Development of integrated strategies and resources for education in companies within the manufacturing sector
Creators: name: Husidic, Suljo
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024

description: This research represents an attempt of a workplace educator to develop strategies and resources for improving the quality of workplace education and training for machine operators and team leaders, who work within the manufacturing sector.<br><br>Development of this research is characterised with the use of practitioner research methodology, which in this case consisted of life history, ethnography and case study. This methodology enabled the researcher to effectively integrate practice and research. This research unfolded through action research processes, which consisted of the following steps:<br><br>o will to act, as the driving force behind this research<br>o action and reasoning in action<br>o reflection on the learning process and learning outcomes<br>o communication and application in new settings.<br><br>This research has shown that the current arrangements for delivery of nationally recognised training in companies within the manufacturing sector has some strategic faults that can further reinforce the existing segregation of the manufacturing sector into feud – like pseudo-educational entities. This research has made a contribution to finding a better way for an effective integration of workplace education and nationally recognised training for machine operators. It has also provided some solutions on how to integrate the manufacturing sector into a more cohesive educational field.<br><br>This exegesis elaborates how the researcher went about identifying factors that affect the quality of workplace education and training within the manufacturing sector. The elaboration is carried through a series of case studies, which show how different factors occur in different settings. Work on each case lead to the development of strategies for management of factors that occur in different settings. Continuous work on strategies for different settings led to the development of strategies that can be implemented across a range of different settings.<br><br>Educational strategies that were developed as part of this research are aimed at improving the quality of nationally recognised training for machine operators and team leaders, which is delivered in the workplace through a partnership between a registered training organisation and the host company. The main focus of these strategies is on elimination of factors that can have a negative impact on the quality of workplace education, as well as effectiveness and flexibility in the implementation process. These objectives were achieved through the development of strategies for effective management of registered training organisations, universal training program for machine operators, and strategies for promotion and implementation of the universal training program. <br><br>Strategies for management of registered training organisation ensure effective use of resources and consistency in delivery of training across different companies and different sub-sectors. Universal training program for machine operators eliminates unnecessary administrative work associated with the use of different training packages for different manufacturing sub-sectors. While the implementation strategies for the universal training program ensures adequate contextualisation of the universal training program and its adaptability and relevance in different settings.<br>