The quantitative relationship between factors previously identified as affecting the extent and intensity of training within organizations was explored through a survey of companies in Australia's entertainment and process manufacturing sectors. A self-completion questionnaire was mailed first to a sample of 446 companies across Australia (112 of…

This publication contains the three numeracy units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in the area of farmers as employers: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her numeracy skills needed to deal with employment of agriculture…

In the face of escalating youth unemployment, some new approaches are needed for training out-of-school youth in Australia. The current system of apprenticeship has become outmoded because many of the skilled trades that the system prepares young people for will soon be non-existent. One approach to this problem has been implementation of…

A research project chronicling the nature and extent of the structured staff development undertaken by teachers and trainers employed at public and private providers of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia was one component of a larger study that examined the changing role of staff development for VET teachers and trainers. Data…

This book contains nine papers that were presented to the Sociology and Social Policy section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The first paper, "Introduction: Work and Employment in the 1990s" (Richard Brown), puts work and employment in a historical context and examines how globalization of the economy has…

Research on Australian organizations in five industry sectors--building and construction, food processing, electronics manufacturing, retailing, and finance and banking--has identified these three key drivers of enterprise training: workplace change, quality assurance, and new technology. Operation of the training drivers is moderated by a range…

The problems facing young people in Australia's current labor market and the effectiveness of Australia's educational system in preparing young people for the labor market were examined. Particular attention was paid to the following issues: the reshaping of work in the modern labor market; skill development in the modern labor market; the impact…

This booklet, which was written for adult literacy practitioners in Australia, examines some key issues currently being raised about new information technologies and technological literacy. The following are among the topics discussed in the booklet's nine sections: innovation and dissemination (effects of videocassette recorders, computers, and…

This part of the Australian newsletter from the National Clearinghouse on the Transition from School to Work is organized into eight sections. Following a description of the clearinghouse in the first section, the newsletter contains two sections of brief descriptions of current research projects and news items. In the fourth section, three books…

Until the 1970s, social norms dictated that women provided care for their families and men were employed for pay. The rapid increase in paid work for women has resulted in an untenable model of work and care in which all employees are assumed to be unencumbered with family responsibilities and women who care for their families are dismissed as…

The definition of work has undergone a massive transition within the last decade, and this trend has major implications for vocational education. Earlier ideas of work included that it was full-time, permanent, and for life; in addition, work provided opportunities for career development, a clearly-defined employer-worker relationship, and clear…

This publication contains the three communication skills units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in the area of farmers as employers: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her written and spoken communication and numeracy skills…

A study analyzed mitigating conditions and factors that prevented the uptake of apprenticeships and traineeships among young people aged 15-19 years of age who had left school in Victoria, Australia. Data were based on a thesis completed in May 2000 involving analysis of theoretical research, observation in the field, and case study interviews…

A report on the first three years (1977-79) of the Western Australian Post Secondary Education Commission is presented. After a description of the commission's role, information is presented on key educational issues, the Partridge Report, ongoing planning and course development/accreditation, and special inquiries. Recommendations of the…

Ideas about what constitutes work, the ways work is organized, the tools used in work, and the relationship between work and the other components of life are all changing rapidly. The implications of these changes for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia and elsewhere were examined. The following issues were considered: (1) the…