Edition 63, December 2008

OECD report recommends training package reform

An Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) review of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system lists training package reform amongst its key recommendations.

The Learning for Jobs report was compiled following a review of Australia's VET system by an OECD delegation in April 2008 and is part of a larger OECD policy study of VET around the world.

The Learning for Jobs programme comprise analytical work and individual country reviews designed to help countries make their VET systems more responsive to labour market needs.

The Australian review makes eight key recommendations in the following areas:

  • clarifying responsibilities for VET
  • funding reform
  • making the market work for VET
  • planned provision and skills forecasts
  • putting VET data to work
  • improving the apprenticeship system
  • reforming training packages
  • investing in the VET teacher and trainer workforce.

The review perceived a number of problems with training packages including:

  • their size
  • their overall use
  • their complexity
  • the return on investment.

The review group recommended that 'training packages should be replaced by simple and much briefer statements of skills standards. Consistency in standards throughout Australia should be achieved through a common assessment procedure to determine whether the necessary skills have been acquired.'

To download the Learning for Jobs report visit www.oecd.org/dataoecd/27/11/41631383.pdf (PDF 1MB)

This page was generated on 23 December, 2009