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Industry-School Partnerships: A strategy to enhance education and training opportunities

April 2016

Publisher: Queensland University of Technology
ISBN: 10: 1-646-95749-X

Authors:

Matthew Flynn

Queensland University of Technology

James J. Watters

Queensland University of Technology

Hitendra K. Pillay

Queensland University of Technology

Content uploaded by Matthew Flynn

Content may be subject to copyright.

INDUSTRY-SCHOOL

PARTNERSHIPS

A strategy to enhance education

and training opportunities

James J. Watters, Hitendra Pillay and Matthew Flynn

This report was prepared by Associate Professor James J Watters,

Professor Hitendra Pillay and Dr Matthew Flynn.

April 2016

ISBN-10: 0-646-95749-X

ISBN-13: 978-0-646-95749-4

Photos: J. Watters

Acknowledgments

This research was supported under Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects

funding scheme (project number LP100200052: Industry-School Partnerships project:

A strategy to enhance education and training opportunities). The lead organisation

was the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) with contributing partners

Grifth University, Queensland Department of Education and Training,

and Independent Schools Queensland.

The original project was awarded to Associate Professor Cushla Kapitzke (QUT),

Dr Steven Hay (Grifth University), Associate Professor Jim Watters (QUT),

Professor Hitendra Pillay (QUT), and Professor Neil Dempster (Grifth University).

We particularly acknowledge members of the research team who contributed

signicantly to the conceptualisation and conduct of the study in its early phases

but for various reasons were unable to continue:

Associate Professor Cushla Kapitzke, QUT

Dr Stephen Hay, Grifth University

Professor Neil Dempster Grifth University

Dr John Dungan (Department of Education, Training and the Arts (Qld)

The expert research assistance of Dr Lutz Hoff and Dr Claire Christensen was

invaluable in managing the day-to-day logistics, data organisation and analysis.

We thank the many teachers, school administrators, industry personnel and students

who contributed freely and with alacrity to this study.

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

Project recommendations 2

Overall recommendation 2

Key messages 3

Systemic challenges 3

Crossing boundaries between partners 3

Authentic learning opportunities 3

Sustainability of Industry-School Partnerships 3

Implications for government policy 3

Programs 4

Gateway to Industry Schools Program

management 4

Implications for educators 4

Implications for employers 4

Project limitations 5

Guide to the report 5

PART 1: THE PROJECT 6

Research project background 6

Aim of this project 8

Signicance of this project 8

Methodology 8

Phase one: mapping 9

Phase two: outcomes 9

Phase three: dissemination of

research project ndings 9

International policy context 9

United Kingdom policy 9

European policy 10

Emerging policy in Australia 10

Implementation in Australia 11

Implications for Queensland 12

The research context 12

Industry-School Partnership models 13

Model one: Industry-School Partnership

principles 13

1. Effectiveness 13

2. Efciency 14

3. Equity and beneciaries 14

4. Sustainability 14

Model two: Ecological systems approach

to Industry-School Partnerships 14

Model three: Boundary crossing mechanisms 15

Identication 16

Coordination 16

Reection 16

Transformation 16

Model four: Knowledge dimensions 16

Model ve: Sustainability principles 17

Resilience capacity 17

Adaptive capacity 17

PART 2: CASE STUDIES 18

Project cases 18

Partnership transactions 18

Curricula and resources 19

Innovative teaching and learning 19

Extracts from aerospace interviews 19

Partnership transactions 20

Curricula and resources 20

Extracts from building and construction

interviews 21

Partnership transactions 22

Curricula and resources 23

Innovative teaching and learning 23

Extracts from minerals and energy interviews 23

Extracts from manufacturing and engineering

interviews 24

Partnership transactions 25

Curricula and resources 27

Innovative teaching and learning 27

Extracts from wine, tourism interviews 27

APPENDIX 28

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report provides an overview of the Australian Research Council’s Linkage project: LP100200052

Industry-School Partnerships (ISPs), a strategy to enhance education and training opportunities. The

project investigated partnership arrangements designed to be effective for knowledge networking and

innovation in school and industry learning environments. We sought to identify the mechanisms through

which ISPs mediate quality student learning outcomes. The research project was situated in the state

of Queensland, Australia where a large-scale ISP called the Gateway to Industry Schools Program has

existed since 2006. Six industry sectors, including agribusiness, aerospace, building and construction,

manufacturing and engineering, minerals and energy, and wine tourism, together with 130 schools

are involved. This project is signicant because, despite the substantial investments being made by

governments, schools and industries, it is the rst comprehensive study of ISPs that incorporates a

macro and micro level analysis. Findings from the project provide a strong evidence base for ongoing

policy development and implementation of partnership strategies in Queensland. Models and principles

for effective partnerships between educators and employers are presented, together with policy and

practitioner implications for key stakeholders.

PROJECT

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendation 1: Acknowledging that

partnerships operate at both system and local

levels, it is recommended that partnerships

be managed by an agency that has carriage

with both government and industry at the

systemic level and which has a clear mandate to

negotiate formalised relationships. Centralised

management should be complemented by

delegation of autonomy and responsibility to

form relationships at the local level.

Recommendations 2: Partnerships need to be

grounded in agreements that articulate the

vision, purpose, tangible and non–tangible

contributions and exit strategies for both short

and long term relationships.

Recommendations 3: The relevant educational

authority should ensure that staff involved

in teaching curricula designed to meet

contemporary industry needs are appropriately

trained and experienced as a pre-requisite to

partnerships receiving funding.

Recommendation 4: Return on investment is a

key aspect dening efciency of partnerships.

Long-term outcomes are difcult to determine

but efforts should be made to build into

partnership agreements to document outcomes

that are clearly aligned with the purpose of the

partnership.

Recommendation 5: Periodic independent audits

are necessary to assure viability and effectiveness

of the partnerships at the local and systemic level.

Overall recommendation

Our research would suggest that there are

signicant benets that can emerge from ISPs

and in their absence they may not occur. The

Gateway to Industry Schools Program has

innovative capacity to produce authentic learning

opportunities to enable school-to-work transitions.

However, to achieve benets, all partners need

to increasingly appreciate the interdependency

(positive and negative impacts) of project

partnerships throughout vertical and horizontal

system levels. Partnerships need to be grounded

carefully and systematically. Clearer articulation

and formulation of vision, objectives and purposes

of ISPs will strengthen the overall commitment

level to mutual objectives among partners. We

draw attention to four principles basic to the

operation of successful public-private partnerships

namely: efciency, effectiveness, equity and

sustainability. These are expanded upon in the

body of this report. Furthermore, maintaining a

balance of power throughout all system levels will

ensure that resources are distributed equitably

throughout the project partnerships.

Key messages

Systemic challenges

The Gateway to Industry Schools Program

partnerships function as an interdependent

system, where the activities of each stakeholder

impact horizontally and vertically throughout

the structural levels. In this way, achievement

of partnership objectives depends on the

commitment level of respective partners.

Commitment levels vary because each partner is

inuenced by various external demands. For this

reason, partner commitment, balance of power

among partners, and equitable allocation of

resources need to be maintained throughout the

whole system.

Crossing boundaries between partners

Partners need to identify and understand the

types of boundaries and human capacities

supporting common interfaces that exist

between schools and specic industries. Effective

coordination models across partner boundaries

are dependent on the geographical scope of

activity and availability of competent human

resources. Partners who provide feedback and

address challenges transparently can expect to

develop innovative and sustainable programs

that produce mutually benecial outcomes.

Authentic learning opportunities

Despite various tensions and challenges

the Gateway to Industry Schools Program

partnerships possess innovative capacity to

produce authentic learning opportunities

for participating school students and are

an enabler of school-to-work transitions.

Although each project partnership had taken

a somewhat different approach, they had

successfully adapted and embedded innovative

industry-based learning opportunities into

their curricula. This process involved ltering

industry based curriculum through: (a) school

approval processes; (b) VET standards and audit

requirements; and (c) industry body approvals.

To achieve authenticity teacher professional

development is a priority. Upskilling existing

or recruiting appropriately qualied and

experienced teachers is a challenge that can

be met as a short term outcome of Gateway

initiatives but desirable outcomes need to be

achieved by a substantial number of students.

Sustainability of Industry-School Partnerships

This study revealed four main threats to ISP

sustainability. Practitioners (teachers, industry

personnel, government representatives etc.)

governing ISPs would benet from considering

the implications of potential threats to

sustainability, and from planning how they might

address such threats should they eventuate.

Moreover, the four threats identied in this study

are not surprising, and may be an issue for other

ISPs to consider in advance of establishing and

also in maintaining ISPs:

• Economic threats;

• Quality teacher access threats;

• ISP model threats; and

• Student threats.

Implications for government policy

A key element of nations with high performing

vocational systems is well-developed partnership

cultures between employers and educators

(e.g., Denmark, Belgium, France, Netherlands)1.

Despite, there being some obvious differences

between these countries and Queensland, it is

suggested that the Queensland state government

consider policy options to strengthen employer

engagement in education generally. In this

way, government may more broadly adopt

an evidenced-based approach to recognise

and strengthen the critical role of partnerships

between educators and employers in Queensland.

At issue however are the general assumptions

underpinning educational systems. As Bosch and

Charest (2008)2 have argued “in the coordinated

market economies, the modernisation of

vocational training is seen as a contribution

to innovation in the economy, while in liberal

market economies it is seen as a siding into which

weaker pupils can conveniently be shunted”

(p. 445). Some evidence emerged in this study

that students were given opportunities to

explore career pathways that they might not

have considered in the absence of partnerships.

For instance, in the mining sector students

of all abilities had opportunities to pursue

1 Winch, C. (2012). Vocational and Civic Education: Whither British

Policy? Journal of Philosophy of Education, 46(4), 603-618.

2 Bosch, G., & Charest, J. (2008). Vocational training and the labour

market in liberal and coordinated economies. Industrial Relations

Journal, 39(5), 428-447. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2338.2008.00497.x

apprenticeships with further options to win

cadetships for completion of higher education

courses.

A holistic and balanced policy approach to

employer engagement in education would

likely articulate the economic, employment,

educational and sociocultural benets and resist

short-term targeted strategies that are vulnerable

to industry type, economic uctuation, and

funding availability. Such an approach is likely

to build momentum in ways similar to what is

currently being achieved in the United Kingdom

(Education and Employers Taskforce), and in

other high performing European countries.

In Queensland this approach would similarly

strengthen the existing Gateway to Industry

Schools Program and also promote the organic

establishment of new partnerships between

educators and employers.

Programs

To support a broad policy approach to employer

involvement in education, there is need for

government-led programs that regularly connect

(via digital, conferences, workshops) educators

and employer stakeholders (policy makers,

practitioners, academics) in a network to address

partnership implementation challenges. This

study found many common issues associated

with the implementation of Industry-School

Partnerships. Therefore, it is envisaged that an

applied evidenced-based approach, focused

on Australian and international learnings will

strengthen local implementation. For example,

partnership stakeholders would benet from

applying partnership principles (see model 1

in this report) regarding implementation and

management to ensure sustainability of existing

partnerships. Evidenced-based knowledge would

assist partnership stakeholders to explicitly

clarify roles and responsibilities and develop

partnerships are that are operationally effective,

efcient, equitable and sustainable.

Gateway to Industry Schools Program

management

Gateway partnerships from different industries

were analysed in terms of efciency and

effectiveness and in many instances were found

to be tenuously managed by individuals with

limited infrastructure or strategic support. Each

industry tended to leverage different resources

and skills and developed different models to

manage and operationalise their partnership.

