ICVET Promoting Emerging Practice, TAFE NSW International Centre for VET Teaching and Learning

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Research

John Mitchell Teacher and Institute enthusiasm for quality teaching and learning

The rapid rates of change in industry and the world of work require TAFE Institutes to consider how they will manage the up-skilling of the workforce needed. This paper is based on an independent evaluation of projects conducted at eight different TAFE Institutes in Victoria in 2005-2006. The paper highlights the two factors that most influenced the innovation: teachers' enthusiasm and Institutes' enthusiasm for improving quality practice in teaching and learning.

AVETRA, 2006. Maret Staron, Marie Jasinski, Robby Weatherley, Capability development for the knowledge era: reculturing and life based learning

Business in the vocational and technical education (VTE) sector requires dynamic and adaptable learning systems and the capacity to support learners designing their own learning. Learners in VET need to engage in a wide range of learning. Professional learning for the knowledge era will be characterised by variety, inclusiveness, interrelatedness, acknowledging the importance of relationships, the capability to adapt and influence and a shared responsibility for ensuring the 'fitness' of the environment in which we work and learn.

Adelaide: NCVER, 2005. 85 p. Roger Harris, Michele Simons, Berwyn Clayton. Shifting mindsets: the changing world roles of vocational education and training practitioners

This project set out to explore how the changing environment is impacting on practitioners' work and the implications these changes have for the quality of VET provision and the role of the new VET professionals. Three main research approaches were employed: a literature review, 10 focus group discussions in five states in both capital cities and regional areas, and individual interviews.

Melbourne: CEDA, 2005m, Peter Noonan, The workforce participation challenge: the case for a national workforce development strategy

This article is part of a collection that examines current lifelong learning policy settings and practices and identifies changes and responses required within governments, the education sector, business and individuals to ensure more effective lifelong learning. Imprint:

Canberra: DEST, 2005. 19 p. E-learning flexibility: providing business solutions: nine case studies of businesses using e-learning for workforce development from the Industry Engagement Project.

Using nine case studies of organisations from industry and business around Australia, this report reviews how the organisations use e-learning and the ways e-learning has impacted on those organisations.

Broadway, N.S.W.: OVAL Research, 2005. 10 p. Berwyn Clayton, Visions for RTO capability

This paper reports on five state-based forums conducted as part of the initial phase of the 'Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future' consortium research program.

Sandra Mackay, Ursula Burgoyne, Diane Warwick, Jackie Cipollone
Publication date: 2006 Current and future professional development needs of the language, literacy and numeracy workforce

The question of how the skills and knowledge of the adult language, literacy and numeracy workforce can be improved is particularly relevant in view of the ongoing debate on how language, literacy and numeracy skills should be taught. This study reflects on the professional development needs of the three sectors--vocational trainers, specialist teachers and volunteer tutors-- of the Australian

Performance Indicators Literature Review, ICVET Paper 2001(95KB)

This project involved a literature search concerning performance indicators for learning and development available to teachers.

It was not evaluative or directly concerned with teacher competencies or performance.

An assumption was made that learning and development for teachers would be increasingly important to equip them to deal with significant changes in the TAFE environment. Research conducted confirmed that the assumption was valid.

Findings from the search conducted did not reveal much literature about performance indicators related to staff development targets. Strategic Plans unavailable in the public domain may contain this type of information, but it is probably reasonable to conclude that this has not been an area of significant activity, either in Australia or internationally. The notable exception was the UK Investors in People program, which directly addressed the issue of staff development. The considerable body of literature about the implementation of this program is a useful resource.

Generally, indicators and measures used in the past are shown by the literature to have been quite basic and broad. The customising of targets and performance indicators to the specific needs of particular organisations is a key success factor.

CRAWFORD, Kate 1998, Facilitating Change in Organisational Contexts: The Dynamics of the Social Context, ICVET Paper (38KB)

Facilitating change is often not easy, as most organisational structures have evolved because of their robustness in the face of change. This paper explores the need to examine ways that our social contexts can be changed, as this can be a powerful determinant of learning.

SALNER, Marcia 1999, Weaving the Strands of Individual and Organisational Learning, ICVET Paper (17KB)

This paper discusses organisational learning, just what individual employees do when they are engaging in organisational learning, and how to teach people to be effective organisational learners? What skills do they need?

ANTA & ICVET 2004, Working and Learning in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the Knowledge Era – Summary, TAFE NSW ICVET Sydney Australia (301KB)

LOVEDER, Phil (September 2005) World trends in staff development: Implications on the performance of technical education institutions

This paper investigates the strategies and practices used by institutions worldwide to develop the professional experience of teachers and practitioners. It also explores successful models for ensuring that staff development provides a way of maintaining relevance in an increasingly complicated and globalised training market.

NCVER (2004) The vocational education and training workforce: New roles and ways of working - At a glance

This formal report summarises recent research into the changing roles of VET leaders, managers, teaching and support staff, and the way they work.

• The role of senior managers is increasingly focused on the external environment and building links with stakeholder organisations.
• Frontline managers focus on internal business practices and how to modify these to meet new clients' needs.
• The role of VET teachers is becoming more diverse and team-based. Within these teams, teaching support staff play a critical part.

The publication also summarises a range of human resource and professional development issues, identified by VET staff, which need to be tackled to help them work more effectively in the future.

Reframing the Future New Capabilities in VET (690 KB)

Insights from Reframing the Future project teams on how to build capabilities for implementing the national training system.

London: National Skills Forum, [2007]. 39 p.Incentives to train: ensuring employer engagement.

