CDU Research Fellow presents at leading VET research conference
Charles Darwin University Northern Institute Honorary Research Fellow Dr Don Zoellner recently presented at the Journal of Vocational Education and Training (JVET) Conference.
His presentation “Peering over VET policy horizons towards public value: multiplicity, conceptual confusion and ontological rhetorics,” argues that Australia’s national VET market is an example of successful public policy implementation, but after 30 years the market is nearing the end of a normal business life cycle.
“It is now time to consider what might replace the politically inspired, yet unrealised, national market in the future with multiple business structures that create public value and produce optimal skills outcomes for the nation,” Dr Zoellner said.
Dr Zoellner’s presentations asks a simple question: what is being sold in Australia’s VET market? His research found two words that were used repeatedly and interchangeably – products and services. In normal markets, these are quite distinct from each other and are sold through different business models.
“However, the rhetoric used in VET can be confusing and actually hinder clear policy development for planning the replacements for the current VET market policies that are in a decline,” he said.
Dr Zoellner proposes one solution is to treat the VET market as multiple markets.
“It might be possible to treat product specialists selling low-cost, high-volume skill sets such as White Cards and Responsible Service of Alcohol qualifications in a different way to those providers selling services built upon long term relationships which result in occupational skill levels, such trade apprenticeships,” Dr Zoellner said.
The conference which celebrated the 75th birthday of the JVET was held at Keble College at Oxford University with presenters from over 20 different countries and was attended by a record number of 160 participants.