Trust and the informal communication of training need and demand between VET providers and users

The paper focuses on the processes, and in particular non-market mechanisms, through which training needs are communicated or signalled to VET providers in rural settings. Qualitative data were gathered through interviewing a range of VET providers, employers, community groups and VET clients. Descriptive statistical data were also gathered to illustrate the relationship between supply and demand in a number of sub-regions. A key outcome of the research suggests that 'trust' and the particularities of 'place', when contextualised within the interactions occurring in rural settings, often lead to the communication of client needs to VET providers. Unlike urban settings that through geographic size and greater demographic distribution tend to separate professional and social networks, 'the bush' conflates social and professional networking through regular formal and informal meetings in a variety of workplace, community and social settings, thus creating opportunities for the communication of a range of commercially utilisable knowledges, including VET issues of supply and demand. The glue binding these 'intellectual spillovers', 'non-market mechanisms' or 'non-price signals' is trust. Information gleaned from focus groups, key informants, sites visits and desktop research consistently demonstrated 'trust', defined as the micro-observable and mutually accountable reciprocity of needs, as the basis of informal and most formal communications of VET need and demand. The researchers conclude that the dilemma with informal, trust-based communication is its randomness, which mitigates its potential for enhancing VET provider-client relationships and partnerships. A proposed solution to capture the inherent value of informal communication while recognising the realities of the rural and regional VET marketplace is to bring together VET providers and clients in a 'neutral space' auspiced by a non-VET body such as a purpose constructlocal government body; for example the range of bodies created through the Victorian 'learning towns' network.