Training Model of Vocational Education of Australian Students and

Its Enlightenment

Yanmei Wang , Jiamin Li

Zhejiang Agricultural Business College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 312000, China

Keywords: Vocational education, Student training model, Australia, Inspiration.

Abstract: Higher vocational education is an important part of the national education system, and higher vocational

education in China is at a stage of continual development, exploration and reform. This work analyzed the

training model of vocational education of Australian students and compared Australian and Chinese student

training models. Training model of vocational education of Australian students is worthy of learning and

reference.

1 INTRODUCTION

Higher vocational education is an important part of

the national education system and plays an

irreplaceable role in promoting the economic

development of the society. With the social need of

China and the changes of the economic

development, there has been a higher need of higher

vocational education. Vocational education theories

and talent training models in some overseas

developed countries have been continually upgraded

for many years, which is worth our learning and

reference (Jiao Hongli,2012). The Australian

education model of TAFE (Technical and Further

Education) takes lifelong education as a basic

principle. It is employment-oriented and industry-

leading, which connects ordinary education,

vocational education with higher education. After

nearly 40 years’ development, the Australian TAFE

has been one of the successful vocational education

models worldwide.

2 TRAINING MODEL OF

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION OF

AUSTRALIAN STUDENT

2.1 Focusing on vocational

competencies to cultivate practical

skilled talents

The key task of Australian vocational education is to

satisfy the social needs of various skilled talents, and

it aims at enabling students to grasp skills for posts

and promote students’ employment and

development. The Australian Government thinks

“the Australian future prosperity is closely related to

labor skills and production abilities” (Li

Zuozhang,2011). It puts forward that “Australia

should enforce the capital investment for a high

skilled labor force so as to have sustained low

inflation and succeed in the global economic

competition.” The research forecasts between 2006

and 2016 Australia will have 2.5 million people who

can acquire vocational education and qualification

training. Among them, about 1.7 million people will

obtain vocational education and qualification

training certificates with the level above three.

Hence, Australia has taken the training aim of the

vocational education as “Cultivating high skilled and

practical talents of technology to maximum serve the

economic and social development.”

174

Li J. and Wang Y.

Training Model of Vocational Education of Australian Students and Its Enlightenment.

DOI: 10.5220/0006446401740178

In ISME 2016 - Information Science and Management Engineering IV (ISME 2016), pages 174-178

ISBN: 978-989-758-208-0

Australian vocational education focuses on

vocational abilities, and the characteristics are

embodied in that vocational training skills are

market-oriented (Wu Shuang,2012). Various

industries’ associations work out nation-wide

abilities standards according to the market need. The

process of vocational training focuses on improving

students’ practical operational abilities and

cultivating students’ job adaptability. There are only

two assessment results “Competent” or “Not

Competent” for students’ vocational training. The

various industries’ competency standards are the

yardstick for professional qualifications’

recognitions.

2.2 Developing training kit of

vocational education by leading

industries’ skills

The training kit is made and issued by the Australian

Industries’ Skills Committee. It recognizes and

evaluates employees’ skills with the aim of assessing

the necessary skills and knowledge of employees. It

does not specify the training forms. The training kit

includes the part recognized by the country and

facilitation materials [4]. The latter is also called the

part unrecognized by the country. The recognized

part includes “Competency Standard”, “Vocational

Qualifications”, “Assessment Criterion”, etc. All

states have the flexibility to set up and arrange the

training as per the actual situation.

2.3 Training adaptable talents on the

basis of school-enterprise

cooperation

The students’ training model of the Australian

vocational education is under the influence of both

schools and enterprises. It implements school-

enterprise training, and the cultivation model is

confirmed by TAFE and enterprises according to the

enterprises’ needs and post requirements. Generally

TAFE has a board of directors and a committee of

industry consulting. The board plays a linking role in

schools and enterprises. The role is to master the

training direction and make relevant policies

adapting to the economic development needs. Some

schools set up industry committees, with which

schools negotiate to conduct vocational training and

training modes. Some schools have a school-

enterprise coordinator and its key responsibilities are

to collect industry information, promoting school-

enterprise cooperation and liaison enterprises to

participate in training programs.

