Tag: workplace

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Engaging in continuing education and training: Learning preferences of worker-learners in the health and community services industry

Authors: Sarojni Choy, Stephen Billett and Ann Kelly: Griffith University, Brisbane

Edition: Volume 53, Number 1, April 2013

Summary: Current tertiary education and training provisions are designed mainly to meet the learning needs of those preparing for entry into employment and specific occupations. Yet, changing work, new work requirements, an ageing workforce and the ongoing need for employability across lengthening working lives make it imperative that this educational focus be broadened to include continuing education and training provisions for those already in the workforce. To address this refocusing of the education and training effort, this paper proposes that learning at work, encompassing practice-based experiences supported by both formal and informal workplace arrangements, constitute an effective continuing education and training model for worker-learners in the aged care industry. It draws on data from semi-structured interviews and written responses from 51 workers who show preferences for such a model. Not only do aged care workers like engaging in learning independently and with co-workers and workplace facilitators, they prefer a larger component of courses to be delivered at the work site. The implications of these findings are summarised in this article.

Keywords: continuing education, workforce, workplace, aged-care, worker-learner, work site

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 53_1. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Workplace learning: depression as an ‘undiscussable’ topic in eight information and communications technology organisations in South Australia

Author/s: Lisa Davies

Edition: Volume 48, Number 2, July 2008

Summary: More than 800,000 Australians every year are affected by depression. Despite evidence that depression is manageable, that people can be successfully treated in individually appropriate ways and that earlier identification and treatment are associated with  more rapid recovery, depression appears to be poorly recognised and understood. In this paper, I focus on depression in the workplace. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with human resource managers in eight organisations within the deregulated information and computing technology sector in South Australia. I focus on managers’ ability to access information about depression, and their beliefs about the value of work-based education about the illness. I also report on managers’ understandings of prevailing attitudes towards depression and mental health education in their workplaces. The analysis is conducted within a qualitative, interpretive framework.

Keywords: mental health, depression, workplace, managers, access, information

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Adults’ participation in informal learning activities: Key findings from the adult education participation survey in Taiwan

Author/s:  Horng-Ji Lai and Ming-Lieh Wu, Ai-Tzu Li

Edition: Volume 51, Number 3, November 2011

Summary: This study investigated the informal learning experiences expressed by Taiwanese adults (aged from 16 to 97) and examined their involvement related to selected socio-demographic characteristics. Continue reading “Adults’ participation in informal learning activities: Key findings from the adult education participation survey in Taiwan”

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Informal learning in the workplace: A review of the literature

Author/s: Megan Le Clus

Edition: Volume 51, Number 2, July 2011

Summary: In the last few decades, the workplace has been increasingly recognised as a legitimate environment for learning new skills and knowledge, which in turn enables workers to participate more effectively in ever-changing work environments. Continue reading “Informal learning in the workplace: A review of the literature”