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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

In 2020, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) invited expert vocational voices from the vocational education and training (VET) sector to share their views, stories, experiences and insights on a range of hot topics. This podcast is a roundup of interesting snippets and research findings from across the eight podcast episodes released during the year. Full of short and sharp insights from each of the guest speakers, it covers off some of the best bits of Seasons 4 and 5.

Edited abstract from publisher's website. Show less

Researchers from 13 different countries participated in this international conference on apprenticeship research. The conference comprised three keynote addresses and three workshops. The keynote papers are: The crowded market: agencies dealing with apprenticeships in Australia / Erica Smith; Apprenticeship systems in the German speaking countries: different logics and policies with respect to full-time VET and higher education / Thomas Deissinger; Apprenticeship (AP) and enterprise-based learning in the Mediterranean region / Helmut Zelloth and Richard Sweet. Papers from the first workshop, ‘Interventions by government and other stakeholders in apprenticeships’, chaired by Erica Smith are: Workplace trainers: provisional principles for an open architecture of professional development / Graham Attwell, Philipp Grollmann and Eileen Luebcke; Towards innovative apprenticeship: the evaluation of the development of integrated regional vocational education and training centres in Hungary / Magdolna Benke; The Italian apprenticeships: the results of the latest reform / Sandra D’Agostino; Competence development through workplace learning: the case of the French vocational baccalaureat from Vocational Lycees and the Maisons Familiales Rurales / Benedicte Gendron, Jean-Claud Floutard, Cecile Gendre and Pascal Varnier; Innovation and the Swiss vocational education and training system / Philipp Gonon; Apprenticeship in the United States: patterns of governance and recent developments / Robert I. Lerman; The long winding road to Ireland’s 1993 national apprenticeship programme / Barry Nyhan; Plural administration in dual systems in selected European countries / Felix Rauner, Wolfgang Wittig and Ludger Deitmer. Papers from the second workshop, ‘Designing optimal conditions for the development of competence through on-the-job learning’, chaired by Peter Schlogl are: Developing tools to support work based competence development / Graham Attwell and Raymond Elferink; The relevance of the dual system to English VET / Michaela Brockmann, Linda Clarke and Christopher Winch; Comparing two cases of trainers’ practice: implications for professional development / Philipp Grollmann and Pekka Kamarainen; Facilitating learners’ motivation and competence development in the workplace: the UK context / Natasha Kersh and Karen Evans; Relations between characteristics of innovative learning environments and competences in secondary vocational education / Regina H. Mulder and Gerhard Messmann; Coaching and collaborative work based learning in Dutch VET: the ‘TEAMstages’ project / Jeroen Onstenk; Occupational commitment and vocational identity / Felix Rauner and Lars Heinemann; Promoting competence development of apprentices through combined workplace and workshop learning / Eduard A. Stoger. Papers from the third workshop, ‘Costs, benefits and outcomes of apprenticeships’, chaired by Lorna Unwin are: Quality and impact of a new apprenticeship approach in the Italian region of Marche / Elmo de Angelis and Ludger Deitmer; Investigating the quality of cooperation of learning venues in countries with little history of cooperation: the case of China and Malaysia / Ludger Deitmer and Ramli Rashidi; Costs and benefits of apprenticeships in the lowest track of VET / Katleen De Rick; Quality of apprentices and training strategies of firms in Switzerland / Marc Fuhrer, Stefan C. Wolter and Samuel Muhlemann; Costs - benefits - quality: the specific profile of Austrian apprenticeship and its future potentials and drawbacks / Lorenz Lassnigg; Costs, benefits and quality of apprenticeships: a regional case study / Felix Rauner, Lars Heinemann, Dorothea Piening and Rainer Bischoff; Certifying professional competence within workplace learning: preliminary suggestions of the project MOVE PRO EUROPE at EADS in Germany / Andreas Saniter and Barbara Burger. Show less

The theme of this paper is lifelong learning and the importance of work as a major site for learning. The paper draws on the results of three research studies, one relating to new full-time workers, one to part-time student workers and one to young people undertaking school-based new apprenticeships. It suggests some reasons why some young people, some types of employment contract and some workplaces appear to offer better opportunities for establishing lifelong learning habits than others.