Table 1 Australian AQF

Ordinary middle school

Vocational education and

training

Higher education

Doctorate

Master’s degree

Postgraduate diploma

Postgraduate certificate

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced junior college

diploma

Associate degree / advanced junior college

diploma

Junior college diploma Junior college diploma

Level Four Certificate

Level Three Certificate

Level Two Certificate Level Two Certificate

Level One Certificate Level One Certificate

High school education

certificate

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2.4 Using vocational qualification

acquisition as a tool to implement

open cultivation

Australian vocational education is based on lifelong

education philosophy and has passed the national

qualification certificate system. It has realized a very

good connection among vocational education,

ordinary education and university education. The

existing Australian AQF is shown in the following

table which has 12th-level qualification certificates

including certificates, diplomas and senior diplomas.

The certificates have four levels. Level One and

Level Two are for elementary certificates, and those

who have acquired Level One

or Level Two can apply for elementary work. Level

Three is a senior certificate, and those who have

acquired Level Three can apply for mid-level

managerial positions. Holders of Level Four

certificate can work as junior managers. Holders of

diploma and senior diploma are based on a Level

Four certificate. To acquire the diploma and the

senior diploma they need to study for a period of

time. The work of them shall be senior management.

The Australian AQF has a rule that all levels are

coherent. That is, a lower level certificate shall be

acquired before a higher level certificate can be

obtained. Students can study at TAFE College at

grade two or three of Senior High School. Besides

the senior high school diploma, they can acquire a

Level One or Two certificate of a certain vocation.

Students can directly study grade two or three of the

university after acquiring the TAFE’s vocational

diploma, and the credits are mutually recognized.

University graduates can study at TAFE College to

receive corresponding vocational certificates. After

graduation postgraduates can also study at TAFE for

a six-month curriculum for a corresponding

certificate.

The Australian vocational education is a lifelong

educational process. The enrollment of TAFE

College does not consider pre-vocation and post-

vocation, difference in ages and degrees. It

encourages people to study repeatedly and

continuously and has established a lifelong

educational model of “study-work-restudy-rework”.

The learning methods of Australian students are

open. Students at TAFE College can choose a full-

time or half-a-day and correspondence or distant

education. They can obtain certificates or diplomas

as long as they pass examinational evaluations.

situation, which is to evaluate whether a job task is

accurately performed. For example, students

majoring in food and beverage should be able to

make food in a hotel or restaurant or practical

operational room, etc. Indirect evidence refers to the

evidence of the evaluated person which cannot be

observed, such as a work or investigation report of a

completed project or assignment, a handling of an

emergency or a simulated situation. Facilitative

evidence is that the evaluator checks the third

party’s evidence to understand his or her vocational

competencies. The evidence, for example, can be a

diploma or some other evidence of the evaluated

person’s previous study experience. As long as the

evaluated person can provide the above evidence, he

or she can pass the assessment to obtain the

vocational qualification certificate.

Besides, there is an important system called RPL

(Recognition of Prior Learning) in the assessment

methods. It is a recognized system for learners’

skills and knowledge acquired from their normal or

abnormal education, training, work experience and

living experience. For example, the prior study

scores and experience in enterprises can be

recognized as study time so that the learning period

can be shortened.

2.5 Diversified assessment centering on

skilled assessment

During the whole process of assessment, teachers

can choose various suitable methods at different

stages as per students’ actual conditions. The main

assessment methods include observation, oral test,

operation, the third party’s evaluation, certificate,

interview, self-evaluation, case study report, work

production, paper exam, tape-recording and so on.

The evidence of the evaluated person is diversified

and includes mainly direct, indirect and facilitative.

Direct evidence is the performance at a set work

3 INSPIRATION

3.1 Development of vocational

education curriculum centering on

vocational key competencies’

cultivation

3.1.1 Focusing on competences to speed the

development of vocational education

curriculum system.

The development shall take the practical skills

needed by enterprises and industries as a

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fundamental. From cultivating students’ practical

operational abilities to their competencies for a

certain profession or post, the system can help

students’ acquire vocational key competencies. Only

by centering on vocational key competencies’

cultivation, can our talents for vocational education

be really adapted to meet the social needs.

3.1.2 Promoting the diversification of the

curriculum led by industries.

The Australian TAFE curriculum system has a main

body of diversified curriculum development. Not

only industries and enterprises’ experts, government

officials, educational experts and teachers get

involved but also parents and student are part of the

main body. We shall take it as reference to

effectively ensure the development of curriculum

meets the needs of enterprises and industries while

meeting the needs of students’ future development.

