Australian vocational education: learning from past mistakes?

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the management implications of current Australian trends in vocational education. The implications are analysed in terms of governmental policy concerning overall educational goals that managers are expected to secure; the educational paradigm that managers are expected to work within; and the conflicting pressures on educational managers. The top-down management approach to implementation implicit in competency-based training is contrasted with other pressures on educational managers to be more entrepreneurial. The paper draws on learning theory to illustrate the tension between overall governmental goals and the competency-based training paradigm being implemented. A theory of educational change is used to characterise the government's programmed perspective to the implementation of the competency-based training paradigm. Australian trends are contrasted with those in other countries. Implications for managers are summarised, and competing pressures that they must confront are identified. Further research is proposed to examine the effects of these pressures on managers.