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The author argues that competency-based education and training is a tool of administrative reform with complex and contradictory effects. It is important in today’s policy climate not because it will improve learning or make individuals more competent to act, but because it provides an infrastructure for making teachers and administrators more accountable to a policy process. Through competency measures, education and training objectives are set and program delivery is organised according to principles of ‘efficiency’, ‘effectiveness’ and ‘responsiveness’ to the needs of industry. Broad public purposes and the social vision of education and training institutions are replaced with the logic of the market and the social relations of private wealth creation. Thus it brings a profound and fundamental shift in where, how and in whose interests institutions of education and training are controlled and managed. Show less

This paper argues for a radical re-think of the way to approach 14-19 curriculum and assessment. The comparability framework has obscured and undermined the essential purposes of assessment, and constrained exam boards' ability to develop meaningful assessments for young people that meet both their own and the nuanced requirements of further/higher education and employers. The UK government's programme aims to challenge low expectations and make assessment more demanding, but its increasingly top-down, one-size-fits-all approach looks likely to discourage participation, and reduce the scope for young people to explore and demonstrate their aptitude for subjects beyond the core. To develop the skills Britain needs to succeed, there must be greater scope for innovation and diversity than the present proposals allow. A competitive market for qualifications is crucial.

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The article considers the introduction of Training Packages. The author raises concerns about the future of curriculum in the light of the changes being brought about by the introduction of Training Packages. Show less

This document aims to provide a record of the elements of training reform, in the context of the recent initiatives taken by Commonwealth and State Ministers for vocational education and training to improve Australia's training system in order to improve economic prospects and competitiveness. The National Training Reform Agenda (NTRA) is defined and components identified: competency based training; competency standards; recognition of training; curriculum, delivery and assessment; entry level training; training market; funding training; and access and equity. Attachments are: (1) acronyms and committees; (2) Commonwealth policy; (3) national policy; (4) mandated policy; (5) key events and documents in the National Training Reform process; (6) management structures; and (7) comparison between National Training Board first and second edition policies. It is suggested that the NTRA is developing into a workable system but that there are concerns that components are falling short of goals and are not fully meeting the needs of clients. Show less

This report was developed in the context of many changes in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system. Focusing on cooperation with the business sector in vocational education and training (VET), the report reflects the following key findings: (1) Numerous guiding documents on the implementation of the VET Law were issued yet the implementation process of policies on cooperation with the business sector still encounters many difficulties; (2) The labour market had a strong effect on the TVET system; (3) The network of TVET institutes was considerably expanded, which means a need for the network restructure to ensure efficient operations of TVET institutes; (4) Admissions to TVET institutes increased in 2016 compared with 2015 but the number of admissions had not reached the planned target - TVET graduation and job placement achieved over 70 per cent; (5) The number of TVET teachers increased because of the unification of the TVET system, the qualification of the teachers was improved, yet teachers' occupational skills, computer skills and foreign language competencies were still limited; (6) There was still a limitation in the development of National Occupational Skill Standards (NOSS) and examinations and assessments of National Occupational Skills (NOS); (7) VET quality accreditation was inactive due to a lack of legal guidance for implementation; (8) Though financing VET has become a matter of concern, financial resources allocated to TVET institutes remain limited in practice; and (9) Cooperation with the business sector in vocational education and training was challenging for various reasons, however several pilot models of cooperative training have achieved certain successes.

Besides the foreword and key findings, the report consists of the following nine chapters: (1) Overview of vocational and education training policies; (2) Vocational education and training for the labour market; (3) Network of TVET institutes; (4) TVET admissions and graduations; (5) TVET teachers and management staff; (6) National occupational skills standards, assessment and certification of national occupational skills; (7) Accreditation and quality assurance; (8) Financing vocational education and training; and (9) Cooperation with enterprises in vocational education and training.

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The enactment of the Framework Act on Qualifications in 1997, increased the diversity of the qualification system in Korea by allowing more private sector participation in the administration of qualifications. This stimulated competition between and among national and private qualifications and led to the overall improvement of the system. This booklet describes the current qualifications system in Korea and outlines how national and private qualifications operate in practice. It concludes with recommendations for the further improvement of the system. The contents are: Institutional framework; National qualifications; Private qualifications; Future prospects. Show less

This paper is one of a series of studies that were commissioned for the National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE). The volume of papers is indexed at TD/IRD 88.197. This paper discusses four recent reform efforts and assesses the current implementation of these reforms. Two of these reforms encompass the testing and accountability strategies of national goals, and of teacher education and certification. The second two relate to the restructuring of schools and include the areas of school choice and site-based management. The authors have used NAVE data collected during 1992 to analyse the degree of action taken by states and districts in each of the reform areas. Show less

