Showing items 1 - 20 of 110

Your selections:

Choosing VET as a post-school activity: What are some influences on non-metropolitan students?

- Smith, Erica, Foley, Annette

  • Authors: Smith, Erica , Foley, Annette
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: AVETRA 21 Virtual conference: recover, rethink, rebuild: all eyes on VET, 19-23 April 2021
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: This paper draws on data from recently-completed research funded by the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) and undertaken in the State of Victoria, in six non-metropolitan communities: three in rural/regional areas and three in peri-urban areas. The rationale for the research was that, despite decades of effort, education outcomes for rural and regional areas in Australia remain well under the Australian average (Napthine et al, 2019), partly because so many young people need to leave home to attend tertiary education (McKenzie, 2014). There is almost no specific research on peri-urban areas. For this paper we have extracted data, from selected phases of the project, specifically to find out why young people may or may not make VET choices. The method for this paper comprised analysis of data from each site, consisting of: • Interviews with VET-sector organisations; • ‘Snapshot surveys’, completed, prior to interviews and focus groups, by 80 young people in schools and 32 in their second-year out; • Publicly-available government ‘On-Track’ data (DET, 2018), of young people in their first year out of school. Recent related literature looks at VET choices in terms of the perceived and actual financial rewards of VET choices (e.g. Norton & Charastidtham, 2019); or in terms of the perceived status of VET choices (e.g. Billett, Choy & Hodge, 2019). Our research showed a complex picture with a number of factors (personal, environmental, cultural background and geographic) influencing choices; and also a perception that VET means apprenticeships, almost to the exclusion of traineeships or full-time VET. The agency of individual schools and of VET providers or apprenticeship organisations was also found to be important. The findings have clear implications for both policy and practice.

The expansion and contraction of the apprenticeship system in Australia, 1985-2020

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Vocational Education and Training Vol. 73, no. 2 (2021), p. 336-365
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: This paper chronicles and analyses the expansion and contraction of the Australian apprenticeship system from 1985 to 2020. The system expanded from a small number of occupations, mainly in craft and manufacturing areas, to include many other occupations, notably in the different types of service sectors. The expansion was achieved primarily through a new type of apprenticeship, known as a traineeship, to augment the existing more traditional apprenticeships. Since 2012, the system has contracted considerably, and the participation rate of women has been affected disproportionately. The period of expansion of the system was book-ended by two major government-instigated documents, in 1985 and 2011. In 1985 a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into Labour Market Programs proposed the introduction of traineeships, and in 2011 an Expert Panel on Apprenticeships sought to reduce numbers through the application of specific criteria for government support, which primarily affected the occupations served by traineeships. Two sources of evidence are used to examine the expansion and contraction of the apprenticeship system: data from the national apprenticeship statistics collection maintained by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) and key government reports over the 35 years. A brief overview of COVID-19-related developments in 2020 is included. © 2021 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.

Afterword : a fresh look at workplace learning for VET teachers

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Training Research Vol. 18, no. 1 (2020), p. 84-92
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The expertise and professionalism of teachers is vital in vocational education and training (VET), as it is in any other education sector. As ‘dual professionals’, VET teachers need to keep abreast of their industry or discipline area as well as maintaining and improving their pedagogical skills and knowledge. VET workplaces (colleges and vocational schools) are important sites of learning for these matters. This paper draws together and analyses the findings from the other papers in this special issue, finding that VET workplaces contribute to teachers’ learning both as a part of pedagogical qualifications (in ‘teaching practice’ components) and as part of continuing professional learning. The paper draws on a previous theoretical model and the findings in the papers to propose a number of categories of workplace learning: learning that is taught, sought, wrought, caught, brought, and thought. These could be applied to any occupation. Finally, the contribution of teachers’ personal attributes to the extent and nature of their site-based learning is examined, using the data in the papers to develop further a previous model of VET teacher professionalism. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Learning and development practitioners : identity, profession and future trajectory

