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This project set out to conduct research around the non-technical capabilities needed by secondary school graduates to successfully participate in work or further study. There are many terms used to describe non-technical capabilities, such as general capabilities, generic skills or competencies, employability skills, core skills etc. However, for the purposes of this research the term 'non-technical capabilities' has been used and includes both literacy and numeracy skills and other generic skills, knowledge and understandings that are covered by the following four national frameworks: (1) the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF); (2) the Core Skills for Work Developmental Framework (CSfW); (3) the General Capabilities from the Australian national curriculum; and (4) the Australian Blueprint for Career Development (ABCD).

The project examined which capabilities are most appropriately developed in a school setting, as well as what might be realistically done in schools to develop, assess and/or recognise these capabilities and how employers can support and/or add to this. It also examined what secondary schools are currently doing to support students to develop these capabilities and identified where processes are already in place to assess and/or recognise them.

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This report reviews driving simulators for driver training and assessment, with a focus on novice drivers. The report initially considers the practicalities and issues relating to the use of driving simulators, then considers the role and effectiveness of simulators for novice driver training and novice driver assessment, followed by a case study of an ongoing study investigating simulator based novice driver training. Finally, an overall conclusion is presented.

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This project has been undertaken in response to issues which have arisen with the introduction of the National Training Reform Agenda. The National Training Reform Agenda, amongst other things, indicates a commitment to training and assessment in accordance with the principles of competency based training and assessment. In addition to this, the principle of reasonable adjustment with respect to the employment and training needs of people with disabilities has long been accepted as appropriate and necessary to assist this group of people to make the most of their abilities and give them a 'fair go' in competing for jobs, or undertaking training courses. There was concern within the [then] Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) that consideration had not been given to how the principles of reasonable adjustment for people with disabilities might be applied to the newly introduced competency assessment mechanisms. This project, undertaken by the Disabilities Unit of the New South Wales TAFE Commission, addresses this issue. This project looks at existing and proposed competency assessment mechanisms, as a basis for the study. It then goes on to identify barriers to fair assessment outcomes for people with a disability and measures to remove these barriers. Finally, the study identifies principles of best practice and sets out practical guidelines for reasonable adjustment in assessment. The study should provide practical ideas for the application of reasonable adjustment to competency based assessment and hopefully, stimulate discussion in the training and disability fields on how these principles can be further developed. The project team identified a key question in the study, to which the answer seems clear. How do we make sure that the assessment process, whether in vocational training or in the workplace, accurately reflects the competencies or potential competencies of each person with a disability being assessed, and does not impose an artificial barrier to employment or career advancement? By providing everyone concerned in vocational and workplace assessment with up-to-date guidelines on the use of reasonable adjustment measures, and ensuring that these guidelines are followed whenever required.

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A study conducted by the Group Training Association of Victoria (GTAVic) into the information required by employers from vocational and education and training (VET) students reports on results when recruiting applicants. GTAVic conducted a survey of employers across a range of industries. The key messages from the report include: (1) employers' information needs from certification and student results are pragmatic; they scan certification and results reporting to see the highest level of schooling achieved, whether any subjects or units are relevant to the job and if there have been any practical elements to the learning, for example, a work placement; (2) information in VET certificates and related student reporting is only one element, and often a minor one, in a comprehensive range of the information needed by employers; and (3) overwhelmingly, the employers responding to this survey confirm that certification is not accepted as a stand alone indicator of a candidate's ability. It is regarded as a signal of the potential for further learning and skill development, but not usually as a signal of immediate competence. Show less

This paper looks at a range of possible approaches to competency assessment in the professions. Wider issues associated with competency-based assessment, and the advantages and disadvantages of various assessment approaches are discussed. The chapters are: Overview; Conceptualising occupational competence: implications for assessment; Setting standards: implications for assessment; Choosing methods of assessment; Maintaining an assessment system.

A companion paper, ‘Establishing competency-based standards in the professions’ is indexed at TD/TNC 87.1474. Show less

This project addresses the nationally recognized need to develop and deliver a robust package of work-based assessment (WBA) tools for health professional students in diverse clinical settings as a means of testing their teamwork competencies and interprofessional collaboration in the workplace. Teamwork competencies are included as both graduate attributes in general and in healthcare curricula in particular but are rarely assessed. The authors provide an assessment framework that not only assesses students individually as team members but also considers a team as a single entity with a view to enhancing team performance. This partnership of one Canadian and four Australian universities reviews and evaluates existing WBA tools for teamwork across the health professions and develops a framework and instruments for formative assessment - including the iTOFT (individual teamwork observation and feedback tool) - that are valid, reliable, feasible and suitable for the provision of timely and constructive feedback to students. The authors will pilot the instruments at multiple sites and evaluate their educational impact over the project's three years. Show less

Consistent with the Government's commitment to its National Training Reform Agenda is the recognition of the need for the development and application of skills and knowledge that form a sound basis for a more flexible and productive workforce. At the same time, the development and use of skills enhance an individual's career opportunities. Competency based training is being introduced in the Australian Public Service as the principal mechanism for achieving these objectives. The Joint APS Training Council (JAPSTC) was established in 1990 to advise on Structural Efficiency Principle (SEP) related training issues. A joint advisory body, it comprises management and union representatives with additional representation from the education sector. It is particularly concerned with the development of core competencies and related training standards. The draft competencies provided in this folder are the first step in the introduction of CBT to the APS. Much work still needs to be done, particularly in the areas of curricula and assessment, but in the meantime they will form a basis for develping specific training and development in agencies, and will provide a useful guide to planning, structuring and reviewing training activities. 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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Ipsos MORI was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to carry out research on the effects of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) on schools, parents/carers and pupils. The EBacc was introduced as a measure in the 2010 school performance tables. The EBacc is not a qualification in itself, but it is the term applied to the achievement of GCSEs at grades 'A*'-'C' across a core of academic subjects: English, maths, history or geography, the sciences and a language. The research included both a survey and qualitative research. We surveyed 618 teachers with some involvement in Year 9 GCSE subject choices, drawn from a representative sample of English secondary schools.

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