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School industry programs ACER researchers have conducted an extensive survey of school-industry programs commissioned by the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation (ECEF). The two main purposes of the study were to collect information about school-industry programs provided by schools and to compare progress since the last ACER survey in 1996. The survey of 488 Australian schools from all sectors and states/territories (with the exception of state schools in Western Australia) found that there has been a major increase in school-industry programs available in secondary schools in the past few years, and a significant increase in student participation in these programs. This development reflects Australia's growing recognition of the importance of vocational learning. In 1999 an estimated 86 per cent of secondary schools provided opportunities for Year 11 and Year 12 students to spend time learning in a workplace - up from only 46 per cent of schools in 1995. In the same period, the percentage of senior secondary students participating in school-industry programs grew from seven per cent to 19 per cent. The results are contained in a report, Witnessing Evolution: A report on the growth of workplace learning in Australian schools to 1999 , by Jeff Malley, John Ainley and Lyn Robinson published by ECEF Dr John Ainley, one of the authors of the report, said programs for secondary school students that involve learning in the workplace expand options in post-compulsory schooling in important ways. 'This includes widening the range of what can be learned in those years, providing the opportunity for a wider group of young people to learn about the world of work and enabling them to develop skills in settings other than traditional classrooms. This experience can help young people become good learners in settings outside school,' he said. According to Dr Ainley, the growth of programs in post compulsory education that incorporate structured workplace learning has emerged as a way of widening school curricula to provide more direct pathways to productive adult life. 'Programs that include learning in the workplace offer the opportunity for young people to make direct links with potential employment opportunities,' he said. Dr Ainley added that there remains a challenge to better understand the characteristics of workplaces that provide the conditions for effective workplace learning. There is also a practical issue of finding enough workplaces to support the expansion of this aspect of education. Among the report's main findings are: • 75% of all schools have VET in schools programs, 28 % of schools had School-Based New Apprenticeship (SBNA) programs and 58% of schools had work experience programs. In terms of number of school-industry programs, 75% are VET, 15% are SBNAs and 10% are other programs • Over 90% of government and Catholic schools now offer school-industry programs, with only minor variations by state, up from around 70% in 1996. • Schools are also offering a greater choice of programs and this has contributed to an increase in student participation from 12% in 1996 to 19% in 1999 (growth rates in each state differ) • Independent schools have increased their provision of school-industry programs from 20% in 1996 to 63% in 1999. However, actual student numbers remain very low and unchanged in the last four years, at 5%. • Time in the workplace varies considerably by state reflecting policy differences. Queensland and Tasmania have led the way in terms of extended placements of 20 days or more. NSW has significantly more programs with 10 days or less. • 22% of all Year 11 and 12 students in government schools participate in school-industry programs, a 50% increase on 1996. Students in Catholic schools have increased their participation to 18%. Independent school students have not increased their participation in school-industry programs, remaining at 5%. • There is considerable diversity of student participation across states. NSW, Queensland and ACT have achieved over 20% student participation. Victoria and Tasmania are at about half this rate. Other states/territories are somewhere in between. The differences appear to be driven by the different policies at state level. • The different rates of participation between states in school-industry programs suggest that there is considerable scope for further growth in the total number of students seeking work placements over the next few years. • Hospitality is the most common program and most popular with students. Business and clerical, computing, and building and construction, are in the second tier of popularity. Non industry-specific school-industry programs are almost as popular as hospitality. • There are significant gender differences in the take-up of industry-specific programs with girls more concentrated in hospitality, business and clerical, and sales, and much less concentrated in construction and automotive. Boys are more evenly spread across most industries. • There are significant variations in the types of industries provided by the states. NSW has achieved much of its recent growth with hospitality programs. Automotive and primary-industry programs tend to be in Victoria and South Australia. Tasmania has more community and recreational courses. The provision of computing courses remains at 5% nationally, with Victoria offering about half the proportion of IT programs that NSW offers. • In the timing of placements, there has been little change since 1996 in the mix between school time only (41%) and school and non-school time (49%). The only exception is the extended curses where there has been a shift from school only to a combination of school and non-school. • Only 33% of school-industry programs limit to one the number of sites at which the student ca work. Two-thirds offer multi-site opportunities (other than apprenticeships) where contractual arrangements ensure that over 80% are single site arrangements). In practice, just over a half of students on short placement remain at one site. For longer placements, two-thirds of students spend time at more than one site. • Short placement programs are less likely to be part of a cluster arrangement for coordinating placements compared with mid and extended programs (30% versus 50%). • Less than half the programs with short-term work placements report having a management committee to support them. Three-quarters of programs with extended programs have management committees. « Back to eNews
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ACER researchers have conducted an extensive survey of school-industry programs commissioned by the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation (ECEF). The two main purposes of the study were to collect information about school-industry programs provided by schools and to compare progress since the last ACER survey in 1996.