- Barratt-Pugh, Llandis, Hodge, Steven, Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Barratt-Pugh, Llandis , Hodge, Steven , Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources Vol. 58, no. 2 (2020), p. 220-246
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The increasing focus on learning and innovation within organisations has significantly changed perceptions and practices of learning. It has also generated an increasingly diverse and growing network of learning and development practitioners (L&D), constructing an emerging identity that is critical to organisational growth. Our study of nearly 800 Australian L&D practitioners explored their working roles, relationships, and development needs, in a contested environment. Our purpose was to explore how L&D practice has changed; if a professional identity for L&D practitioners is emerging; and what development needs L&D practitioners have. The practitioner responses from this study are used to model the emerging themes of L&D practice, substantiate the emergence of a ‘quasi-professional’ identity, and indicate the imperatives that underpin professional development frameworks. This knowledge provides a foundation for reconceptualising the learning and development practitioner domain. © 2018 Australian HR Institute

A small study of big issues in apprenticeship: Companies’ apprenticeship management practices in Australia

- Smith, Erica

Apprenticeships and ‘future work’ : are we ready?

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Training and Development Vol. 23, no. 1 (2019), p. 69-88
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The paper evaluates the readiness of apprenticeship systems to cope with five major developments affecting the future of work. The institution of apprenticeship has evolved over time in all countries, gradually adapting to changes in industrial processes, the economy, the labour market and education systems. This paper suggests, however, that recent changes in the economy and the labour market, and their concomitant effects on the likely future of work, have the potential to disrupt apprenticeship systems quite radically worldwide, and/or to make them less relevant in the 21st century. The paper draws on data from recent Australian and international research projects undertaken by the author, as well as the author’s engagement in Australian government exercises to discuss the future of apprenticeships. The research found that adaptations of systems and processes were being undertaken at company level and by stakeholders such as trade union or employer peak bodies. They were less frequently apparent, however, in government policy. The paper analyses the data to produce a framework of readiness for ‘future work’, but also queries whether adaptation of apprenticeship systems is necessarily desirable in all instances. Although the presence of multiple stakeholders in the system has previously been viewed as a strength of the system, it can also make even minor changes difficult to implement. This could prove to be a major impediment to apprenticeship’s future or could be a means of preserving its essential features. © 2019 Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
  • Description: International Labour Organization, ILO with the assistance of the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.

Employer training in Australia : Current practices and concerns

- Smith, Erica, Callan, Victor, Tuck, Jacquiline, Smith, Andy

  • Authors: Smith, Erica , Callan, Victor , Tuck, Jacquiline , Smith, Andy
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Training and Development Vol. 23, no. 2 (2019), p. 169-183
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: This paper presents and analyses results from a research project on current trends in employer training in Australia. While the formal vocational education and training (VET) system is well-researched, the everyday training that happens in workplaces is relatively under-researched in Australia. Using some of the results of an employer survey undertaken in 2015, the paper describes and analyses employer-based training across a range of industry areas. The survey included groups of questions on a range of matters, including the reasons why employers train, and how these relate to employers' perceptions of their operating environment, and the structures they have in place to manage and organize training. Detailed data are provided about three specific forms of training: in-house training and learning; the use that employers make of external providers of training; and employers' use of nationally recognised training - training from the VET system. Finally the paper reports what managers said about the barriers to providing more training. The paper analyses the findings in relation to the literature and also identified changes over time in training practices in Australian companies. Implications for training policy and practice, as well as for future research, are identified.

