This paper draws on the experience of one of the authors, an ethnographic researcher who, in the course of her investigation into the everyday work and communication cultures of Australian public transport officers, spent 12 weeks undergoing training as a rail transit officer before spending four months on the job where she was rostered on duty…

Work practices in the meat-processing industry have changed in recent years. The industry has moved away from workers dressing a whole carcass towards a chain-based system, with each worker performing a single task along a moving production line. The nature of the meat-processing workforce has also changed. It is no longer dominated by seasonal…

This article is concerned with the under-representation of Indigenous workers in mainstream childcare services and the associated problem of the under-representation of Indigenous children in such services. Specifically, it focuses on workforce issues that serve as barriers to both attracting and/or retaining Indigenous staff. The research methods…

Small business training can facilitate business growth. The authors show that a "hands-on" approach can have a direct impact on a business owner's current situation. They consider this in relation to the problem of being unable to find the right staff, demonstrating that a program such as the one they describe enables learning and…

Three Australian studies identified attributes of workplaces as learning environments: authentic activities, experts, other workers, and task engagement. Limitations of workplace learning included inappropriate knowledge, lack of access to activities, expert reluctance, absence of expertise, opaque knowledge, and problems with instructional media.…

A manufacturing organization that trained workers on the job using active learning techniques demonstrated to the organization the benefits of training. As a result, a cultural change has taken place and workers believe they have been empowered. (JOW)

Informal workplace trainers help employees learn what they need to know and do in order to get their job done. Little is known about the actions of informal workplace trainers, who may be colleagues or supervisors. This study provides an empirical basis for actions undertaken by informal workplace trainers. A total of 350 Australian enterprises…

A project was conducted in Australia to investigate the most effective ways whereby learners receive informal and formal support to assist them to successfully complete vocational education and training (VET), either in school or in business job-training programs. Data were collected through a literature review, a case study of 11 organizations,…

A study explored the role of the workplace trainer in the building of training/learning cultures in workplaces in Australia. Following a literature review, stage 1 data collection involved observations and interviews in 18 enterprises in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia where trainers were facilitating learning with one or two…

Leading-edge firms (LEFs)--at the forefront of their industry in terms of growth or market share--may influence skill development through diffusion of technology, products, or practices and use of market power to set standards or change customer businesses. Study of LEFs can identify the type and mix of skills needed in the industry. LEFs are…

Research identified feasible strategies to support flexible delivery in operating workplaces. Sites were 12 enterprises in Victoria. Findings indicated flexible delivery was largely implemented by enterprises through the provision of a range of learning opportunities that included on-the-job observation, practice and mentoring, access to learning…

A study explored behavioral factors to explain why non-completions were higher among trainees than apprentices. A survey of 797 apprentices and trainees who did not complete training and 462 of their employers was followed by focus groups with new apprentices, employers, and training providers. Findings indicated most new apprentices commenced…

This publication is part of the study materials for the distance education course, The Changing Workplace: Part B, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University. The first part of the document constructs a framework for exploring the concept of the workplace as a learning environment that is in fact the primary school for adult learning and…

A 3-year research program on workplace learning was based on action research and involved the gradual implementation of "Work Activity Briefings" every 2 weeks or whenever a major task was to be undertaken at selected construction sites managed by an Australian mining and construction company. The briefings were regular meetings between…

A study conceptualized bases for learning in workplaces, examining reciprocity between how individuals are afforded access to workplace activities and guidance and how workers elect to engage in what they are offered. These reciprocal bases for thinking, acting, and learning are called "co-participation at work." The contributions that…