There are very few formal partnership contracts/

memorandums of understanding between

companies and schools. Most partnerships opted

for informal arrangements that rely on personal

relationships among stakeholders. It should be

noted that the Aerospace, Minerals and Energy,

and the Wine Tourism partnerships appeared to

be effectively managed through key brokering

organisations. The important role that a clearly

dened agency responsible for negotiating

partnerships at the system level and brokering

relationships with schools plays cannot be

underestimated. In contrast, the other projects

were less well managed relying on individuals to

instigate and oversee activity.

Implications for educators

Through teacher capacity building initiatives with

industry partners the various Gateway projects

seek to align curriculum content and pedagogical

practices to ensure learning outcomes are

congruent with the human capital needs of

particular industries. Increased understanding

of the differences, constraints and boundaries

that exist between partnership stakeholders

assisted teachers to co-produce industry-based

curriculums, and share sector specic knowledge

and skills that help to enhance school to work

transitions. School teachers with a lack of

industry-based knowledge posed a consistent

problem across projects, as teachers were

often expected to contextualise curriculum with

industry examples. Exacerbating this problem is

the lack of training of new teachers in the domain

of Industrial Arts and Technology. Moreover, in

some schools there were insufcient numbers

of school personnel involved with existing ISPs,

resulting in sustainability risks and personnel

succession planning challenges.

Implications for employers

Employers play an important role in inuencing

subject content to better align with industry

knowledge, skills and practices. In this way

industry employers are able to inculturate school

students to professions and trade areas, through

prolonged contact (e.g., work experience

programs) and thereby enable more efcient

cultural transitions from school to work. ISPs

are a supply mechanism for qualied entry-

level employees and are also an opportunity

for industry to demonstrate corporate social

responsibility towards local and national

stakeholders.

Schools require long-term partnerships with

industry and the capacity to review and revise

in response to internal and external disruptions

(e.g., stafng challenges, economic uctuations).

Evidence of genuine commitment from

industry that is articulated from board level to

ground level was evidenced in some projects,

however others could be strengthen in this

way. Regional industry project coordinators are

also an important connection with schools and

should work closely with each school to broker

activities, share information, develop curriculum

materials and courses, and career mentoring

and support. Industry also needs to understand

the governance procedures and responsibilities

of schools, particularly in relation to their

operational procedures and be open to feedback

and monitoring of the partnership arrangements.

PROJECT

LIMITATIONS

The main limitation would seem to be the

difculty of documenting long-term outcomes.

Our attempts to analyse destination data was

thwarted by the complexity of factors impacting

schools that might compete with partnership

initiatives.

GUIDE TO

THE REPORT

The report is presented in two parts. Part 1

provides a background to the project, outlines

the methodology, summarises the ndings and

presents a perspective for effective models

incorporating the ndings and drawing on

international policies.

Part 2 provides a brief synopsis of each project as

case studies.

PART 1: THE PROJECT

RESEARCH

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The genesis of this project began with the formation of the Gateway to Industry Schools Program

in 2006. In alignment with national and international trends, the Queensland government sought to

adopt partnership models for the provision of services. Public-private partnerships were argued to

afford new forms of institutional governance based on networks, or linkages between knowledge

producers and knowledge users, and were assumed essential to economic competitiveness in the

global knowledge economy3. For two decades education systems worldwide have set policies to make

schools more responsive to social and economic needs and to secure economic advantage by enhancing

capital resources in strategic enterprises. Queensland was seen as a small regional economy whose

productive base is in a relatively narrow range of industries linked to the old economy such as mining

and agriculture and to service industries such as tourism. Given this context, authorities have tended to

position Queensland as peripheral to the ‘centres’ of the global economy, recalling historical concerns

of geographic isolationism in Australia. The advent of the knowledge economy was therefore thought

to have potential to expose structural weaknesses in the Queensland economy. The prevailing Smart

Queensland: Smart State policy sought to confront uncertain futures by positioning Queensland within a

knowledge economy by stimulating creativity and innovation as a productive force.

3 Castells, M., & Cardoso, G. (Eds.). (2006). The network society: From knowledge to policy. Washington, DC: Center for Transatlantic Relations, Paul H. Nitze

School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

Partnerships have been established between

schools and universities, and between universities

and industry to enhance innovation and

improve social and educational outcomes for

learners and employer groups. A signicant

body of international research has examined

partnerships as a strategy for the reform of

educational systems governance through

devolution4. Research in the UK, Europe and US

has documented programs that have sought to

establish schools funded jointly by government

and the private sector5. In the secondary

education sector, in particular, partnerships are

a means of providing diversity by broadening

curricular choices and opportunities for young

people. The formation by Queensland education

authorities of Industry-School Partnerships (ISPs)

4 Power, S. (2001). ‘Joined-up thinking’? Inter-agency partnerships in

Education Action Zones. In S. Riddell & L. Tett, Education, social justice

and inter-agency working: Joined up or fractured policy. Abingdon-on-

Thames, UK: Routledge.

5 Franklin, B. M., Bloch, M. N., & Popkewitz, T. S. (Eds.). (2004).

Educational partnerships and the state: The paradoxes of governing

schools, children, and families. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

with a number of key global corporate players

was unique in the Australian educational context6.

The Gateway to Industry Schools Program

concept emerged as a somewhat unique model

of partnerships in Australia due to a number of

organisational features. These included:

1) centralised coordination through

Queensland’s Department of Education

and Training;

2) a specic industry focus featuring global

industry partners; and

3) strong industry emphasis in the curriculum

of participating schools.

Internationally, government and industry

stakeholders have actively pursued collaborative

arrangements with schools.

6 Caldwell, B. and Keating, J. 2004. Adding value to public education:

An examination of the possibilities for public private partnerships.

Bundoora: Australian Council of Deans of Education.

These arrangements operate through policy and

funding mechanisms7 8 9 to address the needs of

a post-industrial age knowledge economy, and

to provision a range of benets for schools.

We acknowledge the benets that ISPs afford

to the education sector. First, ISPs are posed as

a method for the public sector to reduce costs

through partnering with the private sector. This

assertion is based on an assumption that the

private sector generally possesses systems that

allow for efciencies not achievable by rigid

public sector bureaucratic institutions. The

second benet identied is that ISPs can help

address the supply of educational services to

geographically dispersed locations, which solves

some of the barriers and coordination difculties

for rural and remote students. In the Queensland

context, given that there are vast distances

between cities and rural communities, such

strategies are critical to address the needs of the

more remote communities.

The third and perhaps most difcult and

signicant challenge for the education sector, is

to keep pace with knowledge innovation, new

work practices and products, with innovative

educational solutions. There is evidence in a

business context that partnership arrangements

allow convergence of partner perspectives,

which can result in innovative solutions. These

partnerships are based on trust and commitment,

and are drivers of innovation. As ISPs share

resources and build commitment they will also

operationalise innovative educational ideas,

directly relevant to their respective workforces.

Hence, co-produced educational programs

create genuine and direct value for both the

schools (students as the ultimate beneciaries)

and for industry. Notably, an ISP potentially

provides access to resources that are beyond

the nancial capacity of schools. These resources

include equipment that is industry standard,

which is in contrast to simple options available

in school laboratories and workshops, as well

as personnel who are experts in their respective

elds. Finally, through innovative contextualised

7 Cardini, A. (2006). An analysis of the rhetoric and practice of

educational partnerships in the UK: An arena of complexities, tensions

and power. Journal of Education Policy, 21(4), 393-415

8 Davies, B. & Hentschke, G. (2006). Public/private partnerships in

education: Grounds for optimism? Management in Education, 19(1), 6-7.

9 Caldwell, B. J. (2004). A strategic view of efforts to lead the

transformation of schools. School Leadership & Management, 24(1),

81-99

industry-based curriculum, ISP can produce

knowledge transfer and workplace readiness of

potential employees10.

Existing literature does not clearly articulate the

benets of ISPs afforded to industry. This is likely

because the benets for industry appear obvious,

that is, they are a platform for the recruitment of

future employees – human capital. A secondary

benet to industry is the opportunity to inuence

school curriculum with the aim of better aligning

future employees with the skill needs of industry.

There are also less obvious benets, such as the

opportunity to demonstrate good community

citizenship through sponsorship and support

of local schools. Good citizenship is particularly

important to industries that typically encounter

community resistance to their operations, as is

the case for the industries (mining, construction

etc.) involved in the Gateway to Industry Schools

Program reported on in this study.

A variety of terms are used to describe these

partnerships, such as: joint ventures; public-

private partnerships (PPPs); school-enterprise

cooperation; networks; coalitions; collaborations;

social partnerships; business-school relationships;

school-business partnerships; community-school

partnerships; industry-school engagement

and industry-school partnerships11 12 13. At the

broadest level these partnerships are described as

“cooperative institutional arrangements between

public and private sector actors”14. These terms

reect the various arrangements, from formal

contractual agreements through to informal

cooperation, and supportive activities to achieve

mutual goals. For the purpose of this research,

‘Industry-School Partnerships’ (ISPs) is the preferred

term as it is predominately focused on how schools

have partnered with a particular industry.

10 Watters, J. J., & Christensen, C. (2013, July). Vocationalism in science

and technology education: Aligning school curricula with workplace

needs? Paper presented at the 44th Australasian Science Educators

Research Association conference, Te papa Tongarewa; Wellington,

New Zealand.

11 Gajda, R. (2004). Utilising collaboration theory to evaluate strategic

alliances. American Journal of Evaluation, 25(65), 65-77.

12 Pillay, H., Watters, J. J., & Hoff, L. (2013). Critical Attributes of

Public-Private Partnerships. International Journal of Adult Vocational

Education and Technology, 4(1), 31-45.

13 Zhao, Z. (2011). School-enterprise cooperation in China’s vocational

education and training. (F.R. Zhiqun Zhao, Ursel Hauschildt Ed.)

Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching Press.

14 Robertson, S.L. & Verger, A. (2012) Governing education through

public private partnerships, in S. Robertson, K. Mundy, A. Verger

& F. Menashy (eds) (2012) Public Private Partnerships in Education:

New Actors and Modes of Governance in a Globalising World,

Cheltenham:Edward Elgar, pp.21-42 (p.1).

AIM OF

THIS PROJECT

The aim of this study was to investigate how

partnerships between industry sectors and

schools facilitate a range of mutually benecial

learning outcomes. Drawing on the work of Parker

and Tamaschke (2005)15, we conceptualised this

facilitation process as ‘knowledge sharing’ or

‘knowledge networking’. We use these terms to

highlight the joint efforts of industry personnel

and educators to formulate innovative strategies

for curriculum development and delivery, and

innovative classroom practices through school

clusters. These processes distinguish Gateway

schools projects from other kinds of education

and training partnerships established in Australia.

Knowledge sharing is a two-way process where

schools and industry create and adapt knowledge

for the workplace including specic content,

skills, and dispositions. Gateway to Industry

Schools Program partnerships were instigated to

provide more authentic opportunities for student

learning and assessment experiences, improve

the alignment between schooling and the needs

of industry, and also provide connections between

theory and practice16.

As such, these outcomes were considered

essential to Australia’s competitiveness in the

global knowledge economy17 18.

Thus the general aim of this study was to identify

the mechanisms through which Industry-School

Partnerships mediate quality student learning

outcomes. This aim was addressed through two

guiding research questions:

1. What organisational and institutional

elements of Industry-School Partnerships

contribute to productive knowledge sharing

and networking?

2. In what ways do partnerships impact on

factors affecting student learning outcomes

such as curriculum, pedagogical practices,

school leadership, teacher quality, and

authentic learning?

15 Parker, R. L., & Tamaschke, L. (2005). Explaining regional departures

from national patterns of industrial specialisation: Regional institutions,

policies and state coordination. Organization Studies, 26(12), 1787-

1808.

