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This report presents the findings of research conducted between 2012 and 2015 into training and professional development in the Australian not-for-profit [NFP] sector. The report reviews existing evidence from around the world and reports on multiple new studies from Australia which show that investment in training and development can bring social and economic benefits and long-term viability to the NFP sector. The report is for all those interested in the state of 'Learning for Purpose' and how it affects NFP organisations' success in realising their mission and community objectives. The potential to rise from good to great hinges on the people and capabilities within the NFP sector. It is concluded that NFP workforce development works. If professional development is well aligned and implemented it is a strategic and central element that every NFP organisation must realise to achieve social change.

Key findings [are that]: (1) training intensity in the Australian NFP sector is highly variable across organisational size, job role and sub-sector; (2) NFP organisations that systematically develop their people do better; (3) training for NFP key competencies works; (4) training NFP key competencies leads to multiple positive outcomes; (5) training can deliver positive economic returns; (6) the lack of money and time prevent needed professional development opportunities; and (7) the needs for developing NFP key competencies vary considerably.

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Employee training and development enables employees to develop skills and competencies necessary to enhance bottom-line results for their organization. They may not see the immediate results of training on their return on investment, although training is crucial to the long-term prosperity of any business. In times of economic hardship, training is seen as an additional expense rather than as an investment in a business's future. Understanding the barriers to effective training before implementing training methods could save businesses time and money.

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This report examines the linkages between labour demand, its relationship to skills and the impact of the recruitment process on these aspects with a focus on migration from India to the [Gulf Cooperation Council] GCC [countries]. Despite the substantial benefits generated by the migration flow between India-GCC, many challenges remain to ensure a fairer distribution of the profits. Much has been written on the abuses of migrant workers throughout the migration cycle, but less is known about labour demand, its relationship to skills and the impact of the recruitment process on these aspects. Lack of information regarding qualifications, skills, wages and how demand will evolve inhibits informed decision-making by public and private institutions as well as by migrant workers. This results in lost opportunities or mistakes with training investment in both source and recipient countries. Additionally, there is no system of mutual recognition of educational attainment and acquired skills based on comparable standards for low-skilled or semi-skilled occupations. This report addresses some of these issues, with a special focus on the role of skills in India, including skills training, certification, skills matching and recruitment practices.

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The emergence, rise, and relative decline of corporate universities (CUs) is somewhat puzzling given the increasing emphasis and investment in training and development (T&D). [The authors] utilize institutional theory to identify environmental factors and forces external to the organization to better understand the historical growth and development of CUs. [The authors'] findings suggest that CUs cannot be dismissed as a passing fad. Rather, these changes illustrate the evolution and transformation of traditional T&D departments into new institutional forms over time. [The authors] generate a discussion on the ongoing challenges and future trends for T&D and present implications for [human resource development] HRD research and practice.

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Careerforce is the industry training organisation for the health and community support sector in New Zealand. A key driver for the organisation is to ensure that the learning that Careerforce trainees participate in is successfully transferred to better job performance, resulting in sustainable improvements to the health and well-being of New Zealanders. There are two aspects to understanding how this transfer of learning occurs; the first revolves around the trainee - the pedagogical processes that support and enhance transfer, and the second revolves around the organisation - the workplace environment and 'affordances' that allow the learning to be fully utilised.

This presentation reports on three pieces of research that will contribute to building understanding in this area. 'Developing critical thinking skills in industry trainees': this project focuses on enabling workplace trainers to deliver tailored and contextualised critical thinking skill development and support to their trainees. Building the critical thinking skills of trainees will support the 'deep' learning that is required for successful transfer. 'Reporting the value-add of industry training': using a balanced scorecard approach, [the authors] are developing case studies where organisations select and report on key metrics. The aim is to help them (and Careerforce) build a business case for investment in training. The effectiveness of training is a key dimension of this work. 'Learning transfer research' project: the aim of this significant piece of work is to better understand learning transfer so that Careerforce can: articulate what difference learning transfer makes to the performance and/or work outcomes of learners/workers, with a view to attracting a broader base of support for training from employers and government; work with employing organisations to develop their learning cultures; and develop knowledge that can be used to suggest adjustments to training programmes, pedagogies and organisational structures that may make a crucial difference in learner achievement.

