Learning, Life and Work

Vocational Education and Training Research Forum

Wellington 20 October 2015

Anne Alkema, Heather McDonald, Nicky MurrayHeathrose Research

The Team Collaborative partnership◦ITF◦ITOs◦Ako Aotearoa

Project TeamReference GroupResearchers

Why this research?2013 five-year completion rates:◦36% of trainees◦50% of apprentices

Literature lacks the non-completing trainee voice – they are more talked ‘about’ than talked ‘to’

To find out from non-completers’ themselves why they did not complete their qualifications

Research ApproachWhat factors/reasons contribute to the non-

completion of level 3 and 4 qualificationsHow are these factors enacted in practice?◦ Literature Scan (39)◦Screening Survey (488)◦ ITO non-completion data (11,989)◦Qualitative phone interviews (114)◦ Inductive analysis

Literature Scan Themes

Personal

SystemEmployer

What we’re going to cover:

Who are the traineesWhat was their work and training

experience likeWhy was their training interruptedWhat do they think would have helpedThe scope for preventing interruptionsDoes non-completion matter

114 Trainees273 of 488 who completed screening

tool agreed to be interviewedSystematic sampling used with 3 ITOs

who had high responses rates Over sampling of Māori and PasifikaTarget of 154; achieved 114Overall sample aligns with 2014 non-

completion data from 7 of the ITOs

The trainees

15-19 years

20-24 years

25-29 years

30-34 years

35-39 years

40-49 years

50+ years

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

NZ Eu-ropean/Pakeha

Māori Pasifika Asian Other0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

7 ITOs (N=11,989)

Interviewees (n=113)

Age

Ethnicity

Before and after training

Same place, same job

Same industry, different place

Different industry

Same place, different job

Studying

Not working, not looking for paid work

Looking for another job

Not working

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Now Before

Starting out80% were motivated70% did not require qual for job◦Reasons: get ahead; prepare for future;

skill recognition60% with employers who thought

quals and training importantLiterature - varied views on whether it

is whole quals or skills that employers want

The workplace90% reasonable relationships with

employers64% felt valued at work

Well treated, well trained. Very busy for me, but I work better under pressure. Worried me at first, but I got into it. I prefer to work in a busy salon. (M, 30-35, Pasifika)

Understaffed at times. Long hours - often asked to stay on for extra shifts and were under pressure to take them on. Stressful sometimes although that depended on who my co-workers were. (F, 30-35, Pākehā)

Pay rates43% - get a pay increase on

completionUnhappy that it [pay] was not much and so not that keen to do the training which took extra time and wasn’t that useful for me personally.

(M, 20-24, Māori)

Offered more money if I did [complete]. But money’s not really important to me. It’s about making sure the clients are happy – and feel good. It makes me feel good. (M, 30-35, Pasifika)

Learning at workLearnt on the job – lacked structureAround 40% actively shown what to

do or given opportunity to practiseWork is like work, there is nothing training about it. Showed how to use the machine - did a good job showing us and we just got on with it. Filled in folders as we went. (M, 35-39, Pasifika)

Most of it I just learned in the course of doing my work – I’m good at asking for help about stuff I don’t know and have lots of mates I can ask at young farmers or in the training courses. I could also ask my boss if I needed to. (M, 25-29, Pākehā)

Training = bookworkAround 50% saw training as the

bookworkAs such learning was self-directed

and in their own time

Learning from your workmates - it is part of the job so not really separate at all. We were just given the book, told to read it and do it, but never shown how to go about doing it and I’m a person who needs to be shown so that’s why I didn’t do it.

