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This study explores the roles of technical and further education
(TAFE) practitioners working with and within private enterprises. It provides
an in-depth analysis of six case studies in Victoria (metropolitan) and South
Australia (metropolitan and regional), as well as several pilot interviews
in New South Wales.
- Forming linkages between technical and further education (TAFE)
institutes and enterprises depends on the organisations' understanding
their respective cultures, ways of operating and priorities. Sustainable
linkages depend heavily upon committing the time and energy needed
to establish personal relationships between TAFE practitioners and
enterprise members.
- TAFE institutes need to select the 'right' people for collaborative
linkages. These practitioners need to become familiar with the
enterprise environment, culture and networks rapidly; have, or develop
vital
skills, such as 'sussing out' what is required; be
able to identify skill deficits and options for 'top up' training;
be flexible and able to adapt training approaches to the flow
of the enterprise's work; work collaboratively in teams
of TAFE and enterprise staff; and sensitively customise training
methods and materials.
- Training and learning strategies that are needs-based, just-in-time and very
interactive are highly valued approaches to facilitating learning
in enterprise-based environments.
- These workplace-focused approaches require that practitioners work in different
ways from those of their colleagues based in institutes. Moreover,
these practitioners are under less direct supervision from their managers.
These approaches therefore have human resource and industrial relations
implications for the institutes concerned, particularly in terms of
their responsibilities, and how key performance indicators are framed
and monitored.
- There is still much work to be done in modifying perceptions about policies
and practices that work against effective linkages, in educating enterprises
and TAFE practitioners about how to implement training packages creatively,
and in reducing negative perceptions of TAFE held by industry.
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