Partner organisationsUnderpinned by a network of leading researchers, this consortium is led by three VET Research Centres: - CREEW (Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work), University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001
- CURVE (Centre Undertaking Research in Vocational Education), Canberra Institute of Technology, PO Box 826, Canberra, ACT 2601
- OVAL (Australian Centre for Organisational, Vocational and Adult Learning), University of Technology, Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007
CREEW (Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work)CREEW began in 1994, and has been a recognised research centre within the University of South Australia since 1998. The Centre has excellent infrastructural support with dedicated physical facilities, electronic communication systems and access to a range of academic and general staff. Its website at http://www.unisa.edu.au/creew/ lists previous projects undertaken which provide a background for the work of this Consortium based on the established field networks and successful record in VET research developed by CREEW over time. Key areas of VET research have included professional development, changing work of VET practitioners, innovative approaches through Training Packages, private providers, learning styles, on- and off-job sites as learning environments, and learning organisations. Members of CREEW have won many VET national managed research and evaluation projects, ARC and government grants, published widely and presented regularly at conferences. CURVE (Centre Undertaking Research in Vocational Education)CURVE was established at Canberra Institute of Technology in 1999. Members of the CURVE team, in addition to having well-developed research skills, have direct and significant teaching experience in VET and a thorough understanding of the influences and issues impacting upon training providers, teachers, learners and policymakers across the VET sector. With a strong focus on practice and practitioners, CURVE is a nationally recognised as a leader in the key areas of teaching, learning and assessment research. CURVE researchers, often in collaboration with others, have successfully obtained funding from the national managed VET research and evaluation program, ANTA, DEST and the ACT Government. Visit the CURVE website http://www.cit.act.edu.au/curve/ OVAL (Australian Centre for Organisational, Vocational and Adult Learning)OVAL is a well-established and internationally-recognised research centre. It is a highly experienced research organisation that has completed many projects and has a reputation for consistent high-quality and relevant research outcomes (e.g. OVAL’s work for the ‘High-Level Review of Training Packages’ is one of the most widely-read and most frequently cited publications of recent years. Of particular relevance to this proposal is OVAL’s track record of collaborative research with VET practitioners from public, community, private and enterprise providers. The centre has always sought to engage with practitioners as partners in its research programs and sees itself as an ongoing agent of change and growth within the VET system. To sustain its research activities, OVAL is supported by well-established project management, financial management and ethical practice systems that ensure the production of quality research and accessible reports that further the capability of the Australian VET system. Visit the OVAL website http://www.oval.uts.edu.au/
The programThis research consortium, Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future, has been formed as part of a national program of VET research funded by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) and managed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). It is conducting a series of research projects and other activities over the next two years, completing its work in December 2006. It involves The Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work (CREEW) based at the University of South Australia, the Centre Undertaking Research in Vocational Education (CURVE) based at the Canberra Institute of Technology and the Australian Centre for Organisational, Vocational and Adult Learning (OVAL) based at the University of Technology Sydney. The consortium also draws on the expertise of range of other researchers, including a number who are based in VET providers. Its research focuses on VET workforce and organisational capability issues. Its program starts with a series of meetings and workshops in a range of states and territories to guide and focus the research. There are a number of other principal research activities covering issues such as career pathways for VET provider staff, teaching and learning, organisational cultures and structures, workforce development and learning through work, human resource development and leadership. The program culminates in a series of dissemination forums just before it is finalised. There will be a particular focus on dissemination and actively engaging stakeholders throughout the program. PurposeThe purpose of this research program is to support the building of RTOs for the future. It aims to: - develop a clearer understanding of the dynamics of the changing VET workplace and the capacity of RTOs to respond to the increasingly complex and changing demands of clients
- critically analyse key management, leadership, human resources and industrial relations practices and their applicability for VET providers
- investigate cutting edge practices in VET that support increased quality, agility and responsiveness
- examine the inter-relationships between the development of people, practices and cultures and their impact on the capability of RTOs
- generate a diverse range of products and services that can be both disseminated widely and used to conduct workforce development workshops at the local level in order to promote individual and organisational capability.
Research outcomesThe outcomes of the research program will be: - A life-cycle perspective on the development of career pathways for VET practitioners and the implications these pathways might hold for labour supply, skills development and succession planning in the sector
- A critical review and evaluation of HR/IR practices that are most relevant to the VET sector and its current and future operating environment
- A clear picture of the ways in which individual and organisational capacity building are related (and unrelated) and the impact this relationship has on the capacity of VET organisations to respond to emerging changes in their operating environments
- Identification and analysis of the types of leadership most relevant to contemporary VET organisations and ways in which this leadership might be fostered and developed over time
- A clear description of the ways in which organisational cultures and structures shape what is possible in terms of individual and organisational development and capacity building
- A strategy for increasing the quality and quantum of professional learning undertaken by VET staff
- A strategy for analysing and responding to emerging critical issues in the work of VET staff with a particular focus on teaching, training, learning and assessment
- Clear descriptions of cutting edge innovations for developing VET staff, leading VET organisations and building organisational capabilities and cultures to support broader VET system goals.
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