Don't miss...
Last chance to register for the research forum Realising our potential: widening participation through education and training
NCVER’s considerable research into the role of education and training in a person’s transition to work and community will be presented and discussed at a one-day national forum in Melbourne on 3 April 2014. Findings from the research will include insights into the barriers to educational participation, completion and outcomes for disadvantaged learners. Don’t miss the panel discussion Realising our potential: where to now? facilitated by Chancellor of University of Western Sydney and NCVER Board Chair, Peter Shergold, with Robert Simons from ACER, Peter Dawkins from Victoria University and Kate Davidson from Community Colleges Australia.
For further information and to register
Research funding round opens
NCVER, on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments, has opened the latest NVETR funding round for research relevant to the policy and operations of Australia’s tertiary education and training sector. Funding is available for several research projects addressing three topic areas:
- The quality, flexibility and responsiveness within the training system
- The role of employers and industry in on-the-job skills formation and structured training arrangements
- The impact of changing economic conditions on individuals and the role of training.
For further information, please visit NCVER’s Portal
Just off the press...
Intergenerational mobility: new evidence from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth
Gerry Redmond, Melissa Wong, Bruce Bradbury, Ilan Katz
This report examines the extent of changes in intergenerational mobility in Australia since the 1970s using data from the Youth in Transition (YIT) study and the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY). Students' educational achievement in literacy and numeracy tests at age 14–15 years and their tertiary entrance rank (TER) at age 18–19 years in the context of their parents’ socioeconomic status (SES) are also examined. The analysis takes into account, in broad terms, developments in educational, social and economic policies over that time and previous studies.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2712.html
Refining models and approaches in continuing education and training
Stephen Billett, Sarojni Choy, Darryl Dymock, Ray Smith, Ann Kelly, Mark Tyler, Amanda Henderson, Jason Lewis, Fred Beven
Interviews with workers and managers show differences in preferred models of training, depending on the purpose of the training. When the purpose is to remain current and employable, to advance careers or to bring about the workplace change, then workplace and practice-based models are the most valued. However, when the purpose is to secure employment or change jobs then educational institution-based models are more favoured. This is the second report coming out of a three-year program of research which aims to investigate how the tertiary education and training system might best be organised to maintain the employability of workers across their working lives.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2700.html
Transitioning from vocational education and training to university: strengthening information literacy through collaboration
Sonia White
Students transitioning from vocational education and training (VET) to university can experience a number of challenges. This small research project explored the information literacy needs of VET and university students and how they differ. Students studying early childhood related VET and university courses reported differences in how and where they searched for information in their studies. These differences reflect the more practical focus of VET compared with the more academic and theoretical approach of university.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2701.html
Educational outcomes: the impact of aspirations and the role of student background characteristics
Jacqueline Homel, Chris Ryan
The authors examine the relationships between student background characteristics, educational aspirations and educational outcomes using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY). The methodology involved econometric analyses to determine whether student background factors influence Year 12 completion and university participation only via their indirect impact on aspirations.
http://www.lsay.edu.au/publications/2669.html
The labour force participation of Australian mature-aged men: the role of spousal participation
Rong Zhu
An important policy concern for many Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, including Australia, has been the potential impacts on society of an ageing population. This paper investigates the labour force participation decisions made by mature-aged Australian couples from 2001 to 2011, using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) survey. This study questions a fundamental issue regarding our understanding of labour force participation in today's research; namely, whether we should assume that the labour force decisions made by couples are interdependent or not.