Description
What makes for a good approach to leadership development in vocational education and training (VET)? This paper evaluates the existing leadership development program at the Canberra Institute of Technology. Participants in the program felt that it was useful and that they could articulate what the institute wanted its leaders to do, but did not identify themselves as responsible for this. The author suggests that there is a need for clearer articulation of the roles and expectations of leaders. This paper was developed by a novice researcher in the community of practice program and was funded as part of NCVER's building researcher capacity initiative.Summary
About the research
Building the research capacity of the vocational education and training (VET) sector is a key concern for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). To assist with this objective, NCVER supports a community of practice scholarship program, whereby VET practitioners without research experience are given the opportunity to undertake their own research to address a workplace problem. Scholarship recipients are supported by a mentor, and NCVER publishes their research results.
Coralie Daniels participated in the 2009 Community of Practice. She is a leadership and organisational development manager at the Canberra Institute of Technology. Using the institute as a case study, her research explores leadership development in a vocational education and training setting.
The study comprised three surveys: past participants in the institute’s existing leadership development program were asked to comment on their experience of the program; current education managers were surveyed on their leadership development needs; and emerging leaders gave their views on what they felt the organisation wanted their leaders to do and what approach to leadership development they felt the organisation should take in the future.
Tom Karmel
Managing Director, NCVER