| Abstract: | A notable trend over the last decade has been the attention that has been paid to the skills and education base of the labour forces in many OECD nations seeking improved productivity outcomes. Governments have looked to the provision of competency-based vocational education and training and endeavoured to introduce changes, often to support general micro-economic reform. This article examines Australian endeavours within this trend both at the macro-level of the state and at the micro-level of the organisation. It is argued that the corporate sector has generally responded well, albeit slowly, to the introduction of competency-based training and development. As industry bears more of the cost, and the task, of meeting its training needs it is more than ever keen to see a direct return on the training investment through concomitant increases in productivity. |