16 Queensland Government. (2009). Industry School Engagement

Strategy. Gateway Schools Project Report 2008. Brisbane: DET.

17 Castells, M., & Cardoso, G. (Eds.). (2006). The network society:

From knowledge to policy. Washington, DC: Center for Transatlantic

Relations, Johns Hopkins University.

18 Davies, B., & Hentschke, G. (2005). Public private partnerships in

education. Management in Education, 19(1), 6-7.

SIGNIFICANCE

OF THIS PROJECT

This project is signicant because, despite

the substantial investments being made by

governments, schools and industries, it is the rst

comprehensive study of ISPs that incorporates a

macro and micro level analysis. Findings from the

study provide a strong evidence base for ongoing

policy development and implementation of

partnership strategies in Queensland and provide

models for emulating nationally and internationally.

METHODOLOGY

This study adopted a longitudinal case study

approach. One hundred and thirty secondary

schools across Queensland, Australia are

involved in the project spread across six industry

sectors; Agribusiness, Aerospace, Building and

Construction, Manufacturing and Engineering,

Minerals and Energy, and Wine Tourism. Twenty-

four schools were selected as representative of

sector afliations (government, private, Catholic),

geographical location (e.g., rural or urban) and

demography.

Primary data were derived from interviews with

key stakeholders including principals, teachers,

vocational education coordinators, industry

personnel and staff from the various coordinating

institutions. Site visits were made to document

resources, observe classes and conduct focus

group interviews with students.

Secondary data were obtained from websites,

policy documents, curriculum and syllabus

documents and teaching materials. Observational

data including participating in meetings and site

visits were recorded in eld notes supplemented

with photographs where appropriate.

In total, 50 interviews were undertaken, audio

recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were

then coded using NVivo software to conduct

content analysis. Codes were grouped into

themes. The themes reected the topics on which

the interview questions were developed.

Curriculum documents provided an insight into

the intended program of study. These included

formal registered syllabi developed through

ISP processes; school-based work programs

and registered trade certicate subjects taught

mostly in vocational education programs within

the school. Formal curriculum documents such

as syllabi were retrieved from public repositories

such as web sites of the state curriculum authority

or from national vocational education training

authorities. Other documents were retrieved

during school site visits. Document analytic

techniques were applied to selected curriculum

documents. The focus of this analysis was on the

structure, history and content of documents.

Phase one: mapping

Phase one involved mapping what elements of

the organisational and institutional elements of

ISPs contribute to productive knowledge sharing

and networking. The outcomes of phase one

are theorised, evidenced–based frameworks for

developing models of productive knowledge

sharing and networking between industries

and schools. Theoretical models continued to

develop throughout the entirety of the project

and are presented within this nal report.

Practical outputs in this phase included:

• Document analysis of academic literature,

government reports, and national and state

policies;

• Interviews with industry heads of

departments from the Gateway project areas,

engagement with DET industry managers;

• School proles; and

• Development of case reports.

Phase two: outcomes

Phase two investigated the outcomes of ISPs, by

looking at how partnerships impact on factors

affecting student learning outcomes such as

curriculum, pedagogical practices, school

leadership, teacher quality, and authentic learning.

To this aim, various case reports, publications

and conference presentations were drafted

(written and presented by the research team),

documenting innovative teaching and learning

experiences, partnership transactions, curricula

and resources that foster enhanced student

learning outcomes. A PhD thesis also completed,

focussing on the Minerals and Energy Gateway

project. Practical outputs in this phase included:

• School staff interviews from 24 Gateway

schools, including HODs, industry/training

personnel, industry site personnel;

• Student surveys;

• Transcription and analysis of school teacher

interviews;

• Classroom observations;

• Focus groups; and

• PhD study completed.

Phase three: dissemination of

research project ndings

Phase three involved the dissemination of

research ndings through the following activities:

• Publications in peer-reviewed journals;

• Conference presentations and publications in

conference proceedings; and

• Presentation of ndings to government and

sectorial stakeholders.

See the Appendix for the full list of dissemination

activities.

INTERNATIONAL

POLICY CONTEXT

Unsurprisingly, this research project identied

considerable policy debate in the literature

regarding the role and governance of ISPs. This

section presents a brief overview of some of the

main policy issues found in the literature, with

specic reference to the United Kingdom and

Northern European experiences. The emergence

of ISP policy in Australia is also presented.

United Kingdom policy

In the last twenty years, schools have transformed

from institutions impervious to external inuences

to more dynamic and exible organisations,

characterised by openness to local communities

and connectedness to global issues and cultures.

In the UK, ISPs emerged as a policy solution for

the management of problems associated with

the global economy. These problems include the

need for economic competitiveness, stimulation

of innovation, and management of school to work

transitions for young people. Early support for ISPs

(1990s) was based on perceived cost and quality

benets to the public. Simultaneously, in the UK,

ISPs developed from being a potential approach to

managing public services, to a fundamental feature

of policy in all sectors, including education19 20.

In 2009, momentum in the UK and other countries

was identied for privatisation of education

services21. Momentum for ISPs is described as

the “re-engineering of schools for the new social

context of high modernity and globalisation”

(p. 87). Various researchers22 trace over a 30-

year period the, “separate initiatives in the UK,

including single company initiatives (such as

BP and Natwest education programs), sectoral

initiatives (another term for ISP) (e.g., coordinated

by the Royal Academy of Engineering) and local

and national programs” (p. 36). While, others23

described ISPs as, “innovative means of nancing

education that draws upon the best of the public

and private with the potential to resolve deep

systemic problems in educations systems, such as

access, quality and equity” (p. 2).

Accordingly, a growing body of research has

examined these transformations in social

governance by mapping the features of

specic ISP arrangements24 25. Coordinated

implementation of ISP government policy

in the UK was launched in 2009 through the

establishment of the Education and Employers

Taskforce. The aim of the taskforce is to “ensure

that every school has an effective partnership

with employers to provide young people with

the inspiration, motivation, knowledge, skills and

opportunities they need to help them achieve

their potential and so to secure the UK’s future

prosperity”

http://www.educationandemployers.org/.

19 Cardini, p. 3

20 Mann, A., & Percy, C. (2013). Employer engagement in British

secondary education: Wage earning outcomes experienced by young

adults. Journal of Education and Work, 1-28.

21 Ball, S, J. (2009). Privatising education, privatising education policy,

privatising educational research: network governance and the

‘competition state’. Journal of Education Policy, 24(1), 83-99.

22 Stanley, J., & Mann, A. (2014). A theoretical framework for employer

education. In A. Mann, J. Stanley, L. Archer (Eds.), Understanding

employer engagement in education (pp. 36-52). New York: Routledge.

23 Robertson, S.L; & Verger, A. (2012). Governing education through

public private partnerships, in S. Robertson, K. Mundy, A. Verger & F.

Menashy (eds) (2012) Public Private Partnerships in Education: New

Actors and Modes of Governance in a Globalising World, Cheltenham:

Edward Elgar, pp. 21-42.

24 Billett, S, & Seddon, T. (2004). Building community through social

partnerships around vocational education and training. Journal of

Vocational Education & Training, 56(1), 51-68.

25 Clegg, S, & McNulty, K. (2002). Partnership working in delivering social

inclusion: organizational and gender dynamics. Journal of Education

Policy, 17(5), 587-601.

European policy

In Germany, and other European countries,

well-established vocational policies have

resulted in more than 60% of 16 to 25 year olds

completing an apprenticeship. This is compared

with approximately 15% of Australian secondary

school students participating in some form

of VET26. Known as the dual apprenticeship

system, the European approach involves the

apprentice: (a) learning technical knowledge

(b) continuing general education in the

classroom; and (c) learning in the workplace. The

majority of the successful European vocational

systems (including Denmark, Belgium, France,

Netherlands) are characterised by broad

curriculum and dual apprenticeship connected

to ISPs. Essential to the effectiveness of the

European system are well integrated ISPs, which

have developed beyond the traditional work

experience concept27.

Emerging policy in Australia

Momentum for Australian interest in ISPs

perhaps peaked in 2008 during the government

led, Australia 2020 Summit. The Summit was

effectively a large meeting with multidisciplinary

public and private participants. At this Summit,

where under the critical area of productivity,

which included education, skills and training,

the idea to create a coordinated partnership

program was discussed. The idea was to develop

a strategic partnership between Australia’s top

200 public and private organisations and schools.

At that time, it was acknowledged that much

activity in the area of ISPs was already occurring.

However, the Australian government then

established the Business School Connections

Roundtable to create momentum for the idea

and a practical strategy28.

26 Robertson, L., & Lamb, S. (2012). How are young people faring: The

national report on the learning and earning of young Australians (p.

76). Victoria, Australia: Centre for Research on Education Systems,

University of Melbourne.

27 Winch, C. (2012). Vocational and Civic Education: Whither British

Policy? Journal of Philosophy of Education, 46(4), 603-618.

28 Londsdale, M., Deery, A., Clerke, S., Andersen, M., Curtin, E., Knight,

P., & Bramich, M. (2011). “Final report: The benets of school-business

relationships”

Implementation in Australia

In April 2009, the Coalition of Australian

Governments established the National

Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transition.

The aim of this initiative was to increase

educational engagement and attainment of

young people, and to improve their transition to

post-school education29. It is acknowledged that

state-based initiatives such as the Gateway to

Industry School Program began earlier in 2006.

However, the national arrangement comprised a

range of initiatives including the School Business

Community Partnership Brokers Program, whose

role was to identify, establish and support

sustainable partnerships among education

and training providers, business, families and

community. Federal government funding for the

School Business Partnership Brokers Program

amounted to $182.9 million over four years, from

January 2010 to December 2013. The funds were

distributed to broker organisations deemed

suitable to stimulate and lead partnership

initiatives at a local level.

Informing the Australian Government agenda was

a report by the Phillips KPA consultancy (2010).

The Department of Education, Employment and

Workforce Relations (DEEWR) commissioned

a baseline study across Australia to determine

the current understanding and scope of ISPs.

The report made two distinct conclusions from

the baseline research. Firstly, it argued that

ISPs “have multiple and overlapping purposes

and objectives” (Phillips KPA, 2010, p. 3). In its

conclusion, the report states, “The interaction of

a number of activities leads to a range of other

activities that may not have been envisaged when

the relationship was established.” Secondly,

the study also concluded that successful ISPs

were based on mutually benecial relationships.

Moreover, the Phillips KPA (2010) report argued

that ISPs contribute to the “broader good” of

public education, without clearly articulating

how this contribution supplements the general

education mandate. The report states that

effective ISPs should be mutually benecial. It

fails however to elaborate on how these benets

may be realised – an aim that the present study

addresses. The challenge for ISP stakeholders is

29 Phillips KPA. (2010). Unfolding opportunities: A baseline study of

school business relationships in Australia, nal report. Department of

Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

to articulate the benets and ensure that they are

supported and adequately resourced to achieve

the intended outcomes.

At the request of the Business School

Connections Roundtable, Phillips KPA30

developed seven guiding principles for school-

business relationships that emphasise good

practice principles and mutually benecial

partnerships. Concurrently, the Australian

Council for Educational Research developed an

evaluation guide to assist schools and businesses

to determine the ongoing effectiveness of their

relationships31.

In 2013, Australia’s former Chief Scientist, Professor

Ian Chubb called on governments, education

authorities and the private sector to work together

to address the gap in STEM knowledge and skills.

One of the key actions recommended within the

Chief Scientist’s position paper was that “Enduring

and real partnerships between employers and

education and training providers should be forged

in ways that are more substantial and sustained

than anything done before”32. Consequently, a

number of new government funded initiatives

have emerged, such as the Strengthening School

– Industry STEM Skills Partnerships, managed

by the Australian Industry Group to identify and

encourage partnerships between business and

school education to prepare students for STEM

careers http://www.aigroup.com.au/education/

strengthening-school/2015. Similarly, the P-TECH

school model, which is based on an innovative US

approach to ISP, enables students to combine their

Senior Secondary Certicate with a STEM related

diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree.

