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This report addresses the Cooperative Venture for Capacity Building's (CVCB's) need to develop a better understanding of Australian farmers' participation in capacity building activities and to identify sources of data on participation rates, focusing mainly on the last three years. It attempts to identify existing baseline information on participation by Australian farmers as a whole, and by agricultural industry, type of capacity building activity, region, and by socio-demographic factors (farmer age, gender, educational level and income). In this study, capacity building refers to processes aimed at improving the skills, knowledge and abilities of farmers to conduct their farming operations, whether in economic terms (e.g. improving financial performance, reducing debt), in social terms (e.g. improving satisfaction with farming as a lifestyle, contributing to development of rural communities), or in environmental terms (e.g. improving the ecological sustainability of the farming operation, improving the stock of natural capital or the state of the natural resource base). In this light, the processes of interest could include ones ranging from the formal to the informal; and cover a varied set of topics from general educational courses with no specific vocational focus to highly specific training activities focused on developing particular skills needed in farm businesses. Key findings include: Australia's farmers tend to have low levels of formal education qualifications when compared with both the whole population, and with other occupational groups or industry sectors; current farmers had a strong preference for informal capacity building activities, particularly workshops or short courses, demonstration sites or field days, and to a lesser extent, conferences; older farmers consistently participated in capacity building activities to a lesser extent than younger ones, with participation tending to be highest in the 25-34 year age group and declining consistently thereafter. One of the most consistent findings of this and related studies was that there is a positive relationship between levels of formal educational attainments and participation in a wide range of capacity building activities. In conclusion, the report examines the implications of the findings for capacity building activities, and provides recommendations to the CVCB and its members to improve farmers' participation.

Excerpts from published executive summary reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This country background report was prepared as part of Australia’s participation in the OECD Education Committee Activity on Recognition of Non-formal and Informal Learning (RNFIL) in accordance with OECD Guidelines on Country Participation. RNFIL, commonly referred to in Australia as recognition of prior learning (RPL), is a major policy initiative of Australian governments, and is seen to be an important element in developing and sustaining the knowledge and skills base necessary for Australia’s social and economic future. Due to the federated system of government, Australia pursues a more decentralised and less prescriptive system of RPL with the Australian Qualifications Framework providing the national qualifications standards upon which RPL is based.

The report describes a range of innovative and successful policy initiatives that are being trialled by Australian, State and Territory governments, education and training institutions and industry for improving access, decreasing complexity and increasing support for people throughout the RPL process. The report provides evidence of the benefits, barriers, strengths and weaknesses of RPL in Australia and highlights the significant policy challenges. These challenges include limitations with the quantitative data which precludes national and international comparisons. The report endeavours to address these limitations by drawing on qualitative data from available research, a project specific survey and the presentation of a series of case studies.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

‘Recognition of non-formal and informal learning: country note for Australia’ is indexed at TD/TNC 95.645. Show less

The 'Skilling the existing workforce' Project set out to explore how companies are working with their workforce to develop the skills the business needs to remain competitive. The project has not confined itself to an analysis of formal training. Consideration has also been given to the importance and roles of informal and non-formal learning methods such as mentoring and coaching. The project included the following stages: (1) the development of a major background research report on skilling the existing workforce, supplemented by a national and international literature review; (2) consultations on the findings of the research report; (3) trials of and case studies into enterprise experiences with skilling the existing workforce; and (4) an overview report into the trials and case studies. In addition to these project stages, in April 2008 the Ai Group asked almost 500 companies as part of the 'Skilling for innovation' survey to identify the most effective means of meeting skills requirements. The project identified a clear set of recommendations: (1) develop a workforce skills development advisory network; (2) establish a workforce skills development fund; (3) establish a national workforce literacy strategy; (4) build understanding and capability in registered training organisations of workforce skills development; (5) increase priority for investment in workplace and organisational learning programs; and (6) continue to advocate and support flexible, demand and outcomes-based funding.

Excerpt from published report reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

A background paper is indexed at TD/TNC 90.811. Show less

This report presents the results from the 2016 Adult Education Survey (AES), previously called the National Adult Learning Survey (NALS). It is a repeat survey and collects information on: participation in formal, informal and non-formal learning; perceived barriers and incentives to learning; and access to learning opportunities. The survey sampled adults in England, aged 19 and over, who were not in continuous full-time education, or who had returned to full-time education following a break of more than 2 years.

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Following the publication of ‘A memorandum of lifelong learning’ (indexed at TD/IRD 88.400) in October 2000, the European Commission invited Member States to launch a consultation process to collect together all views on how best to make progress in implementing lifelong learning. Feedback from the Europe-wide consultation was then used to develop the analysis and proposals in the Communication on ‘Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality’ (indexed at TD/IRD 88.264). National reports were submitted by each Member State as well as by candidate countries and Iceland and Norway. This document is the national report from Germany. The contents are: Background for the consultations about the Memorandum; Content of the Memorandum; National lifelong learning activities in Germany; Potential fields of action for the European Commission.

