Public policies on training and the effects of their provenance: An international comparison

Public policies on training are firmly rooted in the historical, political, economic and social context of their countries. A number of stakeholder groups such as employer groups, state and local governments, and trade unions affect the formulation of policy. Training policy is also affected by public policies in other areas of government, such as industrial relations. The acceptability of policies to stakeholder groups and, most importantly, to learners and to employers, is bound to affect their take-up and therefore their viability and longevity. The paper uses a comparative analysis of developments in the English and Australian systems in three key areas, using elements of public policy theory, to explain the factors affecting stakeholder acceptance of training policies. In particular, the paper focuses on the role of employers and the importance of employer acceptance to the successful implementation of vocational education and training (VET) policy.