Australia's national VET data custodian

2012 publications

1 – 15 of 15 results
Continuing education and training models and strategies: an initial appraisal

By Amanda Henderson, Ann Kelly, Darryl Dymock, Fred Beven, Ian James, Jason Lewis, Ray Smith, Sarojni Choy, Stephen Billett

This report comes out of a three-year program of research that aims to investigate how best the tertiary education and training system might be organised to maintain the employability of Australian workers across their working lives.

Revitalising the 'vocational' in flows of learning and labour

By Leesa Wheelahan, Gavin Moodie, John Buchanan

This discussion paper introduces the overarching concepts for the three-year research program, 'Vocations: the link between post compulsory education and the labour market'. The paper also outlines the key findings from the initial investigations of each of the related research strands in the program. Overall, initial research has found that, due to the fragmentation of pathways within education and within the labour market, the relationship of pathways between education and the labour market are also fragmented. In order to understand this more clearly, the authors explore the concepts of transition systems, skill ecosystems and capabilities. A number of dilemmas for further research are also put forward.

The role of educational institutions in fostering vocations

By Gavin Moodie

This working paper is an initial examination of what is known about pathways in tertiary education, as well as the loose associations between vocational qualifications and the jobs graduates do. The author is also interested in the link between educational qualifications and work and finds that these are not as strong as might be expected in a vocationally oriented tertiary education system like Australia’s. This work is part of the three-year research program, 'Vocations: the link between post compulsory education and the labour market'.

Missing links: the fragmented relationship between tertiary education and jobs

By Leesa Wheelahan, Mary Leahy, Nick Fredman, Gavin Moodie, Sophie Arkoudis, Emmaline Bexley

This report explores the transitions students make in undertaking a second qualification (i.e. whether they change field of education and/or move between the VET and higher education sectors).

Associate degree or advanced diploma? A case study

By Tom Karmel, Tham Lu

The distinction between VET and higher education in Australia is blurring. The purpose of this paper is to examine – through the conduct of a case study of engineering qualifications (AQF6) delivered in Victoria – how education and training providers and students are likely to respond to different fees and funding arrangements under the student entitlement model.

Tertiary education and training in Australia 2010

By NCVER

This publication provides information on tertiary education and training in Australia, including statistics on participation, pathways and outcomes. The data in this publication are sourced from the National VET Provider Collection and the Higher Education Statistics Collection. The publication covers participation in Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) certificate I qualifications through to doctorates by research, as well as enrolments in a single vocational subject. Information is presented on students and equivalent full-time students.textFurther tables on pathways were added to the Excel data tables in March 2013.

Who takes a gap year and why?

By Marilyn Lumsden, John Stanwick

This paper discusses how a 'gap-taker' can be defined, noting that gap-taking is not the same as deferral.

Mixed-sector tertiary education: research overview

By Gavin Moodie

This research overview provides the key messages arising from two related projects investigating tertiary education institutions that have recently begun to offer tertiary programs outside the sector of their initial establishment and the sector of the majority of their enrolments. These are TAFE institutes offering higher education programs, universities offering vocational education programs and private providers offering both.

Interview with Leesa Wheelahan on 'Shaken not stirred? The development of one tertiary education sector in Australia'

By Leesa Wheelahan

In this 13 minute interview, Steve Davis talks with Leesa Wheelahan about the report 'Shaken not stirred? The development of one tertiary education sector in Australia'. This report examines universities that offer a small amount of VET and private providers that offer both VET and higher education, building on previous research examining TAFEs that offer higher education. This research suggests that mixed-sector and dual-sector providers are likely to become more important but they face specific challenges in the quality of their provision. While the sharp distinctions between VET and higher education are giving way to a more differentiated single tertiary education sector this is resulting in a more stratified and hierarchical structure as university providers become the 'comparator'.