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…

This research project, part of a much larger study, considered how people in regional communities learnt to deal with the impact of reduced water availability as a result of drought or climate change. The communities in the Mallee-Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, were the focus of this study and a range of local people from different sectors…

In this final, collaborative paper in the "Learning to be drier" edition, we reflect on and draw together some of the key threads from the diverse narratives in our four site papers from across the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Our paper title, "Wicked learning", draws on a recent body literature (Rittel & Webber 1973)…

The findings of a large national project on the part-time working careers of full-time students aged 15 to 24 challenge some widely held perceptions of large corporations that employ school students. (Contains 2 tables and 2 notes.)

Public policies on training are firmly rooted in the historical, political, economic and social context of their countries. This paper explores the acceptability of such policies to stakeholder groups including learners and employers, and its impact on policy take-up, viability and longevity. The paper uses a comparative analysis of developments…

Interviews with 11 Australian teenagers during their first year of work as apprentices, trainees, or junior staff revealed a wide range of employer strategies for training. However, training structures did not significantly predict learning. Job performance was a strong predictor, affecting interest in and capacity for learning as well as others'…

The study reported here focuses on the factors that contribute to the production or non-production of refereed publications by academics. A literature review revealed that factors associated with an academic's personal characteristics, attitude to work, and workplace circumstances could influence publication output. Academics from a large…

The changing role of staff development for teachers and trainers in Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector was examined. Data collection strategies were as follows: a preliminary analysis of VET staff development provision; a literature review of mainly Australian sources; a Delphi survey involving 31 key stakeholders in VET…

The literature on work placements in education and training courses and current Australian practice related to work placements was reviewed. The review focused on the school, university, and vocational education and training (VET) sectors. The following major issues were considered: lack of a common name and common body of literature; purposes of…