The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), with funding through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), introduced a 'consortium' approach to its vocational education and training (VET) research program. This approach maximises scarce resources and is intended to increase research productivity and quality through collaboration between a number of institutions.
Each consortium involves two or more organisations and participating groups pool their staff and resources. The length of projects are between two and two- and a half years.
The consortium comprises The Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work based at the University of South Australia; the Centre Undertaking Research in Vocational Education based at the Canberra Institute of Technology; and the Australian Centre for Organisational, Vocational and Adult Learning based at the University of Technology Sydney. It will focus on the VET workforce, its capability and professional practice development.
There will be a particular focus on practitioner engagement and improving teaching, learning and assessment processes as well as organisational capability.
An action research approach will be adopted whereby the VET workforce will have the opportunity to test new tools as part of the research program.
NCVER is managing the consortium research program, acting as facilitator and an information hub. This research program is linked to objectives of the national strategy for VET, Shaping our future.
The National Institute of Labour Studies based at Flinders University, together with the Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning based at the University of Melbourne focused on changing work skill needs and work organisation arrangements, and their implications for VET.
This work takes a fresh look at big issues such as the usefulness of forecasting and what constitutes and causes skill shortages.
Research funding is awarded to organisations via a competitive process, in which NCVER does not participate.
