NZ Vocational Education and Training (VET) research forum - DAY ONE AFTERNOON

After lunch, Dr. Karen Vaughan presents a keynote on ‘border crossings and vocational thresholds’. Karen has now moved across to Royal NZ Council of General Practitioners from the NZ Centre for Educational Research (NZVER). Summarised learnings and experiences through 17 years of doing VET research. VET research was very ‘industry-led’ and thought to be ‘for industry’ rather than for education. VET is about using experience to learn an occupation, not just the accumulation of knowledge. Shared the story of ‘learning how to be’ a researcher. Summarised some of her key projects. In the pathways project, the space between school and work was explored and the important finding of people caring more about who they were to be and not what. Shared ‘highlights’ and ‘lowlights’ J Important to not make assumptions and to explore the obvious – as this will sometimes bring up insights. Also to learn from ‘missteps’ and ‘mistakes’. Looking across fields / discipline areas can be productive – ‘knowing knowledge’ project. Provided overview and how the concept of ‘vocational thresholds’ was derived through studying the learning of General practitioners, carpenters and engineering technicians. Reinforced the importance of dispositions in learning an occupation. Karen.vaughan@rnzcgp.org.nz

Concurrent sessions continue and I attend the presentation with Laliofi Ripley (Careerforce), Anne Alkema (ITF) and Dr. Nicky Murray (ITF) on their project (also with Cain Kerehoma (Kia Ora consulting) – Hinatore:upskilling Maori and Pasifika in the workplace. The project explores why programmes work for Maori and Pasifika employees through the context of literacy; to what extend were culturally responsive pedagogy incorporated; and how learners continued beyond the programme. Context of the workplace literacy and numeracy fund to provide 20 – 80 hours (around 7000 employees a year) delivered in the workplace in work time. 8 workplaces, 100 participants – learners, facilitators, employers and whanau – used observations, focus groups and video. Visits occurred at start, middle and end of programme. Shared videos of students’ perception of the programme. Key findings on teaching and learning (ako – reciprocal learning), the learning that had occurred (mahi – workplace / situated learning) and the sense of community (whanau – being part of a family).

Followed on by Amber Paterson from Otago Polytechnic on ‘Learner capability framework (I am capable) and research’. Shared research and implementation of their learner capability framework. Still a work in progress with full integration in 2020. Also trialling with 4 partner secondary schools and 2 primary schools (used by teachers for their PD and students). OP have identified 25 capabilities for example critical thinking, communication orally/ written/ bi-ligually. Which ones would industries identify as being relevant? Outcomes include the aim of ensuring students are able to articulate and evidence the capabilities required. E-portfolio used to showcase their capabilities over and above their formal qualification. Shared resources used to support (on issu – search OP learner capability). Used focus groups across disciplines to identity the industry specific capabilities. Shared one of the videos (of 3 on Youtube). Demo site available on request.

Afternoon tea is followed by one concurrent session and a keynote. I chair Dr. Antje Handelmann’s (Leibniz University) session on “I was like, wow, I wanna be a chef” – the biographical meaning of apprenticeship. This is a qualitative study as part of a PhD- recently completed. Provided background of study – school to work transitions in Germany and NZ. Then summarised and rationalised research method – biographical narrative and case study. Argued that social chances have let to processes of de-structuralisation and placed responsibility on career to individuals in a society challenged by rapid change in the nature of work. Selected Germany (employment centred) and NZ (liberal / market led) due to the major differences between the two countries. Carried 14 interviews in Germany and 7 in NZ – apprentices who had withdrawn from an apprenticeship. Comparisons were made between individual apprentices’ biographies, not with countries. 3 types for searching for occupation – institutional-orientation, recognition-orientated and self-actualisation. Provided examples from each. Shared the conceptualised framework / model derived. Concluded that social changes lead to different life courses with an intersection between individual and society. School to work transition is complex, young people aim to find the ‘right’ path and is a permanent process of searching.

Then key note from Dr. Rose Ryan from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on ‘A research agenda for the NZ labour market of the 2020s’. She is a manager for the workforce and workplace evidence and insights team. Important to bring the various pieces of data from different Ministries to ensure data is not viewed in silos and analysed across disciplines etc. Need to think about the labour market and skills needs differently due to the global megatrends – technology, globalisation, demographics, climate change etc. NZ has dynamic labour market with high levels of participation, a highly skilled workforce and continued growth in employment – especially for those in skilled occupations and across service-based industries. Challenges are to manage diversity and inclusion, responding to future skill needs / changes, utilisation all the capability and capacity of all the population and understand better how work contributes to well-being. Currently, demand for employment is still high, labour market participation is high, medium to long term employment is steady to 2028.

Managing diversity important due to demographic shift with higher numbers of Maori, Pasifika and Asian replacing Pakeha as they retire. There is a high underutilisation / under employment of the population’s capacity. 11% if people who are in work would like more work. NEET rates are still higher than desirable. Underutilisation tends to be short term; young / female (particularly mothers) and in community, personal services, sales and labouring occupations and retail, accommodation and food, education and healthcare industries.

Need to prepare workforce for high skill occupations which will increase into 2029 when compared to elementary and skilled-semi-skilled jobs. Crucial to understand the effect of automation, digitisation and AI. Who will be affected? How will it affect occupations and jobs? Non-routine work, managing people, unpredictable work, work requiring judgment etc. least likely to be impacted.

PIACC shows mismatch between qualification / field of study and current occupation. NZ have highly skilled workforce but not much known about how employers make decisions as to who they employ and how they select. Still much work required in this area.

The contribution of work to well-being also requires study. What is job quality in the NZ context. Job Quality include physical environment, social environment, work intensity, skills and discretion, working time quality, prospects and earnings. If NZ wants to focus on high quality jobs, what are they? Survey of Working life (2018) indicates job quality includes employment relationships / multiple job-holding (more than one job); non-standard working relationships; work related training; skills matching; job security and tenure; and workplace autonomy. Important to develop workforce wellbeing – develop human capital, invest in skills for the future, encourage lifelong learning, leverage technology to generate opportunities for decent and meaningful work, strengthen labour/employment/income protection.

Josh provides a brief overview of the day.

The day closes with a networking function to celebrate the completion of the ‘Women in the Trades’ research project, launched by the Minister of Women, the Honourable Julie Ann Genter.