Guest posting to voced-coord list June 16 - 28, 1997

Item 2 of 10: Richard Sweet (guest)

To: voced-coord@owl.qut.edu.au
From: Richard Sweet
Subject: VocEd: Richard Sweet (guest)
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 22:02:32 +1100

Hello everybody. Janine has asked me to be the list's first on-line guest for the next two weeks, and I am delighted to accept. Among the topics suggested as the focus, one in particular appeals to me. This is "20 arguments for participating in workplace education". It is also very timely, given the debate that has been flowing on the 20 days issue recently.

Over the next few days I will try to post a number of offerings that look at the arguments and benefits from a number of perspectives: the student, the school, the firm, and the community. As far as possible I will try to draw on the research evidence, as well as upon our experience here at the Forum. I will also try to draw on some international comparisons where these might be useful.

Janine has also suggested "Introducing VET in Years 9 and 10" as a topic for discussion, and I wouldn't mind posting a few thoughts on this.

A further topic that I would like to see some debate on is the question of young peoples' employability and what some alternative approaches might be to developing it. How useful, for example, are the key competencies?

Please feel free to post your thoughts at any point over the next two weeks. I will do my best to be prompt in replying!

Richard Sweet
Research Coordinator
Dusseldorp Skills Forum
210 Clarence St
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 267 9222
Fax: (02) 267 7882
e-mail: richard@dsf.org.au