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Education is generally seen as enhancing people's lives. However, previous research has reported an … Show more

Education is generally seen as enhancing people's lives. However, previous research has reported an inverse relationship between education and happiness or satisfaction with life: as education level goes up, happiness goes down. Using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), this report examines the relationship between education and happiness. The impact of factors such as Show less

Research messages 2009 is a collection of summaries of research projects published by the National… Show more

Research messages 2009 is a collection of summaries of research projects published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in 2009, including conference papers and occasional papers. It also has an overview of the research highlights for the year. The summaries are clustered under five broad themes used by NCVER to organise its research and analysis: Industry and Show less

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with researcher Cain Polidano about his report on the role of… Show more

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with researcher Cain Polidano about his report on the role of vocational education and training in the labour market outcomes of people with disabilities. Low levels of education generally among people with a disability is one of the factors contributing to their lower rate of labour market participation. What role vocational education and training (VET) plays Show less

The NCVER Apprentice and Destination Survey collected, among other things, data on reasons for not… Show more

The NCVER Apprentice and Destination Survey collected, among other things, data on reasons for not completing an apprenticeship or traineeship. This paper finds that poor working conditions or non-sympathetic bosses or workmates have an immediate effect for many. By contrast, the desire to do something different (such as study at university) or better (such as getting a better paid job) remains Show less

The traineeship model is currently targeted at a broader group of people compared with the original … Show more

The traineeship model is currently targeted at a broader group of people compared with the original target group of young unemployed persons as envisaged by the Kirby Enquiry. This report aims to assess the effectiveness of the model for young people, particularly young early school leavers. The findings suggest that traineeships are an important pathway for female early school leavers. However, Show less

One focus of the Australian Government's social inclusion agenda is to help people with a… Show more

One focus of the Australian Government's social inclusion agenda is to help people with a disability into work. For this to succeed, employers must be willing and able to productively employ people with a disability. The purpose of this study was to answer the question 'what would it take' to enable employers to employ people with a disability. Based on focus groups with select employers from Show less

This is a compendium of three reports. The first examines the size and attributes of the vocational … Show more

This is a compendium of three reports. The first examines the size and attributes of the vocational education and training (VET) workforce using a variety of data sources. The second looks more specifically at TAFE's workforce. The final report considers the feasibility of a national VET workforce collection. The compendium updates earlier NCVER work on VET workforce numbers and characteristics. Show less

Diana Wilkinson, Chief Social Researcher with the Scottish Government, assisted NCVER to facilitate … Show more

Diana Wilkinson, Chief Social Researcher with the Scottish Government, assisted NCVER to facilitate a forum to discuss the development of national research priorities for the vocational education and training sector. This paper summarises Diana Wilkinson's impression of the forum and uses two contrasting case studies of Scotland and Australia to consider the extent to which it is feasible to Show less

TAFE institutes offering higher education degrees is a relatively new concept, but the practice is… Show more

TAFE institutes offering higher education degrees is a relatively new concept, but the practice is expected to grow as a consequence of government policies aimed at increasing the percentage of Australians holding a bachelor degree. Five research overviews have been developed to accompany the research report on this issue. These overviews draw out the implications of the research for TAFE Show less

The preference of students to choose a career in events management over hospitality despite low… Show more

The preference of students to choose a career in events management over hospitality despite low demand for skills is the focus of this paper. The need for greater involvement of external stakeholders is identified as important in ensuring that students make an informed decision when choosing a career path. A model representing the ideal situation for student decision-making on career choice is Show less

Using data from the 2009 Australian Work and Life Index, this report examines how work-life… Show more

Using data from the 2009 Australian Work and Life Index, this report examines how work-life pressures influence the capacity and motivation of individuals, particularly low-paid workers, to engage in education and training. Show less

An analysis of student verbatim responses in the Student Outcome Survey provides suggestions for… Show more

An analysis of student verbatim responses in the Student Outcome Survey provides suggestions for how the vocational education and training (VET) system could be improved. Show less

This overview looks at the key findings of Mike Dockery's report 'Cultural dimensions of Indigenous … Show more

This overview looks at the key findings of Mike Dockery's report 'Cultural dimensions of Indigenous participation in education and training' and shows that, in both remote and non-remote areas, those with a stronger attachment to their culture had greater educational success. However, it also reveals that the report is a complex one, and the way the data are analysed is key to the findings. Show less

The adoption of problem-based learning as a teaching method in the advertising and public relations … Show more

The adoption of problem-based learning as a teaching method in the advertising and public relations programs offered by the Business TAFE School at RMIT University is explored in this paper. The effect of problem-based learning on student engagement, student learning and contextualised problem-solving was investigated and it was found that students perceive problem-based learning to be Show less

The perceptions of students, school and TAFE staff involved in V Tracks, an early intervention… Show more

The perceptions of students, school and TAFE staff involved in V Tracks, an early intervention program for Aboriginal school students are explored in this paper. The study identifies outcomes, challenges and recommendations for future program design. Overall, V Tracks was found to improve student engagement in school and provide greater insights into the available education, training and Show less

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with Tom Karmel about his report 'Apprenticeships in the… Show more

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with Tom Karmel about his report 'Apprenticeships in the downturn'. Apprenticeships have a very long history in Australia, building on the traditions of the medieval guilds. The essence of the apprenticeship is the contract of training--a legal contract between an individual, an employer and a training provider. The defining characteristic is the combination Show less

How the trend towards an integrated tertiary sector impacts on the way NCVER thinks about its… Show more

How the trend towards an integrated tertiary sector impacts on the way NCVER thinks about its research and statistical activities is briefly considered in this discussion paper. Show less

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with researcher Michael Dockery about his report, 'Cultural… Show more

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with researcher Michael Dockery about his report, 'Cultural dimensions of Indigenous participation in education and training'. This study provides an important innovation to the existing literature by explicitly attempting to measure 'cultural attachment' and its relationship with post-compulsory education and training. Show less

 This paper summarises the findings from the first year of a three-year research program… Show more

 This paper summarises the findings from the first year of a three-year research program investigating the role of vocational education and training (VET) for older workers.  Show less

The relationship between job requirements, individual skills and the participation of workers in… Show more

The relationship between job requirements, individual skills and the participation of workers in further education and training, with an emphasis on older workers, is the focus of this report. Show less