Environmental sustainability practices : how adults learn

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: SCUTREA (Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults) Adult Education 100: Reflections & Reconstructions, University of Nottingham, U.K., 2-4 July 2019 p. 97-106
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: This paper reports on a small research project which investigated how adults in Australia learn about, and adapt to, developments in environmental sustainability practices. The project was based on two major changes in Australia in 2018: the cessation of free ‘singleuse’ plastic bags in many shops, particularly the major supermarket changes; and a gathering momentum towards more rigorous recycling practices. These changes, particularly the first, have affected the daily lives of most Australians. The research,consisting of a focus group, an expert interview and an on-line survey was undertaken with staff working for a regional university based at several campuses across the State of Victoria. This paper reports on preliminary results from the project, including analysis of the initial set of results from the survey. The results so far show that people learn from a range of sources, but some are much more common than others. Among media sources, two-thirds of the survey respondents learned from television, and around 40% from social media and the internet more generally; and among other sources, friends and family were information sources for two-thirds of people, while community information and public notices in shops or on litter bins were used by around half of the respondents. Some respondents were passionately engaged with the topic. The paper presents the responses to a number of key questions in the survey and analyses by age, and gender; and makes some suggestions about the effectiveness of learning sources on sustainability practices. The paper addresses the conference themes of formal and informal learning; adult political education; and community learning and engagement.

How do vocational teachers keep up to date with trends in pedagogy and in industry?

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Book chapter
  • Relation: Berufsbildung zwischen Tradition und Moderne: Festschrift für Thomas Deißinger p. 365-379
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: This chapter examines the important topic of the ‘dual professionalism’ of VET teachers in Australia. How, exactly, do they develop further and keep up to date in their industries and in pedagogy? Drawing sub-sets of material from a major national research project, the chapter provides survey evidence from over 900 VET teachers as well as detailed interview data from three case study training providers. The results show a high level of commitment to professional development, both formal and informal, particularly in teachers’ industry areas, sometimes relating to licensing or regulatory requirements within those industries. Some teachers undertook multiple professional development activities each year and were willing to pay for their own development. There was, however, some resistance to development activities that were perceived to relate primarily to compliance with regulatory regimes. The chapter proposes a matrix to represent engagement in types of professional development and then problematise this model through discussion of the resistance and relating it to earlier debates around competency-based training.

Intermediary organizations in apprenticeship systems

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Report
  • Full Text:
  • Description: Intermediary organizations in apprenticeships are those which act on behalf of, link, or mediate between the main parties - apprentices and employers. An intermediary organization in apprenticeship systems is thus one that undertakes one or more of the following activities: employs apprentices as a third-party employer; trains apprentices as part of a specific arrangement with groups of employers; or undertakes other apprentice support activities on behalf of an employer or a specified group of employers. This discussion paper highlights different ways of classifying intermediary organizations, provides examples of different types of intermediary organisations and examines the different roles they can play to support the effective operation of apprenticeship systems. In particular, the report includes brief case studies of intermediary organisations in Australia, India, England.

Occupational preparation for manual work : fitter/machinists and concrete operators

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Book chapter
  • Relation: Multiple Dimensions of Teaching and Learning for Occupational Practice 3 p. 37-55
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: This chapter explores the different forms of occupational preparation for two occupations in the manufacturing industry in Australia: fitter/machinists and concrete product operators. It draws on data from a project researching concepts of skill in work. The two occupations were selected as one is traditionally regarded as skilled while the other is regarded as unskilled. While both jobs are undertaken predominantly by men, the former occupation is normally entered by young people, while the latter is generally entered by mature people. Through interviews, company case studies and industry focus groups the skills involved in the two occupations were examined and compared. There were considerable similarities between the two jobs, although of course differences as well. Training in the fitter/machinist occupation is undertaken through a lengthy and formalised apprenticeship, while training as a concrete products operator is almost always undertaken on the job only; there is no requirement for a qualification. Some reasons are proposed for the low take-up of qualifications for concrete production, and suggestions for improving this situation, in order to attract more people into the occupation. The conclusions can be applied to other occupations, and the analysis provides the opportunity to examine the assumptions upon which traditional pathways of occupational preparation are based.

