This study examines partnerships between formal and informal training providers in northern Australia. The research finds that effective partnerships have a common purpose and provide training that supports community need. Effective partnerships also support stakeholders' goals and aims, build relationships and trust between partners, and recognise the importance of delivering a mix of formal and informal training.
This study investigated whether adult literacy and numeracy courses produced social capital outcomes, which are changes in students' connections with networks of people. The study found that 80% of the students improved the structure of their networks and the way they communicated, as well as contributing to positive socioeconomic benefits in the areas of education and learning, employment and the quality of working life, and access to goods and services. Reporting on these outcomes may go some way towards providing a more complete picture of the benefits of literacy and numeracy courses, emphasising that these courses are about more than the acquisition of a set of technical skills. At the same time, it is recognised that this may be problematic.