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This book of readings on innovation was commissioned by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and looks at the relationship between skills, innovation and industry. In November 2010, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) held a forum in Sydney on the relationship between innovation and skills which explored many of the concepts addressed in this book of readings. Other researchers in the area have also contributed to chapters in this book. The authors offer a variety of views on innovation and its relevance. While the authors view innovation from differing perspectives, they all implicitly acknowledge the importance of innovation to productivity. This volume contains the following papers: (1) Overview (Penelope Curtin and John Stanwick); (2) Innovation in the modern economy (John Rice); (3) What skills are relevant to innovation? (John Stanwick and Francesca Beddie); (4) Building up the innovative capabilities of workers (Ludger Deitmer); (5) Neuroplasticity and its application for skills in innovative workplaces (David Rumsey); (6) Why firms innovate and what it means for VET (Josie Misko and Lisa Nechvoglod); (7) The role of education and skills in Australian management practice and productivity (Renu Agarwal and Roy Green); (8) Building innovation capacity: the role of human capital formation in enterprises (Andrew Smith, Jerry Courvisanos, Jacqueline Tuck and Steven McEachern); (9) Capabilities, innovation and performance: an assessment using Australian data (Peter Fieger and John Rice); (10) Tradespeople and technicians in innovation (Phillip Toner); (11) VET and the diffusion and implementation of innovation in the mining, solar energy and computer games sectors (Robert Dalitz, Phillip Toner and Tim Turpin); and (12) Some thoughts on VET and innovation: an economic perspective (Tom Karmel). Individual papers contain tables, figures, footnotes and references.

This book of readings was commissioned to enable a better understanding of the past, present and future role of the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector in business innovation. This collection considers what the innovation process in business means for Australian workers and identifies the contributions of the VET system. International comparisons offer insights into those elements missing or under-emphasized in the current Australian innovation system. Finally, strategies to enable the VET sector to engage with business innovation are illustrated through examples. The following are included in this document: (1) Overview (Hugh Guthrie and Susan Dawe); (2) The engagement of vocational education and training and innovation in Australia: Some historical perspectives (Richard Pickersgill); (3) Innovation and vocational education and training: Lessons from leading national innovation systems (Richard Curtain); (4) How businesses innovate today and what that means for the workforce (Grant Kearney); (5) Innovation, economic growth and vocational education and training (Bob Bennett, Donald Brunker, and Rowena Hodges); (6) Innovation agents: Vocational education and training skills in the present and future Australian innovation system (Phillip Toner, Jane Marceau, Richard Hall, and Gillian Considine); (7) Vocational education and training and the commercialisation of Australian research (Karen Whittingham, Frances Ferrier, and Clifford Trood); (8) Training needs of innovative companies (Josie Misko, John Saunders, and Davinia Woods); (9) Stimulating the demand for skills within skillecosystems (Leslie Loble and Paul Williams); (10) How vocational education and training providers are working innovatively with industry (Victor J. Callan); (11) Vocational education and training engaging with emerging industries: Opportunity analysis model (Andrew Lindhjem and John Royle); (12) Tackling emergent needs: The Applied Technology Framework project (Catherine M. Down); (13) Innovation at Kangan Batman TAFE: From product development to change management (Russell Browne, Stephen O'Sullivan, and Tess Julian); (14) Central TAFE innovation: Positioning a TAFE college in the knowledge economy environment (Kevin Chennell); and (15) Vocational education and training engaging with emerging technology: The Liberated Learning Project consortium (Di Paez, Michaela Wilkes, and Mary Gurgone). (Individual papers contain references.)