NCVER commissioned six leading thinkers to offer insights into what is meant by a training market, constraints upon that market and the areas for improvement in the system which would allow consumers greater choice.
Australia, in common with many industrialised countries, must adjust in the coming years to an ageing population. The labour force participation rate is projected to fall and there will be a record number of older people who have retired from work. Thus, there will be fewer workers as a share of the population to generate the income needed to support the entire population. This publication looks at older workers in terms of their employment characteristics and describes ways to boost their participation or to remain at work.
Around a quarter of all Australian wage and salary earners are casual workers. Casual workers, in general, receive less training than those in ongoing employment. This paper considers whether the prevalence of casual employment is sustainable. It looks at the home and community care sector in which vocational education and training has a prominent role in developing the skills of workers, and in which casual employment is relatively high. It notes that, where employers pay for training, they usually prefer to use ongoing part-time employees rather than casuals. But many employers believe that casual employees prefer the flexibility of casual employment.
This book of research readings provides clear evidence that adult prisoners and offenders who participate in vocational education and training (VET) during their sentence are less likely to re-offend. A reduction in recidivism represents significant cost savings to the community. This books highlights recent improvements in the delivery of VET for adult prisoners and offenders in Australia.
Small businesses account for the great majority of businesses and half the private sector employment in Australia, but only one third provide structured training for their employees. This study, a systematic review of existing research, set out to find clear evidence of intervention strategies that meet small business needs in relation to the provision of information, skills and knowledge in the training arena. The review shows that strategies which match the way small business learns are more successful than direct or formal training. Small business learns 'through doing', with the focus on real issues in the workplace and learning through social networks.
A systematic review of research is a decision-making tool for policy and practice. It is a piece of research in its own right, using explicit and rigorous methods that follow a standard set of stages: to identify; critically appraise; and synthesise relevant research (both published and unpublished) to answer a specific question. This report documents the establishment of NCVER's own eight-step model for future systematic reviews of research.
Many older Australians are up-skilling or retraining to maintain gainful employment or pursue other interests. This study, a systematic review of existing research, set out to find evidence that skill development activities for the mature-aged lead to improved employment opportunities and improved productivity. It also looks at what factors act as barriers or facilitators to these key outcomes, and the implications of this review for vocational education and training policy and practice and research.
Innovation in business, particularly across the major industries on which Australia's economy rests, requires a skilled workforce. This book of research readings explores the role Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector can fulfill to assist business innovation. In doing so, various chapters consider the implications of innovation for Australian workers and identify the VET sector's contribution. Other chapters, based on international comparisons, evaluate elements of the national innovation system currently missing or under-emphasised. It finds VET providers have a vital role to play in the provision of training for innovative enterprises. To do so, providers must identify their strengths and build industry partnerships in these areas, which may require working more effectively across disciplines and develop more personalised arrangements for delivery.
The importance of close connections between vocational education and training (VET) systems and industry is highlighted in this report. The report finds that any system of entry-level training, which aims to help students make a successful transition from school to work, must have support mechanisms and frameworks in place to enable accurate assessment of industry and labour market needs. From Australia's perspective, the Korean experience provides useful insights to improving school retention rates, and establishing formal pathways for VET students who are not undertaking apprenticeships and traineeships. From the Korean perspective, useful lessons include developing inter-sectoral linkages between industry and education, applying flexible teaching and training methods, implementing a national qualifications framework, and introducing apprenticeship-type arrangements.
Susan Dawe, Senior Research Fellow, NCVER, presented this paper at the AVETRA 2004 7th Annual Conference, 17 - 19 March 2004. It reports the findings of a study which examined why some students, who complete vocational preparation, disability and Aboriginal education programs, re-enrol in these 'enabling' courses or at the same qualification level in following years. It found that the small number of students who re-enrol in these courses progress on to a more advanced level of study or explore a different vocational area. Further, they gain additional skills and maintain self-esteem. The report 'Moving on from enabling courses: Why do some students remain in enabling courses?' (Dawe, 2004) is available from NCVER's website.
Some students, who complete a preparatory or pre-vocational course in the vocational education and training (VET) sector, re-enrol in the same 'enabling' course or at the same level of qualification in following years. Findings of this report indicate that re-enrolling in enabling courses offers positive outcomes. Students who re-enrol in enabling courses are either undertaking more advanced courses within the same level of qualification, studying to retain or improve their skills, or to gain further skills and experience to progress within the VET system or into the workforce.
This paper was presented to the Australasian Evaluation Society International Conference, in Auckland, New Zealand, on 18 September 2003. It highlights the success of the National Vocational Education and Training Research and Evaluation (NVETRE) program in contributing to policy and planning in Australia.
This report examines training practices that demonstrated positive benefits over a period of time in large Australian firms. It primarily focusses on the integration of teaching and learning within the firm, factors which influence firms to train workers, the use of accredited training and training packages, the development of career structures within firms, the impact of globalisation on training and learning practices, and how the success of training is measured. Conclusions are derived from over 50 case studies about the major elements which contribute to successful enterprise training and learning practices.
Ten industry training packages are investigated to assess how much focus they give to the attainment of generic skills. Author Susan Dawe draws on recent case studies of ten Australian industries where generic skills are taught in companies and TAFE institutes using training packages. This in-depth study also examines approaches that can enhance the delivery of generic skills so that students are better prepared for the new demands of the workplace.