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The Rediscovering Mechanics' Institutes Conference 2000 was an important milestone in the renaissance of mechanics' institutes in Victoria. In the two years since the first conference 'The Way Forward' held in Kilmore, the mechanics' institutes movement in Victoria has grown rapidly and successfully. The Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria Inc. has become the recognised peak industry body representing operating institutes throughout the State.

Edited excerpt from publication.

The included papers are: British origins of mechanics' institutes / Alex Tyrell; A pioneering mechanics' institute: foundation of the Edinburgh School of Arts / Patrick N. O'Farrell; Australian mechanics' institutes / Philip Candy; Useful knowledge and lifelong learning / Stuart Dawson; The Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts and the formal establishment of technical education in NSW / Roger Morris; Mechanics' institutes and Schools of Mines in Australia / Adrian Haas; Dancing by moonlight and all sorts of fun: an illustrated celebration of South Australia's institutes / Michael Talbot; By the people for the people: the role of mechanics' institutes in local civics from colonialism to federation / Brian Galligan and Winsome Roberts; The management of libraries in Ballarat between 1851-1900 / Peter Mansfield; Hidden treasure: the library in the Briagolong Mechanics' Institute / Linda Barraclough; Kyneton Mechanics' Institute, The A. N. A. and Federation / Pat Sanders and Len Peeler; Mechanics' institutes in South Gippsland / John Murphy; The rise and demise of the mechanics' institutes in Port Melbourne, South Melbourne and St Kilda / Kay Rowan; Victoria's mechanics' institutes Community Partnerships Program / Graham Dudley; North American mechanics' institutes / Cathy Milward-Bason. Show less

This article examines the introduction of the vocational education and training in schools (VET in schools) program by the Victorian Department of Education in Australia. The program integrates vocational education and training (VET) into the senior secondary curriculum and represents an attempt to remove the strong barrier between vocational and general education. This innovative program locates accredited VET content and accompanying credentials within the leaving certificate rather than as 'add-on' programs. The article also reports on research into the destinations of 1997 graduates from this innovative program. The author describes the program and some initial findings which support the suggestion that the program has been successful in the integration of general and vocational studies at the upper secondary level. Show less

This information booklet attempts to answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Government Funded Training Program in Victoria. It includes information on the 2000 Apprenticeship/Traineeship Training Program and the New Apprenticeship Training Program. It also provides information on the location of New Apprenticeship Centres and the current fees and charges policy. Show less

This report is the result of research into the extent of literacy deficits amongst job seekers in Victoria undertaking job search training (JST) programs as part of Centrelink's mutual obligation requirement. The research found that as many as one in five job seekers had significant literacy deficits, suggesting that the Job Seeker Classification Instrument (JSCI) used to categorise job seekers was not proving effective in locating job seekers in need of literacy intervention. Another major problem identified by the research was the lack of dedicated referral pathways between Job Network providers and literacy programs; in addition, the research highlighted the importance of JST programs in developing the trust and confidence of job seekers with literacy deficits and persuading them to consider further training. Show less

This short article highlights online learning at William Angliss Institute of TAFE in Victoria. The Cyber Centre contains a number of Y-plan computer workstations enabling students, either in groups or on their own, to participate in both formal and informal study online. The Cyber School exists only online and its courses are delivered through the TAFE Virtual Campus. Examples of flexible training delivery are used to illustrate its advantages, particularly for those disadvantaged by distance from educational institutions. Show less

The research for this report began with a focus on a target group of 'at risk' 16 and 17 year olds who were not in education, training or employment. The initial aim of the project was to test 'anecdotal' evidence about what these young people were doing and how they were supporting themselves. The intention was that, through improved knowledge of the views, activities and aspirations of these young people, improved provision could be made for them in the areas of education and training. Those young people, who had not returned to school, training or employment as a result of the changes to the Youth Allowance conditions, were of particular interest to this research. The initial research on questions such as what were they doing, what financial and other support were they receiving and why were young people not taking up educational and training options were the perspectives for the research. However, the establishment of the Ministerial Review of Post Compulsory Education and Training Pathways in Victoria in 2000 initiated a broader interest. In particular, the target group for the research widened to include some designated 'at risk' young people (outside the school system)who are receiving the Youth Allowance, and also extended the target age range to include 14 to 18 year olds. Show less

This report is the fifth edition of Access for Adults. It utilises the 1999 Victorian adult student statistical data collected by the Office of Post Compulsory Education, Training and Employment (PETE), the Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board and Regional Councils of ACFE, combined with demographic data from the 1996 ABS Census. This report has been compiled to give an overview of the participation in further education and adult community education across Victoria. It has been designed to assist providers, Regional Councils of ACFE, the State Training Board and the ACFE Board in their planning to meet local needs. It will also enable comparisons of participation patterns across Victorian Local Government Areas (LGAs) and ACFE Regions. Show less

This report investigates the effects of unemployment and underemployment amongst people aged 45 years and over in Australia. The research involved a case study of the personal experiences of a group of older job seekers in Melbourne's East. The first part of the report provides an overview of issues including the nature of unemployment amongst older people, national age projections, age discrimination in recruitment, retraining and retrenchment, and the personal consequences of unemployment. The second part of the report reviews the methodology and findings of the research. Key findings are discussed in relation to: participants' profiles; labour force history and job search activities; barriers to employment; experiences of government and private employment services; how participants rated their chances of finding work; how services could be improved; effects on mental and physical health; the impact on finances; effects on relationships; and social withdrawal. The report argues that Australia as a society cannot afford the ongoing displacement of older workers from the labour market, both economically or socially. A number of recommendations are made to promote the recognition of the growing proportion of older workers in the labour force, to adapt employment practices to take advantage of this resource, and to ensure that individuals are able to strategically place themselves in a dynamic employment market and sustain themselves into retirement. Show less

In 1998 the Office of Training and Further Education established 10 Learning Networks. These networks were established across metropolitan and regional Victoria, bringing together a mix of TAFE institutes, community providers and industry/enterprise partners. The objectives of the trial were: (1) to trial immediate options for increasing the Victorian State Training Service's capacity to provide responsive quality training through flexible delivery arrangements using online technologies; (2) to facilitate the implementation of training reform policy objectives such as user choice and lifelong learning; (3) to provide a gateway to TAFE delivery from a variety of providers; and (4) to demonstrate long-term viability of Learning Networks in the State Training Service. This report presents a series of findings and recommendations that will lead to improvement in the responsiveness of training through flexible delivery arrangements in Victoria. Show less

In 1999 the Adult, Community and Further Education Board (Victoria) launched the first further education conceptual framework produced in Australia under the title 'Transforming lives transforming communities'. The transformation of lives through learning occurs both within the adult community education sector and within the wider training system. That adult education in the community can transform lives and transform communities may have appeared to the uninitiated to be a bold claim. The ten community portraits contained in this publication leave no doubt that the Adult Community Education (ACE) sector in Victoria does just that, unobtrusively, routinely and consistently. The ten portraits in this book show how locally owned adult education turns everyday learning into social and economic wellbeing. Taken alone, each portrait gives us a particular insight into the daily transformation of adults and their local communities. Put together, the group portrait shows how strongly ACE is growing the community asset we call social capital. Show less