rethinking pathways: why a new approach is needed – a report from australia
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Rethinking pathways: why a new approach is needed – a report from Australia
Leesa WheelahanParity, progression & social
mobility: critical issues for higher vocational education pathways
Background
2
• Vocations: the link between post-compulsory education and the labour market– http://www.ncver.edu.au/wor
kinprogress/projects/10454.html
– How to improve pathways within & between education & work
– 3 streams, 3 universities– Lot of reports from project
published & more coming
http://www.bvet.nsw.gov.au/pdf/rethinking_skills.pdf
• Educational pathways are shaped by the relationship between qualifications & structure of jobs
• Nature & structure of pathways will differ between industries
• Policy implications – a uniform approach to policy isn’t helpful
Argument
Outline
• Australian tertiary education• Conceptual framework• Thinking about pathways • What happens• 4 types of pathways• Dilemma!• Unpacking conceptual framework• Alternatives – vocational streams & capabilities• Where we are going with this work
Australia has 2 sectors of tertiary education
Conceptual framework
• Qualifications serve 3 distinct (but connected) roles
• Qualifications not synonymous with workforce development
• Qualifications guide transition to work in different ways (screen or signal)
• Capabilities, vocations, & vocational streams
• Links between education & work not strong
• Skills mismatches• Pathways shaped by
many factors, including structure of occupations
Thinking about pathways differently
Students change their field of education
8
VET to VET VET to HE HE to VET HE to HE0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Source: Nick Fredman
Changes within fields of education
9
Natural
scien
ces
Inform
ation
tech
nolog
y
Engine
ering
Archite
cture
and b
uildin
g
Agricu
lture
and e
nviro
nmen
t
Health
Educa
tion
Manag
emen
t and
commerc
e
Societ
y and
cultu
re
Creativ
e arts
Food a
nd ho
spita
lity0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Source: Nick Fredman
Four types of pathways
Business Nursing
Pure disciplines Engineering
High
HighLow
Link
s to
qua
lific
atio
ns
with
in fi
eld
of
educ
atio
n
Links to jobs
• What does it mean to prepare people for work?
• What should VET be like if it is so weakly linked to work?
• Fixing the supply side (education) only won’t solve these problems
Dilemma!
All qualifications serve 3 purposes
1. In the labour market: as a entry or upgrade qualification
2. In the education system: as a transition qualification to higher level qualifications
3. In society: to widen access to tertiary education
• Signalling device– Occupational labour
markets - – Entry & progression
specified by the profession/ occupation
– Qualifications specify what people can know & do (broadly)
– Content & skills clearly mapped
Guide transition to work:Signalling or screening device?
• Screening device– Internal labour markets – Entry fairly open,
internal progression through ranks
– Qualifications indicator of capability & attributes (broadly)
– Content & skill less tightly specified
Qualifications not synonymous with workforce development• Structures of work condition &
help shape educational pathways
• Not suggesting a ‘tighter’ linear approach
• Qualifications not identical with specific occupations
• Workforce development must encompass a broader range of strategies
• Prepare people for a broader range of occupations
• Structure work & education on vocational streams
• Vocational steams: linked occupations with common concepts & practices
What are the alternatives?Vocations & vocational streams
15
Start with the person• Rather than specific
workplace requirements, focus is on development of person, attributes & knowledge & skills
• Starts with the person within vocational stream not workplace tasks & roles
• Allows coherent continuum of knowledge
17
The interaction between education & work
The capabilities approach
Occupations
Vocational Stream
Jobs
Indi
vidu
al, s
ocia
l, ec
onom
ic, c
ultu
ral &
en
viro
nmen
t res
ourc
es
Indi
vidu
als w
ith
capa
biliti
es
Care
ers
Prep
arati
on o
f ind
ivid
uals
for w
ork:
Structure of work: families of linked occupations
Where we are going with this work
• Explore how 3 purposes of qualifications mediated by whether they are used as screen or signal
• Explore implications for curriculum, workplace learning, & skills mismatches
• Consider type of ‘industry policy’ based on ‘vocational development’
• Compare Canada
• Policy needs to be differentiated
• Recognise qualifications serve diverse purposes
• Emphasis will vary depending on whether qualifications used as screening or signalling device
Conclusion
• Capabilities approach – conceptual basis for qualifications that links work & education
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