Research

Summary page

Research

The double helix of vocational education and training and regional development by Peter Kearns, Kaye Bowman and Steve Garlick

Australia has a mix of metropolitan, outer-metropolitan, rural and remote regions. In the recent past, economic growth has been biased towards knowledge-intensive industries and occupations, which take place mainly in metropolitan areas. While some non-metropolitan parts of Australia are doing very well, many rural and remote regions are in decline or are stagnating.

We know that human resources will be one of the most important factors in encouraging regional development. We also know that vocational education and training (VET) institutions have a significant presence in the regions and are usually integrated with the local economy. In order to find out more about the role VET can play in regional development, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) commissioned a suite of research.

This study, The double helix of vocational education and training and regional development, is part of that suite. It looked at five regions across Australia to assess how well VET is meeting the skills needs of those regions, such that these communities achieve sustainable development.

Key messages

To enable communities and regions to be strengthened through learning and education, VET needs to become integrated with regional development in all key dimensions—economic, social, cultural and environmental.

The VET role should not be seen in terms of matching VET supply to a given demand. Rather it needs to respond to a complex set of local needs and relationships, as well as to national and state policy settings.

VET organisations require strategies which look outwards and engage with the local community and other agencies.

To support sustainable regional development VET organisations need to move from bilateral partnerships towards arrangements that aspire to whole-of-region development.

Tom Karmel
Managing Director, NCVER