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Media Release

February 14, 2005

UniSA to lead Consortium on Vocational Education and Training research

The University of South Australia is the lead institution in winning national competitive research funding of $600,000 to research professional development practices and models for Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers aimed at building the capability of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) for the future.

This research forms part of the national program of VET research, which is funded by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) and managed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).

The research involves a consortium led by VET research centres in two universities and a TAFE institute, which includes a powerful team of 16 respected Australian VET researchers capable of adding value through fresh perspectives that will ensure the future benefit of the sector.

Professor Roger Harris from UniSA’s Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work is the Consortium Director, with co-directors Associate Professor Clive Chappell from the University of Technology Sydney and Ms Berwyn Clayton from the Canberra Institute of Technology.

UniSA researchers Dr Michele Simons and Associate Professor Chris Provis are also named in the VET consortium.

“It is a new way of funding VET research that is similar to the cooperative research centre (CRC) model of funding, and I think it is very exciting because it is collaborative and brings together the best researchers in the country, irrespective of their geographical location,” Professor Harris said.

The aim of the consortium is to work together to build the workforce capability and professional standing of the VET workforce.

“Traditional VET workforce development practices are no longer regarded as sufficient in themselves to satisfy the demands of the contemporary work environment. This has led to renewed interest in finding sustainable learning solutions to workforce development that address issues involving skill and knowledge transfer, different organisational structures, financial and time constraints, commercial pressures and the changing nature of work.

“Examining the ways in which VET organisations make decisions about the allocation of resources for workforce development and finding ways to secure and develop a workforce with the capabilities required for their future sustainability will be an essential part of the research,” Professor Harris said.

The research program will focus on three areas of workforce development that together build organisational capability. These areas include developing people, cultures and practices. Researchers will work actively with RTO partners and stakeholders to identify, evaluate and implement sustainable, creative and innovative approaches to building a professional VET workforce.

By focusing on these areas, the consortium will be contributing to an evidence-base that can underpin ongoing developments in policy and practice; useful capacity-building models that reflect the variety of real-world constraints and possibilities of RTOs, and an active network of leaders within RTOs around Australia who are engaged in constructing and implementing new and improved practices that sustain capability building.

Professor Harris said that UniSA’s success in winning funding for the consortium is recognition of the University’s long commitment to vocational education and training. UniSA has conducted VET teacher education since the late 1960s and has a long history of credit arrangements with the VET sector.

“The win recognises our national reputation for VET research, and confirms the University’s commitment to collaborative partnerships with industry. In this consortium we expect to work very closely and intensively with industry which, in this case is the VET sector, including the state training authorities and the different training providers.

“It also confirms our commitment to collaborative partnerships with other research organisations including the University of Technology Sydney, one of our ATN colleague institutions; and the Canberra Institute of Technology, a VET sector institution.”

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