Skills Victoria oversees the appointment of directors to the following TAFE institute boards:

• Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE
• Box Hill Institute of TAFE
• Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE
• Chisholm Institute of TAFE
• East Gippsland Institute of TAFE
• Gordon Institute of TAFE
• Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE
• Holmesglen Institute of TAFE
• Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE
• Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
• South West Institute of TAFE
• Sunraysia Institute of TAFE
• William Angliss Institute of TAFE
• Wodonga Institute of TAFE

Universities with a TAFE division are governed by the university council process.

Appointment of directors to TAFE institute boards

Victoria's publicly funded technical and further education (TAFE) institutes rely on suitably qualified and highly committed individuals to give their time and commitment to sit on boards to oversee the governance of Victoria’s 14 TAFE institutes.

TAFE institutes are established under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (the Act), and administered by the Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, The Hon Jacinta Allan, MP. In accordance with the Act, the Minister and the governing body of each institute exercise specific powers in relation to the function of the institution. The Minister is responsible to Parliament for the exercise of these powers.

TAFE institute boards are expected to govern in a manner that ensures that they:

• are efficiently managed
• provide high quality education and training services that meet the needs of the community
• meet both financial and non-financial performance targets

Ministerial appointments of non-executive directors to TAFE institute boards are made through Skills Victoria. Suitably qualified and experienced persons are routinely appointed to positions as part-time non-executive directors of the 14 TAFE institute boards.

Individuals interested in appointment and those ultimately appointed by the Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation must demonstrate an overriding commitment to excellence in public educational outcomes and to high quality governance of Victoria's public education bodies. They must also be able to demonstrate the necessary skills and expertise to make a significant contribution to the governance of such complex entities.

Governance Charter (September 2005): The Governance Charter of a Board provides a sample framework for a TAFE institute board’s role, responsibilities, composition, structure and directorship requirements.

For further information on the Charter, email governance.skills@diird.vic.gov.au.

Becoming a director

Every board can benefit from a balanced and comprehensive portfolio of experience, knowledge, attributes, skills and capabilities amongst its directors. Directors should not all possess the same skills; rather directors should each bring their own unique set of professional and personal attributes and capabilities to the board.

If you wish to be considered for appointment as a director of a TAFE institute board, please complete the expression of interest application formand email it with a copy of your curriculum vitae.

• Expression of interest application form to become a TAFE Institute Board director An application form to express interest in becoming a director of a Victorian TAFE Institute

• General information about expressing interest to become a director of a TAFE Institute Board Information for people wanting to apply for a TAFE Institute Board Director position.

Email: governance.skills@diird.vic.gov.au  

Director expertise and duties

Among the skills and types of expertise that are highly desirable for the boards of education entities are:

• financial expertise and experience relevant to the governance of public education, including public sector or corporate management, finance, law, marketing/communications, information technology and risk management
• strategic thinking, planning and leadership skills
• experience and proficiency in engagement, collaboration and consultation with various stakeholders, and specifically within the educational sector
• an understanding and appreciation of the broader policy context of the delivery and planning of public education services and sector
• high levels of performance in their respective fields of expertise and endeavour
• a high degree of integrity and standing in the community and demonstrated values of acting in good faith and in the best interests of the organisation

Directors are expected to attend 75% of board meetings and to make a substantial contribution to the oversight and leadership of the organisation. They are expected to undertake and perform their duties conscientiously and capably with integrity and diligence.

Typically, a Director's tasks will include:

• regularly attending and contributing to discussions at board meetings
• making serious commitments to participate actively in committee work, particularly in an area in which they demonstrate particular expertise or skills
• reading and analysing briefing papers, reports, especially financial reports
• maintaining frameworks in auditing, risk management and delegations
• mentoring senior executives and building collegial working relationships that contribute to prudent consensus
• contributing to the agenda cycle and participating in performance evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer, the board and its committees

Selection and appointment process

In accordance with government policy, Ministerial appointees to government bodies must have exemplary records of personal, professional and commercial integrity. Short-listed candidates may be interviewed and assessed to ensure that they have the necessary qualifications, skills and experience for the position and that they are able to commit adequate time to the appointment.

Directors can be nominated for appointment for a second term but will only be nominated for a third term in exceptional circumstances.

Potential applicants should understand that the following requirements and probity checks have to be completed before appointments can be made to a board:

• completion of Declaration of Private Interests form (completed by the candidate). This form provides for the disclosure of pecuniary interests or other private interests which could conceivably conflict with the proper performance of director's duties
• a Criminal Record check (Australia wide) by the Victoria Police
• a check of the Australian Security and Investment Commission disqualification register
• a check of solvency by the Insolvency Trustee Service Australia.

These checks will only be undertaken with the applicant’s written consent. The Department treats all personal information provided by an individual in support of an appointment application in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic) and the Public Records Act 1973 (Vic). The personal information provided is required for application processing and assessment purposes. It may be shared with other public sector organisations.

When making recommendations on board appointments, the Minister will consider a number of matters, including:

• the skills and experience of the candidate
• the gender of the candidate in the context of the overall council gender balance for the Board
• any factors that may be preventing female candidates from being recommended applicants
• the targets for female representation that the Department has
• any potential conflict of interest that a candidate may have
• the Government's commitment to greater representation for women, Indigenous Victorians and youth

The appointment process

The Governance Unit of Skills Victoria oversees the appointment process which can take up to nine months. This period is required for the rigorous screening processes involving police, insolvency and identification checks.

The Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, the Hon. Jacinta Allan, MP, invites expressions of interest for voluntary member positions across 14 TAFE institute boards.