Search Results | VOCEDplus, the international tertiary education and research database

Leading the charge in cross-sectoral integration: vocational teacher education and the embedding of units of competency

In Australia as elsewhere, the national government is keen to improve pathways between vocational education and tra ... Show more
In Australia as elsewhere, the national government is keen to improve pathways between vocational education and training (VET) and higher education. The limited availability of such pathways is often attributed to a lack of will on the part of universities. VET teacher-education in Australia has been grappling since 1998 with the challenges imposed by a VET-sector qualification at Certificate IV level that has become, through government regulation, a ‘licence to practise’ in VET teaching. This paper uses the discussions within the national community of VET teacher-educators and a case study in one university to illustrate the difficulties that exist in laying pathways and guiding students along them. It draws on the debates that have taken place in AVTEC, the Australian VET Teacher Educators’ Colloquium, the author’s research into assessment issues in embedding the Certificate IV within university courses, and preliminary data from an evaluation of students’ reactions to authentic and deep embedding. These data are used to argue that difficulties in cross-sectoral integration are real and are derived from different approaches to pedagogy and evidence requirements, rather than being manufactured by education providers anxious to maintain their boundaries. The VET teacher education community holds unique expertise in this area and therefore the work done in its own courses is of substantial significance.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of AARE.
Selected papers from the 2006 AARE National Conference are indexed from TD/TNC 89.545 to TD/TNC 89.550 and from TD/TNC 89.701 to TD/TNC 89.710. Show less

Authors: Smith, Erica

Corporate authors: Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE)

Conference name: AARE National Conference

Date: 2006

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Higher education; Pathways ... [+] Show more
Best of 2023: highlights from Season 8

In 2023, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) invited expert vocational voices from the vo ... Show more
In 2023, 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 the most interesting snippets and research findings from across the five podcast episodes NCVER 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 Season 8.
Edited abstract from publisher's website. Show less

Authors: Davis, Steve; Walker, Simon; Payne, Joanne; Scott-Young, Christina ... [+] Show more Christina; Michelle; Charmaine; [-] Show less

Date: 2023

Geographic subjects: Australia; New Zealand; Oceania

Resource type: Webinar or podcast

Series name: Vocational voices

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Providers of education and training; Teaching and learning ... [+] Show more
1958-2008: how access to VET qualifications has changed in Australia

Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a reflection on the growth in qualifications available ... Show more
Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a reflection on the growth in qualifications available through work, over the 50 years of Education + Training. Design/methodology/approach - The approach adopted is that of providing a viewpoint, reflecting back on the availability of qualifications today compared with the 1950s. Findings - The growth in the availability of qualifications has meant that a greater proportion of the workforce now hold qualifications, and particularly that people outside traditional trades can gain work-related qualifications. The changes have advantaged those in service industries and jobs previously not regarded as skilled. They have especially assisted women and have paralleled the increased participation of women in the workforce. However the current favourable situation has some fragility. Originality/value - This paper is one of a series commissioned by the journal on its 50th anniversary. Its originality stems from the discussion of the significance of the growth of qualifications, particularly for women.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Authors: Smith, Erica

Date: 2008

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Europe; Great Britain ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Education + training

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Apprenticeship; Qualifications ... [+] Show more
The availability of competency-based training in TAFE and non-TAFE settings in 1994

The Department of Employment, Education and Training commissioned this study to gain an indication of the extent to ... Show more
The Department of Employment, Education and Training commissioned this study to gain an indication of the extent to which competency-based training (CBT) was being implemented across Australia. The study was particularly relevant in the context of an approval by Ministers responsible for vocational education and training of a strategic framework for the implementation of CBT, with the aim of achieving substantial implementation of a CBT system by 1993. The study set out to survey, analyse, and report on the availability of CBT in the VET sector, as conducted in 1994 by TAFE and non-TAFE providers. Data was analysed by factors such as field of study, TAFE stream, national distribution, attendance modes, and student distribution. Show less

Authors: Smith, Erica

Corporate authors: Charles Sturt University. Group for Research in Employment and Training (GREAT)

Date: 1996

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Government report or paper

Subjects: Assessment; Workforce development; Pathways ... [+] Show more
Staff development in VET: a critique of current practice

Recent reports suggest that expenditure on staff development within the vocational education and training (VET) sec ... Show more
Recent reports suggest that expenditure on staff development within the vocational education and training (VET) sector is decreasing. The author takes a critical look at this issue, with regard to VET teachers and trainers and suggests why this may be so. She considers the appropriateness for VET teachers and trainers of staff development models used for school teachers and private enterprises. She also looks at action learning which is currently favoured in the VET sector for staff development. Show less

Authors: Smith, Erica

Date: 1998

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Training agenda: a journal of vocational education and training

Subjects: Workforce development; Providers of education and training
What makes a good VET teacher?: views of Australian VET teachers and students

