Purpose: To identify a skilled micro-credentialled training pathway for agricultural careers. Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey consisting of open ended and Likert-type ratings questions regarding workforce skills requirements, training priorities and training delivery preferences was administered with 17 agricultural business managers and…

Delivering training in regional, rural and remote (RRR) Australia is not easy. Australia is a large, diverse country, and ensuring that training is suited to individual locations, which are unique in their landscapes, economies, industries and cultures, is challenging. There is an ongoing policy interest in making sure that the vocational…

This publication presents information on employers' use and views of the vocational education and training (VET) system. The findings relate to the various ways in which Australian employers use accredited and unaccredited training to meet their skill needs and their satisfaction with the training. Australian employers can engage with accredited…

This publication presents information on employers' use and views of the vocational education and training (VET) system. The findings relate to the various ways in which Australian employers use the VET system to meet their skill needs and their satisfaction with the training. Australian employers can engage with the VET system in three main ways,…

In Australia, like many western countries, there has been a convergence of education policy around a set of utilitarian and economistic approaches to vocational education and training in schools. Such approaches are based on the assumption that there is a direct relationship between national economic growth, productivity and human capital…

Software, particularly spreadsheet software, is ubiquitous in the financial services workplace. Yet little is known about the extent to which universities should, and do, prepare graduates for this aspect of the modern workplace. We have investigated this issue through a survey of financial services employers of graduates, the results of which are…

This paper reports the results of a survey of more than 2000 managers examining perceptions of skills gaps in a range of Australian firms. It finds that three quarters report a skills gap, and almost one third report skills gaps across the whole organisation. Firm size and industry differences exist in perceptions of the effect of the skills gap…

This survey collects information about employers' use and views of the vocational education and training (VET) system and the various ways employers use the VET system to meet their skill needs. Information collected is designed to measure the awareness, engagement and satisfaction of employers with the VET system. (Contains 12 tables.)…

This paper was presented in Sydney in September 2008 at a seminar conducted by Skills Australia and the Academy of Social Sciences. It examines the demand for training. It concentrates on the factors that affect individual and employer demand, and points out that accredited vocational education and training (VET) need to be considered in the…

This document lists 198 studies with abstracts and reasons for exclusion in support of the main report, "Education and Training that Meets the Needs of Small Business: A Systematic Review of Research" (ED499699). [This work has been produced with funding provided through the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training. For a…

Eleven studies were identified as meeting the criteria for relevance and quality of findings to provide sound evidence to answer a review question (see second chapter, "The included studies", of the main report). An additional nine studies were considered to provide supporting evidence for implementation of intervention strategies. [This…

This issue in the series, "Research at a Glance," explores Australian small business and its attitudes to training, needs, how small business becomes involved in training, and how training happens. It begins with an overview of findings, some policy options, and a list of 11 references used in preparation of this publication. Research…

"Framing the Future" is a major staff development initiative of the Australian National Training Authority. The initiative supports people in the vocational education and training (VET) sector who are involved in implementing the National Training Framework. "Framing the Future" encourages VET practitioners to take…

The TAFE (Technical and Further Education) National Centre for Research and Development conducted a survey to determine industry needs for quality training in Australia. Interviews were conducted with managers in manufacturing and tourism/hospitality companies throughout Australia, especially with firms with a high reputation. Interview forms were…

This document outlines the major features and achievements of the Australian vocational education and training system in 1996 and provides some illustrative examples of specific initiatives undertaken by states, territories, and the Commonwealth. Among the major achievements detailed in the report are the following: (1) for students--35,000 more…