Enterprise & Career Education Foundation (ECEF) - Australia

Source: Enterprise & Career Education Foundation (ECEF)

• Overview
• Enterprise and Career Education
  • Enterprise Education
  • Career Education
  • Structured Workplace Learning
• Funding
• Current Initiatives
• Outcomes

Overview

The Enterprise & Career Education Foundation (ECEF) is a key national body helping young Australians move successfully from school to work. It helps young people make the right career choices, and achieve their full potential in life through new vocational education and training initiatives that are reshaping the traditional school system.

Established in January 2001 by the Commonwealth Government, ECEF operates on the belief that learning is not limited to the classroom. We work closely with education, government and industry to encourage a shared responsibility for providing young people with education and training experiences that match the changing nature of the workplace.

A key success to date has been the development of more than 260 industry-specific programs across Australia that combine classroom learning with structured on-the-job training. Building on this success, ECEF is focussed on helping young people gain the broader enterprise and employability skills, and greater career awareness that will help them successfully manage personal and work opportunities throughout life.

The staff at ECEF comprises experts from the fields of education, industry, policy development and research. ECEF builds on the successes of its predecessor, the Australian Student Traineeship Foundation (ASTF) which was formed in 1994 to establish closer links between schools and industry for the development of structured on-the-job training programs.

Enterprise and Career Education

Enterprise and career education represents a range of new education and training initiatives that are reshaping Australian schooling and better preparing young people for the world of work.

These initiatives break through the boundaries of classroom learning. They provide students with new experiences such as industry-specific on-the-job training, and education in career and enterprise awareness.

There are a number of ways that ECEF works with young people to assist in their enterprise and career education. They include:

Enterprise Education

Enterprise Education focusses on developing broader competencies that underpin the industry-specific skills gained from SWL. Enterprise Education helps young people develop skills and attributes that allow them to be innovative and to identify, initiate and successfully manage personal and work opportunities, including working for themselves. Enterprise Education is appropriate for all young people from as early as kindergarten, through to primary and secondary school.

The modes of thinking and behaviour that are developed through Enterprise Education enable young people to adapt readily to changing demands of industry and society.

Career Education

Career Education encourages the development of knowledge, skills and attributes that will help students make informed decisions about their life study and/or work options and enable them to effectively participate in working life. Career Education occurs through a planned program of learning in educational and training settings, and encompasses:

• Learning about the world of work and its changing nature
• Learning about the general expectations of employers and the demands of the workplace
• Helping young people understand their own interests, abilities, weaknesses, desires and values
• Developing an awareness of career options and alternative pathways available
• Understanding the decision-making processes that can be applied in making career choices

Structured Workplace Learning

Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) involves on-the-job training that is integrated with classroom learning delivered at a school or another learning organisation. SWL provides students with the opportunity to acquire industry-specific knowledge, skills and experience in the workplace before they leave school. SWL is offered within the framework of the education system (schools, TAFE Colleges and other private Registered Training Organisations) so that the tasks a student completes within the workplace can contribute to a senior secondary school certificate and/or an industry recognised qualification. The length of SWL can vary from 5 to 40 days per year, depending on the student, program and school.

• Develop key competencies relevant to the workplace
• Gain knowledge and a good understanding of employer expectations in relation to modelling workplace behaviour and presentation
• Test career choices before leaving school
• Gain confidence and enhance communication skills through learning in an adult environment
• Gain industry recognised qualifications that can form the basis of further learning

Funding

ECEF funding for the coordination of structured workplace learning programs in 2002 is $10.934 million. Over 260 programs will receive financial support in 2002.

The $10,934 million allocated in 2002 is part of the Commonwealth Government's commitment to Structured Workplace Learning over the next four years, 2002-2005 (over $43 million).

The 2002 allocation represents on overall indexation increase of 5.9% over the total level of coordination funding available in 2001.

Essentially, 2002 is viewed as a transitional year while the ECEF Board reviews its strategic plan and explores the most appropriate business model for the future in line with its broader mandate.

ECEF is committed to delivering these initiatives to enhance the organisation goals. These initiatives may range for a few months to years in duration.

ECEF is working with the Australian College of Education on four separate projects which focus on building the teaching profession to support vocational learning.

ECEF is conducting an investigation into views of young people regarding their experience and satisfaction with Structured Workplace Learning, career education, and enterprise education during their senior school years. Vocational Education and learning in its entirety is being looked at with a focus on SWL. The project arose from the recognition that little research has been conducted in this area and that ECEF (as ASTF) has consulted other stakeholders of SWL, including parents and employers, but has not yet consulted the students themselves.

The aim of the National Youth Commitment (NYC) Project is to build on existing initiatives and work with community partnerships. That work is focused on providing an opportunity for young people to develop the basic skills and capacities to cope with the demands of the 'new' labour market and social environment.

In conjunction with the three national Principals' Associations, the APAPDC, ANTA, DETYA and the Secretariat of the MCEETYA Transition from School Taskforce, ECEF is working on a national professional development strategy for Principals around the New Framework

ECEF is embarking on a project that will test the feasibility of developing a self-assessment tool (or tools) that aligns with the New Framework policy.

Developed for Australian Indigenous students, the Wadu program addresses the need for culturally relevant education particularly in Years 9 and 10 and in post-compulsory schooling.

ECEF's disability initiative was launched in November 2000 to increase opportunities for school students with a disability to participate in structured workplace learning (SWL).

The Targeted Industry Project uses ECEF's expertise in brokering partnerships between industry and education to assist business in planning for the future, while furthering the career prospects of Australia's youth.

ECEF's Corporate Business Service initiative means that businesses can access the benefits inherent in enterprise and career education.

Outcomes

In May and November of each year, ECEF asks program coordinators to provide information about the numbers of students and employers participating in each program. The student and employer numbers provided in May are projected figures whereas the November figures are actuals. These figures are then analysed and formally

Data is collected in May about the destinations of the students who took part in the program during the previous year.

Summary information for school leavers in 2000 is available below.

ECEF has surveyed school leavers in 2000 who participated in structured workplace learning (SWL) programs funded by ECEF to find out how many went on to full-time or part-time work, full-time study or other study combinations.

This is a preliminary analysis only. A full analysis will be undertaken by ECEF shortly. As can be seen from the table, from 1999 to 2000 there has been an increase in the proportions of SWL school leavers going into part-time work, and a small drop in full time work and study. There has also been an increase in registered unemployed. However, the proportion of SWL students who go on to full-time work or full time study is still very high.

Outcomes of SWL students by industry
The table below compares the destinations of students who studied different industry areas. Automotive, Building & Construction, and Metal/ Engineering/ Science have the highest proportion of SWL students going on to full time work. Students taking Arts/Media/Printing, Business/Finance, IT and Office are more likely to go on to full time study.

This survey was undertaken by the coordinators of ECEF-funded programs who collected "destination" information in May 2001 from students in their program who left school in 2000. A total of 9,588 usable questionnaires were completed, up from 8,249 for 1999 school leavers. There is a possibility of some bias caused by the difficulty of collecting information from students who have already left school. The proportion of surveys returned varied between and within each state, program and industry, and between 1999 and 2000.

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