Researchers recognise the importance of investigating the experience of training users and contributors to regional partnerships; however, identifying research participants through the VET sector may overlook the contribution of potential VET users and enterprise outliers’ who ‘VET have yet to connect with the sector. VET outliers are those individuals or groups with concerns about VET issues, but who are not currently involved with a VET provider or VET partnership arrangement. Waterhouse, Virgona and Brown (2006) researched four case study sites suggested by the Victorian Local Governance Association (p.11). Unlike the other studies, their selection of case study sites was based on town or city learning communities rather than on particular institutional educational sites. Consequently, the researchers were better able to access data unmediated through formal education provision. In an effort to capture the voices of provider personnel, end-users and VET outliers, the researchers in this project deliberately targeted a regional network of voluntary community service groups with no formal links to the VET sector. Typical members of the groups include tradespeople, professionals, educational practitioners, parents of students, VET students, employers and utility services workers, and local government representatives, to name but a few. The random membership of the groups was intended to garner a comprehensive overview of regional perceptions of VET provision. Methodology The research focuses on one region as a case study site and builds on the methodologies and conclusions offered by the five studies discussed in the previous section. Data were gathered through focus groups and semi-structured individual and group interviews. In addition to discussion of mechanisms’ and their operation within vocational education contexts in ‘non-market a defined rural area, a critical assessment of recent rural and regional vocational education literature provided a project context and research rationale. Further desktop research and site visits provided publicly accessible data on a range of training providers and users. A case study approach We have made use of a single site, the Riverina Region, in order to develop an in-depth profile of community and VET provider interaction. The concentrated utilisation of focus groups, one-on-one and small-group interviews with local government officers, public and private vocational education providers, schools, business advisory groups, primary producers and voluntary community groups gives a complex and detailed picture of a region, one that is not available to research conducted in multiple regional sites. Allison, Gorringe and Lacey (2006, p.19), for example, remark that had ‘we
Researchers recognise the importance of investigating the experience of training users and contributors to regional partnerships; however, identifying research participants through the VET sector may overlook the contribution of potential VET users and enterprise ‘VET outliers’ who have yet to connect with the sector. VET outliers are those individuals or groups with concerns about VET issues, but who are not currently involved with a VET provider or VET partnership arrangement. Waterhouse, Virgona and Brown (2006) researched four case study sites suggested by the Victorian Local Governance Association (p.11). Unlike the other studies, their selection of case study sites was based on town or city learning communities rather than on particular institutional educational sites. Consequently, the researchers were better able to access data unmediated through formal education provision. In an effort to capture the voices of provider personnel, end-users and VET outliers, the researchers in this project deliberately targeted a regional network of voluntary community service groups with no formal links to the VET sector. Typical members of the groups include tradespeople, professionals, educational practitioners, parents of students, VET students, employers and utility services workers, and local government representatives, to name but a few. The random membership of the groups was intended to garner a comprehensive overview of regional perceptions of VET provision. Methodology The research focuses on one region as a case study site and builds on the methodologies and conclusions offered by the five studies discussed in the previous section. Data were gathered through focus groups and semi-structured individual and group interviews. In addition to discussion of ‘non-market mechanisms’ and their operation within vocational education contexts in a defined rural area, a critical assessment of recent rural and regional vocational education literature provided a project context and research rationale. Further desktop research and site visits provided publicly accessible data on a range of training providers and users. A case study approach We have made use of a single site, the Riverina Region, in order to develop an in-depth profile of community and VET provider interaction. The concentrated utilisation of focus groups, one-on-one and small-group interviews with local government officers, public and private vocational education providers, schools, business advisory groups, primary producers and voluntary community groups gives a complex and detailed picture of a region, one that is not available to research conducted in multiple regional sites. Allison, Gorringe and Lacey (2006, p.19), for example, remark that had ‘we