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The is the sixth innovation report since the announcement of 'Backing Australia's ability', the Australian government's five year innovation statement. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of Australian government departments and agencies against the themes of 'Backing Australia's ability', along with their progress in addressing broader national goals through their implementation of the National Research Priorities. The report additionally presents the findings of the third Australian Innovation Scorecard, comparing Australia's innovation performance to that of other countries in the OECD. It thus provides a broader global context for Australia's innovation activities and a means of tracking the nation's progress in an increasingly competitive global economy. Finally, the report outlines the important role that key institutions and strategic planning processes are playing in informing the future of Australian science and innovation and ensuring that Australia remains well-placed to benefit from its investments in the future.

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[This report] is designed to support international engagement by the Australian [vocational education and training] VET sector by articulating some of the opportunities available and also some of the challenges faced. It is designed to encourage a shared vision, and greater collaboration and partnerships, amongst the key stakeholders of the sector. [This report] provides an overview of the Australian VET sector as well as Australia’s international education and training engagement, in order to ‘set the scene’ for the operating environment of the sector. Some key issues in the international education and training arena for the Australian VET sector have been highlighted. [This report] then proposes a range of objectives and strategies to maximise the opportunities available in the period 2007-2011.

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The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) funded a project in 2001 to analyse and report on industry requirements for ‘employability skills’. This project was jointly managed by the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was completed in March 2002. Employability skills were defined for the purposes of the project as ‘skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one’s potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions’. The project was commissioned to provide: (a) advice on possible new requirements for generic employability competencies that industry needs, or will need in the forseeable future, since the development of the Mayer key competencies; (b) clear definitions of what Australian industry and enterprises perceive as employability skills and the terminology being used to describe them; and (c) a proposed suite of employability skills and assessment and reporting options. The project also investigated industry reactions to the proposed suite and reporting options and undertook case studies involving a number of large enterprises and focus group research with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This report is based on a review of Australian and overseas policy and research literature on key employability skills. It clarifies concepts and terminology, analyses the principles and purposes of different approaches to key employability skills, develops a framework of such skills to support the fieldwork aspects of the overall project, and suggests strategies to facilitate the development of these skills more effectively within Australian education and training.

The project final report is indexed at TD/TNC 70.178. The report on detailed case studies with large enterprises is indexed at TD/TNC 70.180 and the report on the SMEs research is indexed at TD/TNC 70.181. Show less

The aim of this report is to help industry, government policy makers and training providers better understand the drivers of skill needs in the agrifood industry and identify the options for meeting those needs. This report provides the findings of a high level review of the skills and workforce issues confronting the agrifood industry and its five industry sectors: food processing, meat, seafood, racing, and rural and related industries. The key drivers of skills needs for the agrifood industry are: development of the regions; worker attraction and retention; demographic change and employment arrangements; consumer and customer service demands; competitiveness and productivity demands; business compliance; innovation; and globalisation. The relationship between these drivers and skill requirements are analysed and conclusions are developed on how changing drivers may impact on the skills base. Participation, attainment and expenditure trends in vocational and technical education are also discussed. Strategies addressing a broad range of issues driving current and future skills and workforce needs, with a focus on the role of training are recommended. Some of these strategies include: utilising existing industry champions to promote the agrifood industry as a preferred career choice for people in regional and urban areas; the provision of incentives such as higher remuneration, better working conditions and flexible arrangments to encourage older and experienced workers to remain on the job longer; developing skills in international business management; creating partnerships with government, industry and communities to strategically invest in infrastructure development; education of the industry on the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, the importance of research and innovation, and the effecient use of new technology in the global marketplace; developing and distributing tools and resources relating to environment, food safety, occupational health and safety risks and sustainability; adopting a futures approach to the development of training packages to better link research and development to competencies; and providing clear information about career paths and job opportunities that enable informed employment and education choices. Show less

The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) funded a project in 2001 to analyse and report on industry requirements for 'employability skills'. This project was jointly managed by the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was completed in March 2002. Employability skills were defined for the purposes of the project as 'skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one's potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions'. The project was commissioned to provide: (a) advice on possible new requirements for generic employability competencies that industry needs, or will need in the forseeable future, since the development of the Mayer key competencies; (b) clear definitions of what Australian industry and enterprises perceive as employability skills and the terminology being used to describe them; and (c) a proposed suite of employability skills and assessment and reporting options. The project also investigated industry reactions to the proposed suite and reporting options and undertook case studies involving a number of large enterprises and focus group research with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This document reports on the case study research undertaken with 13 large enterprises to determine individual enterprise's views on necessary employability skills, approaches to developing, monitoring and assessing these skills, and how education and training providers could contribute more effectively to the development of employability skills. Analysis of the findings produced a possible model for the consideration of these skills within the wider environment of the organisation and determined a priority set of employability skills and personal and interpersonal skills and attributes. The model embraced four areas: the context in which the skills are applied; a focus (i.e. organisational goal); the skills themselves; and core personal and interpersonal values and attributes. The report describes each of these areas using examples from the case studies. It then addresses three issues: training within companies; ways in which enterprises track and assess employee skills; and a summary of employers' views on how the education and training sector could better support the development of employability skills.