The quality of teaching in the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia has been an area of conc ... Show more
The quality of teaching in the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia has been an area of concern for much of the twenty-first century (e.g. Department of Education and Training, 2016). While much debate has taken place about ways forward, there has been little substantive progress in reforming the education and professional development of VET teachers to address quality concerns. However, in the absence of a clear consensus and articulation of what constitutes 'good VET teaching' and what is required to produce it, it is doubtful that any endeavour to improve the quality of VET teaching would be successful. This paper contributes to the evidence base that could inform improvements in VET teaching by examining the views of two key interest groups - VET teachers and learners, on 'what makes a good VET teacher', and analyses the common themes as well as particularities in their views and their possible explanations. The findings are then examined as dimensions of interconnected practices that constitute VET teaching.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Authors: Smith, Erica; Yasukawa, Keiko

Date: 2017

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Article

Series name: RAVE: Researching Adult and Vocational Education

Journal title: International journal of training research

Subjects: Teaching and learning; Providers of education and training; Vocational education and training ... [+] Show more
A serendipitous synchronisation of interests: employers and student-working

Part-time working while studying full-time is now the norm for young Australian students, whether they are at schoo ... Show more
Part-time working while studying full-time is now the norm for young Australian students, whether they are at school, TAFE or university. Australian research in this area currently comprises one body of research looking at learning from part-time jobs, and a second focusing upon the problems that time spent at work may cause with young people's study load. To date there has not been any major Australian research into the ways in which employers utilise student-working as part of their management strategies. This paper draws upon part of the research carried out in the first year of an Australian Research Council Linkage project on student-working. Case studies carried out with three major employers of part-time student labour and focus groups with university students have shown how the needs of young people for suitable work at convenient times and those of some employers coincide remarkably well. These employers have learned to shape their human resource management strategies around the nature of their student workforces, and continually adapt their strategies to make themselves more attractive to their current and potential workforces.
Published abstract.
Available papers from the 10th Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) Conference are indexed from TD/TNC 89.401 to TD/TNC 89.447. Show less

Authors: Smith, Erica; Patton, Wendy

Conference name: Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association Conference

Date: 2007

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Conference paper

Subjects: Research; Higher education; Providers of education and training ... [+] Show more
What makes for effective partnerships between employers and RTOs?

A recent study, 'Continuity and change: employers' training practices and partnerships with training providers' [in ... Show more
A recent study, 'Continuity and change: employers' training practices and partnerships with training providers' [indexed in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 127.03], by researchers from Federation University and the University of Queensland looked into current practices in employer training in Australia. The national study focused on employers' use of nationally recognised training and the role of partnerships between employers and registered training organisations (RTOs). With increasing complexity in the external environment, training staff have become more proactive within their firms. This increasing complexity of the vocational education and training (VET) system has also led to the advent of VET system navigators within RTOs, who act as guides to employers. In this webinar, the lead researchers and spokespeople from partnerships researched in the project will talk about the key findings and what makes for successful long-term partnerships.
Kaye and Adam will talk about the partnership between Australian Paper and Federation Training. The partnership involves the delivery of skill set Emergency Response Training to employees of Australian Paper, a pulp and paper mill in Gippsland, Victoria. Graham and Chris will talk about the partnership established between Elders Australia and Wodonga Institute of TAFE. The partnership involves the delivery of a customised version of the Certificate IV in Agriculture to new and existing stock and station agents employed by Elders across Australia.
Excerpts from publisher's website. Show less

Authors: Hargreaves, Jo; Smith, Erica; Tuck, Jacqueline; Tyter, Kaye ... [+] Show more

Date: 2017

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Webinar or podcast

Series name: NCVER webinar series

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Providers of education and training; Participation ... [+] Show more
Continuity and change: employers' training practices and partnerships with training providers

This study provides a comprehensive picture of the way in which employers navigate the Australian training system a ... Show more
This study provides a comprehensive picture of the way in which employers navigate the Australian training system and establish partnerships with registered training organisations (RTOs). In terms of evolution over the last 20 years three key factors emerge: (1) while the take-up of nationally recognised training by employers has not increased substantially, this type of training is being used in different ways; (2) the nature of the partnerships between RTOs and employers has changed, from a relationship based on fee-for-service provision to one based on long-term mutual collaboration; and (3) a change in the role of the training function and training staff in organisations has been observed.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Smith, Erica; Smith, Andrew; Tuck, Jacqueline; Callan, Victor J.

Date: 2017

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: RAVE: Researching Adult and Vocational Education

Subjects: Employment; Providers of education and training; Research ... [+] Show more
Non-TAFE providers in the training market

In 1995 Charles Sturt University's Group for Research in Employment and Training surveyed non-TAFE providers of VET ... Show more
In 1995 Charles Sturt University's Group for Research in Employment and Training surveyed non-TAFE providers of VET (vocational education and training). The survey offers a broad picture of the non-TAFE sector of VET. This article discusses information about the providers surveyed; the courses they offer; non-TAFE providers; and how the survey informs current areas of debate about non-TAFE providers of VET. Show less

Authors: Smith, Erica

Date: 1996

Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia

Resource type: Article

Journal title: Australian TAFE teacher

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Industry; Providers of education and training ... [+] Show more