Documents from ‘Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality’ are indexed from TD/TNC 77.521 to TD/TNC 77.539. Show less

This report discusses a pilot programme undertaken in Western Australia and designed to increase the literacy levels amongst the Aboriginal population. The report outlines the aims of the programme and the methods undertaken, including the use of Aboriginal tutors accompanied by a qualified teacher, the procurement of funding, and the ideals, and overall success, of the programme. It includes a list of the tutors and students involved and the region in which they held the courses. Each region is summarised including the success of the programme and the outlook for the future. Show less

The urgency of expanding adult learning to support economic growth and higher living standards has put the focus on adults' readiness to engage in learning. In a time of evidence-based policy making there is a growing need to develop a better understanding of the factors that determine participation in adult education and training. This paper examines the factors underlying the observed trends and patterns in participation in formal and informal job-related training during the period from 1993 to 2002, using the Adult Education and Training Surveys (AETS) conducted in 1993, 1997 and 2002.

A main finding of this study is that, at a rate of under 8%, the increase in adult education and training uptake among Canadian adults aged 25 to 64, observed between 1993 and 2002, does not reflect all the rhetoric about the critical role of knowledge and skills in sustaining Canada's economic competitiveness and prosperity. The extent of informal training estimated by the 2003 AETS indicates that this is a universal phenomenon: those who participate in organized forms of adult education and training are engaged in informal training to the same extent as those not participating in organized modes of adult learning. The analyses of informal learning highlight the problem of the state of theory and difficulties in estimating involvement in informal learning. While informal learning undoubtedly plays a significant role in human capital development the existing surveys are not helpful in empirically estimating the scope of this contribution or complementarities between formal and informal training.

The findings point to the necessity to anchor a Canadian strategy on lifelong learning in the world of work. The availability of training opportunities at work are strongly related to the demand structure, the more skills being used the more likely the employee is to train.

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Learning is often thought of as ‘formal’, ‘informal’ or ‘non-formal’. This report suggests that these are not discrete categories, and to think that they are is to misunderstand the nature of learning. It is more accurate to conceive ‘formality’ and ‘informality’ as attributes present in all circumstances of learning. The priority for research is then to identify these attributes, explore their relationships, and identify their effects on learners, teachers and the learning environment.

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This report presents the main findings, conclusions and recommendations from a study of informal and unstructured learning in small firms. The project involved research reviews, expert seminars, company visits and a follow-up survey. Twenty-six people - a mixture of employees and owners - took part in structured interviews about their learning activities at work. The companies were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a variety of occupational sectors. The research found a wide range of formal and informal learning of different types taking place in the firms participating in the study. Many interviewees talked about the value of prior experience equipping them to do their jobs and the phrases ‘trial and error’ and ‘learning by mistakes’ were mentioned frequently. There was also a preference for individual coaching and mentoring, rather than for more structured learning leading to national qualifications. The research considered the types of learning that take place in the workplace. It found that a range of methods of on-the-job learning were used and that a clear distinction between formal and informal learning is difficult to define and unhelpful. Many participants used a combination of formal and informal methods to learn how to do their job more effectively and typically built on initial formal learning. Understanding the context in which small businesses operate emerged as a crucial factor in supporting better learning. Providers should also consider the essential characteristics of small firms when developing learning opportunities within them. Many companies had difficulties finding specialist training specifically related to the needs of their staff. To overcome this problem, businesses often bought in experience and expertise because it was a faster and more realistic option. Informal learning is an important source of development for people in small companies. Better support for informal learning in SMEs may therefore be as important as exhortations to take up more formal learning opportunities. An important message from the research for colleges and training providers is that, because many SMEs now occupy increasingly specialised markets, there is a narrowing band of generic training needs. A broadening band of specific needs are not being catered for.

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Over the past 10 years, governments have attempted to address the issues affecting Maori and Pacific Islands education and employment. This book is a resource for people working with communities in the Pacific Islands and discusses the development education and employment policies in the Pacific Islands. It provides an exploration of contemporary practices and issues in the delivery of alternative education for Pacific Islands learners. There are three parts to this book. Part one provides some historical information about the project. Part two explains the research project, aimed at collecting qualitative information from individuals within Pacific Islands private training establishments (PTEs) where the ethnic cultural context was purposely incorporated into the organisations' modus operandi. The research study is based on five training organisations. The final part of this book shifts the focus to the bigger picture, addressing broader education and employment issues in the Pacific Islands. Show less