This inquiry was established on 7 August 2023 to inquire into and report on the pressures on heavy vehicle drivers and the impact of these pressures on driver practice and observance of regulatory obligations in New South Wales (NSW). The terms of reference include: (a) the characteristics of the heavy vehicle industry that shape driver practice; (b) the current and future extent, nature and impact of pressures on driver practice and observance of regulatory obligations by heavy vehicle drivers; (c) the impact, effectiveness and enforcement of current mechanisms to address current and future pressures and their impacts on heavy vehicle drivers; (d) the capability for new and emerging technologies to assist in reducing pressures for heavy vehicle drivers and effect driver practice and observance of regulatory obligations, such as through training, implementing safety measures and fatigue management; and (e) any other matters.

The findings are: (1) That inadequate basic training of drivers in the measurement of height and load of heavy vehicles and how to secure loads is contributing to over-height vehicle incidents; and (2) That, in considering all the evidence, there is a need for increased regulation of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and standardised testing and assessment of new heavy vehicle drivers to ensure greater consistency of training standards and quality among providers. This report recommends that the NSW Government endorse the introduction of competency-based driver training programs for new heavy vehicle drivers and ensure drivers issued with a heavy vehicle licence have the skill sets and experience needed to drive, and manage, a heavy vehicle. The committee also recommends that the NSW Government work with transport and freight industry stakeholders to design, develop and implement a cadetship, or apprenticeship, pathway program that allows, or encourages, people to access the workforce as a heavy vehicle driver. The NSW Government response was tabled 16 May 2024.

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The theme of this year's workshop was 'Beyond new normal, towards the transition: TVET for resilience'. We are at an inflection point of new transitions, such as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, climate change, and the 4th Industrial Revolution. We call it the 'Great Transition'. To respond to the Great Transition, building a diversified international cooperation network and developing the power of individuals and society is essential. The workshop enabled attendees to discuss vocational education and training innovation, solutions to the mismatch between the labor market and individual capability, measures to revitalize lifelong education, and green technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to develop the ability to respond flexibly to the age of the Great Transition.

This report includes the following papers: (1) Recent trends in the development of vocational education and training in the context of sustainable development and scenarios for cooperation among the members of the UNEVOC Network: with special attention to the involvement of the business sector / Harry Stolte; (2) The institutional changes on digital reform for the quality TVET / Wu Jianxiao, Kangchunxiao and Huang Chunlin; (3) The use of innovative technologies in TVET / Paryono Paryono and Hartini Mashod; (4) Can skills framework bridge TVET to frontier competencies? / Anderson Tan and Goh Hin Lan; and (5) Linkage of school education and TVET sector using vocational classroom / Rangsan Thepmondhri.

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Appropriately educated and skilled human resources (HR) are a real asset for a country and can be instrumental in accruing several other assets such as a sound, sustained economy; social development and cohesion; international leadership and suchlike. What can be considered ‘appropriate’ education and training is a question constantly at the centre of local and global debates and discussions. It is also a dynamic phenomenon as what is suitable and desirable today may not be appropriate tomorrow. For example, earlier, education and training prepared a person for a lifetime’s career but now the trend is towards frequent and multiple career changes, part-time and casual work. To remain relevant and meaningful, the process of education has to undergo various transitions, reforms and adaptations even more frequently in the current context. The fast pace of development is even driving ‘established’ set-ups to continuous review and reforms. Regarding technical and vocational education and training (TVET), throughout the world, countries are constantly trying to adapt to a new economic and social order. No country today can prosper in isolation. All are part of a global landscape. The changes, challenges and growth of one affect the other. The latest example is the crisis in Greece. The entire European Union is working to pull the country out of it. Another example is the reported global shortage of skills (HR) in the future while Asia is being seen as a potential hub for the development of competent and competitive HR. At the same time if the much talked about demographic dividend of this region is not suitably cashed, it would be a global disaster. Thus, ‘growing together’ is the key to global peace and prosperity wherein internal, regional and international cooperation is going to play a determinant role. These collaborations must address the issues of skill requirements, international benchmarking of skill standards and competency assessment, comparability of qualifications and suchlike. Moreover, it is essential that such initiatives rise above the paperwork and declarations become functional, responsive and effective.

The paper discusses in detail the Indian experience and experiments with internal cooperation and various international collaborations. Regional prospects are also identified.

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