Work in Progress
Understanding career pathways in VET
Summary
- Item:
- 10425
- Title:
- Understanding career pathways in VET
- Type:
- Managed research project
- Project no:
- NR4025
- Status:
- Finished
- Date commenced:
- 15 May 2009
- Contact:
- Hugh Guthrie
- phone: 08 8230 8413
- email: hugh.guthrie@ncver.edu.au
- Principal researcher:
- Michele Simons
- Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work, University of South Australia
Purpose
As part of a program of research examining the capability of vocational education and training (VET) providers, this study examines the career pathways of a wide range of VET employees. It found that careers in VET are characterised by high levels of mobility and self-directed career behaviour aimed at achieving two outcomes: job satisfaction and security of employment.
Research questions
The research questions for this project will be:
• How and in what ways are careers conceptualised and managed in VET?
• How does this influence the workforce development needs of all categories of staff employed in VET providers?
Methodology
• a national survey of VET teachers, trainers and support staff from a representative sample of VET providers
• these data will be supplemented with relevant data from in-depth interviews for research activities 4, 5, 6 and 8
• extant data from the Graduate Destination Survey – e.g. nature and extent of completions of relevant higher education qualifications by VET staff
Organisations
CREEW (Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work)
CREEW began in 1994, and has been a recognised research centre within the University of South Australia since 1998. The Centre has excellent infrastructural support with dedicated physical facilities, electronic communication systems and access to a range of academic and general staff. Its website at http://www.unisa.edu.au/creew/index.htm lists previous projects undertaken which provide a background for the work of this Consortium based on the established field networks and successful record in VET research developed by CREEW over time. Key areas of VET research have included professional development, changing work of VET practitioners, innovative approaches through Training Packages, private providers, learning styles, on- and off-job sites as learning environments, and learning organisations. Members of CREEW have won many VET national managed research and evaluation projects, ARC and government grants, published widely and presented regularly at conferences.