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The Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council's (CPSISC's) 2015-2016 Environmental Scan (E-Scan) explores information that is collected and analysed so that the Australian Government Department of Education and Training can use this to plan, forecast, or choose a considered direction for the future skills development needs of the construction and property services (CPS) industries. Through the Department of Education and Training, the Australian Government requires comprehensive information on how the CPS industries are impacted by their operating environment. Both internal and external conditions, circumstances and influences have the potential to affect each CPS business or organisation's ability to achieve their objectives. The CPSISC E-Scan provides vital intelligence to the CPSISC Board and its industries for workforce development planning and training package development for the year ahead. This important document also identifies potential industry growth or restructuring impacted by economic, social and technological change. The most current industry updates also influence the recognition of skills shortages and the investment in training needs by state and territory training authorities which purchase training through their Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).

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The '2015-16 annual VET investment plan' details the Queensland government's 754.6 million dollar investment in vocational education and training (VET) in the 2015-16 financial year. The plan supports the Queensland Government's Working Queensland jobs plan, a core element of which is to ensure Queenslanders have access to quality training programs that deliver effective skills to meet employment and business demands. The plan outlines investment through the following programs: User Choice (apprenticeships and traineeships); Certificate 3 Guarantee; Higher Level Skills; Skilling Queenslanders for Work; Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS); Industry Pre-apprenticeship Program; and Trade Skills Assessment and Gap Training Program. The '2015-16 annual VET investment plan fact sheet' provides an overview of the plan, including funding arrangements, investment programs and key changes.

Edited excerpts from summary. Show less

The [Victorian] Government's objective is for a more stable vocational education and training (VET) funding system that can adapt to Victoria's changing economy and support investment to allow the training system to thrive and provide opportunities for current students and generations to come; one that facilitates quality training, so that employers have confidence that graduates are work-ready, and one that offers students a range of training opportunities, regardless of where they live. In recent years the Victorian VET funding system has undergone significant upheaval. Rapid and repeated changes to funding settings have undermined the stability of the system. The government TAFE sector has been particularly impacted, resulting in serious concerns about TAFE institutes' ability to meet the needs of industry and their communities. An independent review of VET funding will provide the advice the Government needs to craft a more stable funding system and ensure its investment in training aligns with the goals of the Government's 'Back to work' plan. In Victoria, this means growing job and training opportunities not just now but for decades to come across a diverse range of industries. Key growth areas have been identified where Victoria can build on existing strengths - in the service industries (professional services, and social and personal services) and medical technology and pharmaceuticals, new energy technology, food and fibre, transport, defence and construction technology, and international education.

The Government has asked the Review to inquire into and report on how to improve the quality, stability and sustainability of the Victorian training market, by recommending alternative VET funding models and settings that: (a) match training delivery to the growing job opportunities in Victorian industries; (b) ensure all government subsidised training is high quality; (c) allow rural and regional communities to access training that meets their local needs; (d) meet community service obligations to support vulnerable and higher needs learners to complete training and transition to employment; (e) build a strong and responsive public Technical and Further Education (TAFE) sector; (f) manage training expenditure within the existing vocational training budget while preserving a framework of student driven choices; (g) recognise the public and private benefits of training and ensure fees and student costs are not a barrier to participation; and (h) ensure eligibility to access subsidised training is fair and well-targeted.

The Review is also asked to comment as necessary on: (i) how other government policy levers may be used to support the quality, stability and sustainability of the Victorian training market. This could include the regulation of training providers; requirements for government contracted training provision; information and decision support tools for students; and implications for national training policy; (j) the implications of recommended reforms for other directly-related areas of education in Victoria (including secondary schooling and the roll out of new Tech Schools, and the higher education sector).

Summary from publisher's website. Show less

This paper evaluates various measurement methodologies on training evaluation to understand the strengths and shortcomings among the existing evaluation methodologies. Previous methodologies mainly focus on the training programme itself, instead of associating organisational goals with the training results. A new methodology is introduced where the formulation process prioritises the organisational objectives identification and links the measurement process with the objectives based on a comprehensive analysis of both internal and external environmental scanning. The new methodology is made up of seven steps which attempt to explore the relationship between the return on investment (ROI) calculation for training and the achievement of organisational goals.

The methodology also provides recommendations on corrective actions to improve training effectiveness so that the training programme could be continuously accountable to an organisation based on its long-term objectives. The methodology has been tested with a training institution, not only the ROI for the institute itself but also for their clients, so as to ensure the value is delivered to both the customers and the institute.

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This training plan identifies the Western Australian Government's investment priorities for the vocational education and training (VET) system over the next four years. Through training and skill development, the VET system plays a critical role in ensuring that Western Australian industry has access to a well-trained and job ready workforce. The priorities outlined in the plan are aimed at ensuring that the VET system is able to target training investment at those occupational areas that are critical to the State's economic growth.

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