All publications

This report is about employers and how they value and use qualifications in their business… Show more

This report is about employers and how they value and use qualifications in their business decisions. The research indicates clear differences in the value placed on and use made of qualifications by employers for different groups of workers and occupations. Qualifications are considered more important for higher-level occupations and employers use them predominantly to recruit new employees and Show less

The National Reporting System (NRS) was developed to report the outcomes of English language,… Show more

The National Reporting System (NRS) was developed to report the outcomes of English language, literacy and numeracy provision in Australia's vocational education and training and adult and community education sectors, and in labour market programs. Since its introduction, however, the NRS has been used as more than a reporting tool. It has also been used for setting standards and for curricular Show less

Recognition of prior learning is a crucial element in lifelong learning, but limited information… Show more

Recognition of prior learning is a crucial element in lifelong learning, but limited information exists about skills recognition implementation and outcomes within Australian enterprises. This study examines the nature of recognition within individual enterprises, including the processes employed, strategies in place for promotion and support, and perceived benefits for enterprises and employees. Show less

Innovative companies in emerging industries have diverse and important training needs. This study… Show more

Innovative companies in emerging industries have diverse and important training needs. This study examines the training requirements of emerging industries and the role Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector plays to develop further employees' skills and knowledge. As innovative companies often operate at the leading edge of their technological fields, the training they Show less

This report uses four case studies to examine how human resource practices of TAFE institutes have… Show more

This report uses four case studies to examine how human resource practices of TAFE institutes have changed to accommodate flexible delivery and the changing roles of staff. It reveals that a whole of organisation customer-service philosophy is a useful basis for flexible delivery and the trend is towards team-based approaches. The detailed findings in this report mirror those in the report 'The Show less

This volume is a companion to Leadership and management in vocational education and training:… Show more

This volume is a companion to Leadership and management in vocational education and training: Staying focussed on strategy - Volume 1. The detailed report of the project is contained in Volume 1. Volume 2 contains the appendices and is available in PDF format only . Show less

Exploring the roles, functions and expertise required of senior and frontline managers in training… Show more

Exploring the roles, functions and expertise required of senior and frontline managers in training organisations, this report examines approaches to developing management and leadership expertise. The report analyses the influences on management leadership skills from three perspectives - the individual, organisation, and system wide context. The report is published in two volumes. Volume 1 is Show less

The processes of leadership - the event, situation and context - in vocational education and… Show more

The processes of leadership - the event, situation and context - in vocational education and training (VET) are the focus of this report. Leadership in this context is not seen as an attribute of a particular person, but a process that has four stages for solving a problem - the trigger stage, the initiating leadership stage, the developmental leadership stage and the sustainability stage. The Show less

This report focuses on frontline management and evaluates the development of the Frontline… Show more

This report focuses on frontline management and evaluates the development of the Frontline Management Initiative (FMI) which was the first national initiative in Australia designed to support workplace and organisational learning. The considerable evidence of the study shows that the FMI has the capability to extend managerial identity, develop organisational learning and contribute to business Show less

This report is a companion document to Paradise nearly gained: Volume 1 and provides case studies… Show more

This report is a companion document to Paradise nearly gained: Volume 1 and provides case studies of companies who used the Frontline Management Initiative (FMI). It provides a rich picture of the FMI diversity and developmental activity in a wide range of organisations. It enables practitioners to scan the variety of options and issues involved, and to customise the FMI to their unique Show less

This report builds on and extends earlier work examining the key drivers that affect the quantity… Show more

This report builds on and extends earlier work examining the key drivers that affect the quantity and nature of training undertaken by Australian enterprises. It focuses on enterprises in the entertainment related and process manufacturing industries and explores how they view training and its importance within their overall operating structure. Show less

Ten industry training packages are investigated to assess how much focus they give to the… Show more

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 Show less

This report explores the changing nature of the demand for training in enterprises which have… Show more

This report explores the changing nature of the demand for training in enterprises which have adopted new management practices. The new management practices examined in this report include the learning organisation, total quality management, lean production, team working and business process re-engineering. As a result of a survey of private sector enterprises and survey of HR practitioners the Show less

This report presents results from the 1997 TAFE Graduate Destination Survey and from interviews… Show more

This report presents results from the 1997 TAFE Graduate Destination Survey and from interviews conducted in 1998 with staff from nine courses in entry-level office skills. The aim of the report is to compare satisfaction ratings and the outcomes achieved by graduates from courses at similar levels and in similar fields of studies across different training organisations. Show less

This project developed and tested a management and leadership capability framework for vocational… Show more

This project developed and tested a management and leadership capability framework for vocational education and training (VET) directors and senior managers. Nine capabilities emerged as required of VET leaders and managers: provides corporate vision and direction; focuses strategically; achieves outcomes; develops and manages resources; change leadership; interpersonal relationships; personal Show less

This book provides an overview of approaches to assessing returns on investment in training. It… Show more

This book provides an overview of approaches to assessing returns on investment in training. It also introduces readers to practical strategies for calculating these returns. Show less

This project investigates the usefulness of institutional data collections for monitoring student… Show more

This project investigates the usefulness of institutional data collections for monitoring student pathways between the following education sectors: schools, VET, higher education and adult community education. The main purpose of institutional data collections is to gather data for administrative as well as policy and planning purposes. The purpose of this project was to identify areas in which Show less

'Training indicators' - current and future indicators of VET demand and supply that guide… Show more

'Training indicators' - current and future indicators of VET demand and supply that guide investment decisions in skill training - are increasingly important in the national, State and regional VET planning cycles. This report makes recommendations for good practice in the use of training indicators and for improvements in their range and their dissemination. Show less

Is spending on training personnel worthwhile? Many of the firms in the research reported here… Show more

Is spending on training personnel worthwhile? Many of the firms in the research reported here believed so; and what is more, results in manufacturing (footwear, wire products) suggest that it delivered sizeable returns in labour productivity. Importantly, findings support the view that firms should be undertaking long-term strategic planning, not just targeting day-to-day problems. The research Show less

Employers in the tourism and hospitality industry go to great lengths to ensure they select… Show more

Employers in the tourism and hospitality industry go to great lengths to ensure they select applicants with the right personality and attitude for the job. Training in the tourism and hospitality industry must be directly applicable to the workplace. This report provides details of how best to customise training to meet the skill requirements of tourism and hospitality enterprises. Show less