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This report addresses three questions: (1) What are the practices of highly innovative organisations?; (2) How are vocational education and training (VET) providers currently promoting greater levels of innovation? (3) What other strategies have the potential to create further innovation in VET organisations? Central to this report was a review of past research designed to identify the key practices or habits of innovative organisations. This review revealed that truly innovative organisations: (1) create learning cultures which promote innovation as a core organisational capability; (2) have leaders who are ‘failure-tolerant’; (3) identify their innovators; (4) reward people who propose innovative ideas; (5) use partnerships; and (6) promote innovation through teams.

The VET organisations which were the focus of case studies were the Gold Coast Institute of TAFE (Queensland); Victoria University of Technology; Institute of TAFE Tasmania, and Onkaparinga Institute of TAFE (South Australia). In addition, minor case reports or vignettes were completed for the following organisations: the Australian Institute for Care Development; Construction Training Centre; Aviation Australia; Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE; Brisbane North Institute of TAFE; Australian Ikebana Centre College of Art and English; and Workplace Australia Group. If the six characteristics of innovative organisations in combination are proposed as the benchmark, then it is clear that the development of innovation in the VET sector is uneven. This research indicates that certain individuals and teams linked to larger industry partnerships are leading the way. Moreover, there appears to be little evidence that VET organisations have established either well-developed organisational capabilities for innovation or clear structures for rewarding innovators. Given the financial and operational constraints faced by organisations in the VET sector, this is understandable. However, there is still tremendous potential in the VET sector to increase innovation within their enterprises. They need to be serious about building and funding learning cultures and promoting innovation as a core capability within their enterprises. In addition, failure-tolerant leaders of VET organisations need to be even more creative in how they continue to support and reward their leading innovators and educational entrepreneurs. Show less

‘Insight’ is a quarterly newsletter published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) to provide news and information on vocational education and training (VET) research and statistics. The articles in this issue include: Value of qualifications changes with the times; Market reform produces a mixed outcome; Employers to have their say about VET; Equity takes a positive course in VET; RPL can build on a solid foundation; NCVER research forums; NCVER assists research strategy for Indigenous students; Measuring the effectiveness of VET. These brief articles provide information about recent research projects and new and forthcoming publications. Where documents are available online, web addresses (URLs) are provided and all reports are indexed in the VOCED database once they are published. The international article in this issue is ‘Transparency and transferability of qualifications’ which investigates issues concerning the recognition of qualifications across international borders. Show less

This publication presents an analysis of training activity undertaken by apprentices and trainees in Australia in the year to 31 December 2003. It also identifies major changes in apprentice and trainee activity between 1995 and 2003. The figures presented in this publication are derived from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) March 2004 apprentice and trainee collection. The number of apprentices and trainees in training is shown as at 31 December while the number of commencements, completions, cancellations and withdrawals is provided for the year ending 31 December.

Highlights of the analysis are: there was an increase in commencements of apprenticeships and traineeships in 2003 by five per cent from 2002; numbers of apprentices and trainees grew strongly in 2003 for Indigenous Australians (up 27% from 2002) but fell for people with a disability (down five per cent from 2002); at the end of 2003 growth in apprentice and trainee numbers was faster than the growth in overall employment; apprenticeships and traineeships are no longer the domain of young people; almost half are aged 25 years or more; around three in 10 people commencing an apprenticeship or traineeship in 2003 were already working for their employer, mostly in business services, transport and distribution, and retail; apprenticeships and traineeships remain an important pathway for young people when making the transition from school to work; and over 12,000 secondary school students commenced a school-based apprenticeship in 2003, mostly in retail and hospitality.

The figures used in this publication are estimates which take into account reporting lags that occur at the time of data collection. Consequently, the figures in this publication may differ from those published in earlier or later reports. Show less

The mission of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is to be Australia's leading provider of quality, independent information relating to vocational education and training (VET) to governments, the sector, industry and the community. Its vision is for policy and practice in VET to be based on sound evidence. Key highlights for this year include: developing a strategy for obtaining information about all recognised training activity, not just activity in the public VET sector and presenting it to the National Training Statistics Committee (NTSC); developing a survey of Indigenous VET students in conjunction with an advisory group representing key stakeholders; and reviewing the content and methodology for the Survey of Employer Views to be conducted in the second half of 2004. Show less

'Partners in a learning culture' (indexed at TD/TNC 63.292) is a five-year (2000-2005) national strategy which aims to link improvements in vocational education and training (VET) provision for Indigenous peoples to improved employment and community development outcomes. The strategy is supported by a blueprint for implementation (indexed at TD/TNC 62.913) which also specifies 25 performance measures for monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of the overall strategy. As part of the implementation of the blueprint initiative, Ministers agreed to a mid-term review seeking qualitative and quantitative evidence of activity and outcomes, both from those implementing actions as well as Indigenous learners either already in the VET system or wishing to access the system. This review was undertaken in two phases. Phase one involved a survey of the agencies that are signatories to the blueprint, interviews and focus groups with stakeholders, and an analysis of statistical information about the participation of Indigenous people in VET. The research from this first phase is reported in two 'stand-alone' documents: a stakeholder consultation report; and a statistical analysis report. This document is the stakeholder consultation report from the first phase. It reflects the views of those agencies that have been assigned specific responsibilities for implementing the blueprint. The findings indicate that the overall vision and the four objectives of the strategy remain relevant and overall progress is satisfactory, with some significant achievements. These include: 62% of the individual actions which the partner agencies committed to take are in progress or completed; ANTA, the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and most State Training Authorities have established, or are in the process of establishing, system-level mechanisms for ongoing Indigenous advice and direction to guide the VET system’s response to the needs and aspirations of Indigenous peoples; and the Australian Indigenous Training Advisory Council (AITAC) is developing increasing capacity to advise the ANTA Board on Indigenous VET issues within the system and beyond.

