Main clause and documents

• Clause 42 – Accrued Professional Development Time of the Western Australian TAFE Lecturers’ General Agreement 2023.
• STERC – Memorandum of understanding – Accrued professional development time
• Western Australian TAFE Lecturers’ General Agreement 2023 – Implementation Guidelines – 2023, specifically clause 42 – Accrued Professional Development Time (APDT).

Clause 42 – Enables members to accrue time off by undertaking professional development.

42. Accrued Professional Development Time

42.1 A lecturer may elect to accrue up to 37.5 hours of time worked, in a calendar year, undertaking recognised Professional Development approved by his/her college and without relief, to be taken as accumulated time off during non-teaching weeks.

42.2 The parties acknowledge the STERC Accrued Professional Development Time policy, which is to be applied consistently across colleges, provides the guidelines for the operation of this clause.

42.3 It is not the intention of the parties that time worked on professional development in accordance with this clause should be the total of professional development time worked by lecturers. Professional development may also be worked in Professional Duties time in accordance with Clause 37– Hours and Appendix A – Role Description and Duty Statement for Lecturers.

Administrative arrangements

The 37.5 hours referred to in sub-clause 42.1 will be allocated to each lecturer at the commencement of each year by the Training Sector Employment Services (Shared Services – TSES).

It is important that members fill in and submit the appropriate college forms as early as possible, prior to undertaking the professional development.

Members should update the APDT records as soon as professional development is undertaken during the year.

Accrued PD time is to be taken as accumulated time off during non-teaching weeks, which would include suggested leave periods.

APDT time off must be taken in the calendar year in which it accrues and does not accrue from year to year. Colleges must ensure that time is available for lecturers to take the APDT time off within the calendar year.

Time in which accruing professional development may be worked

Professional development undertaken in the lecturer’s own time and in professional activities (PA) time can count towards accruing time off. In order to claim accrued time off, at least an equivalent amount of professional development must be undertaken in the lecturer’s own time as in PA time.

For a full time lecturer the 37.5 hours may be split into 18.75 hours in a lecturer’s own time and 18.75 in PA time, or a greater proportion may be done in a lecturer’s own time.

For example:

• One hour of professional development claimed in PA time and one hour of professional development claimed in the lecturer’s own time equals two hours accrued towards time-off.
• Two hours of professional development claimed in own time and no hours in PA time equals two hours accrued towards time off.
• Two hours of professional development claimed in PA time and no hours in own time equals zero hours accrued towards time off (however this will be banked for when two hours in the lecturer’s own time is completed).

When professional development is undertaken and relief is provided for lecturing hours, then those hours will not count for the purpose of accruing time off.

Eligible professional development

According to the Western Australian TAFE Lecturers’ General Agreement 2023 – Implementation Guidelines – 2023, college registered PD is recognised as PD for the purpose of the STERC – Memorandum of understanding – Accrued professional development time.

Other appropriately promoted internal and external training, once authorised by the manager, can also be claimed as ADPT.

To claim training provided by the union

A lecturer should:

1. Apply for Trade Union Training Leave if using usual leave application processes.
2. Complete a college professional development application if they wish to have their trade union training added to their training record at the college. Details of the course, such as outcomes, should be attached.
3. Add details of the course to the Accrued Professional Development Time record noting hours of training done in PA, or own time. Remember that when professional development is undertaken and relief is provided for lecturing hours, then those hours will not count for the purpose of accruing time off.
4. Update the APDT record regularly and have the manager sign off once training is completed.

Further information, including details of what is recognised as professional development for the purposes of accrued professional development time, can be found in the STERC – Memorandum of understanding – Accrued professional development time. This policy should be able to be accessed via the college intranet, the union website, or by contacting the union via Member Assist.