orbost Lake Tyers - Training Pathways Partnership Award, Donna Dowler from Foundation Learning Centre - Leadership Award, Payton Reid from Glen Park Community Centre - Pre-accredited Trainer Award, Nicole Cusma from genU Training - Ro Allen Award and Sopha Chizzoniti from Bass Coast Adult Learning Wonthaggi - Pre-accredited Learner (Skills for work) Award.
The Stronger By Design (SbD) Review is continuing with 240 survey responses received from the Learn Local sector. The ACFE Board has advised it is fully committed to ensuring a thorough Review to ensure all aspects are considered.
NTEU BRANCH SURVEY
The NTEU ACE Branch is currently conducting a survey of members to identify any current issues of concern about their employment arrangements. The survey can be accessed at: NTEU ACE BRANCH SURVEY – Fill out form
NTEU AT VALBEC NUMERACY SHOWCASE
NTEU ACE will be hosting a table during the lunch period at the VALBEC Numeracy Showcase on Friday 28 November. Remember to drop by and meet your industrial officer and branch executive members. Thank you to VALBEC for its support for this initiative
If you have not yet joined up, you can do so easily by going to https://www.nteu.au/ and clicking on the purple “Join” button in the top right corner.
Claire Shearman
I have worked in a wide range of educational settings including teaching in schools with large numbers of minority and immigrant language speakers, community and adult education organisations in the UK, and refugee and migrant TESOL contexts within the TAFE system here in Victoria.
I am passionate about the importance of focused reading and critical thinking in an era of AI-generated content. I think the latter is as important a development as the printing press. Now that machines can do writing and literacy too, I believe we have a responsibility to expand our LLN practices to incorporate AI literacy in ways that support social and community inclusion and help our students achieve the best possible outcomes, something that I try to do in the classroom every day.
eVALBEC
eVALBEC is the monthly electronic newsletter of (VALBEC) the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council and is sent to about 1000 practitioners on the first of each month (other than January). It is also available in the ‘News’ section of our web site
Disclaimer:
The activities, goods and services mentioned in eVALBEC are not endorsed by Valbec in any way. People should make their own judgment about the suitability of each item.
How to submit items: https://www.valbec.org.au/evalbec