Australian employers' adoption of traineeships
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Comyn, Paul , Kemmis, Ros Brennan , Smith, Andy
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Vocational Education and Training Vol. 63, no. 3 (2011), p. 363-375
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Traineeships are apprenticeship-like training arrangements that were initiated in Australia in 1985. They were designed to introduce apprenticeship training to a broader range of industries, occupations and individuals; they are available in occupations outside the traditional trades and crafts. Many companies use them on a large scale, some recruiting their entire shop floor workforce as trainees. This article uses findings from a national project on traineeships in six industry areas to examine the ways in which employers adopt them and the factors which affect their take-up across industries and enterprises. © 2011 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.
- Description: 2003009231
Australian employers' adoption of traineeships
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Comyn, Paul , Kemmis, Ros Brennan , Smith, Andy
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Contemporary apprenticeship: International perspectives on an evolving model of learning p. 127-139
- Full Text: false
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Building innovation capacity: The role of human capital formation in enterprise
- Authors: Smith, Andy , Courvisanos, Jerry , Tuck, Jacqueline , McEachern, Steven
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Fostering enterprise :The innovation and skills nexus - research readings p. 103-115
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Summary: The main impetus for the interest in innovation is that it is seen to improve productivity at the firm level and therefore improved economic prosperity and living standards. This edited volume was commissioned by the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations. The authors contribute a variety of views on innovation from different perspectives. Some of the main themes running throughout the book are reasons for firms innovating, the skills required for innovation and how innovation and skills development is supported by the training system, the firm and government. Innovation is seen as moving beyond research and development, to include new products, services and operational/organisational processes.
Building innovation capacity: The role of human capital formation in enterprises
- Authors: Smith, Andy , Courvisanos, Jerry , McEachern, Steven , Tuck, Jacqueline
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: AVETRA 13th Annual Conference
- Full Text: false
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- Description: This paper describes a project which seeks to identify the role of human capital formation in promoting innovation in Australian enterprises and the ways in which enterprises can improve their human resource management and learning and development practices to improve their innovation performance. There are a number of factors that affect enterprises' ability to innovate. These include internal factors such as the ability to detect technological changes in the environment, the development of core competencies from which innovation can developl and external factors such as the maturity of the market which the enterprise serves and the impact of government policy to stimulate innovation. Thus the ability of enterprises to innovate depends on the effective management of human resources and in particular, the learning and development practices that enable enterprises to increase the skills of workers to innovate (human capital formation). Studies in Denmark and Spain have shown that better
Building the capacity to innovate: The role of human capital
- Authors: Smith, Andy , Courvisanos, Jerry , Tuck, Jacqueline , McEachern, Steven
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Technical report
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Buying-out teaching for research : The views of academics and their managers
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Higher Education Vol. 63, no. 4 (2012), p. 455-472
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- Description: This paper reports on the practice of buying-out teaching to create time for research. A study was carried out, at a regional university in Australia, with academics in receipt of research grant funds (and therefore with the means to buy out teaching), Heads of School, and the Deputy Vice Chancellors responsible respectively for research and for academic matters. We found that while eligible academics did buy out teaching by employing casual staff, most of them worried about the potential effects on teaching quality and students' learning. Heads of School were more sanguine about possible effects on teaching. Decision making by academics about whether to buy out teaching, and by Heads of School about whether to allow it in particular cases, took account of a number of factors. Some teaching activities were seen as higher-risk than others for buying-out. It was uniformly recognised by all parties that buying-out did not result in complete relief from the teaching activity that was bought out; a great deal of time and energy needed to be invested by the academic in making appropriate arrangements and monitoring the quality of work undertaken by the casual staff. The paper suggests that clearer policies need to be instituted in this area; academics were unsure what buying-out was allowed or acceptable, and would benefit from more discussion of the practice. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Continuity and change : Employers' training practices and partnerships with training providers
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy , Tuck, Jacqueline , Callan, Victor
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Report , Journal article
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- 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.
Diploma and advanced diploma qualifications in the community services and health industries
- Authors: Burke, Gerald , Smith, Andy , Dumbrell, Tom , Long, Michael
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Vol. , no. (2008), p.
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- Description: This study investigated several aspects of the value and funding of diplomas and advanced diplomas in community services and health (CSH). It reviewed the extent of training at this level, various data on the employment of persons with these qualifications and the ways training is funded. A number of key questions are addressed in this paper. What is the value of diploma and advanced diploma qualifications in responding to the needs of the CSH industries? How are diplomas and advanced diplomas currently being funded? What is the best way to fund higher level qualifications within the CSH industries? Key findings include: student numbers in diplomas and advanced diplomas have been rising in CSH but declining in most other industries; employment in CSH has been rising rapidly and within CSH the proportion of persons with diplomas or advanced diplomas has been rising; the mandating of minimum qualifications for particular occupations has been an important factor in the increased employment of persons with diplomas in CSH; most of the training for diplomas is provided in government supported training, however, of the small numbers taking advanced diplomas, only a minority are in government supported places; about 13 per cent of all government recurrent expenditure on [vocational education and training] VET is made on CSH Training Package courses; and of that 13 per cent about a third is spent on training for diplomas and advanced diplomas.
