This report addresses some of the issues surrounding small business participation in training and other learning activities, and the relationship between participation and business success. The project surveyed 181 businesses employing fewer than 20 people in the construction, manufacturing, property and business services, and the various networks of small business people. The result of the study showed that businesses with owner/managers and/or employees with post-school qualifications were more likely to be successful. Ongoing learning and training in order to improve efficiency and deal with change were associated with successful small businesses.
This study has described contemporary policy relating to VET in Australia and has asked the question: to what extent do the current laws relating to VET support the development of a national system of vocational education and training? It concludes that while VET legislation is in a process of transition, it is broadly consistent in content and purpose across the range of jurisdictions. It can therefore be argued that the regulation of the provision of VET has been reasonably effective in supporting policy implementation in the sector.
This report examines issues related to the learning needs of women working in small business. It suggests that the present VET policy framework and the ways in which the VET sector operates at present do not meet the needs of this client group.
The publication focuses on examining the extent to which understandings about supply and demand within the training market are held in common among the key stakeholders in particular industries. Information is presented in two perspectives, by industry and stakeholder. The publication concludes with a discussion of the factors influencing the extent to which demand-oriented practices have been successfully adopted by Australian industries.
A synopsis of the papers presented at the NCVER conference 'Industry Training Outlook: Where's your Industry going?' in October 1998. Topics covered include training developments in Australia, meeting national and employer training requirements, meeting employee training requirements and training challenges in Australia's manufacturing industries. Papers also address issues such as new paradigms for training and learning work skills, research and development: beyond the bottom line, where the jobs are: the outlook for jobs, competition and collaboration: servicing industry's needs, and industry training in Australia today.
The purpose of this project was to investigate the contribution that CBT has made to outcomes in VET, particularly the extent to which CBT is meeting the requirements of stakeholders and contributing to the quality and flexibility of vocational learning and working life.
The key problem explored by this research is whether initial vocational education and training and associated support services assist early school leavers to negotiate an effective transition from school to adult roles. The report also examines the gap between provision and demand for VET and associated services barriers, to full access and use of the available programs and services by the at-risk early school leavers.
This report has been prepared as part of the Indonesia Australia Partnership for Skills Development (IAPSD) Program as a reference document about the technical and vocational education and training situation in Indonesia and in Australia. The overall goal of the program is to assist in improving workforce skills, so that skill formation arrangements better meet the needs of Indonesian industry.
The changing nature of indigenous involvement in vocational education and training (VET) over the past decade is one of the most remarkable transformations seen in Australia's educational history. The number of indigenous peoples in VET has grown from just a few thousand in the 1980s to almost 45 000 in 1998. Inequality between indigenous peoples and other Australians in overall participation in VET has now been eliminated. VET providers, particularly TAFE, have opened their doors to indigenous peoples. They have responded and are enrolling in VET courses in record numbers. They are staying in the programs and successfully completing them in greater numbers than ever before. However, there are still many issues that need to be addressed such as balancing representation across courses, improving pass rates and employment outcomes and reducing withdrawal rates. This study suggests strategies that focus on more appropriate provision of courses and improving the outcomes achieved by indigenous students.
Older people are flocking to training. They are demonstrating that they want to learn and they can learn. They are also turning more and more to community providers rather than TAFE. Is TAFE oriented too much towards young people, at the expense of the older person?
This booklet provides a review of research on competency-based training. It gives a brief overview of the historical context of training reforms in Australia and overseas, and examines the implementation of CBT from a variety of perspectives.
This report examines the effect of competency-based instructional techniques on VET teachers and trainers both at national level and at specific sites. The report contains a comprehensive literature review of concepts and models of staff and professional development. It comprehensively reviews actual and desired forms of staff development in relation to CBT and develops a model of effective staff development practice.
A study on questions relating to access to, and participation in, structured training for both casual employees and outsourced labour.
This review of research reviews both the Australian discussion papers on reliability and validity of competency-based assessment as well as international empirical research in this field. The review discusses two types of competency-based assessment - paper-based objective testing techniques and performance assessments as well as the implications for validity and reliability of each type of assessment. The review includes guidelines for establishing procedures to enhance reliability and vaidity.
This report provides a picture of adult and community education (ACE) provision of VET programs in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia and in so doing provides a broadly based picture of the ACE sector as a whole. The report provides evidence of the capacity of the ACE sector to effectively address learner needs and to help learners link together learning. It also notes that while ACE provides considerable benefits to disadvantaged groups, many people with substantial prior educational background also choose to make use of ACE.