A study examined the current outcomes and future of paraprofessional education provided under the auspices of South Australia's Department of Employment and Technical and Further Education (SA DETAFE). The primary objectives of the study were as follows: (1) determine whether an autonomous middle-level employment base exists in selected manufacturing and service industries in South Australia; (2) identify recent trends in that employment base and develop projections for the future; (3) examine related trends in middle-level occupations and the implications for middle-level training; and (4) assess the future of middle-level training and its administration. Detailed analyses of recent and future employment trends were conducted for those paraprofessional occupations that persons earning associate diplomas in accounting, mechanical engineering, or hospitality management would likely enter. Employer, community, and government acceptance of middle-level vocational training in South Australia was also analyzed. It was discovered that, in the past decade, middle-level training in TAFE has assumed new importance throughout South Australia and Australia as a whole. Enrollments have increased dramatically, and in view of the increasing emphasis on providing opportunities for career progression, increases in enrollments in middle-level TAFE courses seem likely to continue for the next 3-5 years. (MN)
A study evaluated the need for environmental education and training in vocational education in South Australia. Data were collected from the following sources: consultations with representatives of 16 organizations in the business, government, and education sectors; survey responses from 298 of 1,430 (response rate 21%) contacted organizations/individuals concerned with environmental management; and survey responses from 27 of 37 (response rate 73%) graduates of programs in the disciplines of land management and environmental health. Most respondents believed that environmental management is increasingly becoming an issue in many jobs. Because of the diversity of environmental management training needs both across the spectrum of the industry and within individual organizations, careful market research and flexible methods for consulting/networking with industry will be required when developing environmental management components for vocational education programs in South Australia. (Sixteen tables/figures are included. Appendixes constituting approximately 40% of the document contain the following: initial project brief; National Centre for Vocational Education Research's response to the initial project brief; list of consultants; environmental management training needs questionnaire; tables summarizing the environmental education needs of volunteers and employees in managerial, professional, technical, administrative, operative occupations; and levels of in-house environmental education currently being provided. Contains 32 references.) (MN)
Integrated or flexible manufacturing is a management strategy that integrates training and the organization of people with the modernization of hardware. It would allow Australian manufacturing organizations to produce value-added goods for niche markets and be competitive. Manufacturing organizations that identify and change their production strategies to meet new consumer requirements of cost, quality, choice, and innovation will establish themselves successfully in the market. Mass production techniques are constraining manufacturing organizations from improving their levels of efficiency, quality, flexibility, and innovation. As a result, increasing numbers of manufacturing firms are moving toward an integrated system of manufacturing. A vital component of integrated manufacturing can be found in new technologies that assist organizations in making the transition from the traditional mass production of standardized products toward the production of smaller batches of higher quality products targeted at niche markets. Implementation of flexible manufacturing may cause changes in job design (or redesign), job content, and skill requirements of the work force. Consequences of technological change may include skill twist, upskilling, and deskilling. Industry, government, schools, and education/training providers should be key players in educational planning. Issues include teaching the importance of lifelong learning, expansion or modification of curricula, and upgrading and generalization of skills. (Contains 83 references.) (YLB)
This project intended to determine whether a middle-level employment base existed in manufacturing and service industries in South Australia and to examine current trends and future directions of middle-level (paraprofessional) vocational training. The study used the following methods: literature review; labor market analysis; surveys of accounting (n=171), mechanical engineering (n=139), and hospitality management (n=107) industries; graduate surveys (169 accounting, 128 engineering, and 54 hospitality graduate respondents); case studies; and discussions with unions and industry representatives. Conclusions concerning the future of middle-level training included the following: (1) a significant employment base exists in Australia for persons undertaking middle-level training; (2) employers in industry valued on-the-job experience rather than academic qualifications when recruiting or promoting staff; (3) middle-level training programs need to promote the idea of greater female participation, especially in management; (4) award restructuring may further consolidate the employment base and increase opportunities for credit for prior learning; and (5) middle-level training needs to be marketed more effectively to the business community. (Appendices contain the following: courses reviewed, definitions of target occupations, survey methodology, industry and graduate questionnaires, case study questions, list of contacts, and 64 references.) (CML)
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