Job opportunities are then afforded with the

school’s industry partners http://saf.org.au/

p-tech-australia/. Additional to the above research

is an Australian Research Council funded study

investigating innovative partnerships for youth

in education and work (ARC LP120200272). The

project is a collaboration of Melbourne and Deakin

universities, state education departments of three

states – Victoria, NSW and SA, and the Catholic

30 Phillips KPA. (2010). Unfolding opportunities: A baseline study of

school business relationships in Australia, nal report. Department of

Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

31 Australian Council for educational Research. (2012). Evaluate to grow:

A guide to getting the most out of your school-business relationship

through evaluation. Melbourne: ACER.

32 Ofce of the Chief Scientist 2013, Science, Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics in the National Interest: A Strategic Approach,

Australian Government, Canberra.

Education Commissions of the three states and

the Association of Independent Schools. Similar

to the present report, this research is investigating

the nature and quality of the partnerships schools

form with businesses to deliver work placements

and workplace learning33.

Implications for Queensland

The Australian vocational system was largely built

on the British functional approach to competency-

based training, which together have “tended

to downplay the importance of underpinning

knowledge and a holistic view of the ‘craft concept’

(high-skilled craftsmen) compared with, the

German and Austrian models of competence” 34.

Winch (201235) has highlighted the narrowness of

vocational education in the UK which is mirrored

in Australia where the focus is on VET being

conceptualised as training and thus lacking the

broader emphasis on preparing individuals as

citizens. It is this tension between competency-

based training and a more holistic approach that

arguably leaves industry concerned with the quality

of vocational graduates in Australia. Importantly,

innovative approaches, such as the Gateway to

Industry Schools Program are able to go some way

in resolving the quality issues and better able to

align graduates at the high school level with the

needs of industry. The signicant work achieved

under the Gateway to Industry Schools Program

by the Queensland state government, industry

project partners and stakeholders, together with

the ndings of this QUT research project presents

an opportunity going forward. Therefore, it is

proposed that future government ISP policy and

implementation take into account the ndings

of this present study, and also how research may

better inform policy and practice in the future.

33 Polesel, J., Klatt, M., Blake, B., & Star, K. (2016). Understanding the

nature of school partnerships with business in delivery of vocational

programmes in schools in Australia. Journal of Education and Work,

1-16.

34 Guthrie, H. (2009). Competence and competency-based training: What

the literature says. Adelaide, Australia: NCVER, p. 20.

35 Winch, C. (2012). Vocational and civic education: Whither British

Policy? Journal of Philosophy of Education, 46(4), 603-618.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-9752.2012.00880.x

THE RESEARCH CONTEXT

The current Queensland Department of Education

and Training (DET) has supported the Coalition of

Australian Governments (COAG) agenda through

the National Partnership on Youth Attainment

and Transitions 36. The Department has a broad

responsibility for all schools, vocational training,

higher education, international education and is

responsible for the Gateway to Industry Schools

Program 37. The Gateway to Industry Schools

Program was established in 2006 by the former

Department of Education, Training and the Arts

DETA 38. The aim of the Gateway to Industry

Schools Program in 2006 was, and continues to

be, to provide school students with opportunities

to experience a range of trade and professional

careers. A key objective of the Gateway to

Industry Schools Program is to achieve sustainable

partnerships between schools and industry

where schools and industry work together in the

sharing of information, ideas, teacher professional

development and resources. From these

partnerships, opportunities for work experience,

structured work placements and school based

traineeships are enacted. There are currently over

130 schools involved in six industries, including:

• Agribusiness;

• Aerospace;

• Building and construction;

• Manufacturing and engineering;

• Minerals and energy; and

• Wine tourism.

36 Department of Education, Training and Employment. (2012). Strategic

plan 2012-2016. Retrieved from http://deta.qld.gov.au/publications/

strategic/pdf/strategicplan-12-16.pdf

37 Skills Queensland. (2011). Strategic priorities issues paper. Queensland

Government. Retrieved from http://training.qld.gov.au

38 Skills Queensland. (2010). A Skilled Queensland performance report.

(p. 48). Retrieved from http://deta.qld.gov.au/publications/resources/

report-07-performance-skilled.pdf

INDUSTRY-SCHOOL

PARTNERSHIP MODELS

Our rst research question (What organisational

and institutional elements of Industry-School

Partnerships contribute to productive knowledge

sharing and networking?) has provided an evidence-

based framework for developing successful models

for productive knowledge sharing and networking

between industry and schools.

Following an extensive literature review by the

research team, there was a small group of key

authors identied as making a signicant theoretical

contribution relevant to this study 39 40 41 42.

Bryson, et al., (2006) concluded that ISP research

typically falls within two approaches. First, there

are scholars who take a theoretical approach to

the study of ISPs and second, there are those

who focus heavily on processes and practice

dimensions that promote successful ISPs. They

acknowledge limitations are associated with both

perspectives. Stanley and Mann (2014) similarly

note the lack of theoretical frameworks in the

literature, highlighting that research has often

been conducted in the form of one-off evaluations.

Bryson et al., (2006) argue that future research

requires a blending of the two perspectives, that

is, research grounded in theory while at the same

time linked to operational practices. The research

project was conceptualised with relevant theories

and operationalised through principles found in

the literature. It is for this reason that this research

is innovative and makes a useful contribution to

the area.

As an outcome of this research project, this

section briey describes ve theoretical models

and principles relevant to the operationalisation

of ISPs. The overarching purpose of these

models is for productive knowledge sharing and

collaborative arrangements between industry and

schools. The models proposed as relevant to the

39 Billett, S, Ovens, C, Clemans, A, & Seddon, T. (2007). Collaborative

working and contested practices: forming, developing and sustaining

social partnerships in education. Journal of Education Policy, 22(6),

637-656.

40 Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development”

Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, Massachusetts:

Harvard University Press.

41 Bryson, J. M, Crosby, B. C, & Stone, M. M. (2006). The design an

implementation of Cross-Sector collaborations: Propositions from the

literature. Public administration review, 66(s1), 44-55.

42 Stanley, J., & Mann, A. (2014). A theoretical framework for employer

education. In A. Mann, J. Stanley, L. Archer (Eds.), Understanding

employer engagement in education (pp. 36-52). New York: Routledge.

Gateway to Industry School program are distilled

from an extensive international literature review

and evidenced based public policy.

Model one: Industry-School

Partnership principles

Model one identies certain underlying

assumptions and core principles that are evident

in all ISPs despite contextual differences and

variations in types of partnerships (see Figure

1). The four overarching and commonly used

principles distilled from the literature are:

(1) effectiveness; (2) efciency; (3) equity and

beneciaries; and (4) sustainability.

The four principles are also incorporated into

model two as seen in Figure 2 - the principles

are necessary to operationalise the overall ISP

system. These principles are interconnected

and underpinned by operational activities

summarised below:

Public-Private

Partnerships

Effectiveness

Equity and

beneciaries

EfciencySustainability

Figure 1. Basic principles of public-private partnerships.

1. Effectiveness

a. Recognition of partners; development of

a shared vision, translation of the vision

into partnership objectives with some

articulation of how the objectives will assist

primary beneciaries;

b. Identication of, and agreement on,

necessary resources and capacities and

the knowledge and skill mix to achieve

the objectives. Individual partners’

contributions and intellectual property

issues have to be acknowledged;

c. Agreement on role and responsibilities

based on individual partners’ strengths -

these should be clearly dened;

d. Appropriateness of agreements - formal

memoranda of understanding, legal and

contractual or informal and casual;

e. Agreement on model for governance,

management, monitoring and reporting on

outcomes or impacts;

f. Agreement on medium to long term plans

for scalability or exit strategy.

2. Efciency

a. Measurement of internal efciency as a

supply side factor to determine if the inputs

are being delivered/actioned as agreed

and consequently achieve the anticipated

outcomes;

b. Measurement of external efciency as a

demand side factor to determine if the

agreement-internal inputs and outputs are

achieving the agreement objective and

maintain the shared vision;

c. Analysis of return on investment – are the

costs (in-kind and cash investments) of the

partnership worth the outcomes and impact

it generates?

3. Equity and beneciaries

a. Clarify the actual beneciaries of the ISP

– for example, disadvantaged and non-

academic students at ABC school;

b. Targeting a particular beneciary group may

have different meanings to each partner;

nevertheless the shared vision ensures

that the objectives are achieved. There

is a need for clarity of how the different

meanings attached by the partners are

aligned to the respective partners’ resource

allocations; risk of intermediaries becoming

mistaken for the beneciary; also political

inuence may lead to distorted reporting of

outcomes or needs.

4. Sustainability

a. Agreed risk/benet allocations and risk

mitigation strategy – important for long

term sustainability;

b. Exit strategy - partnerships are not

indenite and should have a timeframe with

a clearly dened and agreed exit strategy;

c. Mechanism for periodic reviews to assure

private sector appetitive and capability

is maintained - is there a real demand

from the private sector or is it driven by

government for social sector issues?

Model two: Ecological systems

approach to Industry-School

Partnerships

While ecological theory has existed for a while and

has been used in many learning contexts there are

only a few studies 43 44 45 46 that specically utilise it

as a lens to better understand ISPs. ISPs behave

similarly to an ecological system where lack of

performance by any one entity can kill or weaken

the whole ISP. Hands (2005) identied ecological

theory as relevant to understanding how networks

of interconnections, such as those found in

ISPs function, given their similarity to that of an

ecological system.

The research team adopted Bronfenbrenner’s

1979 ecological systems model, because it seeks

to help appreciate the interconnections and

inuences between stakeholders within each

system level, (micro, meso, exo, macro – see

Figure 2). These four levels were posited as the

conceptual structure of the system for the PhD

within this project and were applied specically

to the Minerals and Energy Gateway project.

The rationale for adopting Bronfenbrenner’s four

levels is two-fold. First, it provides a clear system

structure similar to those that maybe found in

ISPs and thus is appropriate for this research.

Second, it is a useful way of understanding and

explaining the interdependency between the

various stakeholders within an overall ISP system.

Although the Bronfenbrenner model is adapted

43 Epstein, J.L (2005). Attainable goals? The spirit and letter of the no

child left behind Act on parental involvement. Sociology of Education,

72(2), 179-182.

44 Flynn, M, & Pillay, H. (2013). Industry-school partnerships: An

ecological approach. International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 6(4),

121-132.

45 Hands, C. M. (2010). Why collaborate? The differing reasons for

secondary school educators’ establishment of school-community

partnerships. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 21(2),

189-207.

46 Leonard, J. (2011). Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to

understand community partnerships: A historical case study of one

urban high school. Urban Education, 46(5), 987-1010.

and applied to this study, it is acknowledged that

other ecological models and system theories

have equally contributed to understanding

complex real world situations. For example,

decision making at the local or micro-level can

draw on principles of subsidiarity which argues

that decision making and levels of intervention

are best for the local context47.

The four system levels in Figure 2 are described

as they relate to the Minerals and Energy

Gateway project:

1. A micro-system is the immediate setting

in which a developing ISP functions at the

local level. In this study the micro-system

includes: school stakeholders; industry

stakeholders; and Gateway project leaders.

2. The meso-system consists of stakeholders

immediately external to the stakeholders

in the micro-system. These stakeholders

have inuence on the ISP at the micro-

system level. In this study, the meso-system

may include stakeholders such as school

principals and industry managers.

