Making managers within post-compulsory education: Policy, performativity and practice

Abstract

The roles and expectations of managers in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector are changing under dynamically complex conditions. The adoption of a more ‘open’ national training market as a government policy initiative has led to significant changes within VET providers and significant challenges for VET managers. This article explores how particular policy initiatives are playing out in VET providers, and their implications for managerial and organisational identities. Drawing on case data from an empirical research project, the argument is made that VET managers are located in a complicated nexus between public policy, business strategy and educational practice: se..