The popularity of simulators to augment training programs for operators of heavy machinery has been growing across several industries including mining, rail and more recently construction. High-fidelity, interactive simulation is typically achieved through complete immersion in brief, stressful and complex VR scenarios. The use of simulation…

A study examined training and staff development initiatives in Australian industrial and commercial organizations. It was carried out using a questionnaire and structured interview technique with 24 organizations. Larger organizations had their own facilities and trained in-house whereas smaller organizations made more use of Technical and Further…

Work-based learning (WBL) is one response of education and training institutions to criticisms they have failed to adapt to changing economic times and the changing nature of work. Formal educational institutions are challenged by the perception that they are inadequate to the task of preparing the present and future work force with the necessary…

A survey was designed to assist in constructing a picture of new vocational education and training professionals working in organizational settings in Australia. They were practitioners whose positional titles included training and development (T&D), human resource development, or human resource practitioners who work within organizational…

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…

A study examined educational and pedagogical strategies industry trainers use for trainee learning and their methods of delivery, focusing on pedagogical practices using literacy and numeracy competencies in implementing training on the work site. It drew on case studies from five vocational education and training sites, looking at the industry,…

The vocational education and training (VET) profession in Australia is confronted with a radical reconstruction, not only in terms of the new work VET professionals are expected to perform but also in terms of the new culture and professional roles that have emerged out of the diversifying sites of professional practice. Reasons for the shift in…

A study described the general and vocational education and training (VET) systems in Korea and Australia, focusing on the role of training providers and industry in the delivery of entry-level vocational education and training in both countries. The study also analyzed the nature of the linkages established between VET institutions in the two…

This publication is part of the study materials for the distance education course, Curriculum and Competencies, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University. It contains 39 papers on the nature, historical development, and delivery of competency-based training (CBT) and on the Australian and international debates surrounding CBT. The following…

Case studies of 16 firms across Australia that employ adult apprentices in the "traditional" trades were conducted to identify innovative ways of getting adults into the trades. The case studies included interviews with the firms' apprentice managers, training providers, and adult apprentices. Although some adult-friendly innovations…

The implementation of training packages (TPs) in Australian workplaces was examined through case studies of the use of TPs in nontraditional trade areas by six innovative registered training organizations (RTOs) across Australia. The study focused on the extent to which new and flexible approaches to learning, training delivery, and assessment…

The impact of the transition to training packages (TPs) on institutionally based training in Australia was examined. Information was gathered from 14 case studies of registered trade organizations (RTOs) delivering qualifications to institutionally based students in TPs in the following areas: administration, beauty therapy, community services,…

The impact of inclusion of literacy and numeracy into Australia's Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training was examined in a case study in New South Wales (NSW). Data were collected through the following activities: interviews with key informants from urban and regional NSW; observations of the delivery of units of competency from the…