This research synthesis examines the general decline of the manufacturing industry, and the education and training needs of workers affected by impending car plant closures in Australia by comparing two case studies and using findings from other NCVER reports.
How does the labour market reward students who complete a qualification compared to those who only compete modules? On average qualifications provide higher returns but the results vary depending on the trade.
At age 15, background characteristics, like strong academic performance and a high sense of ability, overwhelmingly influence levels of school engagement, not a school’s attributes.
The purpose of this research is to examine whether, for those who have left full-time education, a low-skill job provides them with a good start to their working lives. It was found that starting out in a low-skill job gives lower payoffs than starting out in a high-skill job. Five years after leaving full-time education, the wage penalty (after conditioning on education and other characteristics) still exists but this scarring effect diminishes over time. However, any job is better than having no job.
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.