This paper was presented at the Professional Historians Association (NSW) Islands of History conference held on Norfolk Island in July 2010. It argues that the reliance on overseas workers to address skills shortages has been present ever since the first white settlement of Australia and suggests some areas for primary historical research.
This paper was delivered as a keynote address on 24th March 2010 at the VISTA annual conference: VET - The Invisible Sector.
The governments of India and Australia are working to enhance cooperation on training, at both official and industry level. As part of the exchange of ideas, Francesca Beddie, General Manager, Research, National Centre for Vocational Education Research, visited India in August 2009 at the invitation of the Australia-India Council. This paper explores some of the common challenges the countries face in reforming their vocational training systems.
Delivered as a keynote address at SEAMEO Vocational Training and Education Research and Networking Conference in Bali, July 2008, this paper considers the role of evidence in public policy and how research can contribute to better policies and innovations in practice. It argues that the right institutional and cultural settings need to be in place before research can play its proper role in policy-making.