This research investigates the financial and operational impacts of 'churn' on Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) in Australia's VET sector. Churn refers to the constant changes in VET qualification products (Australian Industry and Skills Committee 2022, 12). Through case studies from three states and territories, the project quantifies the costs RTOs incur while converting wholesale VET products into qualifications for students. It also highlights the challenges churn imposes on public institutions, the VET workforce, and student learning. The research has developed a ubiquitous tool that RTOs can use to measure the cost of shifting products from markets to retail and the impacts of ongoing churn on their viability. The research provides insight for comparing Hospitality RTO financial practices in a year of difficult financial viability. In the early 1990s Australia transitioned to a national Vocational Education and Training (VET) marketplace of consumer driven demand. It was argued that the existing Technical And Further Education (TAFE) system of vocational training had become over reliant on Commonwealth government funding, and as the primary beneficiaries of future changes, industry and individuals should bear the cost of any increased expenditure attached to the new systemic changes (Dawkins, 1988; Smith and Keating, 2003). This shift in Commonwealth policy thinking would herald significant structural changes to the Australian system of Vocational Education and Training (VET). Many in vocational research saw the policy changes as primarily focused on reducing Commonwealth government expenditure rather than learning focused educational reform (Billett, 2011; Hodge, 2016). As stated succinctly by vocational researcher Lisa Wheelahan, "The question that policy asked was 'how can we create a market?', and not 'how can we create a system of high- quality, trusted qualifications?" (Wheelahan, 2016. p.190). Since the policy's introduction, a surfeit of evidence has emerged which identifies the widespread abuse of public funding (Marginson, 2013; Toner, 2018a). The nascent evidence demonstrates a VET system based on a poorly regulated training market and widespread financial rorting (DET, 2016; Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment [SSCEE], 2015). Since that time, State and Commonwealth governments have been focused on eradicating 'dodgy' RTOs from the training market system. The introduction of 'Standards' by which RTOs must operate and the increased specification in the Assessment Requirements of Units of Competency (UoC) are examples of Commonwealth intervention to restrict unethical practices and provide quality assurance to the national qualification training market. However, while the rorting has reduced, this research identifies areas where Commonwealth and State government funding is arguably still wasteful with significant impacts on RTO viability. This research examines the process of 'churn' and the money extracted to facilitate a system of unaccountable change. Anonymised case studies are drawn from TAFEs in three state and territory jurisdictions using their policy and process documents. These specify compliance- driven activities providers undertake to convert three ubiquitous wholesale products into standards conforming, teachable and assessable retail qualifications. The expenditure incurred for each step is calculated. This specifies the RTO's outlay to place a qualification on the national register and prepare it for delivery to students. Differential expenses are incurred every time the training product is changed depending on the type of alteration and churn's expenses can be calculated at the unit of competence level. The results are seldom observed at the system's highest levels - a characteristic of loose coupling and differential costs experienced when all providers are expected to meet the same standards. Requiring multiple RTOs to repeat the same processes for every qualification alteration suggests systemic inefficiency. Specifying providers' costs of churn has major implications for funding policy and practice. Arguing that contemporary regulated VET markets represent successful public policy implementation, characterised by a simplistic wholesale/retail structure, the theoretical perspectives concerning loosely coupled systems (Orton and Weick, 1988) and the impacts of standards (Fischhoff, 1984) can describe responses of registered training organisations (RTOs) to policy and funding imperatives. These dual theoretical frameworks are used to examine the logic that perpetuates a system of waste and inefficiency. The findings demonstrate significance in two important ways. Firstly, a tool has been developed for quantifying churn that can be applied to the operations of public and private RTOs that will allow them to benchmark and better understand their comparative costs within a competitive education market. Secondly, systemic inefficiency and wastage is quantified and demonstrated at a national level, with impacts on the VET workforce retention and the student learning experience.

Hospitality Management is not a discipline that can just be learned in the classroom (Sonnenscheinet al., 2019; Spowart, 2006). Despite the need for academic studies, graduates of hospitality management degrees are expected to ‘hit the ground running’ as they commence their careers inindustry (Ngoepe & Wakelin-Theron, 2023). Hospitality businesses are dynamic service environments with a focus on experience provision, that require students to have a strong combination of theoretical knowledge, practical skills and industry experience (Ren & McKercher, 2021). While for some students in some educational institutions, the skills and experience will be developed through institutional facilities like training restaurants or through part-time industry jobs, many others are reliant upon the relationships that are formed between their educational institutionand industry partners. Work-integrated learning (WIL) “is an approach to education that allows students to obtain work experiences related to what they are learning in a classroom setting” (Jackson, 2016), and usually involves three stakeholders – the student, their institution and the industry partner. Each stakeholder benefits from WIL events, and each stakeholder faces challenges. Well-structured WIL programs have been shown to be well-received and beneficial to students (Sonnenschein at al, 2019; Spowart, 2006) and to have positive impacts on employment outcomes (Jackson & Rowe ,2023). However, issues such as stress, isolation and study/life imbalances have been noted asdetracting from the students’ WIL experiences (Gillet-Swan & Grant-Smith. 2018). For the industry partner there is the potential benefits of increased productivity, new knowledge and skills, fresh ideas (Fleming & Pretti, 2019), and "the opportunity to identify and recruit talented students" (Atkinson et al, 2015). Those benefits however can be moderated by the attitudes, expectations andcommunication skills of individual students. This study aims to investigate the experiences of each stakeholder group, focusing on ‘BHM Alive@ Novotel’ (BHM Alive) – a week-long immersive WIL experience for students studying in Holmesglen’s Bachelor of Hospitality Management (BHM) during September 2024. BHM Alive, a planned collaboration between Holmesglen’s BHM and long-standing hotel partner Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley, will place students in a real world hotel environment. Some students will rotate through various departments, learning new skills and gaining experience by engaging with experienced hospitality professionals and managers. Others will participate in onsite tours and presentations from hotel department managers. BHM final year students, completing professional practice placements will assist in coordinating the program and in coaching first year students, hence providing an opportunity to not only develop their hard hospitality skills but also to put their leadership and management knowledge into practice. In conjunction with this initiative, subject assessments across the BHM program will be adapted to focus on BHM Alive activities andexperiences, further aligning academic goals with practical experience. This innovative approachwill provide students with a comprehensive and industry-relevant educational experience, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in the hospitality industry. The primary objective of the proposed research is to evaluate the impacts on, and benefits providedto the stakeholders in this collaboration between BHM and Novotel. Specifically, this study will: • Evaluate the effectiveness of the "BHM Alive @ Novotel" program in enhancing studentengagement and overcoming some of the issues faced by WIL students • Assess the impact of the program on developing students' practical skills and industry knowledge • Analyze the benefits and challenges for Novotel management and employees • Examine the role of adapted subject assessments in reinforcing the learning from BHM Alive