The Importance of VET teacher professionalism : an Australian case study

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Book chapter
  • Relation: Handbook of Vocational Education and Training: Developments in the changing world of work 88 p. 1627-1648
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The effectiveness of vocational education and training (VET) systems depends upon their teachers. The teachers are regarded as “dual professionals,” requiring expertise in both their background industry areas and in VET pedagogy itself. This chapter uses Australia as a case study of what happens when the accepted regime of qualifications for VET teachers alters. In Australia full-time VET teachers were, until recently, required to undertake degree level qualifications in VET pedagogy, taught at universities, either before or, more usually, after entering the occupation. The required level has now reduced to the regulatory minimum of a Certificate IV level qualification, taught by training providers not universities, and often provided to their own teachers. The qualification contains only 300 nominal hours of training. It has been recognized as a particularly poorly taught qualification, requiring the introduction of a high degree of regulation and most recently a special compliance framework for training providers wishing to deliver it. In this chapter, the historical path of the decline in VET teacher professionalism in Australia is charted, including research evidence from a national project managed by the author, about the effects of higher-level qualifications on VET teacher practices and quality and teachers’ propensity to engage in professional development. A conceptual model of the attributes of professional VET teachers with regard to qualifications and professional development is presented. The chapter concludes with some recommendations for change and implications for other countries.

Young people’s decision-making as they leave school in non-metropolitan areas in Australia : insights from those working with young people

- Smith, Erica, Foley, Annette

ILO survey report on the National Initiatives to Promote Quality Apprenticeships in G20 Countries

- Smith, Erica, Tuck, Jacqueline

  • Authors: Smith, Erica , Tuck, Jacqueline
  • Date: 2018
  • Type: Text , Technical report
  • Full Text:
  • Description: While the level of educational attainment has been rising globally in the past decades, in many countries education and training systems struggle with adapting to rapidly changing skill needs in the fast evolving labour market. The resulting skills mismatch exerts upward pressure on youth unemployment rates with young people opting for jobs that do not match their qualifications which in turn limits their salary and progression prospects. At the same time, businesses, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, face critical skills shortages as they seek to expand. Unemployment affects youth almost three times more than adults. As such, it is crucial to implement measures to improve the employability of young people. It is in this context that the International Labour Office (ILO), with the support of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, launched the Skills that Work Project: Improving the Employability of Low and Middle-Skilled Workers in February 2017. The project aims to promote quality apprenticeships as an effective means to provide young people from diverse backgrounds with labour market relevant skills, and exposure to the work environment and a smoother transition into employment. Quality apprenticeships are known to facilitate the school-to-work transition of youth as they offer employer-led skills development opportunities that lead to nationally recognised qualifications. As a result, policymakers increasingly rely on apprenticeships to address skills mismatch and youth unemployment. In fact, the G20, L20 and B20 have committed to promote apprenticeships. In this light, we believe it is timely and helpful to take stock of good national initiatives to improve apprenticeships and make the knowledge widely available as part of our continuous efforts to support evidence-based policymaking. The project also provides support to the design and implementation of quality apprenticeship programmes by providing a concise set of key information and practical tools. It is our hope that this report contributes to the promotion of quality apprenticeships by facilitating policy discussions and enhancing our knowledge base of various initiatives that have been tested in the G20 Member States.

Revisiting apprenticeships as a response to persistent and growing youth unemployment

- Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2018
  • Type: Text , Book chapter
  • Relation: Skills and the Future of work: strategies for inclusive growth in Asia and the Pacfic 6 p. 160-179
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: This chapter examines the potential of quality apprenticeship in meeting multiple demands: skill development, changing industry needs, and promoting inclusivity. There are many and large societal and economic expectations of problems which apprenticeship should solve. These expectations vary among various actors. They range from solving youth unemployment and safeguarding decent jobs for young and disadvantaged persons, to supplying companies with a trained workforce, and boosting international competitiveness. More recent demands including apprenticeships’ ability to cope with rapidly changing job roles. There are, however, risks associated with expansion of apprenticeship systems, including the possibility of contributing to exploitation, discrimination and exclusion of social/racial groups and/or certain occupations. Any radical changes risk upsetting existing balances in outcomes for different stakeholder groups. Moreover, apprenticeships need to retain the flexibility to cope with the demands of the future of work.