(F, 40-49, Pākehā)

Main reasons for non-completion

Personal circumstances

Not enough support

Other

Family commitments

Lost job

Didn't get on with people at work

Not motivated

Moved towns

Not the right sort of training

Found training too hard

Not paid enough

Wanted to try something else

Didn't like the work

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Life!I had health issues because of heavy lifting and had some surgery recently and am just coming out of it now. Not sure what it would be like now that I’ve had the op. I would like to go back to farming when I’ve recovered but would be more picky this time. (M, 35-39, Pākehā)

I lost my Mum in the same year and my brother the year before and then my sister was unwell. At the start I focused on my assignments but in the end my family came first. (F, 40-49, Pasifika)

A lot of coaching and after school activities built up through the year. Also have younger kids so not keen to do study all the time. (F, 40-49, Pākehā)

Dad’s overseas and I’m the man of the house so have to support the family. Had to work extra jobs. ... Had some time to study, but too tired to concentrate … Have moved house now and the rent is down. Have talked to [ITO] and asked to start again. The boss is keen for this too. (M, 20-24, Other)

Lack of support

More support at work and from a one day a month session; more time in work hours; a chance to meet with other trainees. (F, 40-49, Pākehā)

Having some other person that I could have worked with - sometimes I need help. I asked and nothing was ever done. (F, 20-24, Pasifika)

Support for learningOnly 20% described situations of

optimal supportAnother girl quite a bit ahead of me – she would talk to me. The boss was really good. Showed me what he does if there is a heath and safety incident – and what he had to do afterwards. Then I started doing the filing of the health and safety stuff, so it was easy to understand when I went to the course. (F, 20-24, Māori)

I was coordinating the training sessions and we talked together to complete our book work, working in groups to help each other and share ideas and discuss. (M, 50+, Māori)

Main reasons for non-completion

Personal circumstances

Not enough support

Other

Family commitments

Lost job

Didn't get on with people at work

Not motivated

Moved towns

Not the right sort of training

Found training too hard

Not paid enough

Wanted to try something else

Didn't like the work

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

What would have helped?

Someone who had more time at work to train me

Nothing that wasn't already being done

More time for bookwork at work

More support with study/assignments

Someone at work who knew more about how to train me

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

The main ‘helpers’I saw one of the sheet metal workers in the place next door to where I was working and in his training there was much more information about how he was supposed to be progressing and how he was progressing. He seemed to have a lot more support than I got to keep things moving. I felt like I had to make it up myself on the fly. More support from my workplace would definitely have helped. (M, 25-29, Pākehā)

Some capacity to attend tutorials with other trainees and talk with them and some time with the tutor. (F, 50+ Pasifika)

I could have found more time I guess. The paper was a bit more intense. ... I suppose like everything else, more time, some study time or time off would have helped. The ITO was supportive but I've got a huge workload. I'm quite happy I stopped; it was a relief. (M, 50+, Māori)

Distribution and relationship between interruptions to training

Personal25%

Employer 15%

10% 6%

39%

30%

Intervention points

Preventing the interruptionsThe employer:◦Time for book work◦Opportunities to practise◦Capable trainers◦Access to trainers/tutors/peers◦Feedback on learning◦Encouragement for learning

Preventing the interruptionsThe System:◦Good practice administrative processes

Initiation Enrolment Training delivery Assessment Complaints Completion Follow-up

◦Assessment practices

Does qualification completion matter?

For the employer? ◦Yes and no

For the industry?◦Yes

For government?◦Yes

For the trainee?◦Yes and no

Completion v. the training burden

Regret Relief

Drive Diminishes

Burden Increases

Disappointed Cared

Neutral

To hard to keep going

Got on top of me

Not for me

39% 14% 40% 7%

The future …I still want to do it. The family is sorted now - could do it now. Still have the books and look at them. I need a bit more support from the team - a bit more than two hours a week. (F, 40-49, Pākehā)

Not sure what I will do in the future. Wouldn't mind driving trucks and if I change my mind I could do an adult apprenticeship. I told the guys why I stopped and they were gutted but I had made up my mind. (M, 20-24, Māori)

Half way through I realised I didn’t want to do it forever. Loved it, but not lifelong. Another job presented itself and I decided to do it. A better career move. (F, 20-24, Māori)