The volume of collected papers is indexed at TD/TNC 75.267. Individual papers are indexed from TD/TNC 75.268 to TD/TNC 283. Show less

This study explored the changing role of staff development for vocational education and training (VET) teachers and trainers in Australian public and private registered training organisations (RTOs). Substantial reforms in the VET sector over the past decade have had considerable impact on the work of teachers and trainers. In this context of rapid change, the nature, direction, delivery, access and funding responsibility of staff development are undergoing transformation. The purpose of the research, therefore, was to examine current staff development provisions, research a range of issues relating to the staff development of VET teachers and trainers and make recommendations in the light of the new education and training environment. Show less

This chapter examines the important topic of the 'dual professionalism' of [vocational education and training] VET teachers in Australia. How, exactly, do they develop further and keep up to date in their industries and in pedagogy? Drawing sub-sets of material from a major national research project, the chapter provides survey evidence from over 900 VET teachers as well as detailed interview data from three case study training providers. The results show a high level of commitment to professional development, both formal and informal, particularly in teachers' industry areas, sometimes relating to licensing or regulatory requirements within those industries. Some teachers undertook multiple professional development activities each year and were willing to pay for their own development. There was, however, some resistance to development activities that were perceived to relate primarily to compliance with regulatory regimes. The chapter proposes a matrix to represent engagement in types of professional development and then problematise this model through discussion of the resistance and relating it to earlier debates around competency-based training.

Published abstract. Show less

This article uses the findings from a qualitative study of Australian young people in their first year of full-time work to examine the nature and utility of off-the-job training in apprenticeships and traineeships. The findings confirm the conclusions of earlier studies about the importance of off-the-job training as a supplement for workplace learning. It was found that, while initially not attaching much value to off-the-job training, the young people gained more of an appreciation, during the course of the year, of what off-the-job training had to offer. Other findings about off-the-job training included: the superiority of face-to-face training as opposed to other forms of delivery; the importance of young people’s relationship with their off-the-job trainers; the ‘implicit contract’ of expectations of the parties to the training contract; the different viewpoints of the parties; and the dissatisfaction of those in traineeships with the lack of intellectual challenge in their competency-based curriculum.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This paper uses data from a recent national project on workforce development for vocational education and training (VET) practitioners in the service skills sector to examine the issue of teaching qualifications for VET practitioners in Australia. Data on the level of qualifications is limited and incomplete (Mlotkowski & Guthrie, 2010) and the continuing debate about what qualifications are and should be required of Australian VET practitioners is therefore proceeding in something of a vacuum. This paper provides some up-to-date empirical evidence about the level of qualifications of VET practitioners in teaching and learning (pedagogy) and in their industry area (or discipline). It then considers whether the qualification levels described are sufficient for the workforce and offers some suggestions about how the current situation has come about.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The Delphi method was utilised to solicit the views of senior people responsible for policy, staff development and other significant Vocational Education and Training (VET) commentators, about the challenges faced by VET practitioners and the associated staff development issues. The researchers found that the Delphi method appeared to offer some advantages over more common forms of research with such people. The paper presents some key findings from the research in order to illustrate points about methodology. Appendices provide an example of a Delphi survey form.

Published abstract.

The volume of collected papers is indexed at TD/TNC 60.88. Show less

The expertise and professionalism of teachers is vital in vocational education and training (VET), as it is in any other education sector. As 'dual professionals', VET teachers need to keep abreast of their industry or discipline area as well as maintaining and improving their pedagogical skills and knowledge. VET workplaces (colleges and vocational schools) are important sites of learning for these matters. This paper draws together and analyses the findings from the other papers in this special issue, finding that VET workplaces contribute to teachers' learning both as a part of pedagogical qualifications (in 'teaching practice' components) and as part of continuing professional learning. The paper draws on a previous theoretical model and the findings in the papers to propose a number of categories of workplace learning: learning that is taught, sought, wrought, caught, brought, and thought. These could be applied to any occupation. Finally, the contribution of teachers' personal attributes to the extent and nature of their site-based learning is examined, using the data in the papers to develop further a previous model of VET teacher professionalism.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less