1.

This booklet provides insights into how vocational education and training (VET) professionals and organisations are responding to the challenges of implementing the national training system in Australia.

2.

This report captures the results of a project which examined access and equity issues for students living in rural and remote Australia via a literature review and a survey. The project sought to identify genric and specific issues as they apply to rural and remote learners in vocational education and training (VET) and draw out good practice examples. The sampling was guided by the ABS definitions of rural and remote which in some instances is different to common usage of these terms. The literature review established that there were four main categories of barriers to online learning in rural and remote Australia. These barriers were related to: cost; the availability of online technology; learner and community perceptions; and the baseline level of skills amongst learners. There are three main findings from the survey: the majority of online learners are concentrated around service hubs; an increasing call for the establishment of 'learning communities'; and, the level of support provided by industry involvement.

3.

A presentation of findings from a study of NSW AMES Burwood involving elderly Chinese and New Technology-Based' Activities.

4.

An annotated bibliography of 75 resources relevant to online and flexible delivery. The majority of the resources are products from projects in the Australian Flexible Learning Framework with some additional relevant resources from Australian and overseas sources. These resources are additional to those listed in the publication "Key resources from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework - 2000 and 2001".

5.

This audit examines how one large agency, the NSW Department of Education and Training, is managing the impact of an ageing teacher workforce on the services it delivers.

6.

This report uses four case studies to examine how human resource practices of TAFE institutes have changed to accommodate flexible delivery and the changing roles of staff. It reveals that a whole of organisation customer-service philosophy is a useful basis for flexible delivery and the trend is towards team-based approaches. The detailed findings in this report mirror those in the report 'The impact of flexible delivery on human resource practices: Survey of TAFE managers'. ISBN 1 920895 13 2 print; 1 920895 14 0 web

7.

This report provides an extensive review of recent Australian and overseas studies in order to identify key issues that need to be addressed to encourage increased evaluation of training benefits by enterprises. The report concludes by identifying principles to inform future return on training approaches so that their use becomes more widespread within Australian enterprises of all sizes.

8.

In this keynote address, Phillip Gonan gives a historical overview of the development of VET in Europe. He observes two trends: that vocational education now extends beyond traditional university education; and there is a reassessment of training that is labelled as 'vocational'. There are 4 strategies that European nations apply to their own systems of vocational education: upgrading all vocational education but priviledging the 'professions'(Germany, Austria and Switzerland); bringing vocational and general education closer together (Norway and Finland); recognising identical systems of certification for general and vocational education (France and England); and doing away with the distinction between general education and vocational education and training by uniting the entire educational system (Scotland and Sweden). There are common reforms that are necessary. They are: increasing links with higher education and employers; improving the quality of vocational teacher education and qualifications; and progressing the development of vocational education and training curriculum. There is also a discussion of apprenticeships and the 'dual system'.

9.

This study examines the existing and potential strategies for sustaining and building greater levels of management and leadership capability in training organisations. The research report is one of the products of a nationally based research consortium: Supporting vocational education and training (VET) providers in building capability for the future. Published abstract reprinted with permission from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research Ltd (NCVER)

10.

This report investigates the conduct of assessments at diploma and advanced diploma levels. The research shows differences in the competencies that resulted in varying assessment solutions. It highlights differences between four certificate levels and two diploma levels in terms of the competency standards, assessment environment and assessor skills. The research also identifies a number of actions which can improve the quality of assessments at diploma and advanced diploma levels.