Using Training Indicators To Improve Planning for Vocational Education and Training.

A proposal has been made that calls for the development and use of training indicators to improve planning for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. The idea behind the proposal is to develop indicators to inform policymakers and providers in Australia about changes in the nature of training demand flowing from demographic changes and labor market adjustments related to new areas of training demand or related to industries undergoing restructuring because of changes occurring in the economy. The term "training indicators" is taken to mean functional suites of quantitative and qualitative indicators of current or future VET supply and demand and potentially includes economic, social, labor market, training, and other indicators that governments, enterprises, training providers, or individuals may bring together to guide decisions about investments for skill training, especially at the industry, occupational, regional, and course levels. A selection of nine training demand indicators for a nominal industry (e.g., output and productivity) and seven training supply indicators for a nominal industry (e.g., VET funding and trends), discipline, or field of study were proposed along with nine derived measures for comparing demand to supply. The indicators were offered as suitable measures to assess prospects and performance in a VET system under policy and resource stresses. (MN)