This document discusses the efforts of a group called National Change Agents at the South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE Employment Preparation Faculty. The Change Agents aimed to strengthen client focus, diversify literacy and numeracy services, and encourage innovation. They formed partnerships, gathered feedback, and developed new projects. This led to greater practitioner engagement in change efforts, new literacy programs and products based on student input, and $30,000 in funding for innovative initiatives. The takeaway is that change agents can empower others to lead planned and emergent change through relationships and capturing people's talents.

1. National Change Agents
Change Management – a pathway to
increasing client focus in the Employment
Preparation Faculty
Liz Renshaw liz.renshaw@tafensw.edu.au
Gregor Mackenzie gregor.mackenzie@tafensw.edu.au
Carmel Ellis carmel.ellis@tafensw.edu.au

2. South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE
Employment Preparation Faculty
 Located in South West
region of Sydney SYDNEY
 Nine colleges – LLN
provision
 102 FT teachers and 261
part time teachers
 19 000 enrolments per
year

3. Project Aims
 Strengthen client
focus within the
Faculty
 Diversify LLN services,
products and
programs
 Encourage a culture
of innovation and Uncertainty
creativity
Part of the change
process

4. New Ways of Working
 Formed Change Agent
partnership
 Identified and gathered
data to diagnose change
 Built relationships with
Faculty Executive
 Gathered intelligence
from respected leaders
 Developed team
approach to change
processes

5. New Ways of Working
 Networking Think Tank –
Responsive LLN services
 Commercial products and
E Learning strategy
 Capturing and storing
Faculty knowledge
 Information and Research
Skilling Solutions, Collecting like
Sunshine Coast TAFE minded souls

6. New Ways of Working
Community of Practice
Projects
 Student perceptions of
LLN services
 Good practice in client
focus
 Imagining a different
future
 Exploring the links
between research,
change, leadership and
vision. ESOL students engaging
in online surveys

7. Anticipated Outcomes
 Growth in shared sense
of Faculty identity, unity
and direction.
 New LLN products,
services and approaches
for 2007.
 Changes in LLN programs
based on student
feedback.
 Faculty Sharepoints
deployed.
 Use of technology gained
currency.

8. Unexpected Outcomes
 Level and number of
practitioners engaged in
change activities
 $30 000 for innovative
LLN products and
services 2007
 VET practitioners as
sharing in leadership of
Faculty.
 Creative energy and trust
as powerful forces for
change.

9. Take home messages
 Change agents are needed as they have the capacity
to work, in an informed way, to lead planned,
emergent and opportunistic change.
 By capturing the talents, passions and interests of VET
practitioners you can engage, energize and empower
individuals to affect change.
 Relationships lie at the heart of change. Get the
relationships right and change is possible.
 To build a stronger client focus, we have to relate to
clients in a different way. Clients have to be placed at
the centre of the way that business is done .