Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Volume 62 - Number 2 - COVID-19 the catalyst for a new paradigm in vocational education and training

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

This paper examines how a Vocational Education and Training (VET) provider in Australia’s Northern Territory responded to travel limits and social distancing measures triggered by COVID-19. It reviews the pre-February 2020 VET regulatory setting, including compliance responsibilities to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), and discusses gaps in vocational pedagogy and the challenges of delivering VET online. Using questionnaires and interviews with key stakeholders, it evaluates the effectiveness of migrated online course delivery and calls for a post-COVID-19 policy shift.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature review

Research questions and methodology

Online delivery and stakeholder perspectives

Conclusion and policy shift

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 62, Number 2 COVID-19 the catalyst for a new paradigm in vocational education and training Susan Bandias Rajeev Sharma Alana Anderson This paper examines the response by a Vocational Education and Training (VET) provider in the Northern Territory (NT) ofAustralia to the travel and social distancing restrictions brought about by COVID-19. The paper commences with a description of the impact ofCOVID-19 on the VET sector. The paper then describes the VET regulatory environment prior to February 2020 and the responsibility of VET providers to comply with the requirements of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), in the delivery of VET programs to domestic and international students. A discussion of the lack of a specific vocational education pedagogy, the complexity of delivering VET programs online as well as current research findings in this area follows. A description of the College provides the context to examine the impact ofCOVID-19 on the delivery of programs in the Northern Territory VET sector. The paper describes how the College, which had a high international student cohort, migrated their courses online in order to remain viable in the highly volatile COVID- 19 the catalyst for a new paradigm in vocational education and training 237 and unforeseen circumstances brought about by COVID-19. In order to ascertain the effectiveness of the online delivery of course offerings, a questionnaire and a series offace to face and telephone interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. The mixed method approach employed in this research was consistent with contemporary social and educational research. The paper concludes with the call for a new paradigm and policy shift in Vocational Education and Training post COVID-19. Keywords: vocational education and training, online, COVID-19, Northern Territory, international students Introduction COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory virus was first detected in Wuhan, China in November 2019. The spread of the virus was rapid, extensive and unprecedented. In March 2020, in an attempt to minimise the spread of the virus, Australia’s Federal Government implemented wide ranging travel and social distancing restrictions.The education sector was particularly adversely affected by the embargo that closed Australia’s borders to international travellers (Go8, 2020).The requirement of people to maintain a physical separation of 1.5 metres also made face to face delivery of educational programs difficult. In a relatively short space of time the post compulsory education sector, comprising Vocational and Higher Education, experienced a significant loss of student enrolments and consequent income.The lucrative international student market that had become, for many education providers, a significant revenue stream diminished almost overnight (Doughney, 2020; IBISWorld, 2020).In order to remain financially viable and to comply with social distancing requirement, many institutions in the post-compulsory education sector embraced online learning as their main mode of delivery (IBISWorld, 2020).This transition from face to face classes to computer mediated instruction was particularly challenging for the Vocational Education and 238 Susan Bandias, Rajeev Sharma & Alana Anderson Training (VET) sector. Consequently, the key objective of this paper is to ascertain the effectiveness of the online delivery of VET courses in Australia by exploring the experiences of students and staff of a selected College as an exemplar.This was considered in the context of challenges presented by COVID19.The paper explored the following research questions: 1. What is the student perception of online learning? 2. What is the student experience of online learning? 3. What are the views of staff of online learning? The primary data for this research was collected by using a mixed methods approach.The methodology of combining both quanti

FAQs

What is the main focus of the paper?

The paper analyzes a VET provider’s response in Australia’s Northern Territory to COVID-19 travel and social distancing restrictions, with an emphasis on the effectiveness of online course delivery.

How were data and evidence collected in the study?

A mixed-methods approach was used, combining a questionnaire with face-to-face and telephone interviews with key stakeholders.

What broader change does the paper call for after COVID-19?

It concludes with a call for a new paradigm and a policy shift in Vocational Education and Training following COVID-19.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran