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The transition from a post-industrial society to a knowledge-based economy is driving the integration of vocational education and training (VET) and human resource development (HRD), resulting in new systems for lifelong learning. In the perspective of lifelong learning, VET and HRD are no longer separate systems but part of a common developmental approach. This approach supports people in developing their employability and transferability and acknowledges that learning may take place anywhere and can take different forms. The challenge is to develop systems, models and learning arrangements in which VET and HRD are seen as parts of a common frame for lifelong learning. This volume presents perspectives on the policies, dynamics and effects of VET and HRD systems. The introductory chapter is: Emerging research approaches in the European VET and HRD arena / Loek F. M. Nieuwenhuis & Wim J. Nijhof. Section one, 'Analysing systems', contains the following chapters: The VET system between private demands and public interests: the Dutch challenge / Wim J. Nijhof; 101 initiatives but no strategy: policy on lifelong learning in England / Frank Coffield; The learning-oriented company and policy perspectives for VET and HRD / Lorenz Lassnigg; Continuity and change in pathways from education to work / David Raffe. Section two, 'Organising learning processes', contains the following chapters: Competencies in a post-industrial society: the imperative of bringing professions back in by integrating work and learning / Ben Hovels and Paul den Boer; Action-taking orientation of vocational education and training in Germany: a dynamic concept or rhetoric? / Gerald A. Straka; Work-related learning: elaborate, expand and externalise / P. Robert-Jan Simons & Manon C. P. Ruijters; Some hints on the success or failure of self-directed learning at the workplace / Frank Achtenhagen; Innovation and learning in small companies / Loek F. M. Nieuwenhuis. Section three, 'Assessment of output', contains the following chapters: Authentic assessment in vocational examinations: approaches within the German dual system / Klaus Breuer; Assessing institutional effects of colleges: the labour market success of their graduates / Roel J. Bosker, Rolf van der Velden and Peet van de Loo; Vocational education from an economic point of view / Hans Heijke.

Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 71.215 to TD/TNC 71.226. Show less

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It was implemented for the OECD by an international consortium led by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). ACER also conducted the PISA survey within Australia. PISA is a new survey of the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds mainly in industrialised countries. The survey seeks to determine: how well students are prepared for future challenges; which skills they have to help them to adapt to change in their lives, e.g. the ability to analyse, reason and communicate their arguments and ideas to others; whether some ways of organising schools and learning within them are more effective than others; if the quality of school resources has an influence on students' learning; and the extent to which student performance is dependent on their home backgrounds and ways to improve learning opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. PISA assesses the learning domains of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy along with some other areas such as students' familiarity with computers, their learning strategies, and their attitudes towards their schools. The first of a planned three-yearly cycle of assessments was undertaken in 32 countries (28 OECD member countries and four non-member countries that chose to participate) during the year 2000 in randomly selected samples of schools and students. This pamphlet summarises the Australian national report, providing results of student performance and insights into factors that influence the development of their reading, mathematical and scientific skills at home and at school, and discussing the implications of the results for policy development.

The full Australian report is indexed at TD/TNC 69.532 and the international report is indexed at TD/TNC 67.328. Show less

Until recently, the traditional view has been that environmental protection comes at the expense of jobs. Economists and business strategy theorists have argued that environmental regulation is a 'burden' for industry and that its overall employment impact is negative. Recent work has turned this old theory on its head. There is now a growing understanding that it is possible to have strong environmental regulation and employment growth acting in tandem. This view has been put most strongly by Harvard Business School academic, Professor Michael Porter. When medium-term economic development trends are analysed, it is, in fact, becoming more obvious that we can have 'jobs and the environment' or neither. This paper analyses the shortcomings associated with the old theory. It also reviews recent work that examines the potential for 'green jobs' in Western Australia.

