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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 number of young people commencing apprenticeships and traineeships whilst at school, and monitored by their school, has grown considerably, encouraged by State and Federal governments, since the first participants began in 1997. There has as yet been little research into the nature of the training given to, and learning experienced by, such young people; most published literature has related to organisational issues. This paper reports on a research project funded by the National Research and Evaluation Committee [NREC] into learning and training in school-based new apprenticeships (SBNAs). A questionnaire was sent to a large sample of all SBNAs in three States: Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, using a survey instrument adapted from a previous NREC study, 'School students' learning from their paid and unpaid work' (report indexed at TD/TNC 68.01). The results present an overview of SBNA employment, training and learning practices which will provide an important basis for development of policy and practice in this area.

Published abstract.

The collection of papers is indexed at TD/TNC 73.601. Individual papers are indexed from TD/TNC 73.602 to TD/TNC 73.621. 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 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

This book is an updated version of 'Making sense of training reform and competency-based training' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 54.08], which was published in 1997 by the same authors and was intended to explain the vocational education and training (VET) sector to those involved in it, or about to enter it, as practitioners.

The book examines the growth and change in the VET sector in terms of a number of tensions, including the interests of government and the interests of industry, the interests of the Commonwealth Government and those of the states, the interests of individuals and those of industry and the interests of industry and those of organised labour. It facilitates understanding of the VET sector by describing the complex issues of training reforms and the nature of VET curriculum in simple terms.

Part one of the book provides an overview of the evolution of VET in Australia, the reasons why large scale reform of the system was undertaken and a description of the major features of the VET system, including the most recent changes. Part two focuses on curriculum issues: the nature of competency based training and the way in which training packages are developed and delivered. In part three the implications of VET policy and VET curriculum for teachers and trainers are considered. 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

Steve Davis interviews a collection of presenters from two panel discussions at the 29th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference 'No Frills', held on 7-10 July 2020. Topics covered in the lively discussion include new directions in skills planning, digital technology and the role it plays in aged and community care, insights from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), and the role of parental influence in taking on apprenticeships. Speakers are Professor John Buchanan, The University of Sydney; Ms Anne Livingstone and Dr George Margelis, Australian Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council; Mr David Redway, Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment; and Professor Erica Smith, Federation University.

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TRAC (Training for Retail and Commerce) was established by the Dusseldorp Skills Forum. It is an employer-school program which requires employers to pay for their placement students and to assess students for Higher School Certificate (HSC) marks.

Erica Smith explores the reasons behind the dramatic success of the program including its professional approach, the focus on improving skills, not job-seeking, the liaison between schools and industry and the criteria used for selecting students. Show less