The project final report is indexed at TD/TNC 70.178. The literature review is indexed at TD/TNC 70.179 and the report on the SMEs research is indexed at TD/TNC 70.181. Show less

The Ministerial discussion paper ‘Higher education at the crossroads’ (indexed at TD/TNC 71.381) has raised a wide range of issues and challenges facing the Australian higher education sector. A number of issues papers to follow will examine in greater detail some of the major challenges raised in the Ministerial paper. This issues paper explores issues in relation to governance, management and workplace relations. Over the past decade the environment in which universities operate, and the academic enterprise itself, have changed dramatically. The years ahead will present new challenges to the way in which universities are governed, managed and held publicly accountable. This paper covers some very broad issues about the regulatory environment in which universities operate and the appropriate scope of public accountability. It also deals with more focused questions about government red tape, the effectiveness of university governing bodies, the efficient and effective use of resources and possible improvements to workplace practices within universities. The chapters are: Introduction; Legal and accountability frameworks; University governing bodies; University management issues; Workplace relations. Appendices contain examples of the objects and functions of universities and analysis of Australian university council membership. Show less

Concerns about reporting requirements for dual-sector institutions (i.e. those which deliver both vocational education and training (VET) and higher education awards) were highlighted in submissions and responses to the Higher Education Review in 2002 as well as the 2003 Victorian TAFE Governance Review. In 2004 DEST and the Victorian Department of Education and Training jointly commissioned a project to investigate the reporting requirements arising from State/Territory and Commonwealth relationships with Australia’s dual-sector higher education institutions. The purpose of the project was to: (1) determine current reporting requirements for dual-sector institutions under Commonwealth and State arrangements; (2) identify possible means of simplifying these reporting requirements to reduce unnecessary duplication, tension and complexity; and (3) examine the financial and non-financial implications of the proposed changes. PhillipsKPA was selected to conduct the project which was approached in six phases: (1) project initiation; (2) documentary review and analysis; (3) issues identification, including preliminary consultations and workshop design; (4) workshop with institutional representatives with direct responsibility for the processes needed to meet reporting requirements; (5) consultation with other stakeholders; and (6) reporting. The report focuses on the issues that have been identified as priorities by the dual-sector institution representatives through the course of the preliminary consultations, workshop, and subsequent consultations.

The initial issues and options paper of ‘Simplifying dual-sector reporting requirements’ is indexed at TD/TNC 90.658. Show less

This report provides a comprehensive review of Australia's innovation structure. It summarises the programs and projects supported by the government under 'Backing Australia's ability' and other innovation initiatives, and demonstrates how investment is helping to maintain Australia's competitiveness and foster an environment of innovation excellence. There are three key elements to Australia's science, technology and engineering base: research and development; commercialisation, and developing and retaining skills. A framework has been developed to provide an overview of measurable inputs and outputs. This framework is titled the Australian Innovation Scorecard 2002, and it has been designed to benchmark Australia against other OECD countries. This scorecard is based on 15 headline indicators to measure innovation performance, and is designed to reflect the flow of the innovation process. The scorecard shows that overall, Australia's performance compares favourably with other OECD counties, ranking among the top 10 in the OECD for 10 of the indicators used. However, it also illustrates that there are areas in which Australia could improve.

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This evaluative case study explores the effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies introduced on a critical thinking course within the Diploma of Adult Teaching and Learning. In the first year the course was offered, some participants struggled with the practicalities of critical thinking. In order to address this we set out to design and trial a process that would role model critical thinking skills and practices, making these explicit and visible to the group. We selected three modes of critical thinking to role model: three levels of critical reflective journaling; one on one critical dialogue, a 'pondering round', a structured group process where questions are shared and generated. This paper describes the teaching strategies used, shares the experiences of the tutors, discusses the outcomes of the evaluation undertaken, raises ideas and possible research questions relating to the coexistence of being a teacher and a learner and the power of consciously exposing this within an adult learning context.

Published abstract.

The two volumes of collected papers are indexed at TD/TNC 64.287 and TD/TNC 64.355. Selected papers from volume one are indexed from TD/TNC 64.288 to TD/TNC 64.320; selected papers from volume two are indexed from TD/TNC 64.321 to TD/TNC 64.354. Show less

The third 'International symposium on career development and public policy', held in Sydney in April 2006, was entitled 'Shaping the future: connecting career development and work development'. This paper provides an overview of the career development industry in Australia, noting achievements in the industry since the 1999 Symposium, and linking the current Australian situation to the 2006 Symposium themes of human capital, labour supply, employability skills, career development services for workforce development, older workers, and the information base for public policy making. The paper highlights the progress made in career development since the 1999 Symposium, with productive and collaborative partnerships between policymakers and practitioners, facilitated by the development of the practitioners' representative body, the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA). The paper concludes that a firm foundation has been established on which to base the work still needing to be done in the field. Show less