All publications

This publication is for those who are interested in looking at the pass and completion rates of stud… Show more

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. Show less

In this study a training evaluation process is developed to assist organisations in identifying the… Show more

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. Show less

Getting to grips with online delivery is based on a survey of recent literature. It is an overview o… Show more

Getting to grips with online delivery is based on a survey of recent literature. It is an overview of some of the basic issues of online delivery - why get involved, some of the advantages and limitations, how to get started, and providing support for students and teachers. Show less

This booklet is aimed at teachers of vocational education and training. It outlines the way we learn… Show more

This booklet is aimed at teachers of vocational education and training. It outlines the way we learn new information and provides information on programs which involve students in self-paced learning activities via online learning, video-conferencing, distance learning and campus-based flexible delivery programs. Teacher perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of the methods provide valuable insights into how to go about implementing and modifying programs to achieve the best results for students. Also included is a model for developing, implementing and evaluating self-paced learning programs. Show less

This book reports an attempt to replicate, for Australia, overseas survey results on the payoff to e… Show more

This book reports an attempt to replicate, for Australia, overseas survey results on the payoff to enterprise training. Some of the results are: * Australian firms provide extensive training for their incoming employees and capture nearly all the resulting productivity gains. * The profitability of firms is directly related to the amount and quality of training that they provide. * The profitability of training is particularly high for training that is highly specific, rapidly accomplished and related to the introduction of new technology. * Informal learning is regarded by many businesses as superior to formal classroom training in terms of its impact on profitability and productivity. Show less

This report provides a review of the equity and access policies in schools, vocational education and… Show more

This report provides a review of the equity and access policies in schools, vocational education and training, higher education and adult community education and argues that government equity strategies could be improved by: targeting low-SES students within all equity groups; identifying two new target groups: those with low skills and the long-term unemployed; reporting performance in a way that focuses on the outcomes (in addition to the outputs) of education and training; strengthening pathways to employment from education and training. Show less

This publication provides information on apprentices and trainees in trades and related workers occu… Show more

This publication provides information on apprentices and trainees in trades and related workers occupations over the period 1995 to 1999. Trends in commencements, the number in training and completions are provided along with employment trends and economic considerations. This information is also provided for a range of selected industries, namely electrical, building and construction, automotive manufacturing/retailing, manufacturing, hospitality and retailing. Show less

This report presents indicators available for international comparisons of vocational education and… Show more

This report presents indicators available for international comparisons of vocational education and training. It examines a range of data collections, cultural variations and differences in policy objectives across countries. The study can assist educators, policy-makers, researchers and society in general to measure progress towards the realisation of national education and training goals, with the aim of improving education and training systems. Show less

This report results from a study investigating the role of the workplace trainer. Workplace trainers… Show more

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. Show less

This study examined the advantages and disadvantages of cross-sectoral provision of tertiary educati… Show more

This study examined the advantages and disadvantages of cross-sectoral provision of tertiary education and training. It found that cross-sectoral collaboration could be improved by the development of a coherent national lifelong learning policy, and addressing 'cultural' differences between the various sectors. None of this was assisted by the sources of funding for tertiary education being divided between levels of government. Other obstacles included competition for students, tightly regulated profile negotiation processes in the VET sector and the use of non-graded approaches to competency assessment. Nevertheless, some staff in both the university and VET sectors are working very hard to collaborate and to create opportunities for students to study across sectors. These efforts lay the basis for a more unified tertiary sector and improved opportunitites for lifelong learning. Show less

This report reviews the extensive literature on women and vocational education and training. It aims… Show more

This report reviews the extensive literature on women and vocational education and training. It aims to provide material useful to policy-makers and practitioners in planning responses which are appropriate to the nature and scope of women's disadvantage in VET. It also aims to provide guidance to researchers and research funding bodies on gaps in the existing research and the direction for possible future research. The report covers the political landscape (economic reforms and social trends), insights on women's participation in VET and a discussion of social justice and approaches to equity within VET. It also includes an extensive bibliography. Show less

A number of students in VET and post-secondary institutions have mental health impairments. Because… Show more

A number of students in VET and post-secondary institutions have mental health impairments. Because in most cases, the presence of a mental disorder is not obvious, it appears 'hidden' and requires sensitivity to its possible existence. Mental disorders are one type of illness/disorder that are included in the definition of disability or an impairment, and therefore need to be included and considered in educational practices in ways which avoid discrimination. Show less

The outcomes of this project were intended to facilitate and contribute to further research into the… Show more

The outcomes of this project were intended to facilitate and contribute to further research into the movement of students in both directions between TAFE and university and into cross-sectoral credit transfer arrangements. Show less

This report considers how mentoring and mentor-like schemes can be developed by educational provider… Show more

This report considers how mentoring and mentor-like schemes can be developed by educational providers for the benefit of student learning. Show less

This discussion paper argues the need for VET to broaden its scope in response to the anticipated ch… Show more

This discussion paper argues the need for VET to broaden its scope in response to the anticipated changes of the 21st century and to 'coverage' with what we now think of as 'lifelong learning'. The result of such convergence will be a new form of learning, different in character from the prior forms and better able to meet the needs of individuals and society as a whole. Show less

This report provides an indepth analysis of the implications of lifelong learning for vocational edu… Show more

This report provides an indepth analysis of the implications of lifelong learning for vocational education and training. It shows that the sector needs to develop policies and strategies to advance lifelong learning opportunities for all through strategic partnerships at all levels, and that Australia lags behind other OECD countries in responding to the lifelong learning challenge. Maintaining employability in the new era of exponential change and using new information and communication technologies wisely for learning purposes are also key challenges. Show less

This report draws on international experience and is designed to outline some general features of th… Show more

This report draws on international experience and is designed to outline some general features of the current (as distinct from earlier) approaches to lifelong learning and present the work of major international organisations that have been active in this field such as the Council of Europe, UNESCO, the OECD and the European Union. It also suggests the lessons that can be drawn from this international experience. Show less

Globalisation is impacting on most spheres of human endeavour - the economy, the society, politics a… Show more

Globalisation is impacting on most spheres of human endeavour - the economy, the society, politics and education. This publication addresses a world-wide view of globalisation and its potential impact on most areas of technical and vocational education and training. It is particularly relevant to policy-makers, planners, curriculum developers and industry partners in both formal and non-formal education for work. Show less

This paper provides a history of the research effort in the sector and examines the roles it can and… Show more

This paper provides a history of the research effort in the sector and examines the roles it can and does play in policy formulation and critique, as well as informing practice.  Show less

This publication provides an overview of research findings on the pathways young people take when th… Show more

This publication provides an overview of research findings on the pathways young people take when they leave school. Also examined are data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics which track the labour market outcomes of young people. Show less