The education of the population and the skilling of the workforce are the factors which are going to determine a nation's fortunes in the 21st century much more than they have in the 20th century. The skills base of a nation and the speed with which skilling can adjust to meet new requirements will be as important, if not more important in determining economic success than a nation's natural resources and financial capital base. These changes will not be achieved without further significant reform to our education and training system. This report discusses these issues and the direction for the future.
This report describes the use of large-scale economy-wide models which are available in Australia for occupational forecasting and their use in the VET sector. The paper provides: * a brief review of objectives of VET policy * an overview of international perspectives on the role of occupational forecasting in VET planning * a description of the views and practices of personnel in the VET sector who use labour market projections * an introductory discussion of economic modelling including the nature of economic models, the construction of models, different types of models and the uses and limitation of models * an evaluation of the use of economic and econometric models in assisting VET decisions, particularly the Monash and Murphy models
This report looks at students' and teachers' perceptions of initial vocational education and training. It also reveals how students engage in learning in education and training, provides a description of current teaching practices, and shows the influences which shape learning and teaching in initial VET.
How does the industry training market actually operate in contemporary Australia and how well does the training market meet the needs of employers grappling with the challenges of globalisation?
This report forms part of the research project packaging Training for Gender Equity which was commissioned in 1997 by ANTA and the MCEETYA VEET Women's Taskforce. It presents information on women's experiences in the current VET system derived from a qualitative focus group study with extensive use of participants' own voices. The report identifies some critical factors for women's success and suggests strategies for training providers and brokers in relation to these. Implications for new training arrangements, including New Apprenticeships and user choice, and for further policy development, are also discussed.
This report describes the range of outcome measures used in the VET systems and reviews a range of literature concerning these measures. The report identifies various perspectives on outcome measures - those of governments, of employers, of students and the broader community and how these perspectives influence the type of measures in use. The report covers research related to student outcomes, training markets and outcomes, reducing unemployment as an outcome, industry-oriented outcomes, industry investment in training, VET in schools and outcome measures in the broader context.
This publication provides information on apprentices and trainees in the mechanical engineering and fabrication trades over the period 1995 to 1999 including age, AQF level and geographic region, along with employment trends and forecasts for occupations in these trades. [revised and updated]
Today the provision of vocational education is being shaped more and more by the needs of clients. This report examines the needs of four client groups - industry, enterprises, communities and individuals - and discusses the consequences of their needs for policy and practice in VET. It focusses particularly on the food processing and clerical industries in three regions (a metropolitan centre, a provincial centre and a remote rural centre).
An overview of the report 'Meeting the demand: The needs of VET clients'. Today the provision of vocational education is being shaped more and more by the needs of clients. This report examines the needs of four client groups - industry, enterprises, communities and individuals - and discusses the consequences for policy and practice in VET of their needs. It focuses particularly on the food processing and clerical industries in three regions (a metropolitan centre, a provincial centre and a remote rural centre).
This report results from a study investigating the role of the workplace trainer. Workplace trainers are assuming an increasingly critical role in the provision of training opportunities as more and more training is expected to take place on the job. The report investigates the extent to which workplace trainers, especially in micro and small enterprises are ready, willing and able to meet their new role.
This report has investigated the impact of the increased trend towards casualisation and outsourcing of work on learning arrangements. It found that there has been an increase in highly task-specific or job-specific training. Moreover, labour hire companies tend to spend less on the training of their employees because they prefer to recruit people who already have the skills needed. This means that non-standard workers are largely responsible for accessing, organising and funding their own training.
Australia's employment-based training efforts have undergone considerable change in recent decades. More occupations and industries have adopted employment-based training methods. This research uses historical data and a macro-economic forecasting model to divine forecasts for future employment-based training. Detailed tables of forecasts by occupation are presented.
The study analyses the 1997 TAFE graduate destination survey to explore issues concerned with the employment outcomes from vocational education. The study focuses on earnings and occupations of male and female graduates. The research addresses questions such as why is there a gap in full-time earnings between male and female graduates; why does gaining a TAFE qualification appear not to provide a relative benefit for some female graduates in some industries; is occupational gender segmentation the reason for differences in male and female graduate earnings; is the VET system reinforcing occupational gender segregation by encouraging males and females into different streams of study. The study presents findings based on analysis of national data and also includes findings on an industry by industry basis.
This report develops and applies a methodology to analyse the flow of students through TAFE courses based on national VET data collected for the period 1994 to 1996. While it is important to note that not all those who enrol in a course intend to complete it or may recommence their studies later, it was found that most students leave with a positive outcome. There is also very little difference in outcomes based on gender. Success rates vary substantially by both stream and field of study. Age is also a factor but the pattern is complex. Partial completion of courses is significant and illustrates the flexibility of the TAFE system to accommodate the needs of those who wish to acquire skills and competencies rather than qualifications. Concentration on qualifications alone may therefore seriously underestimate the skill base of the Australian workforce.
This report investigates the attitudes and aspirations of school students about their post-secondary education and work. It is based on data from a survey of over 7000 Years 10, 11 and 12 students in NSW, WA and Victoria. The research found that students' intentions are strongly influenced by socio-economic background, geographical location and gender. The study measured socio-economic background by the highest level of education achieved by parents and found that differences in socio-economic background are the major factor in student perspectives. The report also found that VET does not have a high profile among school students and TAFE courses do not enjoy the status associated with degree courses
This publication is for those who are interested in looking at the pass and completion rates of students enrolled in courses delivered via different delivery strategies. It is also for those who are interested in finding out how students evaluate the different strategies they have experienced. The findings indicate that although it is difficult to determine which are the best delivery strategies for certain modules, there are trends which show that disproportionately high numbers of non-completions are observed in certain strategies.
The aim of the study was to draw together recent literature and examples of current practice to provide an overview of on-line delivery in education and training in Australia. The report summarises findings within seven key areas. This study points to future directions in on-line delivery.
The changes that have occurred in vocational education and training over the last decade have profound implications for the focus of evaluation. Funding is becoming tied to outputs rather than inputs; a transition is occurring from a supply-side system to one which has some demand-side characteristics; the range of training providers is more diverse than it was; and there has been a change in emphasis from external controls to quality assurance mechanisms. To ensure that future decisions on vocational education and training are well founded, a National Research and Evaluation Strategy has been developed which is administered by NCVER. This discussion paper is intended to inform the further development of the national strategy by strengthening its focus on evaluation.
This report compares the education and training outputs and outcomes of the Australian higher education and VET sectors. It identifies: which courses appear to have the best employment outcomes; the impact of students' prior education and employment backgrounds on outcomes; and specific social groups where outcomes vary between the sectors.
In this study a training evaluation process is developed to assist organisations in identifying the financial returns from training investment decisions. A well designed and delivered training program can be expected to generate significant financial returns that compare quite favourably with other forms of investment. Returns on investment for various training programs are presented.