Description
The difficulties experienced by vocational education and training (VET) teachers in delivering the generic employability skills embedded in industry training packages are considered in this paper. It suggests that the interpretation of generic skills should not be left to trainers and that a national strategy that is clear concise, comprehensive and implementable must be developed. This paper is the result of a 2008 NCVER New Researcher Award.
Summary
About the research
One of the main research objectives of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is to build the research capacity of the vocational education and training (VET) sector. To assist this objective, NCVER has developed a program whereby new researchers are sponsored to attend its annual ‘No Frills’ conference. Four new researchers were supported to attend the 2008 conference in Launceston. One of these awards went to Mary Cushnahan. This paper is based on her presentation at the conference.
In Australia in the early 1990s—and throughout the world—generic employability skills were identified as crucial attributes to enable successful participation in the labour market. In 1992 with the publication of the Mayer report, the first wave of these employability skills—called key competencies by Mayer—appeared on the Australian education landscape. These key competencies and their successor, employability skills, have become integral components of training packages within the VET sector.
Over the years, the effectiveness of generic employability skills has been the topic of much heated debate, with many commentators arguing that, they are being neglected in the training system. This paper contributes to that discussion by offering some insights into how trainers understand generic employability competencies and how they approach the delivery and assessment of these skills.
Key messages
- A great deal of conflicting commentary and advice characterises the content and implementation of generic employability skills
- Teachers in technical and further education (TAFE) institutes and workplace trainers experience difficulties understanding and teaching the generic employability skills embedded in industry training packages.
- Some teachers of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment—the mandatory qualification for teachers assessing in training packages—also have difficulty understanding the scope and content of generic employability skills.
Cushnahan argues that it is neither reasonable nor appropriate for the interpretation of generic skills to be left to trainers. Furthermore, a national strategy must be developed that is clear, concise, comprehensive and, most importantly, implementable.
Tom Karmel
Managing Director, NCVER