A study examined the question of how one Australian non-metropolitan community consolidates and develops sustainable economic and social activity through the learning of community members. The research used a focused interview process with open-ended questions with these 2 major sub-groups in the community and explored their interrelatedness: 2…

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…

Vocational education for 15- to 19-year-olds in England and Australia was compared. Recent literature was reviewed, and 20 individuals concerned with the planning and delivery of vocational education in England were interviewed to identify local and national practices and policies that are worthy of consideration for adoption in Australia. The…

To revise its strategic plan for vocational education and training (VTE), the Office of Training and Further Education (OTFE) in the state of Victoria (Australia) conducted a three-stage review of strategic directions of VTE in the state. In stage 1, the internal and external environments were scanned to identify major change factors and themes.…

This document traces Australian training and literacy policy developments from 1974 to 1998. The document begins with a brief discussion of the global political, educational, social, and economic trends that have affected Australia's training and literacy policies. Discussed next are major events of the four policy "epochs" in…

This book contains 13 papers that identify major education and work issues related to post-compulsory schooling in Australia. The following papers are included: "Changing Policy Perspectives" (Millicent E. Poole); "A Historical Essay" (Andrew Spaull); "A Philosophical Perspective" (Colin W. Evers); "School to…

This compilation of 47 abstracts of materials--papers, studies, reports, reviews--and citations to 46 periodicals is the second of two parts. This part contains abstracts in one category: programs (proposals, reports, evaluations). Abstracts are arranged in clusters according to prime subject matter. Topics covered, listed at the front of the…

The paper discusses some of the issues involved in the transition of students from school to work in Australia. First, there is an overview of the Schools Commission's views on school-work transition as expressed in its reports. The reports draw attention to the necessity for recurrent education to allow every member of society to have access to…

This issue contains a regional review, discussion of technical and vocational education in countries of Asia and Oceania, articles dealing with various aspects of technical and vocational education, and a bibliographical supplement. The brief statistical review in section 1 concerns second-level technical and vocational education in the developing…

Literacy is a social practice central to sharing of knowledge and skills in the workplace. Workplaces increasingly demand workers who take on multiple roles and share and manage knowledge in new ways, so high levels of worker literacy and worker collaboration are increasingly important. Workplace training must facilitate development of active and…

This research study attempts to determine how teenage workers develop their employability skills in their first formal jobs. Case studies were carried out in 12 Australian enterprises of varying sizes and drawn from different industry areas. In each case study the following staff were interviewed: senior managers and/or human resources management…

Models of workplace learning and principles for funding workplace learning in Australia were identified through case studies and a literature review. A diverse array of workplace-based approaches to delivering nationally recognized qualifications were identified. The following were among the nine funding proposals formulated: (1) funding…

A 12-month research project evaluated the effects that competency-based approaches have had on the role of instructors in the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia. Specifically, the project investigated the levels of understanding of competency based-training (CBT) by instructors in the VET sector in a variety of settings…

Despite the enduring problems of equity and access in the delivery of education in rural Australian schools, vocational education and training (VET) programs appear to have had a significant impact on many such schools and their communities. Vocational educational programs in Australia are based on structured workplace learning. There are three…

Analysis of the workplace training experiences of the 1995 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth at age 19 in 2000 (n=7,889, 58% response rate) focused on the 85% of respondents currently employed or employed during the last year. The following elements were studied: participation in training (reasons, outcomes, adequacy);…