3. The exo-system is an expansion of the

meso-system, incorporating stakeholders

that inuence the ISP context at the local

47 Krishna, A. (2003). Partnerships between local governments and

community-based organisations: Exploring the scope for synergy.

Public Administration and Development, 23, 361-371. DOI: 10.1002/

pad.280

level through policy, strategy, and resource

allocation. In this study, the exo-system

includes: State Department of Education in

Queensland; various Queensland industry

peak bodies and brokers of ISPs; and

Gateway project areas.

4. Macro-systems include broad societal

systems, such as political, economic,

education and legal, of which the local

systems are derived.

Model three: Boundary crossing

mechanisms

This study employed 48 what the literature calls

boundary crossing mechanisms as a lens to

understand how ISP relationships are established,

progressed and sustained (see Figure 3).

As a concept, boundary crossing is a means

to effectively transverse an apparent impasse

between two disparate organisations with

distinctive cultures such as a school and a

building and construction company. Simply

put, boundary crossing entails stepping into

unfamiliar domains and in this study, acquiring

an understanding of the practical implications

of forming ISP. In ISPs this occurs at two levels.

48 Akkerman, S. F., & Bakker, A. (2011). Lear ning at the boundary: An

introduction. International Journal of Educational Research, 50(1), 1-5.

Figure 2. ISP Ecological model.

Understanding Industry-School Partnerships

System structure Operationalise ISP outputs

Work

experience

Industry

training

Teacher

professional

development

Industry

contextualised

curriculum

Basic concepts

inuence

interconnection

Macro

Efciency

Effectiveness

Sustainability

Equity

Exo

Meso

Situated learning

Micro

Industry-School

Partnerships

First, boundary crossing is a way of standardising

partner interactions and to improve compatibility

for functioning in the other setting. These

will be achieved as a shared vision for the

partnership is established and shared problems

are addressed. Second, as the primary purpose

of ISPs is to facilitate school to work transitions,

there are outputs (industry-based contextualised

educational programs) for school students that

enable boundary crossing and development of a

student’s compatibility for work. The implication

is that students must be afforded opportunity to

participate in legitimate boundary crossing, such

as vocational education, and thereby increase

their personal employability49. The mechanisms

are described below to explain how they may be

conceptualised for the Gateway projects.

Identication

Boundary

crossing

Transformation

Reection Coordination

Figure 3. Boundary crossing mechanisms that promote

effectiveness in ISPs.

Identication

In the Gateway to Industry School Program

identication is a process of delineating the

differences between two partners. Basic

questions are asked of partners, such as who are

you, what do you do, and what will you bring

to the partnership? Learning about the specic

activities in both school and industry is an

important mechanism to understand at the micro

and macro level. For instance, for a student to be

able to function in the mining or manufacturing

industry context they must identify and apply

basic occupational and health safety procedures.

At the macro level, public sector education

departments need to appreciate the nancial

limitations of companies to fund school activities

in line with the economic uctuations.

49 Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral

participation. United States, NY: Cambridge University Press

Coordination

Coordination between school and industry

is critical to effectively operationalise ISPs.

Industry needs to learn about the activities

of schools such as timetabling, student

supervision, and curriculum requirements.

Hence repeated interactions are essential to

facilitate the permeation of boundaries between

partners. Equally, schools need to appreciate

the operational and productivity demands

on industry as well as time constraints, and

procedures for accessing worksites and key

personnel. Clearly, articulating the activities

and constraints of both advances the effective

coordination of the Gateway project partnerships.

Reection

This mechanism involves learning about and

valuing the perspective of each partner as a result

of feedback processes. Industry may for instance

present a perspective about what curriculum

content best equips students for apprenticeship

and work, while schools may have a pedagogical

perspective on how the curriculum is taught.

Reection is also inclusive of cultural perspectives

such as behavioural standards; industry codes

of conduct and school behaviour management

policies.

Transformation

Finally, transformation occurs progressively as

an outcome of the forgoing three boundary

crossing mechanisms (See Figure 3). That is, as a

partner identies activities, establishes systems to

coordinate activities, reects on the perspectives

of the partner, there will likely be genuine

transformation or some change in current ISP

practices leading to effectiveness.

Model four: Knowledge dimensions

As means to investigate the design and

implementation of industry-developed curricula

necessary to appropriately equip students for

school to work transitions, this research adopted

the work of Blacker50. Blacker described ve

knowledge dimensions represented in workplaces

and organisations: embrained, embodied,

encultured, embedded and encoded. These

categories are not mutually exclusive but rather

occur simultaneously within the ISP curriculum.

50 Blacker, F. (1995). Knowledge, knowledge work and organisations: An

overview and interpretation. Organisational Studies, 16(6), 1021-1046.

An example of how the ve categories may be

applied to a secondary earth science unit of

work on rock formation is presented in Table

1. This framework provides a perspective on

essential knowledge that extends beyond a

simple competency or skills based approach.

The acquisition of such knowledge requires

contributions from both school teachers and

industry partners.

Table 2. Five knowledge dimensions.

Knowledge

category

Manifestation

Embrained Conceptual knowledge about rock

types and geological layers.

Embodied Practical skills taught by a mining

geologist during an earth science

excursion to a mine site.

Embedded Opportunity for students to

practice the typical activities of a

geologist (within limitations and

under supervision) so that they are

routinised as a system.

Encultured Opportunity for school students

to be mentored and experience

the culture of geologists in the

community in which they practice

their profession.

Encoded Geological knowledge captured in

code such as text books, reports,

specication manuals and standard

operating procedural documents.

Model ve: Sustainability principles

As an ecological principle, a system (including

an ISP system) is susceptible to external and

internal shocks, which may threaten sustainability.

Ecological theory includes two principles that the

research team adapted to better understand the

sustainability of ISPs: (a) resilience capacity; and

(b) adaptive capacity. These principles originated

from Holling’s51 research on social-ecological

systems and were further developed by other

researchers52 in the eld.

51 Holling, C. S. (1973). Resilience and stability of ecological systems.

Annual Review of Ecological Systems, 4, 1-23.

52 Folke, C., Carpenter, S. R., Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Chapin, T., &

Rockstrom, J. (2010). Resilience thinking: integrating resilience,

adaptability and transformability.

Resilience capacity

Walker et al., (2004)53 posed a denition of

resilience as “the capacity of a system to absorb

disturbance and reorganise while simultaneously

undergoing change so as to still retain essentially

the same function, structure, identity, and

feedbacks” (p. 6). As a principle, resilience within

an ISP relates to whether the system can: (a)

absorb a shock and maintain core functions; (b)

reorganise itself to respond to the shock; (c) and

whether it can build capacity, learn and adapt. An

example of a shock to a social-ecological system

(ISP) is the departure of key personnel who

interface between partner organisations.

Adaptive capacity

Change in current times is inevitable but

knowledge of how to ensure an ISP system’s

existing resilience may not in itself ensure

sustainability, and is not well researched. For this

reason, the importance of ISP adaptive capacity

is emphasised and dened as, “the capacity

of actors in a system to inuence resilience [to

shape the adaptations required to continue

serving the functions]” (Walker et al., 2004, p.

6). The capacity to inuence resilience levels in

ISPs is dependent on the nature of relational

interaction between key partners.

Such capacity strengthens interdependency

between partners, and the governance

arrangements throughout the entire ISP

system, which are all essential to reinforce

commitment for the agreed course. Adaptability

will likely be evident as members negotiate

and renegotiate collaboratively to steer the ISP

to avoid the negative impact of the “shock”

leading to unsustainable states and thus return

to equilibrium. An example of an unsustainable

state is where an ISP overcommits to various

activities with insufcient resources – nancial

and in-kind.

53 Walker, B., Holling, C. S., Carpenter, S. R., & Kinzig, A. (2004).

Resilience, adaptability and transformability in social – ecological

systems. Ecology and Society, 9(2), 5.

PART 2: CASE STUDIES

PROJECT CASES

In designing this study, our second research question was to explore in what ways do partnerships

impact on factors affecting student learning outcomes such as curriculum, pedagogical practices, school

leadership, teacher quality, and authentic learning? The outcome of this question is presented in the

form of case reports that document innovative teaching/learning experiences, partnership transactions,

curricula and resources that foster enhanced student learning outcomes.

 AEROSPACE CASE

The Aerospace Gateway to Industry Schools

Program was established to support the growth

and development of an effective workforce

for the aviation industry sector. This program

provides opportunities for young people to

undertake structured workplace learning, school-

based apprenticeships and traineeships, full-time

employment and further study through Industry-

School Partnerships and has proven essential in

meeting the Queensland Government’s aim of

transitioning young people from school to work

while completing school and gaining formal

qualications.

The program involves selected Queensland

secondary schools, State, Non-State (including

Catholic and Independent Schools) engaging

with aerospace industry partners, local aerospace

entities, training institutions and universities to

create pathways for students into Queensland’s

aerospace industry.

Partnership transactions

The aviation industry persuaded the government

of the day to establish a training facility, namely

Aviation Australia, to take signicant action to

address skill shortages in the aviation industry.

Initially the government identied schools in

close proximity to two major airports to form a

cluster arrangement. Boeing, Qantas and Virgin

among other aviation industries provided strong

support for the project.

The model expanded to involve 24 schools

with an orientation toward the aerospace

industry. However, there was no documentary

evidence of formalised agreements for the ISP

at a system level. Individual schools established

direct networks with industry. A sole project

coordinator provided liaison among schools

and industry and provided expertise to support

project management at the school level.

School principals also provided leadership. The

involvement of individual schools was subject

to vagaries in the industry especially during the

Global Financial Crisis. Local policies on the

management of airports also impacted the extent

that some schools could prioritise participation.

Industry was found to lack understanding of what

schools do.

Curricula and resources

The project has involved signicant co-

production of curriculum between industry

and schools. The curriculum focus tends to be

dependent on the experience of the project

coordinator, that is, whether their background is

from industry or school. Curriculum developed

in this project is accredited by the state school

education authority, approved under the

national vocational framework, and with the

European Aviation Safety Agency. Negotiated

contextualised aviation related qualications

ranged from aircraft maintenance engineering to

cabin crew training.

Innovative teaching and learning

Interestingly, where industry priorities changed the

focus of the teaching and learning also changed

in the aerospace project. For instance, initially the

focus was on maintenance engineers particularly

related to Boeing contracts in servicing F111

military aircraft. However, the F111 were phased

out of service, and the global nancial crisis

impacted the aviation industry and partnerships

changed. The F111 maintenance was replaced

with a new focus on aviation security. Aviation

High, formally Hendra State High School,

transitioned from a general high school to aviation

focused school. The level of regulation in airports

restricts student site visits and as such prevents to

some degree innovative teaching.

EXTRACTS FROM AEROSPACE INTERVIEWS

Virgin hired three of our students

straight out of school at the end

of last year, which was a rst for

them. We had two students got

to network operations and one to

reservations. So the structures we

aligned with the industry need are

actually starting to pay off.

(Principal)

There’s no training for industrial

arts teachers now. The Grifth

program is no longer. It’s a real

sad time now that’s collapsed

because we use to use the trainee

teachers and really enjoyed what

they were doing.

(Aeroskills teacher)

Planning a ight from Redcliffe

out to Nanango, down to the

Gold Coast and back to Redcliffe.

Students draw it all up, put in the

markers, calculate the distances.

There’s a ight planning sheet that

we use, picking your altitudes.

Looking at the BOM, going to the

aviation services and putting out

the forecasts.

(Aviation teacher)

We have a number of retirees from

the aviation industry. They come

and impart their knowledge and

guide the students through their

array of tasks to do for the week.

A lot of kids will ask about their

careers and how they could get

into the industry.

