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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

This national research project investigated unidentified and undervalued skill in people's jobs through research in nine occupations in service and manufacturing industries. It aimed to provide evidence that could be used to improve government policy, qualification-based training for work, and companies' management practices that relate to skill, skill levels and the perception of skill. Specifically, it aimed to suggest improvements in the development of vocational education and training (VET) qualifications (through training packages) and in companies' use of skills. The aim was to improve the current inaccurate perceptions of skill in Australian jobs, through close study of nine occupations, providing individuals with better life chances and improved self-efficacy in the labour market.

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This publication reports on research that was carried out within Australian enterprises in the second half of 2003 in order to gain a greater understanding of how and why enterprises use nationally recognised training (training based on national training packages or courses/programs that have been formally accredited through state or territory accreditation bodies) for their existing workers. Data were collected by means of focus groups, case studies and a survey of enterprises. The project findings indicate that nationally recognised training has much to offer enterprises, and that many enterprises take full advantage of the availability of both training packages and government funding to support and extend their training activities. However, there appears to be a need for increased national promotion of nationally recognised training, as not only were some non-users completely unaware of suitable training packages and qualifications, but even those who used nationally recognised training were sometimes unaware of many of the subtleties involved in using packages. It is clear that the use of nationally recognised training by enterprises is strongly influenced by availability of funding. However, this study showed that funding could be more closely targeted to the start-up phase, and consideration could be given to tapering off funding once nationally recognised training becomes embedded. More research is required to examine whether the customisation of qualifications by, or for, enterprises compromises the integrity of the qualifications. If the training becomes too firm-specific, issues arise, not only about portability of qualifications, but also about the use of government funding. Show less

[Human resource development] HRD professionals are often involved closely with apprenticeship systems. Apprenticeships operate within companies but are almost always linked to a national apprenticeship system, which provides legislation and regulation around aspects of apprenticeship. Most countries around the world have a formal apprenticeship system, although systems vary widely in their nature, their relative size and their sophistication. The paper aims to provide a contribution to both policy and practice. It draws together and analyses three pieces of research undertaken between 2007 and 2013 by the author: one international comparative study on national apprenticeship systems, and two Australian projects on the ways in which companies manage their apprentices. The paper shows how the findings about good practice in apprenticeship management can be used at both national and company levels. The international study was funded by the International Labour Organization and the World Bank, and the Australian studies were funded by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

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This study examines how learners and the processes of learning are understood and presented in a sample of courses leading to the attainment of the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training (since replaced by the new Certificate IV in Training and Assessment). It considers the implications of these findings for the development of teaching and learning in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. The study involved an analysis of 16 case studies in South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Seven of these sites were public registered training organisations (RTOs), four based in capital cities and three in regional areas. The remaining sites comprised nine private RTOs and two enterprise-based organisations, both located in capital cities; three community based organisations, two in capital city locations and one in a regional area; two commercial training organisations, one in a capital city location and the other regional; and two government-funded organisations located in the higher education sector. The case study sites were therefore spread across a number of locations, as well as across a range of different types of RTOs. The research demonstrated considerable diversity in the types of courses leading to the attainment of the Certificate IV qualification, as well as a variety of ways in which the qualification was contextualised to meet the requirements of the organisations and individuals involved. In enterprise contexts the Certificate IV was understood as a business process that contributed to wider organisational and strategic goals, with an immediate focus on developing human capital for the enterprise. Learners and learning were understood in context-specific ways; this stands in contrast to circumstances where the audience for the Certificate IV was more non-specific, and topics related to learners and learning were approached in more general terms. The authors suggest that future discussions need to examine ideas on how teaching and learning might embrace the learner-centred, work-centred and attribute-focused approaches now acknowledged as important for the future of the VET sector. Discussions also need to consider more seriously the impact of characteristics such as gender, race and ethnicity on learning, and the ways in which learning might best be understood and organised to take account of these learner attributes. Show less

This paper presents and analyses results from a research project on current trends in employer training in Australia. While the formal vocational education and training (VET) system is well-researched, the everyday training that happens in workplaces is relatively under-researched in Australia. Using some of the results of an employer survey undertaken in 2015, the paper describes and analyses employer-based training across a range of industry areas. The survey included groups of questions on a range of matters, including the reasons why employers train, and how these relate to employers' perceptions of their operating environment, and the structures they have in place to manage and organize training. Detailed data are provided about three specific forms of training: in-house training and learning; the use that employers make of external providers of training; and employers' use of nationally recognised training - training from the VET system. Finally the paper reports what managers said about the barriers to providing more training. The paper analyses the findings in relation to the literature and also identified changes over time in training practices in Australian companies. Implications for training policy and practice, as well as for future research, are identified.

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Mature-aged workers are becoming increasingly important in all Australian workplaces. In a tight labour market, organisations need to retain workers well past the age at which in previous decades many workers began to think of retiring; and better health means that people are keen to keep working for longer. Increasingly competitive markets require organisations to encourage higher performance and flexibility from all workers meaning that job roles change and expand constantly, with concomitant training needs. Therefore it is imperative that the pedagogical issues associated with the training of mature-aged workers are examined closely. This project was commissioned to draw together existing knowledge about the training of mature-aged workers augmented by a limited amount of fieldwork in the Australian manufacturing industry.

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Traineeships are apprenticeship-like training arrangements that were initiated in Australia in 1985. They were designed to introduce apprenticeship training to a broader range of industries, occupation and individuals; they are available in occupations outside the traditional trades and crafts. Many companies use them on a large scale, some recruiting their entire shop floor workforce as trainees. This article uses findings from a national project on traineeships in six industry areas to examine the ways in which employers adopt them and the factors which affect their take-up across industries and enterprises.

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This report examines the characteristics of pre-apprenticeships in Australia and whether pre-apprenticeships increase the potential supply of tradespeople, with a special focus on electrotechnology, automotive and engineering students. It found that pre-apprenticeships have been used in Australia for many years and are widely regarded as a valuable strategy for increasing the supply and quality of potential apprentices. Pre-apprenticeships are favoured by employers because they weed out unsuitable candidates and improve retention, while prospective apprentices see them as a useful way of gaining experience in the trade. Those who undertake pre-apprenticeships become more engaged with the occupation and are more likely to consider higher-level training upon completion. Show less