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…

This paper examines the determinants of job-related training and workplace voice. Using data from a unique 2016 cross-national survey of Australian, British, Canadian and American employees, the paper contrasts two classic formulations in the literature; (1) the neoclassical/human capital approach which predicts that individual characteristics…

There is general consensus that vocational education and training (VET) faces a number of workforce problems, including the ageing of VET teachers, the high level of casualisation, the need to increase the capacity of trainers, and the maintenance of industry currency. These issues, along with the need for the VET sector to respond to critical…

There is a lack of distinction and definition around how the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia might effectively recruit and retain suitably qualified teachers, trainers and assessors. The logic is clear: in order to enable and develop an immediate pool of competent and qualified workers for new and developing industries,…

Drawing on 18 months of fieldwork, this article discusses the use of physical, virtual and social space to support collaborative work in translator education programs. The study adopted a contrastive ethnography approach that incorporated single- and multiple-case design rationales for site selection. Extended observation, informal chats and…

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate barriers to employee participation in voluntary formal training and development opportunities from the perspective of employees in small engineering businesses. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory qualitative methodology involving data collection via site visits and in-depth semi-structured…

This paper draws on the experience of one of the authors, an ethnographic researcher who, in the course of her investigation into the everyday work and communication cultures of Australian public transport officers, spent 12 weeks undergoing training as a rail transit officer before spending four months on the job where she was rostered on duty…

Small businesses account for the great majority of businesses and half the private sector employment in Australia, but only one third provide structured training for their employees. This study, a systematic review of existing research, set out to find clear evidence of intervention strategies that meet small business needs in relation to the…

A 2006 study of apprentices commencing with a Group Training Organisation in an Australian regional centre identified factors that appear to support apprentices in their first year. The research demonstrates that school subject selection and access to work-related experiences while still at school make an important difference to completion of the…

Analysis of Australian and U.S. data suggests key features likely to characterize high-performance workplaces: adoption of global best practices, leveraging of knowledge as a competitive tool, emphasis on translating workers' tacit knowledge for use, need for functional and numerical flexibility of the labor force, and a shift from labor relations…

On May 5, 2006, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in Australia announced the launch of "Research Messages, 2005"--a collection of summaries on all research projects published or completed by NCVER in 2005. The summaries are clustered under five broad themes used by NCVER to organise all of its vocational…

Profound changes are occurring in technology, work, and work organization with equally profound implications for the future role of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. The changes have the following six interrelated elements that tend to affect one another. (1) globalization is creating a more internationalized economy and…

All employees are influenced by career management actions at each step of their career. The responsibility for career planning rests with the individual, whereas the responsibility for career development support should be the employer's: career management is a shared decision. Career planning training helps employees to analyze their interests and…

A major weakness in the funding base for skill development in Australia arises from a declining investment in training by key stakeholders--employers. Australia is spending less on training and creating fewer high skill jobs than comparable countries and forcing individuals to take greater financial responsibility for their own development. Forces…

The factors influencing active learning in small enterprises were examined. Data from earlier Australian studies were examined in an attempt to provide a framework that might inform the relationship between educational systems and small enterprises. Special attention was paid to a 1988 study of systematic differences between small businesses that…