Current Government policy favours an employer-driven, demand-led approach to workforce training. It is imperative that as many employers as possible are engaged in staff training if the UK is to compete effectively with emerging global economies.  This paper presents views of a range of key stakeholders on how greater employer engagement in training can best be achieved.

Leicester, U.K.: National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, 2006. 11 p. Skilling me softly: a NIACE briefing on learning at work: taken from the NIACE Survey on Adult Participation in Learning 2006 / Fiona Aldridge and Alan Tuckett.

This report shows that the government's strategy to stimulate learning in the workplace, based solidly on improving the qualifications of the UK workforce, has so far failed to change workers' learning preferences. When seeking to improve their job performance, all groups, but particularly working-class and low-skilled adults, and those who have had little opportunity to participate in structured learning, still favour informal learning.

Council of the Federation, 2006. 10 p. Competing for tomorrow: a strategy for postsecondary education and skills training in Canada / Council of the Federation.

This strategy for post-compulsory education and skills training in Canada outlines five key priorities for education and skills training in Canada. They are: improve access; enhance quality; increase participation in the skilled labour force; develop workplace skills for the 21st century; and expand research and innovation. The strategy concludes with an outline of investments needed in postsecondary education and skills training.

Third Age Employment Network, 2006. 7 p.Tapping into the older worker talent pool.

This paper discusses practical strategies for organisations to recruit older talent into their workforce. Central to these strategies are the philosophy of skills-based recruiting and the use of e-recruitment technology.  

Ottawa: CPRN, 2005. iv, 47 p. Skills upgrading initiatives in Canada: regional case studies: preliminary report / by Richard Brisbois and Ron Saunders.

Examines case studies of initiatives undertaken in Canada to promote skill development opportunities for less-skilled workers to uncover the conditions that contribute to success in such endeavours.  Lessons learned include: partnership and collaboration were key factors in the development and implementation of many of the initiatives and each of the players (employers, educators, communities and students) made a valuable contribution; flexibility and customisation were key features of many of the programs; and paid work-release time to train was crucial in the success of many of the case studies.

London: National Audit Office, 2005. 56 p. Securing strategic leadership for the learning and skills sector in England / report by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Examines the planning, management and monitoring of learning provision from the perspective of the largest providers, i.e. the 397 colleges comprising the further education sector in England. The report contains three sections: (1) implications for colleges of the changing landscape of the learning and skills sector; (2) planning to meet learning needs and providing choice; and (3) making sure that further education delivers learning of the type and quality that people need and want.

Hyun-Jeong Lee, Promoting the knowledge-based economy through e-learning

As a result of the rapid expansion of the Internet and ICT, human resource development is focusing on acquiring and expanding knowledge and information. This chapter examines Korea's comprehensive support for e-learning, its e-learning infrastructure, the use of e-learning in furthering education and for workforce development, and the future prospects for e-learning.

Lewis, Anne C. Tech Directions v. 66 no. 4 (November 2006) p. 6, 8 Necessary Basic Skills

Two important new reports go a long way toward defining basic skills and preparation for work after high school. The first report, which is based on responses from more than 400 companies, concludes that the future workforce is ill-prepared. The second report from the John Heldrich Center at Rutgers University analyzes the aging of the population since World War II, which offers dramatic challenges to the labor force.

Baines, John; Cohen, Judith; Martin, Stephen Prospects (Paris, France) v. 35 no. 3 (September 2005) p. 355-65 United Kingdom: Skills Development for the Twenty-First Century

Part of a special section on orienting technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for sustainable development. The writer profiles three Centres of Vocational Excellence in Great Britain that are part of a research project that aims to move the British TVET agenda forward. These centers are stimulating the stakeholders to develop and test new ways of thinking and working that will encourage the identification and teaching of the knowledge and skills needed for sustainable development in their sectors.

Quisumbing, Lourdes R.Prospects (Paris, France) v. 35 no. 3 (September 2005) p. 289-301 Education for the World of Work and Citizenship: Towards Sustainable Future Societies

Part of a special section on orienting technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for sustainable development. The writer discusses the bold innovations needed in the philosophy and practice of TVET. The TVET curriculum requires a more holistic view of education--one that aims to develop the faculties and cognitive, affective, emotional, aesthetic, volitional, and behavioral powers of a person. Moreover, quality TVET requires a teaching/learning approach that proceeds to understanding and gaining insights; that educates the heart and the emotions; and that develops the ability to choose freely, to value, to make decisions, and to translate knowledge and values into action.

Frameworks and Models

Appreciative Enquiry | A-Z Resources
Australian Flexible Learning Framework
Community of Practice | A-Z Resources
Indigenous Learning Professional Development | A-Z Resources
Life Based Learning | A-Z Resources
Designing Professional Development for the Knowledge Era Research Project Managed by TAFE NSW ICVET
National LearnScope Framework managed by TAFE NSW ICVET (70 KB)
Professional Development Evaluation | A-Z Resources
Professional Development Evaluation – Models and tools | A-Z Resources
Reframing the Future | A-Z Resources
Self Managed Learning | A-Z Resources
Skill Ecosystems Capability Development Strategy (728KB)

Building on the skill ecosystem exemplars, research and thought pieces published on the site over the last months, this Capability Development Strategy proposes a strength based approach to developing the skills and knowledge VET practitioners need to participate effectively in a skills ecosystems, industry partnership and community or regional development environment.

TAFE NSW Professional Development Framework for Teachers 2004 - 2006 Managed by TAFE NSW ICVET
Work Based Learning | A-Z Resources