(Head Teacher of Technology)

We’ve got a twin engine Cessna

in the shed. It’s not yable - but as

training aid. Aviation Australia was

upgrading, they said it’s yours so

they transported it out here.

Virgin give the school ight

simulator hours every year, every

term we take a lot of students there.

(Teacher Aviation High)

Defence has employed a lot of our

students. I guess with the GFC

commercial aviation has been

reasonably quiet, two of them as

fast jet pilots, three as air combat

ofcers, and the rest engineering.

(Principal)

 BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION CASE

The Building and Construction project is a

school-based, industry-supported program

specically designed to engage students

with career pathways and opportunities in the

construction industry. The program involves

the construction industry working with schools

and local industry partners to raise the prole

of careers in construction for students. Building

and construction career pathways for students

through school-based education and training

opportunities include work experience,

structured work placements, and school-based

apprenticeships and traineeships.

Partnership transactions

The state government identied the need and

contracted Hutchinson Builders, one of the

largest Queensland construction companies to

develop and deliver building and construction

training. Hutchinson Builders worked with

Construction Skills Queensland (industry skills

body) and schools to provide industry training to

students on various large infrastructure projects

throughout Queensland. Some schools identied

opportunities to link to federal funding through

the Trade Training Centres and Registered

Training Organisations. Hutchinson Builders

identied 73 partner schools to form six clusters.

No formal memorandum of understanding for

the partnership was established. Rather, pre-

existing linkages between the project manager

and industry contacts and some school teachers,

indirect links between schools and community

organisations were the key partnership

stakeholders. Partners in this project have a range

of problems/issues that need to be addressed,

including:

• Industry will not pay a higher rate for

qualied school leaver;

• School release for industry-based subjects

impacts on school timetable and non-

industry subjects;

• Economic uctuations impact signicantly on

the sustainability of the partnership;

• High teacher turnover rate; and

• Shortage of teachers with industry-based

knowledge.

• Partnership training experiences for students

makes some of them over-qualied for

apprenticeships.

Curricula and resources

The co-production of curriculum was coordinated

between schools and industry in clusters within

geographic proximity to work placement sites.

Industry-based curriculum accredited by state

government school education authority.

Australian Skills Quality Authority approved.

Standard industry-based training is delivered as

well as negotiated contextualized Maths, English

and Science, Certicate I (year 10) and Certicate

II (year 11-12). Teachers are also assisted with

professional development.

EXTRACTS FROM BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INTERVIEWS

We’re going to start ooding all

our plumbers, electricians and

carpenters, and hopefully getting

out there to say we’re a one-stop

– if you want an apprentice come

to us because we’ve got good kids

here. You’re getting kids who are

here because they want to be in

your industry.

(Placement manager)

We’re establishing a really strong

relationship with Lend Lease,

so that’s another layer. So each

relationship with industry has

different facets and different levels

and I tend to call them primary

relationships and secondary

relationships.

(TTC manager)

We’ve got a good relationship

with John Holland on the private

hospital site because they’ve had

our kids on tours. I contacted the

senior engineer. Six of our kids

went and had fours hours with two

engineers and we talked about the

whole engineering process.

(Principal)

When it comes to the maths

component I need them to be

able to do basic algebra and

transposition. In the second

year, they need to be able to do

trigonometry and understand

graphs and vectors. It’s a pre-

apprenticeship program for

electricians.

(TTC Teacher)

We put together a Diploma

of Building and Construction

and students completed four

competencies in surveying,

contract administration and

building codes and so forth.

The intent was a hands-on go

at a number of careers.

(Head of Department)

If you don’t understand VET and

industry and where the jobs are, it’s

really hard to give quality advice

to kids. Many teachers have gone

through school, to university and

back to school. So they have gone

through a non-VET pathway.

(TTC manager)

 MINERALS AND ENERGY CASE

The minerals and energy partnership is a

brokering arrangement between the Queensland

Government and the Queensland Resources

Council and Queensland Minerals and Energy

Academy (QMEA) and participating State,

Non-State schools (including Catholic and

Independent). The QMEA offers a range

of programs and experiences to broaden

knowledge of the sector for teachers and

students in Years 7 to 12 and provides pathways

for young people into resource sector-related

careers. As a virtual academy of 34 state and

independent schools, the QMEA has been

successful in establishing strong industry

partnerships, engaging with schools and industry

to facilitate numerous student and teacher

activities throughout Queensland.

Teachers from participating schools and industry

mentors from the large number of sponsor

companies operating across Queensland are

engaged in both its trade and professional

development program which focuses on Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

related areas, with all experiences aligned to the

Australian and Queensland curriculum. Teachers

and students also have access to a range of

specially developed and contextualised curriculum

and teaching resources through the QRC’s

education website at www.oresomeresources.com

QMEA activities are structured across three

phases: ‘Inuential’ (Years 7 to 9), ‘Informational’

(Year 10), and ‘Engagement’ (Years 11 to 12).

Through these phases students are identied,

supported and tracked to either a trade or

professional exit.

Some of the features of the QMEA range of

programs and activities include:

• Access for students and teachers to the

resources sector’s network of trade and

professional employees.

• Engagement with tertiary students and

personnel in a range of workshops related

to the industry.

• Apprenticeship aptitude test training for

those aiming to gain an apprenticeship in

the resources sector.

• Annual trade and professional engineering

camps offered in various locations

throughout the state.

• Brokering and assisted delivery of Certicate

I in Resources Infrastructure Operations and

Certicate II Resource, Infrastructure and

Workplace Preparation.

• QSMART curriculum program.

Partnership transactions

The minerals and energy ISP began with the

state government approaching the Queensland

Resources Council (industry peak body) with the

aim of replicating the aerospace arrangement.

State government funding supports this partnership

between 34 schools and 17 multinational sponsors

and the QMEA. Linkages between QMEA project

ofcers and industry contacts support evidence

of multiple formal and informal agreements

between schools and industry. QMEA project

ofcers are the primary link between schools and

industry, although there are indirect links between

schools and community organisations, with strong

EXTRACTS FROM MINERALS AND ENERGY INTERVIEWS

We get our professionals into

schools, get the kids out on site,

making sure they understand the

process of mining.

(Industry Liaison)

We provide a conduit access

schools and make sure what is

being offered by those companies

is what the schools need.

(QMEA)

I’ve got a kid in my maths B class

whose doing QSMART as well

because he doesn’t want to do

pure physics or chemistry. He’s

using the maths part of QSMART.

(Head of Maths)

I’m quite comfortable with the

curriculum content of QSMART but

prior to moving here I had very little

knowledge of the process of mining.

(New Maths Teacher)

We want high standards for our

apprentices and we can help the

schools achieve that standard. We

start taking the kids in year 10, 11,

12. We put them on as apprentices.

(Industry Apprentice Manager)

We have foundation sponsors

and that’s a large proportion of

our budget.

(QMEA)

representation from school principals in geographic

proximity to participating companies. Signicant

risks were identied for the minerals and energy

project with direct exposure to commodity price

uctuation and resulting changes in sponsor-

company funding. Pathways existed for students to

enter trades with the potential of being awarded

cadetships for further training at university.

Curricula and resources

Curriculum in this project is based on authentic

industry-based curriculum and is accredited by

state government school education authority.

Schools and industry partners in this project access

a range of qualications from the Resources

Industry Infrastructure national training package

Non-accredited standard industry-based training is

also delivered to participating school students.

Innovative teaching and learning

Although a range of teaching and learning

approaches were adopted, we found the minerals

and energy case more innovative. We were able

to map a ve-step curriculum development

and teaching and learning process that was

also producing examples of school-to-work

transitions. The ve steps are outlined below:

1. ISP transformed practices through the

application of various partnership principles

and mechanisms.

2. ISP transformed practices through the co-

production of curriculum.

3. ISP transformed by embedding co-produced

curriculum in external pre-existing systems

4. The approved curriculums were co-taught/

trained by school teachers and industry

trainers and mentors. This occurred on

school and industry premises employing

innovative knowledge and technology not

available is standard school programs.

5. Though arduous, this process ensures that

school students are work-ready because the

gaps in standard school curriculums have

been adequately addressed by co-produced

industry-based curriculums. Students who

participate in these programs are making

school-to-work transitions or in some cases

further education or training.

Employ

boundary crossing

Co-produce

curriculum

Embed in

external systems

Co-teach/

train innovative

educational

programs

Enact school-to-

work transition

Figure 4. Five-step industry-based curriculum transformation process.

 MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING CASE

The Manufacturing and Engineering Gateway

to Industry Schools Program encourages

partnerships between industry, government and

community to build Queensland’s manufacturing

and engineering workforce for the future. The

program involves Queensland secondary schools

engaging collaboratively with their respective

local manufacturing and engineering enterprises,

registered training organisations and universities to:

• raise the prole of careers in manufacturing

and engineering.

• provide professional development for

teachers in the context of manufacturing and

engineering.

• develop and implement a range of

manufacturing and engineering related

activities across industrial technology and

design, science, mathematics, English and

other key learning curriculum areas.

• create opportunities for work experience,

structured work placements, school-based

apprenticeships and traineeships, full-time

apprenticeships, and pathways to university

in preparation for trade, para-professional

and professional careers.

EXTRACTS FROM MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING INTERVIEWS

The engineering kids at the college,

they do two week placements

because they’ve chosen their

pathway basically, and the

employers enjoy that.

(Work experience coordinator)

The kids could see what we’re

doing is putting them in the

workplace. Then we’ve had a

number of businesses. [Hastings]

has always looked at us favourably.

There’s a new group in town,

[Janmar]. So they’ve made really

big connections with us.

(VET Coordinator)

I know in my own personal teaching

that I’ve been able to relate a lot of

my background - being exmilitary

as well as coming from a trade

background - to the kids.

(Industrial Arts teacher)

Challenge of nding students work

experience placements right now.

So there’s been a denite downturn

in the opportunities for kids to pick

up apprenticeships and do work

experience.

(Principal)

It’s not just the skills that you have

with your hands, it’s the skills that

you have with your mouth and your

ability to turn up at work. I think

that’s where schools could have a

greater inuence in getting people

work-ready.

(Industry Manager)

Eventually you’ve got students

who are going to leave your school

and they’re going to go and be

your next designer of a rapid

prototype, or the next designer of

a hypodermic needle, or someone

who’s going to cure cancer.

(Head of Department)

 FOOD, WINE AND TOURISM CASE

The Food, Wine and Tourism Gateway to Industry

Schools Program aims to help young people

make a successful transition from school into

further education and or employment in the

food, wine, hospitality and tourism industries.

By blending school, vocational and academic

curricula targeted to industry needs, students

learn about the food, wine and tourism industries

and the career opportunities available.

Partnership transactions

Schools participating in this research entered

the Gateway Wine Tourism project in 2007. The

Queensland College of Wine Tourism (QCWT) in

Stanthorpe is the major partner for participating

schools. QCWT opened its doors in 2007 as a

result of a joint venture between the University

of Southern Queensland (USQ) and the then

Department of Education, Training and the Arts

(DETA) of the Queensland State Government.

It is the key industry centre for the Queensland

wine tourism sector and manages the Wine,

Food and Tourism Gateway to Industry Schools

Program with the aim to deliver and facilitate

training for senior high school students in

theory and practice of Hospitality and Wine

making. It delivers accredited VET and VET in

Schools training on behalf of the Department

of Education and Training Queensland. In

addition to this partnership with QCWT, schools

established partnerships in their respective

communities with local winemakers and the

Department of Primary Industries.

