Lifelong Learning, Graduate Capabilities and Workplace Learning

In vocational education and training systems, the importance of generic skills, such as communication, problem solving, planning and organising, innovation, working with others, employability and self-management, are being foregrounded in policy discussions. A number of research projects have been funded, at Federal and State/ Territory level to explore and gain consensus on the recognition of employability skills. The most notable of these is the joint program undertaken by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Council of Australia to define the employability skills (ACCI & BCA 2002) and consequential projects funded by the Australian National Training Authority and the Australian Department of Education, Science and Technology to develop models for discussion (including Down 2003a; Curtin 2004; Julian 2004).