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The fellowship provided the opportunity to explore, assess and observe electrical apprenticeship training and explore new and innovative industrial electrical products within the international arena. The author visited vocational training institutions in Norway, Germany and Scotland to review and appraise the securing of high retention rates, flexible apprentice programs, post apprenticeship pathways and the benefits of enhanced collaboration with industry. This fellowship program has resulted in a number of recommendations being made for adoption to enhance the quality of electrical apprenticeships.

Edited excerpts from publication.

The International Specialised Skills Institute (ISSI) is an independent, national organisation that works with Australian governments, industry and education institutions to enable individuals to gain enhanced skills and experience in traditional trades, professions and leading-edge technologies. Fellows travel overseas and, upon their return, are required to pass on what they have learned through a detailed report, recommendations for improvements and delivering training activities. Show less

This research is based on the premise that the [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] STEM education pipeline begins in schools and provides a response to widespread and deep concern about the unsatisfactory status of STEM education in [Western Australian] WA primary and secondary schools. The authors argue that the imperative for WA is to support the development of school students' STEM capabilities and interest in further education and careers in STEM. The purpose of the 'Optimising STEM education in WA schools' project was to: identify the status of STEM education in WA schools; identify STEM education challenges, and the needs of students and teachers; identify the range of organisations supporting STEM education, the initiatives supported and barriers to providing support; and make recommendations for optimising STEM education.

Findings included: (1) declining achievement and negative attitudes towards STEM subjects amongst primary and secondary school students; (2) declining participation in academically demanding STEM subjects at the senior secondary level; (3) strong negative impacts of social disadvantage on achievement, attitudes and participation in STEM subjects; (4) concern about the availability of teachers with requisite STEM expertise; (5) the absence of integrated strategies to build and strengthen the capacity of the STEM teaching workforce; (6) the importance of STEM skills and qualifications to industry, and the consequences of specific shortages; (7) the diverse nature of initiatives providing support to STEM education, their uneven delivery to schools, and the willingness of industry to increase current support for STEM education; and (8) the barriers to optimising industry support for STEM education, and the strategies developed by education service providers to counter them. A set of recommendations and suggested actions has been developed to address the concerns about the status of STEM education in WA schools. The report is presented in two parts - part one is a summary report and part two is the full research report.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

This paper presents an overview of on-job training in New Zealand - that is, training for work and employment typically undertaken by people currently in a role, as opposed to training for people before they take up a role in an enterprise. Key elements of on-job training, including how training is delivered, competence is assessed, quality assurance undertaken, are described. The funding, benefits to enterprises and employees, economic benefits, challenges and case studies are also described. How this definition meets industry needs is covered. The implementation of how on-job training is carried out and the role of industry training organisations (ITOs) in the model is described. The model of on-job training will be demonstrated by two case studies from Skills International Limited. Note the word 'enterprise' used in this paper in the New Zealand context refers to businesses that employ trainees, and is used interchangeably with the word 'employer'.

Published abstract. Show less

The outcomes of the 2010 Learning and Teaching Academic Standards project of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council reinforced the importance of ensuring ongoing alignment between threshold learning outcomes and professional accreditation standards for healthcare disciplines. The aim of the harmonising project team was to work with higher education institutions and healthcare professional accreditation agencies to identify and match the goals and expectations of education, professional and government institutions. Within a framework that was organised around the threshold learning outcomes for health, information was captured about assessment approaches in Australian contemporary healthcare professional education. The work of the project specifically focused on a subset of healthcare professions - dentistry, medicine, midwifery, nursing and physiotherapy - as 'demonstration disciplines'.

Excerpt from publication. Show less

Two opinion pieces were released in 2014: (1) 'Readiness to meet demand: five key industry growth areas' by Rod Camm (released 9 July); (2) 'Employers crucial to training' by Francesca Beddie (released 17 September). Show less

The formative evaluation of Teaching and Research Aged Care Service (TRACS) models supported through the Aged Care Workforce Flexible Fund is a project being undertaken by the Australian Workplace Innovation and Social Research Centre (WISeR) at the University of Adelaide. TRACS are aged care services that combine teaching, research, clinical care and service delivery in one location to operate as a learning environment for aged care students and staff. TRACS involve partnerships between aged care providers, researchers and teaching personnel and are designed to yield enhanced quality of aged care, clinical placements and workforce development, and research which is relevant to aged care. Most partnerships are between universities and aged care organisations. The national evaluation began in December 2012 with a workshop of participants from the 16 TRACS projects and from the Department of Health and Ageing. It will complete in mid-2015.