Excerpt from published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

The main entry for the Working Visions Conference 2001 is at TD/WA 69.06. Individual presentations from the Conference can be found from TD/WA 69.07 to TD/WA 69.39. Show less

Thurow’s job-competition model implies that overeducation is contingent upon the differing skill endowments of employees. As yet, only rudimentary evidence has been furnished to confirm this relationship. In the present paper, we test the theory in a more sophisticated manner, by means of a more differentiated survey of the skill endowments of workers. Our analyses are based on the German Life History Study (GLHS), in which longitudinal biographical data was gathered for the West German cohorts born in 1964 and 1971 up until the year of the survey (1998). These data are analysed using a trivariate probit model which takes into account the selective acquisition of school qualifications, and the selective choice of vocational training with varying levels of quality.

Our findings confirm that type and grade of school leaving certificate both have a strong effect on the later risk of overeducation. The quality of vocational training chosen only impacts on the overeducation risk when the strong selectivity effects in certain types of schools and types of vocational training are not taken into account. In line with existing literature, we find that the risk of overeducation decreases with increasing traditional skill measures such as experience, tenure, on-the-job-training, and further education. In sum, our results clearly confirm the capacity of the job-competition model to explain the persistence of overeducation in the labour market.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It was implemented for the OECD by an international consortium led by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). ACER also conducted the PISA survey within Australia. PISA is a new survey of the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds mainly in industrialised countries. The survey seeks to determine: how well students are prepared for future challenges; which skills they have to help them to adapt to change in their lives, e.g. the ability to analyse, reason and communicate their arguments and ideas to others; whether some ways of organising schools and learning within them are more effective than others; if the quality of school resources has an influence on students' learning; and the extent to which student performance is dependent on their home backgrounds and ways to improve learning opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. PISA assesses the learning domains of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy along with some other areas such as students' familiarity with computers, their learning strategies, and their attitudes towards their schools. The first of a planned three-yearly cycle of assessments was undertaken in 32 countries (28 OECD member countries and four non-member countries that chose to participate) during the year 2000 in randomly selected samples of schools and students. This Australian national report describes PISA and how it developed, the details of Australia's participation, and the Australian results in both the national and international context. It presents insights into the factors affecting the development of students' reading, mathematical and scientific skills at home and at school and discusses the implications of the results for future policy development. Key information from the international report is incorporated in this report to provide Australian readers with a broad perspective of PISA.

The summary of the full Australian report is indexed at TD/TNC 69.533 and the international report is indexed at TD/TNC 67.328. Show less

The paper examines the validity and efficacy of collaborative learning and facilitation approaches in vocational training. For technical training in particular, the use of teaching methods that value learning process outcomes over the measured achievement of specific knowledge, skills and attitudes is discussed in relation to underpinning theory and to a competence-based environment. Emphasis on process outcomes of personal empowerment and self knowledge/actualisation is suggested to have been inappropriately transplanted from educational traditions which have little in common with the (knowledge) demands of vocational training. The importance of developing the above process outcomes is not questioned, but the confusion between process and product outcomes and the resulting mismatch of educational methods is argued to be counter-productive to learning and to motivation. The paper also examines a range of practical considerations associated with over-use and inappropriate use of collaborative and group learning methods. Issues of valid assessment, student load and time demands, and catering to learning style preferences are seen to be crucial to the achievement of a genuine and widespread commitment to lifelong learning.

Excerpts from printed abstract used with the permission of the copyright holder.

Volume one of these proceedings is indexed at TD/TNC 68.31, volume two is indexed at TD/TNC 68.32 and individual papers may be found from TD/TNC 68.17 to TD/TNC 68.29 and from TD/TNC 68.33 to TD/TNC 68.100 Show less

This article is one of two (the other article is indexed at TD/TNC 65.455) in which the author summarises some of the key findings from a broad program of research led by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) into the development of the apprenticeship and traineeship system in Australia. The National Research and Evaluation Committee (NREC) funded several studies of aspects of the system in support of the program of research. 'Australian apprenticeships: research readings' presents summaries of 11 of these studies and the research contained in the publication is reviewed in this article. The research covered the aspects of system development from early European beginnings through to the present day in Australia, future issues and directions for the system, apprentice and trainee employment in small and medium-sized enterprises, uptake of apprenticeships and traineeships in relation to geographical location, English language and literacy (ELL) skills and learning and workplace performance, on-the-job traineeships, career paths and attrition within apprenticeships in traditional skilled trades, learning and assessment processes, retention, and the quality of learning in workplaces.

