6356.0 - Employer Training Practices, Australia, Feb 1997  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/03/1998  Ceased
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Overview

TRAINING IN AUSTRALIA

  • During the 12-month period ending February 1997, 61% of all employers provided some training for their employees. More employers provided unstructured training (53%) compared to structured training (35%) with 27% providing both structured and unstructured training. Most Australian employees (92%) worked for an organisation that provided some training in the 12-month period.
  • More than half (53%) of the employers who provided structured training during the year reported increased expenditure on structured training compared with the previous 12 months, while just over a third (36%) of those who provided unstructured training increased their level of unstructured training.


TRAINING PROVIDED IN LAST 12 MONTHS
EMPLOYER SIZE
1-19
employees
20-99
employees
100 or more
employees
All
employers
Type of training
%
%
%
%
Had provided training
Structured training
Training expenditure increased
15
44
63
18
No change in training expenditure
13
22
23
14
Training expenditure decreased
2
5
8
3
Total
30
71
94
35
Unstructured training
Increased level of training
17
33
34
19
No change in level of training
31
51
53
33
Decreased level of training
*1
2
4
1
Total
49
86
91
53
Employers providing training
57
94
99
61
Did not provide training
43
6
*1
39
Total
100
100
100
100
Proportion of all employers
90
8
2
100


FACTORS INCREASING EXPENDITURE ON STRUCTURED TRAINING
  • Technological change was a factor than resulted in increased training expenditure for almost a third (32%) of employers who provided structured training. Over half of those employers (53%) stated it was a factor that increased expenditure compared to the previous 12 months.
  • Changes in management practices or philosophies (25%) was also a significant factor that resulted in employers spending more on structured training. For large employers, the impact of 'regulations or awards' also contributed towards higher expenditure (45%).

FACTORS INCREASING EXPENDITURE ON STRUCTURED TRAINING

Factor
1-19
employees
20-99
employees
100 or more
employees
Employers providing structured training

FACTORS INCREASING TRAINING EXPENDITURE
Reported a factor causing increase
Technological change
28
42
52
32
Availability of external training providers
14
22
16
16
Difficulty in recruiting skilled labour
10
20
13
12
Quality assurance/quality control
17
33
38
21
Enterprise bargaining
2
9
17
4
Competition from business in Australia or overseas
12
11
19
12
Availability of workplace assessors
4
4
10
4
Regulations or awards
13
30
45
18
Restructuring
9
21
34
12
Changes in management practices
21
37
44
25
Reported a factor causing increase
53
69
80
57
Did not report a factor causing increase
47
31
20
43
Total
100
100
100
100


LIMITATIONS TO PROVIDING STRUCTURED TRAINING
  • Employers were asked to indicate whether selected factors limited their expenditure on structured training in the 12-month period ending February 1997. Of the 83% of employers who reported a limitation, over half indicated that their current employees were adequately trained.
  • Employers who provided structured training in the 12-month period were more likely to cite cost (48%) and time constraints (51%) as factors that limited further expenditure on structured training. Both these factors were reported by higher proportions of large employers who provided structured training.


USE OF EXTERNAL PROVIDERS FOR STRUCTURED TRAINING
IN LAST 12 MONTHS
EMPLOYER SIZE
1-19
employees
20-99
employees
100 or more
employees
Employers providing structured training
External training provider
%
%
%
%

EXTERNAL TRAINING PROVIDERS USED MOST OFTEN
Used external training provider
TAFE
30
23
20
28
University
5
**
4
5
Private training providers
16
31
46
20
Professional associations
15
9
8
13
Industry association
7
9
10
8
Equipment manufacturer
10
9
7
10
Other
*5
*7
*2
5
Employers using external
training providers
88
91
97
89
Did not use external providers
12
*9
**
11
Total
100
100
100
100

EXTERNAL PROVIDER USED MOST OFTEN FOR STRUCTURED TRAINING IN LAST 12 MONTHS,
By Reason
EMPLOYER SIZE
Reason for selecting external training provider used most often
1-19
employees
20-99
employees
100 or more employees
Employers who used an external training provider
%
%
%
%

Only suitable provider available
31
30
24
30
Best provider available
39
44
57
40
Expertise not available internally
31
43
61
34
Cost of training course represented value for money
31
34
46
32
Location of training course was convenient
28
34
38
30
Content of training course was suitable
53
63
77
56
Training course was run at a suitable time
28
29
38
29
Favoured method of training delivery
16
21
22
17
Training course was accredited
41
38
44
40
Given opportunity to tailor course to meet own needs
10
21
42
13
Insufficient number of employees
7
*5
10
7
None of these reasons
*4
**
0
*4
Employers providing structured training
100
100
100
100