Research background and purpose Digital transformation is driving educators to adopt innovative methods for digital teaching to facilitate student learning. Due to transformation, upskilling has become a top priority for educators in key competencies such as creative thinking and digital competencies to develop innovative curriculum (Redecker, 2017). Educators must enhance their creative thinking, adaptability, and artificial intelligence (GenAI) proficiency to develop teaching strategies that foster students' critical thinking and interpersonal skills while advancing their own 21st- century competencies to effectively convey these skills through enhancing digital capabilities (Lidolf & Pasco, 2020). The European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) (Redecker, 2017), outlines a set of areas and digital competencies that educators should possess to enhance their teaching methods, foster digital literacy among students, and improve the overall teaching and learning experience (Caena & Redecker, 2019). DigCompEdu lacks the details in using digital technologies such as learning management systems, digital content creation tools and GenAI. This highlights the necessity for creative thinking, agility and flexibility in modifying teaching approaches to align with innovative curricula. These competencies are crucial for transforming educators' mindsets towards a focus on ongoing professional development in digital teaching and learning. Curriculum development involves planning, implementation, and evaluation which has a broad scope (Ornstein Hunkins 2017). However, curriculum design is aligning learning strategies, materials, and experiences to defined outcomes (Taba, 1962; Tyler, 1949). Whereas curriculum models focus on the outcomes of a curriculum which involves managing, designing, and organizing learning objectives, competencies, and standards within a curriculum. This seems to be the common approach across higher education curriculum. The process of designing curriculum with the end in mind is commonly referred to as “backward design” (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998). Backward design starts with the outcomes and then works backwards to address the content, topics, strategies, and materials. One of the key tools important to backward design is the use of learning objectives taxonomies. One of the most widely used of these taxonomies is Bloom’s Taxonomy (Bloom et al., 1956). Bloom’s Taxonomy organizes learning objectives based on a level of learning. Digital transformation in higher education is driving the need for educators to enhance digital capabilities for teaching and learning. This includes exploring innovative curriculum design, and the impact of technology on curriculum delivery (Tight, 2024). The extant literature on curriculum development and educator digital competencies in hospitality higher education is scarce and fragmented. To effectively integrate competencies for utilising educator pedagogical competencies which includes digital resources, teaching and learning, assessment, and empowering learners does not align with contemporary curriculum development models. This absence highlights a significant opportunity for a study to expand on the literature regarding a design thinking approach (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2017) to curriculum development and digital competencies in hospitality higher education. Reflecting on these gaps, the objectives of this study are twofold: (1) To explore the stages of curriculum development practices and how design thinking can be incorporated into the curriculum development process in hospitality higher education, and (2) To examine GenAI tools’ integration with Design Thinking and explore curriculum design alternatives. Methodology To effectively address the objectives, this study utilises a mixed method approach that combines qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The process unfolds through two multi-step stages, described as follows: Stage 1: Qualitative research This stage is structured into three following steps: Step 1: Identification of curriculum development processes across hospitality management programs offered by universities and other higher education providers across Australia. This initial stage involves a comprehensive search to catalogue curriculum. Step 2: Analysis and comparison of the curriculum development components across the identified programs. This includes core courses, digital resources, teaching strategies, authentic assessments, and empowering learners. Step 3: In-depth content analysis to extract digital competencies within the curricula. This stage focuses on: Examining the objectives, content, and pedagogical approaches utilized in core, specialized, and elective courses. Stage 2: Quantitative research In this phase of the research, an empirical analysis will be undertaken to develop and validate a conceptual framework that explores the impact of curriculum development process. These hypotheses will be empirically tested using data gathered through a questionnaire survey administered to educators in higher education in hospitality higher education programs at Australian institutions. The study employs a Partial Least Squares- based Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach, encompassing both measurement model evaluation and structural model evaluation, to rigorously test the hypotheses and validate the proposed conceptual framework. Originality/Value Building on the long-standing tradition of curriculum development approaches, and the design thinking concepts, the proposed study represents the first attempt to explore and validate the conceptualisation of curriculum on the formation digital competences within the literature of hospitality curriculum development. Additionally, it seeks to extend the extant literature on curriculum development formation by validating the influence of design thinking and perceptions of digital competencies within higher education.

This workshop will develop your knowledge and skills for designing education programs for falls prevention research. It will include enhancing your skills in how to critique, develop, implement, measure and report educational interventions and outcomes.

This is a presentation that was given at a VATL LIT Workshop, sharing the experiences of Holmesglen Library in setting up an Institutional Repository.