The Education and Training Manager of the

QCWT is a highly qualied adult educator

with extensive experience in the wine industry

through her own winery. Her role in establishing

school industry links was made easier in terms

of pre-existing connections with industry

members: “I’m very close to the industry and

I have a very, very good network”. In terms of

formalizing partnerships she points out that

agreements are entered into to establish and

maintain successful partnerships. They are not

as rigid as formal MOUs mainly because funding

associated with Skills Queensland to QWCT is

reported on by the nancial year and schools

plan on a calendar year. Thus, there has to be

exibility in terms of envisaged study options

for the next school year. The manager explained

that Skills Queensland provides funding for

15,000 hours of training annually that QCWT is

able to allocate to the schools involved in the

project. Reecting the concerns raised by some

school personnel regarding their distance to the

College, the manager concurs that there are not

enough resources to enable students and staff

from, for example, Kingaroy, Dalby, and Laidley,

the same opportunities that are accorded to

stakeholders from Stanthorpe. Instead, students

and staff from these schools are assisted through

participation in immersion programs, where they

can participate in training at the College for short

blocks of time.

All of the schools participating in this research

claimed that personal networks were vital in the

establishment and maintenance of partnerships

with the branding of schools as Gateway school

regarded as critical to extend the program.

Interviewed staff across all schools were highly

motivated in terms of effort spent on the project

and persistence towards achieving educational

goals for their students. The commitment of key

staff in both schools and industry to the project,

however, provided not only an enabling but also a

limiting factor to the sustainability of partnerships

as witnessed in interruption of processes and

procedures with the turnover of key staff. This

may discontinue the implementation of the

schools’ vision and disrupt existing linkages with

the wider school community.

Not surprisingly, key partnership activities

differed between the schools involved and

depended on the geographical location and

availability of resources. Stanthorpe, for example,

offers all aspects of the ‘Young Winemakers’

program that includes pruning vines, picking and

crushing grapes, overseeing the fermentation

process, scientic analysis and testing, racking

and barreling, bottling, labeling and marketing,

cellar door and retail. The detailed immersion of

students in all facets of wine making was largely

aided by the school’s close proximity to the

QCWT. While Tullawong was able to offer most

of these aspects, its distance to the QCWT meant

that students initially had to participate in a three-

day site visit to be able to take advantage of the

state-of-the-art facilities offered by the college.

For representatives of this school, the Gateway to

Industry School Program appears to be competing

with other government-funded initiatives with

similar aims, such as partnership brokers. From

the late 1990s, schools were given government

funding directly to establish local relationships

with industry, such as community work experience

and structured workplace learning. When the new

partnership broker arrangement was introduced

in 2006, funds were diverted to the brokers who

appear to be doing the same job that schools

were doing formerly, namely to establish industry-

school relationships. Funding shifted from

this particular school to partnership brokers.

A doubling-up on structures and processes is

discernible that ruptured existing relationships and

redirected funding to produce similar outcomes.

It should also be noted that it was difcult to

attribute student outcomes to various programs

offered by the schools involved in this project

(same as other Gateway projects) and schools

do not have the resources to track student

destinations in the long term. There were however,

success stories of traineeships and apprenticeships

and positive feedback from industry.

Curricula and resources

One participating school (Laidley) implemented a

unit called ‘Promote Wine Tourism’. Additionally,

the new senior chemistry syllabus incorporated

a wine science component, which was co-

developed by QCWT and approved by the

Queensland Studies Authority (QSA). Staff

received training by QCWT on the component,

and adjusted the component to the specic

needs of the school. This form of professional

development, assisted by expert advice from the

University of Southern Queensland was regarded

as excellent opportunity for teachers to gain

current and relevant knowledge of the Science

curriculum geared to a specic industry. QCWT

offers professional development for the teachers

as part of the Gateway schools network program.

Through this professional development at the

College curriculum sharing between schools

occurs in addition to schools’ own informal way of

making contact with each other. Given that most

school teachers lack relevant and current industry

experience, they require a platform to share ideas

and engage with each other.

In this program some of the most positive

outcomes may be in terms of developing

numeracy. The data on how working in practical

space might enhance numeracy outcomes had

not yet been interrogated at the school level.

Innovative teaching and learning

Some staff were sceptical about how the school

environment would compare with authentic

workplace learning and suggested that the skills

and knowledge gained through participation in

the project were insufcient to prepare students

for employment in the industry without further

study. However, most students were clearly

motivated in participating in the project and

enjoyed the opportunities that work experiences,

hands-on learning in work settings, and eld

trips accorded them. It enabled them to develop

awareness of and skills in suitable career

pathways and to learn about individual abilities

and interests.

Professional development activities offered by

the QCWT and participation in the Gateway

project assisted teachers in getting to know

current and relevant industry practices and the

processes of implementing their own program

and setting up facilities. It enabled some to

update their own qualications as a requirement

to offer Vocational Education and Training

(VET) in schools with nationally recognised

qualications.

EXTRACTS FROM WINE, TOURISM INTERVIEWS

Since grade 8 I wanted to be a

chef. I’ve been going to the college

and learning to cook with class.

(Student)

In wine tourism we have the

Barrel Room Café, Ballandeen

Estate Wines, Garden Grove, yes

we’ve had them over the years as

employers.

(Work experience coordinator)

If you have a liaison ofcer with

industry links you see outcomes.

You see credible links with other

organisations like the RNA. You build

up partnerships that are valued.

(Principal)

The Gateway partnership has

allowed us access to equipment

and expertise. We are one of the

few schools that has the full winery

and science lab set up. So that’s a

major benet.

(Head of Science)

There’s specic equipment that

they need to be competent in

using to test the wine. By using the

equipment they are demonstrating

the sampling and measurement

competencies that need to be

ticked off.

(Teacher)

On the holidays I do work

experience in the winery part, so

I’m selling and helping people taste

wines and do tours.

(Student)

APPENDIX

No. Dissemination Activity and Publications Type

1Kapitzke, C., & Hay, S. (2011). Industry school partnerships: Real world learning through the

Gateway Schools Projects. Inside Teaching, 2(1), 42 -45.

Publication

2Watters, J. J., Hay, S., & Pillay, H. K. (2012) Confronting the shortage of skilled and

professional workers: A large-scale industry-school partnership initiative. In ECER 2012,

University of Cádiz, Spain.

Conference presentation

3Pillay, H., Watters, J. J., & Hoff, L. (2013). Critical attributes of public-private partnerships: A

case study in vocational education. International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and

Technology, 4(1), 31-45. DOI: 10.4018/javet.2013010103

Publication

4Pillay, H., Watters, J. J., Hay, S., & Hoff, L. (2013). Partnerships to promote school to work

transitions – evidence from the eld. Paper presented at the 10th international JVET

conference. Worcester College, Oxford, 5th – 7th July 2013.

Conference presentation

5Watters, J. J., & Christensen, C. (2013). Vocational education in science technology,

engineering and maths (STEM): Curriculum innovation through Industry-School Partnerships.

Paper presented at the European Science Educators Research Association Conference,

Nicosia, Cyprus, September, 2013.

Conference presentation

6Watters, J. J., & Christensen, C, (2013) Vocationalism in science and technology education:

Aligning school curricula with workplace needs? Paper presented at the 44th Australasian

Science Educators Research Association Conference, 2-5 July 2013, Te Papa Tongarewa;

Wellington, New Zealand.

Conference presentation

7Watters, J. J., Hay, S., Dempster, N., & Pillay, H. (2013). School industry partnerships: An

innovative strategy for vocational education. In M. Gessler, L. Deitmer., & S. Manning

(Eds.). Proceedings of the ECER VETNET Conference. WIFO, Istanbul, Turkey. www.ecer-

vetnet-2013.wifo-gate.org

Conference proceedings

8Flynn, M. C. & Pillay, H. K. (2013). Industry-school partnerships: An ecological approach.

International Journal of the Arts and Sciences, 6(4), 121-132.

Publication

9Flynn, M. C., & Pillay, H. (2013). Industry-school partnerships – an ecological approach. Paper

presented at the Euro-American Conference for Academic Discipline – Education Stream

(International Journal of the Arts and Sciences). Paris, 11th March 2013.

Conference presentation

10 Watters, J. J., Pillay, H. K., Hay, S., & Dempster, N. (2013). Cooperative education through

a large-scale industry-school partnership. Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships,

47(1), 47-60.

Publication

11 Flynn, M. C., & Pillay, H. (2013). Industry-school partnerships. Paper presented at the QUT-

BNU International Doctoral Forum, Beijing, 15th – 23rd November, 2013.

Conference presentation

12 Flynn, M. C., Pillay, H., Watters, J. J. (2014). Industry School Partnerships: Boundary crossing

to enable school to work transitions – Findings from three industries. Paper presented at the

Third Education and Employers Research Conference: Exploring school-to-work transitions in

international perspectives, London, 23rd January, 2014.

Conference presentation

13 Flynn, M. C. (2015). Industry-school partnerships: An ecological case study to understand

operational dynamics (PhD thesis). Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

Available at https://eprints.qut.edu.au/83636/

Thesis

14 Pillay, H., Watters, J. J., Hoff, L., & Flynn, M. (2014). Dimensions of effectiveness and

efciency: A case study on industry–school partnerships. Journal of Vocational Education and

Training, 66(4), pp. 537-553. DOI: 10.1080/13636820.2014.961524

Publication

15 Flynn, M. C., Pillay, H. K., & Watters, J. J. (2015). Boundary crossing: A theoretical framework

to understand the operation dynamics of industry-school partnerships. TVET@sia, 5. Open

access at http://www.tvet-online.asia/issue5/ynn_etal_tvet5.pdf

Publication

16 Flynn, M.; Pillay, H; Watters, J. (2016). Industry-school partnerships: Boundary crossing

to enable school to work transitions. Journal of Education and Work, 29(3), 309-331. doi:

10.1080/13639080.2014.934789

Publication

17 Flynn, M. C., Pillay, H. K., & Watters, J. J. (2016, Accepted, June 4). Industry-School

Partnership: Principles for sustainability. International Journal of Adult Vocational Education

and Training, 7(3),

Publication

18 Pillay, H., Watters, J. J., Flynn, M, & Hoff, L. (2016). Public-Private Partnerships principles

applied to industry-school partnership to support technical and vocational education. In V.

C. X. Wang (Ed.), Adult education and vocational training in the digital age. Hershey, PA: IGI

Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-0929-5

Book Chapter

Copies of this report are available from:

Associate Professor Jim Watters

Ofce of Education Research

Faculty of Education

Queensland University of Technology

Victoria Park Road

Kelvin Grove, Brisbane 4059

j.watters@qut.edu.au

Schools as Community Hubs. Literature Review

Technical Report

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Nov 2022

This literature review focuses on community hub models that include an education setting. The goals of these hubs go beyond improving academic outcomes, and look also to the health and wellbeing of their community. This review explores the ways in which education communities operate as welcoming and enriching places that connect, share, and learn with, not only students, families, and educators, but also their wider community. It focuses on a specific model of school-community partnership, typically known as a school community hub. Core features of community hubs are presented as people, partnerships, place and programs. Benefits and challenges of community hubs are discussed.

Developing Industry-Specific Career Advising Models for Design Students: Creating Frameworks Tailored to the Unique Needs of Industrial Design, Product Design, and UI/UX Job Markets

Article

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Kushal Karwa

A new design job market is sprouting in the design industry. As such, focused career advising models must be developed for career advice in industrial design, product design, and UI/UX. With the industry becoming restructured with technology breakthroughs such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), design students should acquire both technical skills and industry expectations knowledge. The job markets of these design disciplines are characterized by industry-specific career advising frameworks, competency, skills, and tools trending in the discipline. This paper details how these need to be resolved. Design students cannot be advised careers only by academics, but internships, portfolio creation, and business contacts should also be part of career advice for design students. This study also notes a path from the adviser's career to work in the market. There are many examples, such as industrial design and sustainability practice, usability principles regarding user interface and User Experience Design (UI/UX), or even product design. It then discusses how it has worked in successful cases, such as implementing and tailoring advising models for students ready for the workforce. Other important insights include the fact that there is competition for jobs in this digital-first job market, and it needs cross-disciplinary skills, which are also required in coding and data analysis. The paper predicts future trends in design career advising, namely, remote work adaptation, AI integration, and periodic skills development. The design institutions can learn from industry-specific advising models to prepare the students to face challenges and exploitation opportunities in the dynamic job market.