The survey of 488 Australian schools from all sectors and states/territories (with the exception of state schools in Western Australia) found that there has been a major increase in school-industry programs available in secondary schools in the past few years, and a significant increase in student participation in these programs. This development reflects Australia's growing recognition of the importance of vocational learning.

In 1999 an estimated 86 per cent of secondary schools provided opportunities for Year 11 and Year 12 students to spend time learning in a workplace - up from only 46 per cent of schools in 1995. In the same period, the percentage of senior secondary students participating in school-industry programs grew from seven per cent to 19 per cent.

The results are contained in a report, Witnessing Evolution: A report on the growth of workplace learning in Australian schools to 1999 , by Jeff Malley, John Ainley and Lyn Robinson published by ECEF

Dr John Ainley, one of the authors of the report, said programs for secondary school students that involve learning in the workplace expand options in post-compulsory schooling in important ways.

'This includes widening the range of what can be learned in those years, providing the opportunity for a wider group of young people to learn about the world of work and enabling them to develop skills in settings other than traditional classrooms. This experience can help young people become good learners in settings outside school,' he said.

According to Dr Ainley, the growth of programs in post compulsory education that incorporate structured workplace learning has emerged as a way of widening school curricula to provide more direct pathways to productive adult life.

'Programs that include learning in the workplace offer the opportunity for young people to make direct links with potential employment opportunities,' he said.

Dr Ainley added that there remains a challenge to better understand the characteristics of workplaces that provide the conditions for effective workplace learning. There is also a practical issue of finding enough workplaces to support the expansion of this aspect of education.

Among the report's main findings are:

• 75% of all schools have VET in schools programs, 28 % of schools had School-Based New Apprenticeship (SBNA) programs and 58% of schools had work experience programs. In terms of number of school-industry programs, 75% are VET, 15% are SBNAs and 10% are other programs

• Over 90% of government and Catholic schools now offer school-industry programs, with only minor variations by state, up from around 70% in 1996.

• Schools are also offering a greater choice of programs and this has contributed to an increase in student participation from 12% in 1996 to 19% in 1999 (growth rates in each state differ)

• Independent schools have increased their provision of school-industry programs from 20% in 1996 to 63% in 1999. However, actual student numbers remain very low and unchanged in the last four years, at 5%.

• Time in the workplace varies considerably by state reflecting policy differences. Queensland and Tasmania have led the way in terms of extended placements of 20 days or more. NSW has significantly more programs with 10 days or less.

• 22% of all Year 11 and 12 students in government schools participate in school-industry programs, a 50% increase on 1996. Students in Catholic schools have increased their participation to 18%. Independent school students have not increased their participation in school-industry programs, remaining at 5%.

• There is considerable diversity of student participation across states. NSW, Queensland and ACT have achieved over 20% student participation. Victoria and Tasmania are at about half this rate. Other states/territories are somewhere in between. The differences appear to be driven by the different policies at state level.

• The different rates of participation between states in school-industry programs suggest that there is considerable scope for further growth in the total number of students seeking work placements over the next few years.

• Hospitality is the most common program and most popular with students. Business and clerical, computing, and building and construction, are in the second tier of popularity. Non industry-specific school-industry programs are almost as popular as hospitality.

• There are significant gender differences in the take-up of industry-specific programs with girls more concentrated in hospitality, business and clerical, and sales, and much less concentrated in construction and automotive. Boys are more evenly spread across most industries.

• There are significant variations in the types of industries provided by the states. NSW has achieved much of its recent growth with hospitality programs. Automotive and primary-industry programs tend to be in Victoria and South Australia. Tasmania has more community and recreational courses. The provision of computing courses remains at 5% nationally, with Victoria offering about half the proportion of IT programs that NSW offers.

• In the timing of placements, there has been little change since 1996 in the mix between school time only (41%) and school and non-school time (49%). The only exception is the extended curses where there has been a shift from school only to a combination of school and non-school.

• Only 33% of school-industry programs limit to one the number of sites at which the student ca work. Two-thirds offer multi-site opportunities (other than apprenticeships) where contractual arrangements ensure that over 80% are single site arrangements). In practice, just over a half of students on short placement remain at one site. For longer placements, two-thirds of students spend time at more than one site.

• Short placement programs are less likely to be part of a cluster arrangement for coordinating placements compared with mid and extended programs (30% versus 50%).

• Less than half the programs with short-term work placements report having a management committee to support them. Three-quarters of programs with extended programs have management committees.

School industry programs