This article is part of a special feature on Australian apprenticeships. The articles are indexed from TD/TNC 65.455 to TD/TNC 65.459. Show less

The National Working Group is committed to providing greater opportunities for young Australians, enhancing industry and university recognition of students' achievement, and raising the quality of 'VET in schools' programs. The papers in this volume explore issues and provide information about gaining greater recognition by industry and universities of achievement in vocational education and training (VET) courses within senior secondary certificates. Rather than presenting official policy, the papers contain proposals and information designed to inform Australia's goal of expanding education and training opportunities for youth.

Section one, 'Overview', prepared by the NSW Department of Education and Training in March 2000, provides information about the context and issues associated with expanding opportunities for youth through greater recognition of achievement in 'VET in schools' courses. Section two, 'Discussion paper, ANTA Ministerial Council', prepared by the NSW Department of Education and Training in November 1999, examines the nature and development of VET courses within the senior secondary curriculum and the relationship to university admission. Section three, 'A report on establishing with universities new approaches to recognising achievement in VET courses', prepared by Frank Hambly in June 2000, examines options for university recognition schemes. Section four, 'VET courses within senior secondary certificates in Australian and international settings', prepared by Dennis Bolster in September 2000, provides a comprehensive survey of state and territory activity in VET courses within senior secondary certificates and an examination of the general educational context, vocational education arrangements, and pathways to university in England, Scotland, France and the USA, and an overview of vocational education and its links to tertiary education in a number of European and Scandinavian countries. Section five, 'Assessment and reporting of VET courses within senior secondary certificates', prepared by Patrick Griffin, Shelley Gillis, Jack Keating and Denis Fennessy in January 2001, is a detailed research report on a technical process for assessing 'VET in schools' achievement to meet the demands of industry and universities. Show less

This contribution discusses the theoretical basis and main European initiatives in the area of identification, assessment and recognition of non-formal learning. Over the past few years, most European Union (EU) Member States have emphasised the crucial role of learning that takes place outside of and in addition to formal education and training. This emphasis has been followed by an increasing number of political and practical initiatives, gradually moving the issue from the stage of pure experimentation to early implementation. The task is challenging because developments in a number of settings, at European, national, sectoral and enterprise levels have to be considered. The interplay between these settings has not yet been extensively explored; the challenge is to see whether there is a common core to be extracted from this wide range of initial experience.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

The volume from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 66.507. Volumes two and three are indexed at TD/TNC 66.508 and TD/TNC 66.509. Individual chapters from the three volume set are indexed from TD/TNC 66.510 to TD/TNC 66.540.

The first background report, published in two volumes, is indexed at TD/IRD 88.38 and TD/INT 58.286. Show less

This chapter contributes to a discussion of the shaping of learning processes in vocational education and training (VET) and human resource development (HRD) in the knowledge-based economy. The author suggests that 'megatrends' pose new challenges for production and business processes and also demand effective modes of vocation-oriented lifelong learning. He presents a methodology developed by Noss (2000) to assess self-directed learning at the workplace. Empirical evidence is provided to support the conclusion that learning at the workplace depends more upon situational conditions than upon systemic conditions. The research concentrated on the banking sector and the central research question was whether opportunities for the promotion of self-directed learning at the workplace can be found within a bank apprenticeship. A multidimensional approach was used to analyse features of working and learning at the workplace. Selected empirical findings are reported that can be used as hints on the success or failure of self-directed learning at the workplace.

The volume from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 71.214. Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 71.215 to TD/TNC 71.226. Show less