Don't miss ...
Program released for NCVER Research Forum 'Realising our potential: widening participation through education and training'
NCVER has released the program for the national research forum 'Realising our potential: widening participation through education and training', to be held on 3 April 2014 in Melbourne.
Leading researchers will discuss the role of education and training in supporting all learners to achieve their potential. The forum will also provide a greater understanding about the barriers to education participation, completion and outcomes for disadvantages learners.
For more information, and to register at the earlybird rate, visit
http://www.ncver.edu.au/newsevents/events/realisingourpotential.html
Call for papers for the 23rd National VET Research Conference 'No Frills' 9-11 July 2014
NCVER and Holmesglen are hosting the 23rd National VET Research Conference 'No Frills' at Holmesglen's Moorabbin Campus in Melbourne.
The call for papers is now open, with practitioners and researchers invited to present informative, relevant and thought-provoking presentations on research in progress, as well as completed work. As well as standard presentations, again this year we are offering a refereed papers stream as part of the conference program.
Closing date for abstract submission is 11 March 2014.
For more information and details on how to submit an abstract, visit
Just off the press ...
Vocational education's variable links to vocations
Gavin Moodie, Nick Fredman, Emmaline Bexley, Leesa Wheelahan
Using NCVER and Australian Bureau of Statistics data as well as findings from four case studies, this report looks at how mid-level qualifications assist entry to and progression in the workforce. Mid-level qualifications currently provide weak links to the labour market, except when they are related to licensing requirements or regulations. Overall, to be successful in introducing mid-level qualifications, educational institutions need to identify a role in the workforce, convince employers of the benefits of the new role, and understand workforce structures and dynamics. This work is part of the three-year research program, Vocations: the link between post-compulsory education and the labour market.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2689.html
Interpreting competencies in Australian vocational education and training: practices and issues
Steven Hodge
How vocational education and training (VET) practitioners understand and use competency standards is of fundamental importance to the quality and integrity of the Australian VET system. This small study seeks to address this question by gaining insights from 30 VET practitioners. The research found that VET practitioners have little faith in the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and feel somewhat ill-equipped to interpret competency standards when developing curriculum. Furthermore, the unclear language and 'jargon' contained within the competencies make them hard to decipher. The author points to a number of potential solutions, including more intensive initial training, followed up with activities such as assessment validation to help build expertise.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2696.html
Are neighbourhood characteristics important in predicting the post-school destinations of young Australians?
David Johnston, Wang-Sheng Lee, Chandra Shah, Michael A Shields, Jean Spinks
While much research has been conducted on the influence of individual and family characteristics on social exclusion, very little has examined the role of community and neighbourhood factors. The effects of neighbourhood characteristics on young people's educational outcomes at age 15, 17 and 19 years in Australia, using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), are investigated in this report. The results indicate that outcomes are likely to be much the same for two students with similar individual and parental characteristics attending the same school but living in neighbourhoods with different levels of socioeconomic status. Mentoring efforts that help shape aspirations of young people at an early age could have a high payoff in terms of post-school outcomes.
What's new ...
Latest Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2003 cohort data and 2006 cohort data now available
The latest Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2003 cohort data and 2006 cohort data collected from the 2012 interviews are now available from the Australian Data Archive. Information on how to access these data is available from the LSAY website.
Web update ...
Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2003 cohort and 2006 cohort technical documents updated
The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2003 cohort and 2006 cohort user guides and derived variable documentation have been updated and are now available from the LSAY website.