We shall make students, parents and employers

satisfied with the curriculum.

3.1.3 Keeping adjusting the curriculum

based on the social needs.

It is the basic social requirement of the vocational

education curriculum to develop the vocational

education by keeping close alignment with the social

economic life and development.

3.2 Positive reform of teaching

methods and establishment of open

teaching concept

3.2.1 Vigorously promotion of teaching

methods’ reform centering on students.

Firstly, we can change teaching concepts from the

"teacher-centered" to "student-centered" and

establish a concept that teachers are mentors,

counselors and assistants for students who take the

initiative to study. A variety of methods are used to

mobilize students’ learning enthusiasm, build

interactive classrooms and establish an equally

interactive teaching mode.

3.2.2 Combination of theory and practice

and strengthening of practical skills

training

Students not only learn the theoretical knowledge,

but also need to walk into the training room and

practical teaching base to experience hands-on

operation. Therefore, we should reform and innovate

in the form of training to ensure the practical

operation and timeliness of training projects.

3.3 Promotion of diversification of

assessment methods and use of

comprehensive evaluation methods

3.3.1 Seeking new ways on evaluation of

students

Every examination or test will be able to cover as

many relevant competency factors as possible.

Questions and answers, practical operation, social

surveys, innovative design, operating experience

reports, participation in group activities, internships

and comprehensive graduation practice reports can

be adopted as the main form and content of the

evaluation methods.

3.3.2 Positive and rational use as a training

base or enterprise evaluation site.

We can replace the traditional exam with work site

assessment. We can also allow enterprises’ experts,

engineers and technicians to get involved in the

assessment. Students’ competencies can be assessed

by actual operational level and work performance.

3.3.3 Focusing on assessment on students’

whole learning process.

The summative and formative evaluation can be

combined. Teachers can use behavioral observation

and growth record on student's learning situation to

make a relatively complete, true and accurate

evaluation. The evaluation is linked with vocational

or technical qualification certificates to be more

career-oriented and effective. It promotes personal

and all-round development of students.

3.4 Improving students’ training mode

in vocational education guided by

the concept of lifelong education

Australian vocational education has already

exceeded the scope of academic education and has

used the theory of lifelong education. It has

integrated academic education and training, diluting

academic education and job training, the boundaries

of general education and adult education, as well as

full-time education and part-time education. It

closely links vocational education and economic

construction with social development. All these are

worthy of our reference. Therefore, we shall take the

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Training Model of Vocational Education of Australian Students and Its Enlightenment

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lifelong education theory as a guide to expand the

scope of the concept of vocational education. It

incorporates the production line workers, laid-off

workers, to-be-employed workers into continual

education and higher vocational education. It makes

the higher vocational colleges to become social

workers’ lifelong learning place, middle vocational

education, higher vocational education,

undergraduate and postgraduate education will be

gradually linked while improving the students’

training mode of higher vocational education.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Currently, China’s higher vocational education is in

constant development and exploration stage of

change. It is necessary to learn from the advanced

experience and modes of foreign vocational

education. Through the analysis on the vocational

education mode of Australian students, precious

experience can be provided for China’s development

of vocational education development. It is helpful to

explore a suitable training mode of China’s

vocational education in line with the needs of

society and economic development.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work funded by Federation of Supply and

Marketing Cooperatives on 2013 special study of

vocational education project in China, "Lifelong

Education Vocational Education’s System

Construction under the guidance of Supply and

Marketing Cooperatives”, with Project Number:

GX1329; Zhejiang Provincial Education

Department’s research project "Middle and higher

vocational automotive technical services’

convergence with marketing studies’ curriculum

system " funding. Project number: Y201327904.

REFERENCES

Jiao Hongli. Australian Vocational Education Training

Mode and Enlightenment. Journal of National

Education Administration College, 2012, 4: 92-95.

Li Zuozhang. Construction of Australian Universities and

Vocational Education and Enlightenment to China.

Chinese Vocational and Technical Education,

2011,300: 76-79.

Wu Shuang. Comparison and Enlightenment of Chinese

and Australian Vocational Education Modes. Joint

Journal of Tianjin Vocational College, 2012, 10: 25-

27.

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