The National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 1998-2003 expresses the collective commitment by Australian governments, in partnership with Australian industry, to vocational education and training. The strategy includes the following mission: to ensure that the skills of the Australian labor force are sufficient to support…

Contrasting employment, education, and training developments occurred during the 1980s in Britain and Australia. High school completion rates in Great Britain and Australia have been low in comparison to the United States, but the work pattern changed when the market for unskilled youth labor collapsed in the 1980s. Australia increased proportions…

Studies were conducted in 10 countries of Asia and the Pacific (Australia, China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Thailand, and Turkey) to determine whether general education school leavers are able to meet the requirements of various occupational training programs. Each country…

Social partnerships provide communities with the capacity to address problems, such as community breakdown, unemployment and social exclusion. This report analyses the types of social partnerships that involve education in community contexts. It identifies that partnerships are complex and multi-layered and successful partnerships require:…

A study investigated industry and employment characteristics and outcomes of module enrollees and completers in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. VET enrollment data showed module students were older than course enrollment students, more likely to be female, and to have completed Year 12. While VET module students and…

A study investigated linkages between adult community education (ACE) and mainstream vocational education and training (VET) in Australia, which enable people to move between the two sectors in their pursuit of vocational learning, and the ways in which linkages might be improved or new ones developed. The data from the study were derived from 69…

This book provides a review of (primarily Australian) research on competency-based training (CBT). It includes information on the industrial and economic contexts that formed the backdrop for training reform in Australia. Information is presented to show how implementation of CBT has affected teaching, learning, and administration in vocational…

Following the extended Australian drought of the 1990s, a review was undertaken to assess the programs and services that support farm families and respond to their welfare needs. A total of 43 service providers and 21 farm families were interviewed in New South Wales and Queensland. Following an introduction and description of methodology, the…

Australia's new national vocational education and training (VET) research and evaluation (R&E) strategy is underpinned by the goal of improving the VET systems and must accommodate the needs of all the different stakeholders in the VET sector. It focuses on research applied in nature, consolidating and advancing knowledge, and on evaluation…

A major proposition is that dual training arrangements alone do not necessarily solve quality problems in the delivery of vocational education and training (VET) nor improve VET links to the labor market. An essential strategy for Australia should be to further develop holistic training courses linked to apprenticeship models and embed both into a…

This book considers critically the many issues surrounding competency-based education and training (CBE/T) and provides practical advice on its appropriateness and application to educational and training programs. Part A places the whole issue of CBE/T in its appropriate contexts. Chapters 1-3 examine the concept of competence and its articulation…

This manual is designed to assist trainers in using the Australian Standards of Work Performance in ongoing functional assessment and databased training of disabled persons for employment. It is divided into three sections. Section 1 begins with an overview of the functional assessment component of a databased training system and details the…

This paper has been written as a supporting paper to "A Bridge to the Future: Australia's National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 1998-2003" (ED 420 764). Technology has an impact on industry in terms of the work done, how it is done, and how individuals live and do business. Globalization means that business--and the…

Five reports present findings of research into professional development (PD) issues in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. "Lessons Learnt: An Analysis of Findings of Recent Evaluation Reports on PD in VET" (Kate Perkins) provides an overview of issues, insights, and ideas emerging from past PD experience that may be…

These proceedings contain 17 papers from plenary sessions, workshops, and other presentations at a conference to consider and clarify major issues in assessment and standards in vocational education and training, including identification of problems and suggested solutions. A summary of discussions follows most presentations. Plenary session…