The psychological contract in apprenticeships and traineeships : differing perceptions

As with any contract of employment, the mutual expectations of the employer and the apprentice/trainee are very important. Apprenticeships and traineeships have greater expectations than other employment contracts of employment because of the training component of the contract. This paper reports on some of the findings of a major NCVER-funded national project examining mutual expectations in apprenticeships and traineeships through the concept of the psychological contract. The paper focuses on the differences between employers and apprentices/trainees, in the expectations each party has of the other and in the extent to which the expectations are perceived to have been met.<br /

Infants, Too, are Global Perceivers (Commentary on T.A. Stoffregen and B.G. Bardy, On Specification and the Senses)

Infants are global perceivers. They detect patterns in stimulation that allow detection of many affordances of the environment. Pick-up of structural patterns across forms of ambient energy awaits maturation of sensory systems and improvements in motor skill, but development proceeds rapidly during the first year. Researchers in perceptual development must devise and refine existing tools to examine infants’ abilities

Work readiness in graduate recruitment and selection : a review of current assessment methods

Graduate recruitment and selection differs from other contexts in that graduate applicants generally lack job-related experience. Recent research has highlighted that employers are placing increasing value on graduates being work ready. Work readiness is believed to be indicative of graduate potential in terms of long term job performance and career advancement. A review of the literature has found that current graduate recruitment and selection practices lack the rigour and construct validity to effectively assess work readiness. In addition, the variety of interchangeable terms and definitions articulated by employers and academics on what constitutes work readiness suggests the need to further refine this construct. This paper argues that work readiness is an important selection criterion, and should be examined systematically in the graduate assessment process, as a construct in itself. The ineffectiveness of current assessment methods in being able to measure work readiness supports the need to develop a specific measure of work readiness that will allow more effective decision practices and potentially predict long term job capacity and performance.<br /

Enterprise registered training organisations : research project funded by Australian Research Council and ERTOA : final report : executive summary

This is an overview of a national research project which set out to evaluate the benefits, challenges and outcomes for all stakeholders of the delivery of vocational education and training (VET) qualifications by Enterprise RTOs (ERTOs). The project had three main research questions: • What are the benefits and challenges for companies associated with training through their own ERTO? • What are the benefits and challenges for workers associated with ERTOs? • What is the equivalence of workplace-delivered qualifications among companies and with qualifications delivered in educational institutions? The project aimed to be of benefit at several levels as described below: • For workers, the research set out to examine whether the availability of qualifications through ERTOs offers the chance of a high-quality qualification and improved career prospects and life chances. • For companies, the research hoped to provide firm evidence about the outcomes for their workers and quality features of their training compared with other companies and with institutional-based qualifications. • For industries and for Australia, the research set out to build an evidence base about the efficacy of this type of training, to assist in the shaping of government policy

The psychological contract in apprenticeships and traineeships : comparing the perceptions of employees and employers

This paper compares the perceptions of Australian apprentices/trainees and employers of apprentices/trainees in relation to the psychological contract: the unwritten mutual expectations employers and employees have of each other. A random sample of apprentices and trainees (N = 219) and employers of apprentices and trainees (N = 262) from Victoria and Queensland, Australia completed surveys. Information was collected about perceived employer, employee and training obligations and how well they had been met. Overall it was found that apprentices/trainees and employers rated similar individual employer, employee and training obligations as being the most and least important. Training obligations were perceived by both parties as being the most important obligations overall. Differences between the groups mainly related to perceptions of the extent to which obligations were met, particularly employer obligations. Despite significant differences, the overall mean ratings suggest that the psychological contract is being met well for both parties. Implications of the research for psychological contracts and for apprenticeships/traineeships are discussed.C

Promoting the health and well being of older carers : a proactive strategy

Research has indicated that carers are concerned about their ageing status, their deteriorating health and their ability to continue to care for their dependants. Given that the health care system will become increasingly reliant on carers the health care needs of carers should be a concern for all health care professionals. This paper describes the first stage of a project designed to enhance older carers health promotion knowledge and skills and improve their health promoting behaviours. This stage investigated the mental and physical health status of older carers. It also sought information on older carers\u27 levels of participation in health related and social activities and identification of barriers to participation in these types of activities. The results highlighted that carers responding to the survey experienced compromised physical and mental health. Many carers reported being unable to participate in social and health-type activities as they were unable to leave the care recipient. Of note, is that carers identified their own mental fragility and felt they needed further emotional support.<br /

Understanding the psychological contract in apprenticeships and traineeships to improve retention

Attrition in apprenticeships and traineeships is an ongoing concern for employers and government alike, with completion standing at around 50% on average. One possible explanation for this high attrition rate that there is mismatch between the respective expectations of apprentices/trainees and employers. This research use the concept of psychological contract, that is, the perceived mutual obligations betweens employers and employees of themselves and each other, to test this explanation