Continuity and change : Employers' training practices and partnerships with training providers

- Smith, Erica, Smith, Andy, Tuck, Jacqueline, Callan, Victor

  • Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy , Tuck, Jacqueline , Callan, Victor
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Report , Journal article
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: A number of factors influence the motivations of employers to train their workforce and the ways in which they engage with the training system. This study combines a national survey and interviews with Australian employers and registered training organisations (RTOs) to provide a comprehensive picture of the way in which employers navigate the Australian training system and how partnerships with RTOs are established. The study also provides insight into how practices have evolved over the last 20 years.

Re-thinking skill through a new lens : evidence from three Australian service industries

- Smith, Erica, Teicher, Julian

  • Authors: Smith, Erica , Teicher, Julian
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Education and Work Vol. 30, no. 5 (2017), p. 515-530
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The purpose of this paper is to provide another perspective on the problematic nature of the concept of skill and in particular a tendency to place a lower value on certain types of job in the service sector than those in other industries. Qualitative research was conducted in three service industries in Australia, comprising interviews with key industry stakeholders, case studies in two companies for each of four occupations, and validation by a forum of industry experts. We present evidence of the existence of substantial levels of skill in occupations which are traditionally considered low-skilled. The data are utilised to create a new model which represents factors which contribute to perceptions of skill in occupations. The analysis extends and deepens current understanding of aspects of skill, primarily, but not only, building on social construction theory to posit a new model for analysing skill. New factors are added to the analysis of skill in occupations. The project was exploratory and covered only four occupations in three industry areas. The method could be utilised in a broader-scale project. The paper is designed to contribute to debates on the nature of skill and also has policy and practical implications in the fields of human resource practice and training. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Teaching practices among college-based teachers of apprentices.

- Smith, Erica

VET teachers' and trainers' participation in professional development : a national overview

- Tuck, Jacqueline, Smith, Erica

  • Authors: Tuck, Jacqueline , Smith, Erica
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: AVETRA 20th Annual Conference, 18-20 April 2017
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: This paper reports on the professional development of vocational education and training (VET) teachers and trainers in Australia. It utilises the data on professional development (PD) gathered from two national surveys undertaken in 2016 as part of a major ARC-funded national research project on VET teachers and their qualifications. Part of the first survey, which focused mainly on VET teachers’ qualifications and teaching approaches, examined the PD activities undertaken by the respondents. It explored the nature and frequency of the activities, the motivations for participation and the support provided for PD. The second survey was sent to VET teachers/trainers who had participated in PD activities offered by three major PD providers for VET. It focused on the external PD activities undertaken by respondents and explored the frequency, content and nature of activities. The paper provides evidence on the current state of professional development, both formal and informal, for teachers/trainers across the VET sector and compares differences among teachers working for different types of provider. Detailed data are presented on participation in a range of industry and VET PD activities (both within and external to the RTO), the motivations for participation, and who pays for PD. The findings show the type of PD activities that were valued, and what participants would like to see in the future. The findings are expected to inform policy discussions about VET teacher development and will be useful for managers in TAFE Institutes and RTOs; and for those external organisations delivering PD to the VET workforce.

What makes a good VET teacher? Views of Australian VET teachers and students

- Smith, Erica, Yasukawa, Keiko

  • Authors: Smith, Erica , Yasukawa, Keiko
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Training Research Vol. 15, no. 1 (2017), p. 23-40
  • Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP140100044
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The quality of teaching in the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia has been an area of concern for much of the twenty-first century (e.g. Department of Education and Training, 2016). While much debate has taken place about ways forward, there has been little substantive progress in reforming the education and professional development of VET teachers to address quality concerns. However, in the absence of a clear consensus and articulation of what constitutes ‘good VET teaching’ and what is required to produce it, it is doubtful that any endeavour to improve the quality of VET teaching would be successful. This paper contributes to the evidence base that could inform improvements in VET teaching by examining the views of two key interest groups–VET teachers and learners, on ‘what makes a good VET teacher’, and analyses the common themes as well as particularities in their views and their possible explanations. The findings are then examined as dimensions of interconnected practices that constitute VET teaching. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.