Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future
Project type:
Research - National managed program
Project no:
NR4025
Status:
Project in progress
Commenced date:
31 December 2004
Estimated release date:
31 December 2008
Theme:
VET system > VET providers
Contact:
Roger Harris
Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work (CREEW), University of South Australia
Level 4, Garth Boomer Building
MAWSON LAKES SA 5095
phone: +61 8 8302 6246
fax: +61 8 8302 6832
email: roger.harris@unisa.edu.au
The two-year program is built around 9 major research activities (RA's), each with a set of associated questions, method and outcomes. The 9 activities are:
RA1. Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future: visions and options
RA2. Understanding career pathways in VET
RA3. Analysing critical issues in teaching, learning and assessment
RA4. Assessing the impact of cultures and structures on individual and organisational capability
RA5. Investigating learning through work
RA6. Examining human resource management (HRM) in VET providers for a changing environment
RA7. Investigating approaches to sustaining and building educational leadership
RA8. Examining decision-making about workforce development
RA9. Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future: insights and opportunities
The project uses a consortium of researchers drawn from a number of institutions (the consortium approach). The aim of a consortium is to gather together the best available team to undertake the program of work.
Throughout the research program the consortium will maintain regular and on-going contact and information flow with key stakeholders and networks using a range of processes.
The purpose of this program is to support VET providers in building capability for the future by:
* developing a clearer understanding of the dynamics of the changing VET workplace and the capacity of VET providers to respond to the increasingly complex and changing demands of clients
* critically analysing key management, leadership, human resources and industrial relations practices and their applicability for VET providers
* investigating cutting edge practices in VET that support increased quality, agility and responsiveness
* examining the inter-relationships between the development of people, practices and cultures and their impact on the capability of VET providers
* generating a diverse range of products and services that can be both disseminated widely and used to conduct workforce development workshops at the local level in order to promote individual and organisational capability.
RA1. Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future: visions and options
Question:
* What issues, futures, constraints and opportunities will influence individual and organisational capability in VET providers?
RA2. Understanding career pathways in VET
Questions:
* 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?
RA3. Analysing critical issues in teaching, learning and assessment
Questions:
* What do individual learners and industry clients want from VET in terms of teaching and learning experiences, services and support, and how can these best be met?
* What skills are needed by VET practitioners in the design of learning programs and resources and in the provision of assessment services to meet the needs of different client groups and how might these be developed most effectively?
* What are the critical success factors (individual, organisational and systemic) in developing and implementing innovative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in VET providers, and how might models about good practice be most effectively transmitted?
RA4. Assessing the impact of cultures and structures on individual and organisational capability
Questions:
* To what extent and in what ways do the cultures within VET providers influence individual and organisational capability?
* In what ways and for what purposes are VET providers adapting their organisational structures to enhance individual and organisational capability?
RA5. Investigating learning through work
Questions:
* How and in what ways can learning and development practices within VET providers be organised to better support learning at work?
* What are the major enablers and constraints to learning through working and what strategies and models can organisations deploy to encourage productive learning at work?
RA6. Examining human resource management (HRM) in VET providers for a changing environment
Questions:
* What is the state of best practice in HRM/HRD in Australia and internationally?
* To what extent are public and private VET providers using a range of HRM/HRD practices and integrating them into their business strategies?
* What models of HRM/HRD will best fit the requirements of VET providers in the future, particularly with the management of casual and sessional staff?
RA7. Investigating approaches to sustaining and building educational leadership
Questions:
* How is educational leadership manifested within and across VET providers?
* To what extent and in what ways can VET providers ensure continuity of leadership and management?
RA8. Examining decision-making about workforce development
Questions:
* How is workforce development interpreted, prioritised and managed and what are the factors that influence decision-making processes in this area?
* How are decisions about workforce development related to organisational strategic planning and individual performance management?
RA9. Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future: insights and opportunities
Question:
* What options, models and strategies from this program of research can inform strategic decision-making in VET providers?
RA1. Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future: visions and options
Method:
* national Future Search conference - a structured participative approach, engaging participants (approx. 30-40) in large group 'brainstorming' as well as small group discovery.
