Continuity and change: employers’ training practices and partnerships with training providers

Comparison between TAFE responses to RTO survey and to 2002 survey, for selected questions

The set of tables provided in this section were produced for the RTO survey responses that were readily comparable. There were some differences in the current survey from the 2002 survey. Respondents to the 2002 survey (n=102) were mainly TAFEs (n=96), whereas in the 2015 survey TAFEs (n=20) represented less than 20% of total respondents (n=107). The majority of respondents to the 2015 survey were private providers (n=87). The current survey analysis divides respondents into three categories: TAFEs (n=20); for-profit private RTOs (n=55) and non-profit private RTOs (n=32). In the 2002 survey only six respondents were from non-TAFE RTOs, but these were unable to be separated out for the comparative analysis. Thus, comparison undertaken was between the 2002 responses (n= 102) and the 2015 TAFE responses (n=20). However, another limitation in the comparison is that the 2002 survey included multiple responses from some TAFE Institutes, with respondents being people identified as managing large partnerships within RTOs rather than representatives providing a whole of organisation response as was the case in the 2015 survey.

The Callan and Ashworth 2002 survey data in the tables below was published in Callan, V., & Ashworth, P. (2004). Working Together: Industry and VET Provider Training Partnerships. Adelaide: NCVER. ⁵ The exact wording for 2015 questions, not the 2002 questions, has been used throughout this section. Comparison tables 8, 9, 10 and 11 have been sorted in descending order based on TAFE institute responses.

1. How would you classify your organisation? (RTO Survey 2015 – Q3: Callan & Ashworth Survey 2002, p.74)

	2015		2002
	N	%	N	%
TAFE	20	18.7	96	94.1
For Profit Private Provider	55	51.4	4	3.9
Non Profit Private Provider	32	29.9
Other			2	2.0
Total	107	100.0	102	100.0

2. What is your title? (RTO Survey 2015 – Q2: Callan & Ashworth Survey 2002, p.74)

	2015		2002
	TAFE		VET
	N	%	N	%
Chief Executive Officer/Director/ Managing Director	3	15.0	7	6.9
Other Senior Manager	8	40.0	21	20.6
Head of School/Department	3	15.0	18	7.6
Program Co-ordinator	0	0.0	14*	13.7
Business Development Manager/ Partnership Management Coordinator	4	20.0	21	20.6
2002 category - Dean/Executive Dean			3	2.9
Other	2	10.0	18	17.6
Total	20	100.0	102	100.0

3. How would you classify the location of your organisation? (RTO Survey 2015 – Q4: Callan & Ashworth Survey 2002, p.74)

	2015		2002
	TAFE		VET
	N	%	N	%
Metropolitan-based	9	45.0	71	69.6
Regional	10	50.0	25	24.5
Other	1	5.0	6	5.9
Total	20	100.0	102	100.0

Note: Data collapsed to enable comparison between the two surveys.

4. What State/Territory is your organisation (head office) based in? (RTO Survey 2015 – Q5: Callan & Ashworth Survey 2002, p.75)

	2015		2002
	TAFE		VET
	N	%	N	%
New South Wales	6	30.0	19	18.6
Victoria	6	30.0	25	24.5
Queensland	4	20.0	21	20.6
Western Australia	3	15.0	10	9.8
South Australia	1	5.0	11	10.8
Tasmania	0	0.0	9	8.8
Northern Territory	0	0.0	3	2.9
Australian Capital Territory	0	0.0	4	3.9
Total	20	100.0	102	100.0

5. What is your level of involvement in VET industry-provider partnerships? (RTO Survey 2015 – Q6: Callan & Ashworth Survey 2002, p.74)

	2015		2002
	TAFE		VET
	N	%	N	%
I set up and continue to manage such partnerships	11	55.0	39	38.2
I set up these partnerships	1	5.0	14	13.7
I manage such partnerships	0	0.0	16	15.7
Those managing key partnerships report to me	7	35.0	24	23.5
Other	1	5.0	9	8.8
Total	20	100.0	102	100.0

6. In which of the following locations does your organisation have VET industry-provider partnerships? (RTO Survey 2015 – Q7: Callan & Ashworth Survey 2002, p.75)

	2015		2002
	TAFE		VET
	N	% of respondents	N	% of respondents
Your local region	19	95.0	86	84.3
Other parts of your State	16	80.0	63	61.8
In other Australian States	12	60.0	24	23.5
In overseas countries	4	20.0	25	24.5
Total	20		102

7. What percentage of your training partnerships with industry falls under each of the following categories? (RTO Survey 2015 – Q10: Callan & Ashworth Survey 2002, p.75)

	2015			2002
	TAFE			VET
	N	Mean	SD	Mean
Mutual service partnerships where we pool resources with the industry partner to gain access to equipment or resources that aid training	18	11.9	9.6	31.0
Joint ventures where we pursue a training opportunity together by combining our capabilities and sharing the business risk	18	8.4	9.0	27.6
*We provide fee-for-service contracted services to client organisations	18	36.3	15.4	N/A
We cooperate with an industry partner to provide training that is wholly or largely government subsidised	18	37.5	18.3	30.9^
Other	18	5.8	9.9	15.2

Note: *Not included response in 2002 survey

^2002 category: Value chain partnership where we work together to change the training model to create enhanced training benefits for learners
8. What are the main drivers for your organisation’s involvement in industry/ employer partnerships? (RTO Survey 2015 – Q11: Callan & Ashworth Survey 2002, p.37)

	2015			2002
	TAFE			VET
	N Agree	% Agree	Mean	% Agree
*To keep up-to-date with industry needs/requirements	18	100.0	5.17	N/A
*To maintain relevance/alignment with industry needs/requirements	18	100.0	5.44	N/A
To bring in additional revenue	18	100.0	5.22	88.2
To build extra capability within our staff	17	94.4	5.06	82.3
Industries/employers have requested that we assist them	17	94.4	4.94	45.9
To give staff stronger links with industry	16	88.9	5.00	82.3
To find future employers for our students	16	88.9	4.78	57.6
If we did not get involved in the partnering, another organisation would have taken the opportunity	15	83.3	4.83	67.1
To copy what other organisations are doing	2	11.1	2.17	34.1
Our motivations are not really clear	2	11.1	2.11	32.9