About the research Work, life and VET participation amongst lower-paid workers Barbara Pocock, Natalie Skinner, Catherine McMahon and Suzanne Pritchard, Centre for Work + Life, University of South Australia The factors that influence the participation in vocational education and training (VET) of low- and low-paid workers were the focus of substantial research undertaken by the Centre for Work + Life at the University of South Australia from 2008 to 2010. This report is the culmination of that program. While education and training are viewed positively by many low-paid workers, their aspirations are diverse and vary by gender, life stage and educational and work histories. They often face constrained opportunities for improving their circumstances, and VET is not a panacea for the many issues they face. Key messages Training for low-paid workers needs to be of high quality, genuinely relevant and essential to the job, and deliver real and up-to-date outcomes. Insufficient time can compromise the quality of training. Setting targets for qualification levels across the population will add to the pressures facing low-paid workers without necessarily improving their circumstances or productivity. Lower-paid workers are more likely to be in small firms with flat employment structures. They have fewer resources to cushion work–life pressures. Positive rates of return on qualifications are often small or non-existent. Low-paid workers are often undertaking training to retain their job, not for career progression or higher pay. Institutional settings matter a great deal to the realisation of aspirations and the opportunity for second, third and even fourth chances at education. These institutions include labour market structures, workplaces, VET organisations, unions, the family and the welfare system. The issues of enough time, enough money and appropriate teaching and learning emerge as vital to successful VET engagement and outcomes for those in low-paid occupations. Problems with literacy are widespread. Good pastoral support is of crucial importance. The overall message is that training can lead to the acquisition of new skills that are rewarded in the labour market, but not necessarily so. When training increases the time and money demands on workers but without generating genuine new skills or better prospects for them, then it can make things worse for low-paid workers by falsely raising expectations. Tom Karmel Managing Director, NCVER
About the research Work, life and VET participation amongst lower-paid workers Barbara Pocock, Natalie Skinner, Catherine McMahon and Suzanne Pritchard, Centre for Work + Life, University of South Australia The factors that influence the participation in vocational education and training (VET) of and low-paid workers were the focus of substantial research undertaken by the Centre for Work + Life at the University of South Australia from 2008 to 2010. This report is the culmination of that program. While education and training are viewed positively by many low-paid workers, their aspirations are diverse and vary by gender, life stage and educational and work histories. They often face constrained opportunities for improving their circumstances, and VET is not a panacea for the many issues they face. Key messages Training for low-paid workers needs to be of high quality, genuinely relevant and essential to the job, and deliver real and up-to-date outcomes. Insufficient time can compromise the quality of training. Setting targets for qualification levels across the population will add to the pressures facing low-paid workers without necessarily improving their circumstances or productivity. Lower-paid workers are more likely to be in small firms with flat employment structures. They have fewer resources to cushion work–life pressures. Positive rates of return on qualifications are often small or non-existent. Low-paid workers are often undertaking training to retain their job, not for career progression or higher pay. Institutional settings matter a great deal to the realisation of aspirations and the opportunity for second, third and even fourth chances at education. These institutions include labour market structures, workplaces, VET organisations, unions, the family and the welfare system. The issues of enough time, enough money and appropriate teaching and learning emerge as vital to successful VET engagement and outcomes for those in low-paid occupations. Problems with literacy are widespread. Good pastoral support is of crucial importance. The overall message is that training can lead to the acquisition of new skills that are rewarded in the labour market, but not necessarily so. When training increases the time and money demands on workers but without generating genuine new skills or better prospects for them, then it can make things worse for low-paid workers by falsely raising expectations. Tom Karmel Managing Director, NCVER low-
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