Reforming both qualifications and employment could build better links between education and work to help provide a more coherent approach to vocational development.
Using NCVER and Australian Bureau of Statistics data as well as findings from four case studies, this report looks at how mid-level qualifications assist entry to and progression in the workforce.
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.
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).
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'.
This research suggests that while mixed-sector and dual-sector providers are still only small in number, they likely to become more important but they face specific challenges in the quality of their provision.
In this interview, Steve Davis talks with researcher Leesa Wheelahan about her report Higher Education in TAFE. Technical and further education (TAFE) institutes offering higher education degrees is a relatively new development but is expected to grow as a consequence of government policies aimed at increasing the percentage of Australians holding a bachelor degree. This project considers the provision and different perspectives of higher education qualifications offered by TAFE institutes, focusing on degrees and associate degrees.
This report considers different perspectives of higher education qualifications offered by TAFE institutes, focusing on associate degrees and degrees.
Growth in mixed-sector institutions offering both vocational and higher education qualifications is expected to increase given recent and predicted policy changes. This issues paper focuses on the provision and management of higher education in TAFE institutes. Issues raised for discussion include the governance of mixed-sector institutions as well as ensuring access and maintaining progression to higher education without sectoral division in the institution. Implications arising from the Bradley review of higher education are canvassed and the authors are inviting discussion on a range of questions related to the nature of policies and practices influencing the provision of higher education in TAFE.
This report investigates the ways that the various education sectors in Australia (schools, vocational education and training, adult and community education, and higher education) are funded. The paper acknowledges it is difficult to get comparable data for all sectors and discusses the implications of changing some aspects of funding arrangements so that a cross-sectoral funding model could be developed.
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.