By employer and employee profile
  • Less than two-thirds (61%) of all employers provided training for the 12 months ending February 1997, whereas most employees (92%) worked for an employer that provided training. When training characteristics are looked at in conjunction with the occupations employed, some occupation groups appear to have greater access to employer provided training.
  • Most employers who employed ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONALS (81%) provided training and the vast majority of ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONALS (96%) worked for an employer that provided training. In contrast, fewer employers who employed LABOURERS AND RELATED WORKERS provided training (66%) and a lower proportion of LABOURERS AND RELATED WORKERS worked for employers that provided training (89%).


TRAINING PROVIDED IN LAST 12 MONTHS

Employers providing structured training
Employer providing unstructured training
Total employers providing training
No training provided
Total
Occupation
%
%
%
%
%

EMPLOYERS(a)
Labourers and related workers
38
59
66
34
100
Production and transport workers
37
63
68
32
100
Clerical sales and service
workers
Elementary
44
58
67
33
100
Intermediate
46
67
74
26
100
Advanced
50
67
76
24
100
All
41
59
68
32
100
Tradespersons and related
workers
48
61
71
29
100
Associate professionals
59
74
81
19
100
Professionals, managers and administrators
48
64
73
27
100
All employers
35
53
61
39
100
EMPLOYEES
Labourers and related workers
72
79
89
11
100
Production and transport workers
78
85
91
9
100
Clerical sales and service
workers
Elementary
77
84
93
7
100
Intermediate
80
86
92
8
100
Advanced
77
85
90
10
100
All
78
85
92
8
100
Tradespersons and related
workers
79
78
90
10
100
Associate professionals
90
87
96
4
100
Professionals, managers and administrators
88
89
94
6
100
All employers
80
84
92
8
100

(a) An employer may be counted more than once depending on the type of occupations employed.

UNSTRUCTURED TRAINING
  • More than half of all employers (53%) provided unstructured training to their employees during the 12 months ending February 1997. For almost half of employers proving unstructured training, this was the only form of training provided (49%).
  • Just over a third of employers who provided unstructured training and also employed LABOURERS AND RELATED WORKERS reported that unstructured training was the only training these employees received. It was the same for ELEMENTARY CLERICAL AND SERVICE WORKERS and PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORT WORKERS.


AMOUNT OF UNSTRUCTURED TRAINING PROVIDED IN LAST 12 MONTHS


Occupation
Nil
Some
(less than half)
Most
(more than half)
All
Total
Employers providing unstructured training(a)
%
%
%
%
%
%

Labourers and related workers
10
26
26
37
100
35
Production and transport workers
17
29
21
33
100
19
Clerical sales and service workers
    • Elementary
7
28
31
34
100
33
    • Intermediate
10
34
25
30
100
47
    • Advanced
15
35
21
28
100
53
Tradespersons and related workers
10
31
32
27
100
35
Associate professionals
19
39
19
23
100
33
Professionals, managers and administrators
22
36
19
24
100
60

(a) Total employers providing unstructured training who indicated that the occupation group was applicable to their organisation.

FACTORS CHANGING THE OPERATIONS OF A BUSINESS
  • Nearly one-third of all employers (32%) reported that the operations of their organisation had significantly changed in the 12 months ended February 1997 with more large employers (74%) undergoing significant change than medium (57%) or small employers (29%).
  • Most employers (88%) who experienced significant change provided training with over half (57%) providing structured training.
TRAINING PROVIDED IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN OPERATIONS OF AN ORGANISATION
Did not
Provided
provide
training
training
Total
Structured
Unstructured
Any training
Significant change in operations
Development of new product/services
56
77
88
12
100
Introduction of new technology
62
85
92
*8
100
Significant capital investment in machinery or equipment to increase productive capacity
54
79
85
*15
100
Restructuring of the organisation/changes in management personnel
64
82
88
12
100
Introduction of new work practices
59
82
90
*10
100
Changes in industrial relations legislation
67
72
82
*18
100
Employers with significant change in operations
57
78
88
12
100
No significant change in operations
24
42
49
51
100
Total
35
53
61
39
100

SYMBOLS AND OTHER USAGES
*The estimate has a relative standard error of between 25% and 40% and should be used with caution.
**Subject to sampling variability too high for most practical purposes; relative standard error greater than 40%
Where figures have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals.