The early childhood education and care sector in Australia has long been characterised by low skill/low pay jobs. The current policy environment, however, may offer scope for the sector to toward a path of skill growth. This report, based on case studies of four early childhood education and care providers, investigates how innovative employers are overcoming challenges in the sector to improve workforce development.
The early childhood education and care sector in Australia has traditionally been characterised by low skill/low pay jobs and high staff turnover. Some employers, however, have attempted to combat high turnover through careful recruitment and skill development. This research overview describes the approaches of innovative employers who have excelled in the delivery of early childhood education and care services, while also providing staff with a high-quality workplace and attractive employment conditions.
This paper was presented at the 2009 Economic and Social Outlook Conference, 5-6 November at the University of Melbourne. It takes a sceptical view of the push for 'green skills', arguing that skills required in the labour market evolve relatively slowly, and that the way business operates is driven by changing costs, new technologies and new regulations, with sustainability being only one of many factors.
Increasing the number of people with vocational qualifications at the certificate III level or higher was one of the targets set by the Council of Australian Governments in late 2008 as a way of increasing the skill levels of the Australian population. But why enrol in vocational education and training (VET)? This study looks at the employment and earning benefits for individuals in completing a VET course and how these benefits may change over time. Compared with those who have completed Year 12, employment and earnings benefits are only gained from completing a VET course at the diploma level. However, compared with individuals who do not complete Year 12, such benefits can be gained from completing a VET qualification at any level.
When the skills workers have do not match the skills that jobs require, a number of negative labour market outcomes can occur, including productivity and efficiency losses, lowered earnings and reduced job satisfaction. Using data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, this study examines the degree of job mismatch experienced by workers. The mismatch between the perceived skill level of the worker and the skill level of the job is considered as overskilling. The report finds that workers with vocational qualifications, particularly at the certificate III or IV level, are less likely to experience overskilling.
The adoption of problem-based learning as a teaching method in the advertising and public relations programs offered by the Business TAFE School at RMIT University is explored in this paper. The effect of problem-based learning on student engagement, student learning and contextualised problem-solving was investigated and it was found that students perceive problem-based learning to be beneficial. Several success factors for this approach are also identified. The research for this paper was undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice scholarship program, a program funded through the NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative.
The relationship between job requirements, individual skills and the participation of workers in further education and training, with an emphasis on older workers, is the focus of this report.
Paying particular attention to older workers, this report examines the relationship between the skills of workers and the skill requirements of the jobs in which they work.
This paper summarises the findings from the first year of a three-year research program investigating the role of vocational education and training (VET) for older workers.
This study examines where and how NCVER's research has influenced vocational education and training (VET) policy and practice.
In light of recent developments in educational policy and the positioning of vocational education and training (VET) across the European Union, it was timely to explore these new directions and the lessons for Australian VET.
This paper considers three aspects of vocational education and training's (VET) contribution to the labour market: the relationship between their training and the occupations VET graduates work in; the extent to which the qualified proportion of the workforce has increased; and the link between VET and skills acquisition. Finally, some thoughts are aired on the implications of the economic slowdown for vocational education and training.
This paper aims to provide a picture of the occupations in the community services and health industry, and how the workforce obtains the required skills. The authors argue that planning for the industry should concentrate on occupations specific to the industry and those which require high skill levels. Findings suggest that the qualification levels of community services and health workers have increased substantially over the past decade. Furthermore, community services and health vocational education and training courses are well targeted, with most graduates finding employment in the industry.
This literature review provides a historical account of the development of competency-based training in Australia and summarises the issues arising from the range of reviews conducted on elements of the national training system. The review was commissioned by the National Quality Council and originally published on its website.
The report highlights that there is no simple fix to increasing employer investment in training which has generally not been a core component of long-term business planning.
Information on the divergence between student numbers and delivery hours for the period 2002 to 2007 is provided in this technical paper. The change in hours from one year to the next is decomposed into three effects, one of which is 'hours inflation', whereby nominal hours increase over time for the same unit of competency or module. Here we show that the 'hours inflation' explains relatively little of the divergence between students and hours. However, another form of hours creep, whereby new modules have higher average hours than ceased modules, was of some significance at the start of the period in question.
This paper is a review of literature on employer engagement with vocational education and training (VET). The main conclusion is that the major form of engagement is through the competency-based training system, which is manifested through training packages. Another way employers are encouraged to engage with VET is through competition amongst training providers. This provides employers with greater responsiveness and choice.
This paper was presented to a meeting of the Wellington Exchange, an international group of higher education officials, in December 2008.
Understanding Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system can be daunting for observers. This paper, written as a background paper for a visit from the OECD, describes Australia's VET system and how it relates to the broader set of education and learning options that are available to Australians.
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.