Identity formation in effective vocational education and training programs

Over recent years there has been considerable discussion about the importance of 'employability skills' or 'generic skills' in vocational education and training [VET]. Considerable effort has been made to try and define what is meant by these terms and to measure them so that they can form part of the assessable criteria of units in training packages and qualifications. Emerging from the findings of the author's PhD, which explores the role of VET as a capacity building tool in northern Australian contexts, this paper proposes that many of these 'skills' - such as self-esteem, self-confidence, motivation and awareness - are more closely aligned to a training participant's identity and as such are not assessable in the same way as skills defined under performance criteria. The paper firstly explores the basis for this position. It draws on literature to define what 'identity formation' means and demonstrates the links between identity and learning. Based on research findings it suggests a model, which shows how emerging identities are formed in effective training programs.

Published abstract.

The collected proceedings are indexed at TD/TNC 82.500; the collected PowerPoint presentations are indexed at TD/TNC 82.501; available papers are indexed from TD/TNC 82.502 to TD/TNC 82.528. Show less