Small and Medium Enterprises UPSKILLING STRATEGIES FOR SME EMPLOYEES IN THE DIGITAL AGE A B S T R A C T

Article

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Jan 2024

Upskilling Strategies for SME Employees in the Digital Age

Article

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Dec 2024

The domineering demand for upskilling employees in a Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for being competitive has brought to light by the growing demand for skilled workers in the digital age. The contemporary age's growing demand for skilled workers shines through the human capital theory, thereby asserts that investment in staff training is imperative, developments of an organization. Insufficient research delays effective upskilling ingenuities in Pakistan. This study explores at how employees of Small and Medium Enterprises can advance their skills in the digital age, with a focus on technology tools, training techniques, financial and managerial skills. This study employed the qualitative methods for research by 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire survey to 411 employees from an event management company in Lahore, Pakistan. 'Correlation' (r) and 'Regression' (r2) analysis also shown positive values, which more supports our study hypothesis. Reliability shown that Cronbach's alpha (ἀ) 0.81, it revealed that SME employees want to improve their skills in the digital transformation. The results show that respondents strongly agreed with the value of upskilling in improving their performance and the effectiveness of the Small and Medium Enterprises. The results indicate a noteworthy positive correlation between employee performance and upskilling, with 95.6% of respondents recognizing the value of upskilling and 71.5% strongly agreeing that it is necessary to improve their job serving work, which is proven by their understanding the benefits of technology and digital change. The findings of the study shed light on the advantages and maneuvers for upskilling SME employees in the digital age.

Improving Diploma Training Programs: The Impact and Role of Industry Partnerships

Article

Oct 2024

Diploma training courses play a primitive role in shaping the job market in the present times because young professionals gain deeper knowledge, and enhanced skills aligned with industry needs. Exploration of the evolving dynamics of industry partnerships in diploma training programs has been taken up as the topic for the present research report. The purpose of the research report has been to explore how industry partnerships contribute to the enhancement of diploma training programs, and what the key benefits and challenges associated with these collaborations are in Kuwaiti context. The report has underscored the major implications of the possible collaboration between industry and education realms. Findings of research suggest that though industry partnerships positively impact diploma training in Kuwait, certain challenges remain to be addressed at the earliest through systemic measures. Recommendations provided thereafter focus on how the identified challenges can be directed, and students can be prepared better for the changing job market.

Rural revitalization strategy towards common prosperity: a study on the training model of innovative and entrepreneurial talents in business

Article

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Mar 2025

Driven by the dual forces of common destiny and rural revitalization, the cultivation of business talents faces new opportunities and challenges. Based on the theories of innovation and entrepreneurship education, shared development, and rural revitalization, this paper proposes a set of business innovation and entrepreneurship models for rural revitalization in Pakistan that "empower common trade". This model relies on policy-driven, industry-education integration, digital empowerment, and diversified evaluation mechanisms to help college business majors accurately meet rural needs and cultivate students with social responsibility. Research shows that this model provides an effective bridge between business education and rural industrial construction, which not only provides vitality for rural economic transformation but also provides a reliable basis for the benign reform of governments, enterprises, and universities. Focusing on the in-depth promotion of the concept of common happiness and the rural revitalization strategy, the promotion of related practices will be conducive to cultivating more high-quality business talents and providing complete intellectual support for regional economic and social development.

Examining the Impact of Industry Partnerships on Project-Based Learning Initiatives within Engineering Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Conference Paper

Dec 2024

Impact of collaboration with ICT industry partners on secondary students’ knowledge, attitudes, and IT competence

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2023
Educ Inform Tech

The information technology industry has been identified as a priority industry for development in Hong Kong. Within this sector, there are a growing number of “new collar” jobs that may not require a traditional four-year degree. However, these jobs require a combination of technical and soft skills that are not often taught in secondary schools. The Applied Learning course titled “Tech Basics” was introduced to five secondary schools in 2019. It has the unique feature of bringing together secondary schools, a local public university, and industry partners in curriculum design and program delivery, to provide students with work-integrated learning. The curriculum includes authentic work environment exposure components such as company visits, mentorship programs, industry-led project competitions, and internships. This paper is a case study presenting detailed information on the program’s model of work-integrated learning as. well as its evaluation. It explains the different roles of secondary schools, higher education institutes, and industry partners. To assess the impact of the program, three rounds of surveys were conducted among students taking the course and a control group over a three-year period. The theoretical framework of work integrated learning and mentoring was reviewed. Survey results and additional qualitative data are presented. Feedback from secondary school teachers and mentors from the industry is analyzed. Challenges for the future development of the Tech Basics course are discussed.

Verduurzaming van publieke waarde door samenwerking in het mbo

Research

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Sep 2022

Creating sustainable public value by organizational networks in vocational education

Education 4.0 and the Smart Manufacturing Paradigm: A Conceptual Gateway for Learning Factories

Chapter

Full-text available

Nov 2021

The latest shift in the industry, known as industry 4.0, has introduced new challenges in manufacturing. The main characteristic of this transformation is digital technologies’ effect on the way production processes occur. Due to the technological growth, knowledge and skills on manufacturing operations are becoming obsolete. Hence, the need for upskilling and reskilling individuals urges. In collaboration with other key entities, educational institutions are responsible for raising awareness and interest of young students to reach a qualified and equal workforce. Drawing on a thorough literature review focused on key empirical studies on learning factories and fundamental industry 4.0 concepts, trends, teaching approaches, and required skills, the goal of this paper is to provide a gateway to understand effective learning factories’ approaches and a holistic understanding of the role of advanced and collaborative learning practices in the so-called education 4.0.

Industry-School Partnership: Principles for sustainability

Working Paper

Full-text available

Apr 2016

Vocational education in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM): Curriculum innovation through school industry partnerships.

Conference Paper

Full-text available

Sep 2013

James J. Watters

Abstract: Governments have recognised that the technological trades rely on knowledge embedded traditionally in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In this paper, we report preliminary findings on the development of two curricula that attempt to integrate science and mathematics with workplace knowledge and practices. We argue that these curricula provide educational opportunities for students to pursue their preferred career pathways. These curricula were co-developed by industry and educational personnel across two industry sectors, namely, mining and aerospace. The aim was to provide knowledge appropriate for students moving from school to the workplace in the respective industries. The analysis of curriculum and associated policy documents reveals that the curricula adopt applied learning orientations through teaching strategies and assessment practices which focus on practical skills. However, although key theoretical science and maths concepts have been well incorporated, the extent to which knowledge deriving from workplace practices is included varies across the curricula. Our findings highlight the importance of teachers having substantial practical industry experience and the role that whole school policies play in attempts to align the range of learning experiences with the needs of industry.

Industry-school partnerships: an ecological approach.

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2013

Matthew Flynn

Internationally, Industry-School Partnerships (ISPs) are a ubiquitous government approach for enabling school to work transitions. Significant benefits of ISPs for centralised bureaucracies that are seeking to address common educational problems include: i) cost reduction; ii) supply to geographically dispersed locations; and iii) industry access to innovative education solutions. In Queensland, there exists a government led ISP, the Gateway to Industry Schools Program. Under this initiative is the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy, a lead industry organisation for 34 schools and 17 multinational sponsor companies. Acquiring an understanding of this strategic ISP is critical, given the current Resources Industry boom, and the workforce skills shortage experienced in Australia. This review paper adopts Ecological Systems Theory as a lens to understand the inner workings of ISPs. Acknowledging that ISPs will remain a key feature of government policy, this paper seeks to further illuminate the role of ISPs in transitioning young people from school to the working world.

Critical Attributes of Public-Private Partnerships

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2015

The term ‘partnership’ is increasingly used by governments, industry, community organisations and schools in supporting their daily businesses. Similar to the terms ‘ICT’ and ‘learning’, ‘partnerships’ are now ubiquitous in policy discourse. Yet, the term remains ill-defined and ambiguous. This study reviews and reflects on a government led industry-school partnership initiative in the state of Queensland, Australia, to understand how the term is used in this initiative. Given the frequent use of Public Private Partnership (PPP) language, PPP was used as a framework to review this initiative. The methodology of this qualitative case study involved consultations with stakeholders and an analysis of Gateway schools documents, policy documents, and literature. The review suggests that despite the use of terminology akin to PPP projects in Gateway school and policy documents, the implicit suggestion that this initiative is a public-private partnership is untenable. The majority of principles shaping a PPP have not been considered to a significant extent in the Gateway project. Although the review recognises the legitimate and sincere purpose of the Gateway schools initiative, the adoption of a PPP framework during the design, monitoring, or evaluation stages could have strengthened the initiative in terms of outcomes, benefits, and sustainability.

Dimensions of effectiveness and efficiency: a case study on industry–school partnerships

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2014

Internationally, the delivery of vocational education and training is being challenged by increasing skills shortages in certain industries and/or rapidly changing skill requirements. To respond to this challenge, rigid and centralised state bureaucracies are increasingly adopting partnerships between schools and industry as a strategy to encourage school-to-work transition programmes to address the local labour market demand. Drawing on experiences in Australia, this paper reports on a case study of government-led partnerships between schools and industry. The Queensland Gateway to industry schools initiative currently involves over 120 schools. The study investigated how two commonly used partnership principles were understood by the Gateway to industry partners. Twelve school–industry partnerships from four industry sectors were analysed in terms of the principles of ‘efficiency’ and ‘effectiveness’ derived from the public–private partnership literature. The study found that some evidence of partnership activities associated with efficiency and effectiveness may be assigned to Gateway schools projects. However, little evidence was found that the above underlying principles were addressed systematically. Some of these partnerships were tenuously facilitated by individuals who had limited infrastructure or strategic support. Implications are that industry–school partnership stakeholders would benefit from applying partnership principles regarding implementation and management to ensure the sustainability of partnerships.

Boundary Crossing: A theoretical framework to understand the dynamics of industry-school partnerships

Article

Jan 2015

Matthew Flynn

Industry–school partnerships: boundary crossing to enable school to work transitions

Article

Jul 2014

Industry–school partnerships (ISPs) are increasingly being recognised as a new way of providing vocational education opportunities particularly in industries where there are skills shortages. However, there is limited research investigating their impact on school to work transitions. This paper reports on a government-led ISP, the Gateway to Industry Schools Program, established in Queensland, Australia. Central to this initiative is the Resources Academy, a lead organisation for 28 schools and 17 multinational sponsor companies. This research adopted a qualitative case study methodology and draws upon boundary crossing theory as means to understand a Minerals and Energy ISP. We distinguish four types of boundary crossing mechanisms, which partners navigate in ISPs. The main findings were that boundary crossing mechanisms assist ISPs to develop industry-based contextualised curriculum and to prepare school students for employment.

Critical attributes of public-private partnerships: a case study in vocational education

Article

Jan 2013

Partnerships to promote school to work transitions – evidence from the field.

Conference Paper

Jul 2013

Industry school partnerships: Real world learning through the Gateway Schools Projects

Jan 2011
42-45

C Kapitzke
S Hay

Kapitzke, C., & Hay, S. (2011). Industry school partnerships: Real world learning through the Gateway Schools Projects. Inside Teaching, 2(1), 42 -45.

Industry-School Partnerships: A strategy to enhance education and training opportunities

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