The statistical analysis report from this first phase of the review entitled 'Indigenous students in VET: a statistical review of progress' is indexed at TD/TNC 74.12; the phase two report is indexed at TD/TNC 80.04. Show less

This publication provides a summary of 2003 data relating to students, courses, qualifications, training providers and funding in Australia’s public vocational education and training (VET) system. It presents information on VET delivery funded wholly or in part from public funds. VET activity covered in this summary includes: all VET delivered by TAFE and other government providers; all VET delivered by multi-sector higher education institutions; public VET delivered by registered community providers; and public VET delivered by registered private providers.

The full report, ‘Australian vocational education and training statistics: students and courses 2003’, is indexed at TD/TNC 78.07. Show less

The Allen Consulting Group, in conjunction with the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), was appointed by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) to undertake this project to develop a strategy to support the universal recognition and recording of employability skills. The project objective was to develop the strategy relevant to schools, vocational education and training (VET), higher education and the broader community, including workplaces, so that it could be used by individuals to build, value and demonstrate attainment of employability skills to a diverse audience. The purpose of this paper is to provide a platform for further consultation to inform the development of the strategy. Chapter one provides the project background; chapter two considers the continuum of approaches that can be adopted, within a universal recognition and recording strategy, towards the definition, development, demonstration and assessment and recording of employability skills; chapter three sets out a preferred option for the universal strategy and explains why it has been selected and the benefits of the approach; and chapter four contains issues surrounding the implementation of the preferred option that will provide the basis for discussions to be held at the national stakeholder forum. Show less

This publication provides information regarding the training outcomes for students who completed their training in 2003, and the longer-term training outcomes for 15- to 24-year-olds who completed training in 2001. The findings presented relate only to students who studied at a technical and further education (TAFE) institute in Australia and were awarded a qualification (graduates), or who successfully completed part of a course (module completers). Highlights include: TAFE training provides good employment outcomes; 86% of all graduates were employed or in further study after their training; Of those employed after training, 73% of graduates and 56% of module completers reported that their training was highly or somewhat relevant to their current job; 85% of all graduates and 77% of all module completers were satisfied with the overall quality of their TAFE training; 92% of all graduates and 86% of all module completers indicated they would recommend their training to others; 92% of all graduates and 90% of all module completers would recommend the institution where they undertook their training to others; and Of graduates aged 15 to 24 years who completed their training in 2001, 76% were employed in 2002 and 86% in 2004.

Published abstract and highlights. Show less

This report summarises two research projects on group training: ‘Structure and function of group training companies in Australia’ and ‘Group training and host employers in Australia’, both undertaken by the Employment Studies Centre at the University of Newcastle for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). The summary also draws on other relevant research where it illuminates the results or has implications for policy in this area.

The project looking at the structure and function of group training companies in Australia focused on the supply side of group training and offered a comprehensive study of the structure of group training, covering aspects such as the age of the organisation, type of legal incorporation, size of the organisation, the types of apprentices and trainees employed and the functions or range of services offered to apprentices, trainees, employers and the community. The project looking at group training and host employers in Australia examined the demand side of the group training system by identifying the reasons for host employers’ use of group training company services and their experience of these services.

The studies found that group training has an increasingly important role in the maintenance and growth of the Australian apprenticeship and traineeship system and related services. Consequently, it is important that the quality of training and related services offered by group training companies to apprentices, trainees and employers is continuously improved. It is hoped that the report, by providing a solid factual basis for decision-making, will contribute positively to well-founded policy development and the future growth and quality improvement of group training in Australia. Show less

The action research project reported here concerned itself primarily with the intra-institutional factors that affect Indigenous students’ learning experiences and thus their completion rates in technical and further education (TAFE) mainstream courses. The study also examined the effectiveness of action research, a disciplined process of inquiry conducted by and for those taking the actions, as an organisational change process for improving Indigenous students’ completion rates. This study drew on four sources of data: documents produced by the action research teams; journals kept by the action research team facilitators; the monthly teleconferences and the web-based discussion board held among the action research team facilitators; as well as two sets of semi-structured interviews. In total, 70 interviews were conducted with members of the action research teams and key TAFE personnel. The report concludes with implications for policy and practice. It suggests that conflicting policy demands need to be resolved. Within the training organisation itself, effective responses to the increasing number of Indigenous students in mainstream courses require concurrent changes at three levels, intellectual, cultural and social. At the knowledge/skill level, for example, appropriate professional development of its staff is required. In terms of organisational culture, guidelines are required to encourage staff to hold more consistent values and beliefs about what it means to provide quality learning opportunities. The existing formal and informal staff and Indigenous student groupings and networks need to be critiqued to ascertain the extent to which they facilitate learning experiences. Show less