This brief report provides an overview of the second workshop held in Melbourne on 19 May 2014. It followed on from the first workshop held in December 2012 to commence the process of establishing a community of practice amongst projects. The first half of the day was dedicated to project presentations focusing on key outputs and outcomes achieved to date. The discussions that followed focused on partnerships, building capacity in the aged care sector, workforce education and development, and enabling a research evidence base in aged care. Show less

E-Oz Energy Skills Australia is the Australian Government declared Industry Skills Council for the Australian ElectroComms and EnergyUtilities industries. This environment scan (EScan) provides contemporary analysis and intelligence on the profile and skills needs of the current and future energy sector workforce. The scan analyses the changing skills, technologies, work practices and attitudes which will allow reduction in energy consumption to become entrenched, accelerating the efficiency of energy usage. It identifies the key factors currently shaping and impacting on workforce development and how well the national training system, its products and services, and industry itself are responding. Show less

The training and workforce development needs of industries and employers are not static - they evolve and change as opportunities arise, technology changes and the influences of national and global change are felt. These Ministerial priorities acknowledge the environment of change which characterises business and industry growth, and within a clear strategic framework they enable an immediate and responsive and adaptive training system. They signal the immediate term focus, in the context of the Tasmanian Government's strategic long term vision for State economic growth, and guide Tasmania's training and workforce development work of the Department of State Growth. In turn, these Ministerial Priorities will inform stakeholders to the system of the Government's continued commitment to progress skills development required for economic growth, and to sustain growing and successful communities with opportunities for all Tasmanians to flourish.

The eight priorities are: (1) An agile workforce-focussed system; (2) An open market; (3) A new strategy for training and workforce development; (4) Driving quality through industry advice; (5) A contemporary role for TasTAFE; (6) Supporting learners to choose; (7) Boosting traineeships and apprenticeships; and (8) Engaging in national partnerships in Tasmania's interest.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

In recognition of the need to lift Australia's Year 12 or equivalent completion rates, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to a National Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transitions in July 2009. The School Business Community Partnership Brokers program is one of the programs administered by the federal government as part of this partnership. The Partnership Brokers program aims to build partnerships to improve education and transition outcomes for all young people, with a particular emphasis on supporting young people to achieve Year 12 or equivalent qualifications. Partnership Brokers form locally relevant partnerships that harness community resources and share responsibility for young people's learning and development. They encourage the development of partnerships between education and training providers, business and industry, parents and families, and community groups. The Smith Family is the provider of the Partnership Broker program in six regions (Brisbane North and West, Brisbane South East and Redland City, Gold Coast and Darling Downs in Queensland, the Illawarra in New South Wales and Darwin and Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory). This report examines 11 partnerships that have been developed and supported by some of the Smith Family Partnership Brokers across the six regions in which it operates. The partnerships focus on improving student wellbeing, empowering communities, and introducing young people to the world of work.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

In recent years, there has been considerable discussion of the challenges facing the future of information education in Australia. This paper reports a study that explored the characteristics and experiences of Australia's information educators. The study was undertaken as part of a larger project, which was designed to establish a consolidated and holistic picture of the Australian information profession and identify how its future education could be mediated in a cohesive and sustainable manner. Sixty-nine of Australia's information educators completed an online questionnaire that gathered data on aspects such as age, gender, rank, qualifications, work activities and job satisfaction. The key findings from this study confirm that a number of pressing issues are confronting information educators in Australia. For example, Australia's information educators are considerably older than that of the total Australian academic workforce; over half the information educators who participated in the study are looking to retire in the next 10 years; and Australia's information educators spend more time on service activities than members of other disciplines within Australia's education system and place a stronger importance on teaching over research. Left unaddressed, these issues will have significant implications for the future of information education as well as the broader information profession. Many of the key observations drawn from this study may also have relevance to other disciplines in the Australian educational context.

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