Work in Progress
Training of existing workers: Issues, incentives and models
Summary
- Item:
- 10235
- Title:
- Training of existing workers: Issues, incentives and models
- Type:
- Managed research project
- Project no:
- NR3017
- Status:
- Finished
- Date commenced:
- 30 June 2003
- Contact:
- Giselle Mawer
- phone: +61 2 9705 2559
- email: mawergis@optusnet.com.au
Purpose
This study aims to investigate issues associated with the training of existing workers and the implications of this for the labour force, employers and the VET system. Specifically it seeks to examine:
* Industry contexts in which little training occurs and the reasons for this
* Driving forces for training from both the employer and employee perspective
* The most useful approaches to learning and training that accommodate employers' as well as workers' priorities and constraints.
The study will be focusing on the Manufacturing, Retail, IT/Electrical, and Construction industry sectors.
Approach
30 telephone interviews and 12 case studies
Research questions
1. Why do we need to train existing workers? What are the driving forces for skills development from employers' perspectives? These are likely to include factors such as safety and quality compliance requirements, keeping abreast with competition, changes in market, customer expectations, technological upgrades.
2. What type of training is needed? eg retraining for new roles, general skills, technical skills.
3. What do employees regard to be the driving forces and priorities for skills development? Eg the need to keep a job, take on additional tasks and responsibilities, obtain a qualification.
4. To what extent do employers and employees take responsibility for such skills development? Is it considered an investment or a cost? How much of it is pro-active and how much reactive?
5. Why is there little training in some enterprises? Possible reasons could be outsourcing, more efficient screening of new employees, or work redesign. What are the barriers to training? eg geographic or demographic factors, eg industries in remote areas, literacy difficulties, casualised labour, lack of training and assessment skills, inappropriate training models for small businesses.
6. Which groups of existing workers receive little (re)training? How do their characteristics relate to the groups that get most training?
7. What are the current approaches used in enterprises to develop the required skills? To what extent does such skill development take place through course-based training programs as compared to more informal strategies such as mentoring, project work or help screens and clear work instructions?
8. What approaches to teaching and learning serve existing workers? What are some of the models regarded by enterprises, employees and the VET system as useful, and cost-effective?
9. Do VET providers (TAFE, ACE, private providers, enterprises) respond appropriately, or are they more attuned to younger entry level students? What are opportunities and constraints do they face in meeting enterprise and employee needs and expectations for larger and smaller businesses?
10. How can structured training be improved for those with casual and intermittent employment? In what occupations or industries is training most required? How can the VET system accommodate enterprise specific, informal learning and other non-institutional approaches?
11. What strategies or incentives are required to encourage more training? How can employers and employees be encouraged to train more?
Methodology
This study will involve:
Review of international and local research
* 30 telephone interviews with enterprises and VET providers
* 12 case studies involving face to face interviews and focus groups with employers, training managers, small business operators, employees, unions and VET professionals.
Organisations
Giselle Mawer has worked in the areas of workplace learning, language, literacy, vocational education and training for over twenty years in a wide variety of roles. Since 1993, she has worked, as both an individual consultant and as part of project consortia, on a number of projects relating to the development, delivery and evaluation of vocational education and training programs in institutional and workplace settings. The 1995 study (One Size fits Some) undertaken with Laurie Field was one of the first comprehensive investigations of training issues facing enterprises and their culturally diverse workforces.
Elaine Jackson has considerable experience in curriculum design, development and delivery and has worked widely across research and evaluation areas related to vocational education and training in both institutional and workplace contexts, especially in the areas relating to small business.