Does the availability of vocational qualifications through work assist social inclusion?
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Education and Training Vol. 53, no. 7 (2011), p. 587-602
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether the availability of qualifications through work-based traineeships in Australia assists social inclusion. Design/methodology/approach: Industry case studies, of the finance and cleaning industries, were undertaken as part of a national research project on quality in traineeships. The two industry case studies were analysed to provide data on social inclusion aspects. A general discussion on the "pros" and "cons" of gaining qualifications through work, from a social inclusion point of view, is included. Findings: The industry case studies show many advantages of work-based qualifications for people who have had disadvantaged economic and social backgrounds. The study presents a model showing how work-based qualifications help to meet the twin social inclusion goals of employment and education. However in economic hard times, the need to have a job may rule out some people. Also, some doubts about quality in work-based delivery may mean that qualifications gained through work may be of lower value than those gained at least partly through formal study. Research limitations/implications: The models put forward are tentative, based on the findings in the research study that has been described and the authors' earlier research. Further research is necessary to establish the social inclusion benefits of this means of gaining qualifications. In particular longitudinal research with disadvantaged people who have gained qualifications through this route is needed to evaluate whether their completion of qualifications through employment has assisted their broader economic and social engagement, and in what ways. In addition, research is needed to compare the quality and utility of qualifications gained through work and those through education providers as a poor-quality qualification may be of limited long-term use to an individual. Practical implications: Work-based qualifications are shown to be a useful investment of public resources. The research also analyses some shortcomings of this method of gaining qualifications so that they can be addressed by employers and training providers. Social implications: The research establishes the social inclusion utility of work-based qualifications, providing insights useful for education systems and social welfare organisations. Originality/value: This is one of very few scholarly studies of the large-scale use of work-based qualifications. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Employer training in Australia : Current practices and concerns
- 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
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- 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.
Engagement or irrelevance? HRD and the world of policy and practice
- Authors: Smith, Andy
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Human Resource Development International Vol. 5, no. 4 (2006), p. 395-399
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- Description: One of the most attractive features of the discipline of human resource development (HRD) is its constant lively sense of debate. Since its emergence in the mid- 1970s as a new area for inquiry and serious research, the field of HRD has been characterized by a sense of openness and debate that is often lacking in other, older disciplines.
- Description: 2003007200
Enterprise registered training organisations : research project funded by Australian Research Council and ERTOA : final report : executive summary
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy , Walker, Arlene
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Technical report , Report
- Full Text:
- Description: This is an overview of a national research project which set out to evaluate the benefits, challenges and outcomes for all stakeholders of the delivery of vocational education and training (VET) qualifications by Enterprise RTOs (ERTOs). The project had three main research questions: • What are the benefits and challenges for companies associated with training through their own ERTO? • What are the benefits and challenges for workers associated with ERTOs? • What is the equivalence of workplace-delivered qualifications among companies and with qualifications delivered in educational institutions? The project aimed to be of benefit at several levels as described below: • For workers, the research set out to examine whether the availability of qualifications through ERTOs offers the chance of a high-quality qualification and improved career prospects and life chances. • For companies, the research hoped to provide firm evidence about the outcomes for their workers and quality features of their training compared with other companies and with institutional-based qualifications. • For industries and for Australia, the research set out to build an evidence base about the efficacy of this type of training, to assist in the shaping of government policy.
Enterprise RTOs in Australia: An overview from research data
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy , Walker, Andrew
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: AVETRA, Sydney, 8th-10th April, 2015
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- Description: This paper reports on overview data from a national research project funded through the Australian Research Council Linkage program. The research question for the project as a whole was 'How do qualifications delivered by enterprises contribute to improved skill levels and other benefits for companies, workers and the nation?' The research was carried out with the support of the Enterprise RTO Association. Enterprise registered training organisations (RTOs) are companies that are accredited to deliver qualifications to their own workers. These 250 RTOs have to meet the same registration and quality standards as institutional training providers. The project as a whole included qualitative and quantitative components. It included longitudinal case studies in eight enterprise RTOs. This paper reports on part of the quantitative research. It presents findings and preliminary analysis of two surveys of enterprise RTOs (2012 and 2014), and a 2013 learner survey undertaken in the case study RTOs. The enterprise RTO surveys included a range of questions about the enterprise itself, and about the RTO's qualifications, learners, and training methods. The learner survey asked respondents about their views about training and outcomes. The response rates for the surveys were 35.7 per cent and 26 per cent respectively, with a representative distribution across industry areas. The paper provides a snapshot of the operations of enterprise RTOs and the views of those gaining qualifications in this context. Published abstract.
