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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.

Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website. Show less

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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Multiple measures assessment (MMA) has gained considerable momentum over the past decade as an alternative to traditional test-based procedures for placing incoming students into developmental or college-level coursework in math and English at broad-access colleges. Compared to standardized tests, which measure student performance at a single point in time, MMA (which often emphasizes high school [grade point average] GPA as a measure) provides a more holistic picture of students' academic preparation. Despite positive impacts on student outcomes that have been found by recent research on MMA, questions remain about whether the positive effects of MMA are sustained over time. This study - a follow-up to prior research using the same sample of students - employs a randomized controlled trial to investigate whether algorithmic MMA placement used at seven State University of New York (SUNY) community colleges led to better student outcomes, for up to four and a half years after randomization, than a system based on test scores alone.

Nearly 13,000 incoming students who arrived at the seven colleges in fall 2016, spring 2017, and fall 2017 took placement tests and were randomly assigned to be placed using either the status quo method (business-as-usual group) or the alternative, algorithmic MMA method (program group). Using this sample, we estimate the overall treatment effects on placement into, enrollment in, and completion of college-level math and English as well as effects on other outcomes. We conduct similar analyses on race/ethnicity, Pell recipient status, and gender subgroups. We also descriptively examine the proportion of program group students who were bumped up (i.e., their placement changed from a developmental course placement to a college-level course placement) and bumped down (i.e., their placement changed from a college-level course placement to a developmental course placement) by the MMA algorithm, and we perform a cost-effectiveness analysis.

We find that the MMA method used at the colleges improved access to and success in college-level courses and that lower cut scores in English rather than math are associated with larger and longer lasting impacts on completion of college-level coursework. While MMA improved outcomes among student subgroups, it had little to no impact on gaps in outcomes between subgroups. We also find that bumped-up students had substantially better outcomes in both math and English, while bumped-down students had substantially worse outcomes. Our results suggest that increased access to college-level courses is the driving factor in the positive outcomes experienced by program group students and that placement into standalone developmental courses can have detrimental effects on student outcomes. In the discussion of the study's results, we make recommendations for adopting MMA at colleges. Implemented together with other initiatives to support students, MMA can be a first step on the path to success for incoming students.

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This article discusses the impact of the knowledge-based economy and how it compels everyone to become a lifelong learner. This means that the process of preparing for and exploring new careers is no longer solely the domain of those new to the work force, and educational institutions need to consider how they can broaden their focus in order to attract and support this new type of client. The article explains the concept of competency asset management (CAM) and demonstrates how education institutions can contribute to the overall process of competency asset management. Show less

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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This article discusses the influence of the Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) on the development of civic capacity in distressed rural communities. RCCI was a demonstration project funded by the Ford Foundation to explore the way that rural community colleges can act as catalysts for economic and educational opportunity in persistently poor regions. Among other factors, a qualitative assessment of the project conducted by the American Association of Community Colleges concluded that, although economic and educational progress was hard to measure, there was clear evidence of increased energy for community development. RCCI was distinctive from other community-based initiatives in that it included a nationwide network of institutions and used third-part intervention to facilitate the development of collaboration between college and community rather than relying on the resources of the college alone. Examples from Appalachian colleges participating in the initiative illustrate that this process of intervention and networking resulted in increased confidence in civic involvement by both college staff and community members.

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This article will present findings from a doctoral study exploring the impact of 'SVQ Care: Promoting Independence (level III)' within children's homes. The study focuses on the extent to which SVQs [Scottish Vocational Qualifications] enhance practice and their function within a 'learning society'. A total of 30 staff were selected from seven children's homes in two different local authority social work departments in Scotland. Each member of staff was interviewed on four separate occasions over a period of 9 months. Interviews were structured using a combination of repertory grids and questions. Particular focus was given to the assessment process, the extent to which SVQs enhance practice and the learning experiences of staff. The findings suggest that there are considerable deficiencies both in terms of the SVQ format and the way in which children's homes are structured for the assessment of competence. Rather than address the history of failure within residential care, it appears that SVQs have enabled the status quo to be maintained whilst creating an 'illusion' of change within a learning society.

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This is a collection of articles on issues associated with the assessment of students in a vocational education and training environment. The authors are all teachers at the Canberra Institute of Technology who have undertaken small research projects on assessment. In each of the fifteen papers in this volume, teachers identify their particular assessment focus and relate how they have worked through the processes to present improved and/or innovative strategies for assessing student performance.

Titles in this publication are: Competency based assessment in Design Studies: some reflections; Implementation of external assessment panels for graded competency based assessment; Making the grade; Retesting in four competency based courses in the Canberra Institute of Technology; Managing reassessment: a centre approach; Texts and tasks: investigating reading comprehension skills in ESL; How do you know if they've understood: the assessment of problems experienced by teachers of NESB students in a mainstream program; Assessment strategies when you have NESB students in your class; The language of assessment: an investigation into the linguistic appropriateness of assessment tools used in a range of modules in CIT in 1994; Assessment policy and practices in the Child Care Department; Fairness in assessment: quality information for students; Integrating communication modules in a computing course; Assessment of the teamwork skills of learners; Enhancing assessment approaches for flexible delivery; Recognition of prior learning as assessment practice.

Papers are also listed individually in this database from TD/ACT 42.41 to TD/ACT 42.46, and from TD/ACT 48.04 to TD/ACT 48.11 and at TD/ACT 43.01. Show less

This document illustrates and promotes principles of good practice for work-based learning programs, using case studies from TAFE NSW and their industry partners. The case studies were selected to illustrate the range of work-based learning activities that are possible. It aims to provide curriculum designers and deliverers with ideas and contacts to help them engage effectively in work-based learning activities. Section 1 reflects successful strategies used by course designers and deliverers in TAFE NSW to facilitate the effective implementation of work-based learning arrangements. Section 2 profiles a selection of TAFE NSW and industry programs with aspects of development and implementation highlighted for each case study. There is also an appendix which provides a brief summary of the case studies.

This publication is part of the 'Managing Teaching and Learning in the Workplace - Practical Strategies' resource kit. Related publications are indexed from TD/TNC 61.67 to TD/TNC 61.69. Show less

Under the current arrangements, individuals in the building and construction industry can be assessed to gain recognition of competencies achieved in two different ways: by completing a structured training course with a training provider and by gaining recognition of competencies achieved through work experience and/or workplace training. However, there is no mutual recognition of the outcomes of the two systems. The model proposed here is designed to integrate the two systems leading to a vocational qualification under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Show less