Outcomes:
* a website; a Future Search report; a network of key stakeholders engaged in and committed to the research program to build capability; insights for shaping the research program; a listserv
RA2. Understanding career pathways in VET
Methods:
* 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
Outcomes:
* a life-cycle perspective on the development of career pathways in VET and the implications these pathways might hold for labour supply, skills development and succession planning in the sector; literature review, discussion paper, report, professional development kits and information sheets
RA3. Analysing critical issues in teaching, learning and assessment
Methods:
* examination of international research on trends in teaching and learning policy and practice, and professional dialogue on critical issues with DFES (England) and Scottish FE Unit
* dialogue with at least 20 networks (e.g. Enterprise RTO Network, Horticulture Teachers' Network, ACPET, Learnscope, Flexible Learning Leaders, Reframing the Future, industries, disciplines, professional associations and providers)
* preparation and electronic dissemination of a Discussion Paper on critical issues; online feedback
* 3-hour focus groups in two capital cities and two regional centres on the Discussion Paper
* 15 case studies to identify good practice and factors that help and hinder innovation
* Interviews with key VET practitioners and VET stakeholders
Outcomes:
* a series of publications, literature review, discussion paper and final report on different topics and directed at different audiences, including case studies and models of good practice; a half-day mini-conference (up to 100 participants) in one capital city and one regional centre to 'test' the drafts and promote the findings
RA4. Assessing the impact of cultures and structures on individual and organisational capability
Methods:
* individual and group interviews
* document analysis
* participant observation
The sample will include TAFE, private, enterprise and community Registered Training Organisations (RTOs); both metropolitan and regional in three states and one territory
Outcomes:
* a greater understanding of the impact of cultures and structures on the organisational capability of RTOs; a literature review, a set of working models and processes with the potential for application across a range of RTOs and a final report.
RA5. Investigating learning through work
Methods:
* case studies - through interviews and observations - of a diverse range of VET providers to establish current learning and development practices; mix of learning and training solutions for skills development; current strategies that support learning at work; extent to which work is organised to support learning; extent to which other environmental and contextual factors suggested by the literature are present
Outcomes:
* a literature review, final report and the development of a diagnostic tool to evaluate the extent to which the organisation of work is conducive to learning, including piloting the tool to evaluate how work can be organised to facilitate learning at work
RA6. Examining human resource management (HRM) in VET providers for a changing environment
Methods:
* a systematic review of national and international best practice in HRM and HR practices in VET
* a survey of public and private VET providers of HRM/HRD (human resource development) practices
* a series of 12 case studies to develop models of best practice HRM/HRD for the VET sector
Outcomes:
* a systematic review of the literature and research on HRM/HRD best practice; discussion paper incorporating the results of the survey; final report including case studies
RA7. Investigating approaches to sustaining and building educational leadership
Methods:
* interviews with VET staff who operate at the levels of manager, teacher, trainer and support staff, examining how leadership development occurs within a specific structural, cultural and operational context
* in-depth investigations in at least 6 VET organisations across at least 3 states, with between 3-5 interviews occurring with respondents from the four groups. In total, approx. 120 interviews, each of 30-45 minutes in length. Guiding questions in these semi-structured interviews will be the capability frameworks identified in past VET research into leadership. A key emphasis will be on succession planning in VET providers
Outcomes:
* examination of how effective leadership is being manifested at all levels in our diverse VET enterprises, including not only among managers, but also teachers, trainers and support staff; a literature review; a report on current leadership development efforts in VET organisations at building enhanced capabilities, existing and improved methods for sharing these developments across VET, and professional development strategies from other sectors that might be introduced to enhance organisational effectiveness in VET
RA8. Examining decision-making about workforce development
Methods:
* interviews and case studies to explore forms of decision-making used in VET providers and factors influencing decisions taken
* interviews also with individual employees in those VET providers to identify how decisions they make about their own development relate to those made by the organisation
Outcome:
* a literature review and final report leading to an improved understanding of decision-making, provide VET providers, systems and individuals an opportunity for improved decision-making
RA9. Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future: insights and opportunities
Method:
* dissemination forums - in selected metropolitan and regional cities, with key message presentations from Consortium members, and large and small group discussions to critique and synthesise findings, develop insights and identify opportunities
Outcomes:
* Symposium at International Conference on Researching Work and Learning (UTS, Dec. 2005); Integration Paper; strategies for capacity-building in VET providers; 'testing' of the relevance of the products; training of local leaders in how to use the products (a 'cascading' approach); ideas for further research and development.
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 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.
CURVE (Centre Undertaking Research in Vocational Education)
CURVE was established at Canberra Institute of Technology in 1999. Members of the CURVE team, in addition to having well-developed research skills, have direct and significant teaching experience in VET and a thorough understanding of the influences and issues impacting upon training providers, teachers, learners and policymakers across the VET sector. With a strong focus on practice and practitioners, CURVE is a nationally recognised as a leader in the key areas of teaching, learning and assessment research. CURVE researchers, often in collaboration with others, have successfully obtained funding from the national managed VET research and evaluation program, ANTA, DEST and the ACT Government.
OVAL (Australian Centre for Organisational, Vocational and Adult Learning)
OVAL is a well-established and internationally-recognised research centre. It is a highly experienced research organisation that has completed many projects and has a reputation for consistent high-quality and relevant research outcomes (e.g. OVAL's work for the 'High-Level Review of Training Packages' is one of the most widely-read and most frequently cited publications of recent years. Of particular relevance to this proposal is OVAL's track record of collaborative research with VET practitioners from public, community, private and enterprise providers. The centre has always sought to engage with practitioners as partners in its research programs and sees itself as an ongoing agent of change and growth within the VET system. To sustain its research activities, OVAL is supported by well-established project management, financial management and ethical practice systems that ensure the production of quality research and accessible reports that further the capability of the Australian VET system.
