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The learning in this workbook is intended for people working in or wanting to work in the community services industry. In this workbook, good workplace and team relationships are looked at. Chapter one deals with planning workloads with supervisors, chapter two discusses effective workplace communication and chapter three deals with teamwork and working well with colleagues. There is a final assessment at the end of the workbook.

In this collection there are 11 workbooks and one 'Trainer's guide' on CD ROM; they are indexed from TD/WELL 94.05 to TD/WELL 94.16. Show less

This report details the findings of a survey of parents, community members and secondary school students on their attitudes to, and participation in activities related to, science, engineering and technology (SET). The survey was conducted in 2007. The aims of the survey were to assess changes in community awareness and attitudes to SET within Australia since 1997 when the last similar survey was conducted, the effectiveness of current Australian SET-awareness raising initiatives (such as science centres, awards, etc.), and the effect of these initiatives on influencing decisions on entering SET careers.

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Apprenticeship non-completions are a major concern for the Australian business community and are a significant drain on the national training effort. Increasing completion rates will lead to better return on investment in training for employers and governments and increase the skills level of the Australian workforce. The research reported here presents an evidence-based, logical, rigorous, systematic and thorough approach to retaining apprentices for all employers. This approach provides employers with recommended principles to follow and processes to implement as part of a holistic workplace management strategy through the recruitment and employment of an apprentice. The key findings of the research are structured around the following core concepts for retention as identified in the research: attracting the right person; recruiting and inducting good apprentices; making work and training meaningful; providing personal and professional support; providing effective training; and making full use of information and support services. It focuses on employer perspectives to determine views, actions and attitudes of employers that have a positive impact on completion rates of apprenticeships, and is aimed at ensuring that the Australian business community has access to a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

A companion document, ‘A systematic approach to retaining apprentices: findings from the 25 national interviews’ is indexed at TD/TNC 96.965. Show less

The ‘Attracting and retaining staff engaged in science, engineering and technology project’ was commissioned as one of the key research initiatives to build upon the findings of the Australian government’s previous audit of science, engineering and technology (SET) skills. The overall aim of the project was to provide an insight into the attitudes of SET employees towards the factors (such as human resource management practices, incentives, etc.) that attract and retain them in these professions. This national phone survey, undertaken by Market Solutions between June and September 2007, presents views of current and previous employees in SET occupations about factors (such as human resource management practices and work conditions) which attract and keep them in these professions. The survey sought the views of around 3,000 current and previous SET employees selected at random. The analysis was undertaken by the Skills Analysis and Quality Systems Branch of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). Characteristics such as gender, type of SET occupation, age group and skill level are examined. This phone survey follows a literature review on SET employees.

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[This report] examines re-engagement and retention strategies for disengaged former apprentices and developing options that actively encourage reengagement for disengaged apprentices. The research for the project showed that it is possible and important for employers to take a positive and systematic approach to re-engaging and retaining previously disengaged apprentices. A major finding from the research is that it is worth the effort to implement a positive and systematic approach to attracting and retaining disengaged apprentices, for a number of reasons including: previously disengaged apprentices come with experience and expertise which can link directly to the needs of the business; the often broader employment and life experience of a previously disengaged apprentice can make it easier to reliably assess their skills, attitude and potential; if employers are willing to examine the reasons why a person dropped out of an apprenticeship, including that the person was young and might have made mistakes, then they and the apprentice may benefit from giving that person a second chance. [The report] focuses on employer perspectives to determine views, actions and attitudes of employers that have a positive impact on building positive employment and training outcomes for employer and disengaged apprentices ensuring that the Australian business community has access to a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

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This article reports on a research study that investigated the way vocational education and training (VET) is viewed in the Australian community. The research aimed to identify any differences in attitudes to the traditional trades as career occupations and to the VET sector in general, across segments within the community, particularly students, parents, secondary school career advisors, and employers. The study also sought to determine the level of knowledge that different segments of the Australian community have of VET. Generally, the overall image of VET was mixed. The study suggested that VET has an image problem as the ‘pathway of choice’ for career education and training compared with university. Most Australians strongly associated a traditional trade job as the only job outcome that could be expected from undertaking VET. At the national level, this research is being considered along with three other projects commissioned in 2007. This research will then contribute to a wider report that will synthesis the issues and propose a way forward.

This article is part of a thematic edition of Vocal entitled ‘What works for vocational education and training in schools in terms of developing connections, building capacity and enhancing collaboration’. Articles are indexed from TD/TNC 94.144 to TD/TNC 94.150 and from TD/TNC 94.264 to TD/TNC 95.276. Show less

This report identifies findings arising from 25 interviews conducted in a project aimed at identifying an evidence-based, logical, rigorous, systematic and thorough approach to retaining apprentices for all employers. Interviews were conducted with 25 employers who were drawn from a range of industries, from automotive to electrical engineering to marine, mining, defence, healthcare, construction and manufacturing. The interview questions are based on the findings of the literature review and survey of employers undertaken earlier in 2008. The findings and recommendations arising from these interviews and from the survey and the case study work are presented under the following headings: Attracting and retaining good apprentices; Recruiting and inducting; Making work meaningful; Providing personal and professional support; Providing effective training; and Using government information. A significant finding from the literature review is that a key to the retention of apprentices is the effective collaboration between different parties, including the employer, schools, parents, communities, training providers, governments and the individual apprentice.

A companion document, ‘A systematic approach to retaining apprentices’ is indexed at TD/TNC 96.964. Show less

This paper contains preliminary findings from the 2010 [Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations] DEEWR Survey of Employers supplemented by qualitative data from an online discussion forum in May 2011 with 40 employers covering topics such as recruiting people with disability, experiences of [Disability Employment Services] DES, and financial incentives, particularly wage subsidy schemes. The survey revealed a generally favourable attitude towards employing people with disability and a perception among employers that most people with disability have a strong work ethic. Forum discussions underscored these points, while emphasising the critical importance of job fit.

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