Editorial

Evaluation is an important aspect of vocational education and training wherever it is delivered. The process of evaluation involves ‘the collection, analysis and presentation of information about a learning programme and its consequences that can help inform decision-making and determine the worth of that programme‘ (Griffin, 2014, p. 10). Rigorous evaluation, amongst other things, offers the opportunity to gain insights from participants and stakeholders as to whether the objectives of the training have been met and the extent to which learning has been transferred and workplace performance improved.

This issue of the journal has a strong evaluation flavour with four of the six articles focusing on the effectiveness of training programs in a range of markedly different vocational education and training contexts. These contexts include academic skills training, training of home care workers, Threat and Error Management training in Australian general aviation and finally diversity training in German-speaking countries. The remaining two articles, while not concerned specifically with training programs, also relate to this theme of evaluation, one in assessing the effectiveness of an advisory service and the other in identifying an important factor in apprentice non-completions in northern Australia.

Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (ToPB), ‘a major framework for understanding, predicting, and changing human social behavior’ (Ajzen, 2012, p. 438) Brad Hodge, Brad Wright and Pauleen Bennett compared two different academic skills training courses, one more interactive than the other. The authors hypothesised that while both training programs would lead to a change in intention to use the skills gained, the more interactive training would bring about greater change. This proved to be the case, though only marginally so. The authors contend that by identifying the mechanisms which lead to better transfer of training, more effective training can be developed.

The preparedness of graduates to enter the workforce has long been raised as an issue in Australia, with demands for training providers to ensure their graduates are ‘work-ready’ coming from government, industry bodies and employers. Using a qualitative research approach, Debra Palesy examined the effectiveness of classroom training sessions for new home care workers. These training sessions, often brief in nature, could be crucial to the safety of both the home care workers and their clients. Using information gained from classroom observations and interviews with trainees following the sessions, a number of interventions were put in place and these were then evaluated. The findings revealed that while the classroom sessions were effective, the provision of learning materials which supported the development of dispositional and procedural knowledge would build on the learning that trainees gained through the training sessions.

With the aim of improving aviation safety, Threat and Error Management training is mandated in Australia. However, only limited assessment of this training has been undertaken to determine its effectiveness. In their paper, Seung Yong Lee, Paul Bates, Patrick Murray and Wayne Martin report on an exploratory study which surveyed 59 general aviation pilots to determine how they regarded Threat and Error Management training. The results indicated a considerable reduction in the positive support for the training compared with an earlier study undertaken in 2009 and a diversity of opinions on the effectiveness of the training overall.

Anette Rohmann, Benjamin Froncek, Agostino Mazziotta and Verena Piper note that diversity training has been greatly expanded in recent years in order to help people deal with the challenges of increased social diversity. Yet, they suggest, little is known about the systematic evaluation of diversity training. The authors surveyed 172 trainers delivering diversity programs in German-speaking countries to ascertain the processes they used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs they delivered. They found that the majority of trainers carried out the evaluations themselves and that these evaluations focused mainly on the self-reported attitudes of the trainees immediately after the training had been implemented. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in the paper, as are strategies for improving training evaluation.

The National Strategy on Work Integrated Learning in University Education was released in Australia in 2015. Viewed as a facilitative mechanism, the Strategy is aimed at growing Work Integrated Learning (WIL) by expanding opportunities for university students to gain access to authentic work experiences. Relationships and collaboration between universities, employers and other stakeholders are the critical elements in successful facilitation of WIL. In particular, building the capacity of more employers to participate in WIL is a key area for action within the Strategy. Denise Jackson, Sonia Ferns, David Rowbottom and Diane McLaren report on the trial of a WIL Advisory Service established to broker relationships between industry and universities, support employers engaged in WIL and enhance the WIL experience for both students and employers. Data were gathered from participating students and employers to assess the effectiveness of the service, and results indicate there are potential benefits in adopting an approach which utilises the services of third parties in supporting industry engagement in WIL.

The last paper, by Don Zoellner, Matt Brearley and Elspeth Oppermann, addresses the seemingly wicked problem of persistently low completion rates of trades’ apprentices in Australia. The authors hypothesised that climatic conditions in the north of the country are a factor in increasing trade apprenticeship cancellations and withdrawals, particularly during the fourth quarter of the calendar year when apprentices are required to work in extremely hot and humid weather conditions. Using the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, Zoellner and his colleagues analysed the completion and attrition data from a geographical frame and found clear regional differences in apprentice attrition rates, suggesting that heat stress caused by the northern Australian climate is an influence in apprentice non-completions.

Berwyn Clayton
Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
[email protected]
Roger Harris
University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia