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I'm not sure how being able to use a VOR would have helped the pilot in this case.
Fiddling with the VOR would seem to me to be focussing on navigating when one's life depended on aviating.
In this particular instance, the pilot was probably far better off getting directions and assurances from ATC rather than trying to work out VOR's and maps in IMC
Agree. But from reading the Op's comments, there was no mention he was advocating the pilot concerned should have attempted to fix his position by navaids while in IMC.
I took the remarks as pointing out the pilot must have undergone quite a few dual and solo VFR cross-country using map reading techniques, as part of his PPL qualification. Yet according to ATSB, he had been given no training in basic operation of a VOR even though many training aircraft come equipped with a VOR and ADF.