Enterprises' commitment to nationally recognised training for existing workers
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Pickersgill, Richard , Smith, Andy , Rushbrook, Peter
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Book
- Full Text: false
- Description: This report aims to provide a clearer understanding of how and why enterprises use nationally recognised type of training. It finds that an enterprise's decision to engage in recognised training is not made lightly and decisions are made afresh each time a new training need arises. Successfully embedding training in enterprises involves a three-phase process - engagement, extension and integration. In most cases, it is dependent on: positive initial engagement; extension of training through a 'VET evangelist' who 'sells' the benefits of recognised training and persuades management; and, integration of competency standards associated with recognised training into many human resource processes. The availability of funding strongly influences whether enterprises use recognised training. However, one of the key reasons why more enterprises have not taken up this training is lack of awareness.
- Description: 2003006167
Getting employers to spend more on training : Lessons from overseas
- Authors: Smith, Andy , Billett, Stephen
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Funding and financing vocational education and training: Research readings Chapter p. 98-118
- Full Text: false
- Description: 2003007216
Has Australia turned its back on international students?
- Authors: Smith, Andy , Smith, Erica
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Creating and Sustaining International Connections: 41st annual conference of SCUTREA, the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults Lancaster University 5th-7th July, 2011 p. 138-146
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High quality traineeships : Identifying what works
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Comyn, Paul , Kemmis, Ros Brennan , Smith, Andy
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Report
- Full Text:
- Description: This study explores the common features of high-quality traineeships using case studies from the cleaning, child care, construction, retail, finance and insurance, and meat processing areas. The research identifies a range of policy measures that could improve both the practice and image of traineeships. A good practice guide has also been developed to assist in ensuring that all traineeships are of equally high quality.
- Description: 2003007937
How closely do Australian Training Package qualifications reflect the skills in occupations? An empirical investigation of seven qualifications
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy , Hampson, Ian , Junor, Anne
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Training Research Vol. 13, no. 1 (2015), p. 49-63
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP110200888
- Full Text:
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- Description: This paper uses evidence from an Australian research project into under-recognized skills in occupations, gathered through industry-level interviews and company case studies, to examine VET curricula. The project, funded by the Australian Research Council, focused on skill in jobs traditionally regarded in Australia as unskilled. As part of the project, the evidence about skill was compared with the relevant qualifications. The qualifications are contained in Training Packages, which form the basis of most formal VET training in Australia. The qualifications for the seven occupations were in three broad industry areas (manufacturing, services and property services) and had all been developed in recent decades, unlike apprenticed trades which have long-standing qualifications and curricula in Australia. The comparison exercise showed some mismatches between the skills that were found in the researched occupations and the content of the qualifications. Some of the issues are believed to have broader applicability beyond these specific occupations and qualifications and thus can provide evidence to improve the design of Training Packages themselves.
- Description: This paper uses evidence from an Australian research project into under-recognized skills in occupations, gathered through industry-level interviews and company case studies, to examine VET curricula. The project, funded by the Australian Research Council, focused on skill in jobs traditionally regarded in Australia as unskilled. As part of the project, the evidence about skill was compared with the relevant qualifications. The qualifications are contained in Training Packages, which form the basis of most formal VET training in Australia. The qualifications for the seven occupations were in three broad industry areas (manufacturing, services and property services) and had all been developed in recent decades, unlike apprenticed trades which have long-standing qualifications and curricula in Australia. The comparison exercise showed some mismatches between the skills that were found in the researched occupations and the content of the qualifications. Some of the issues are believed to have broader applicability beyond these specific occupations and qualifications and thus can provide evidence to improve the design of Training Packages themselves. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.
How lower-level and vulnerable workers benefit from employers' engagement with the national qualification system in Australia
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at ACREWiKCL 2006, Socially responsive, socially responsible approaches to employment and work p. 1-22
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Human resource management in Australian registered training organisations
- Authors: Smith, Andy , Hawke, Geof
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Book
- Full Text: false
- Description: This report forms part of a comprehensive research program that has examined issues related to building the organisational capability of vocational education and training providers. In particular, this report focuses on the current state of human resource management practice in both technical and further education and private registered training organisations. It also provides an assessment of the extent to which human resource management plays a truly strategic role and proposes approaches to improve both human resource management practice and its impact.
- Description: 2003007214