Issues arising from an ageing society, a low fertility rate and growing need for a skilled work force have seen increased government commitment to improving the participation rate of mature-aged workers. Education and training are seen as a principal strategy to increase the employability of these workers, yet participation in training is low and…

Degrees in technical and further education (TAFE) are relatively new, but are likely to grow as a consequence of government policies that both seek to increase the percentage of Australians holding a bachelor degree and create a more unified tertiary education sector. There are ten TAFE institutes authorised to offer higher education in five…

This report focuses on an investigation of assumptions and principles underpinning training and assessment programs offered by a civil construction company in Australia. Section 1 is an introduction. To conceptualize the new workplace and consider the role of literacy and numeracy in it, Section 2 addresses changing work conditions, features of a…

The effects of the inclusion of literacy and numeracy competencies within Australia's civil construction industry training package were examined in a case study in Queensland. Data were collected through the following activities: interviews with trainers, workplace teachers, and workers; observations of training at an on-site training session on…