A stocktake of issues and activities in vocational education and training in schools through the perspectives of the published literature and policy documentation between 1997 and 2003 is the subject of this report. It identifies progress made and concludes that vocational programs in schools are meeting expectations and have achieved a legitimate place in the school curriculum, but that several implementation issues remain.
This project investigates the uptake of e-learning in two countries (Australia and Korea) which have experienced a rapid expansion of the use of information technology in education and training. A key finding is that although e-learning can increase flexibility and cost efficiencies in the delivery of training, it cannot on its own guarantee successful learning outcomes for students. The way in which the teacher and the learner utilise the technology continues to be important.
This report investigates factors that influence the decision-making process of applicants and the outcomes of post-school applications using the 2001 Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology. It finds that inability to obtain any place at a university or vocational education and training institute in 2001 was very low, but considerably higher in terms of getting a place in a preferred course at a preferred institution. The report adds to the understanding of what is known about the prevalence and causes of unmet student demand for tertiary education, a sensitive issue which is often not well understood.
This report investigates the characteristics and motivations of students who do not complete the training course they enrol in. It finds that non-completion is associated with poor educational background and unemployment and also finds that the numbers of students who leave vocational education and training without any achievements are over estimated, and improvements to data systems are needed.
Australia's innovation capacity is, in part, reliant on its teaching workforce - to teach and promote new technologies to industry. This pilot study examines how vocational education and training (VET) teachers, in particular TAFE teachers, maintain the currency of their skills and knowledge base. It also explores their role in the development and diffusion of innovative practices and new technologies in the manufacturing sector. Despite the lack of recognition of TAFE teachers in national innovation policies and programs, they do provide a technology diffusion function. However, there are impediments to maintaining the currency of teacher skills and equipment, including inadequate capital expenditure on equipment, an aging teaching workforce and reduced access to professional development and return-to-industry programs.
Financing vocational education and training, as part of Australia's commitment to lifelong learning, will become a greater challenge as increased spending on other public services, such as health and welfare caused by an ageing population, constrains government education expenditure. This report examines a range of mechanisms to encourage individual contributions to and participation in vocational education, drawing on international examples, and presents available findings about the effectiveness of these mechanisms in the Australian context. The research suggests learning accounts and paid educational leave offer the most potential. Mechanisms must offer incentives for individuals to invest, preferably in conjunction with incentives for employers, such as taxation breaks and superannuation.