Workplace Trainers in Action: Their Role in Building a Training/Learning Culture

Australia, like many other countries, has witnessed a decade of training reform. One of the most important outcomes of this training reform has been the (re)-claiming of the work site as a legitimate learning environment. Government reform has gradually been shifting the balance from a supply to a demand-driven system of vocational education and training (VET). In this move to de-institutionalise training, workplace trainers are being expected to assume an increasingly critical role in the provision of training opportunities. The key issue is to what extent workplace trainers (especially in small business) are ready, willing and able to meet this enhanced commitment.