Training in Australia What is the state of training and development research generally in Australia? What do researchers suggest is required to improve the importance of training and development for Australian businesses both large and/or Seems (Small to medium Size Enterprises)? Within the complex environment of training and development there exists the resounding need for constant progression and growth.
This process is extremely important as if this growth does not occur then enterprises will fall behind within the competitive Australian market. Currently there is the common belief that Australia is behind other developed countries in training and development research, however researchers suggest methods to improve the importance of training and development for Australian businesses. These methods will be discussed in detail. Before analyzing training and development within Australia the two concepts must first be defined.
Desert et al (2007) defines training as the process of providing employees with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they require to successfully complete their current Job. Development is a similar concept which provides the knowledge, skills and attitudes employees will require performing Jobs that aspire to in the future (p. 256-257). Training and development are an important aspect of the human resource management cycle. Employees are the most valuable asset within an organization and through the continual training and development of these assets organizations can further strengthen, becoming more effective and efficient.
Currently there is a strong belief in Australian training circles that Australia is a poor performer by international standards in the provision of training (Smith 2006, 252). This argument is furthered by Smith and Smith (2007) who presented research carried out in the mid sass examining the state of employer training in Australia and found that although employers were doing a lot of training it tended to be disjointed, unfocused and UN-strategic (p. 267). Basically there was no link to training process and the goals of organizations.
Smith and Smith (2007) believe that the responsibility for training in this period was being passed down to the individual worker and managers were abandoning training programs in favor of a more individualistic approach (p. 267). In line with this Hough Dowling and Smith (2001) have identified the importance manager’s play in the role of training and development within Australian business. This gives reason for why training and development is disjointed within the business sector.
The overwhelming tattletales Eyelash Day managers are teen are looking Tort snort snap training programs that would pay off with immediate results (p. 160). This leads to quick fix training and does not allow managers to look at the bigger picture and what will be good for enterprises in the long term. Recent studies conducted by Smith (2006) tracking the development of employer raining in Australian enterprises over a ten-year period from 1994 to 2003 have displayed the development of a more strategic approach to training in Australian enterprises over this period (p. 57). It appears that training was beginning to become consolidated to include training, career development and organization development while focusing on the business strategy of the enterprise. The recent research now suggests that it is becoming more integrated within Australian enterprises since the improvements made to the VET scheme in 1997 (Smith 2006, p. 258). In 2003 a research project was carried out examining the extent to which Australian employers were using nationally recognized training (Smith & Billet 2005).
This was an important step and displayed the commitment to improve training and development within Australia. Further studies have subsequently been undertaken to identify the processes needed to improve training and development within Australian enterprises. One such study was conducted by Dowling and Smith who proposed methods for improving training and development within Australian Seems. Dowling and Smith 2001) identified that a deliberate training strategy was important however did recommended that further research into the trend would be required to explore interactions with the strategy and human resource functions (p. 55). Further to that concept when organizations implement training and development programs an overall planning process must occur which takes into account all strategic and operational goals. For this to happen, research must be conducted into how this can be most effectively achieved. Hester (2002) has interestingly analyses the relationship between time and training ND development and discusses the concept of future orientated training (p. 32). The idea is to train and potentially select candidates that have the skills needed for future Jobs and tasks.
The thought being that it enables the employees to be better suited to adapt to future problems. Hester (2002) believes this to be the way forward and that businesses need to adopt this approach to succeed in the future. It is an interesting concept that delves further into the complex world of training and development research within Australia (p. 33). Though initially training was seen as disjointed and unfocused in recent times raining and development has become more structured and is now directed to larger groups rather than Just the individual.
