elearning for apprentices in the stainless steel industry

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e-learning for apprentices in the stainless steel
industry
Richard Matheson
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Workforce Development Strategy

• Until 2008, no formalised strategy
• Organisation approach - not collaborative
  industry
• Funding has paved the way for an ASSDA Workforce
  Development Strategy
• The Strategy outlines 5 Key Focus Areas

• That there are enough people in the workforce
• That there are appropriate skills in the
  workforce
• That people in the workforce are retained
• That skills and knowledge are retained
• That there are appropriate measures to identify
  and deal with future workforce gaps

A collaborative approach
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E-learning and Workforce Development Plan

• The second key focus area of the workforce
  development plan deals with ensuring there are
  appropriate skills in the workforce.
• To do this we need to ensure

• Training structures for apprentices are
  appropriate, evolving and meet industry needs
• Accelerated pathways
• Continuing education for further skills
  development of existing workforce

e-learning and workforce
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Training structures for apprentices are
appropriate, evolving and meet industry needs

• Training structures need to include a range of
  delivery methods to ensure all preferred learning
  techniques are offered
• Relevant delivery results in higher completion
  rates and therefore appropriate skills in the
  workforce
• There is increasing movement of trade teachers
  towards working in alternative spaces (i.e.
  online learning)

e-learning and workforce
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Accelerated Pathways

• Offers appropriate and current outcomes but in
  less time
• Results in higher completion rates
• Blended learning development pathways for
  apprentices and existing trade staff - the use
  of e-learning resources as valid alternatives to
  traditional training methods supports accelerated
  learning

e-learning and workforce
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Continuing education for further skills
development of existing workforce

• e-learning makes continuing or further training
  more desirable to organisations because employees
  dont need to leave the workplace
• They can also do the training in their own time -
  options
• Skills and knowledge continue to develop whilst
  productivity losses are minimised
• This also aids in ensuring people are retained in
  the workforce

e-learning and workforce
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The project drive e-learning into the stainless
steel industry to improve efficiency and the
quality of workers throughout the
industry apprentices are a key

• Australian Stainless Steel Development
  Association
• e-learning resources for the stainless steel
  industry globally
• Industry Partners
• accredited fabricators, expertise and stainless
  "culture"
• industry leading supply houses, e-learning use
  and diffusion capability
• RTO Partner
• SkillsTech Australia - e-learning resources and
  expertise and broad influence in Queensland TAFE

partners
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Changes

• Individual business level - so far TIG Welding.
  Pathways to effect more change
• Some organisations who completed the online
  survey are now trying e-learning for the first
  time
• Industry sector level - national Accreditation
  scheme is now linked to training. They must train
  to retain currency which means best practice
  fabricators and also most trained.

change to e-learning
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Funding

• Workforce Development Strategy
• Online Concept Survey
• Mapping of 8 modules to MEM05
• Industry Consultations - face to face
• E-learning user testing
• Diffusion
• Learning Development pathways
• Initial intake of apprentices in 1a of the MEM
  package for sheetmetal
• Successful feedback as we move towards 1b

2008/9 achievements
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E-learning Pathway and Mapping Guide for Metal
Fabrication (Sheet Metal)
Completed work
Continuing Work

• Training plan
• Resources mapped to
• Competency elements
• Performance criteria
• Essential knowledge and skills
• Working Group established
• Concept Pathway developed
• Establishment of E-Learning pathway pilot (1a)

• Mapping of other existing resources
• Source or build gap resources
• Mapping of workplace learning pathway
• Mapping assessment
• Evaluation of pilot
• Pilot report

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E-Learning Pilot TIG Welding Underpinning
Knowledge Training using ASSDA Resources
Key Results
Lessons Learned

• 80 found the system easy to use
• 80 found the information easy to understand
• 50 of students enjoyed using the learning object
  and a further 20 were undecided

• Suited to 1st year apprentices
• Download speeds must be fast for a positive
  experience
• Technical assistance needs to be available
  initially
• Students are highly critical of information
  presented if appears to conflict with workplace
  practice

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Learning Pathway
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Initial apprenticeship intake

• initial intake of 12 apprentices (no pilot)
• down from 20 - GFC
• 1a theory is all e-learning but conducted ,so
  far, partly supervised
• feedback - excellent
• 1b will start in June - e-learning in the
  workplace
• risks student self motivation and initiative
• workplace allocation of time
• solution workplace and TAFE provided mentors
• Gap training
• allocation of 3 week block at conclusion of year
  1 to cover potential e-learning and workplace gaps

conservative approach
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Initial apprenticeship intake

• Some points of (minor) conflict
• Student numbers
• flexible delivery and industrial relations
• accrual of learning to competencies in future
  years - who gets the money?
• Some interesting benefits
• elimination of intake date
• trade trainer converts
• new employer internal focus required

useful points
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Future of "e-pprenticeship" training

• Commitments from
• ASSDA
• SkillsTech
• Industry Partners
• for years 2 and 3
• It will be demanded by students now also
• Challenge Migration to other States
• Results numbers seem modest BUT the structure is
  now in place to have substantial impact beyond
  SEQ and year 1.

e-learning growth
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Increasing demand for e-learning from business

• TIG Welding module in demand and now widely used
• Learning development pathway for 1st year
  apprentices completed and operating
• 2009 will see similar pathways for 2nd and 3rd
  year apprentices as well as ongoing training for
  existing trade qualified staff

The future
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Anticipated growth in business provider
partnerships

• SkillsTech Australia, ASSDA and industry working
  closer than ever before (eg LDP working group)
• Sunshine Coast TAFE is now working with ASSDA to
  ensure e-learning resources developed complement
  each other - they have built 3 assets and are
  working on a further 3
• Other state TAFEs will be engaged once the
  learning pathways are completed
• WA TAFE and SkillsTech already have an MoU around
  resources sharing

partnership growth
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Industry Sector Funding
Thank you