All publications

The 2015 National VET Research Conference provided an opportunity for researchers and practitioners … Show more

The 2015 National VET Research Conference provided an opportunity for researchers and practitioners in vocational education and training (VET) to engage with three major themes: youth, pathways and skills. Show less

Pathways, aspirations, access to education and training and VET reform – just some of the topics… Show more

Pathways, aspirations, access to education and training and VET reform – just some of the topics covered in this selection of refereed papers presented at the 2014 conference. Show less

A series of refereed papers presented at the 22nd National Vocational Education and Training… Show more

A series of refereed papers presented at the 22nd National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference 'No Frills'. Show less

The range of data collected by NCVER for the national vocational education and training (VET)… Show more

The range of data collected by NCVER for the national vocational education and training (VET) system and how it is disseminated is discussed in this conference paper.  Show less

This conference paper was presented to the Third International Congress on Technical and Vocational … Show more

This conference paper was presented to the Third International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, 13–16 May 2012, in Shanghai. It argues that there are two key factors behind Australia's good record of employment for young people: high levels of post-school education with the consequence that there is not a large cohort of people in their mid-to-late teens flooding on Show less

This paper was a keynote address at the AVETRA conference held in Canberra in April 2012. Karmel… Show more

This paper was a keynote address at the AVETRA conference held in Canberra in April 2012. Karmel notes that industry is arguably the key stakeholder in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector and discusses six areas of research which raise questions about VET and industry, either in terms of how public training funds are allocated or the educational principles on which VET Show less

Berwyn Clayton is the Director of the Work-based Education Research Centre (WERC) at Victoria… Show more

Berwyn Clayton is the Director of the Work-based Education Research Centre (WERC) at Victoria University and the 2011 Researcher of the Year. This paper presents her keynote speech from the 2011 National VET Research (‘No Frills’) Conference and provides an insight into Berwyn’s journey from teacher to VET researcher. It highlights her interest in assessment and the capability of the Show less

This paper was presented to the 2011 TAFE Governance and Regulations Forum, 1 March 2011 in… Show more

This paper was presented to the 2011 TAFE Governance and Regulations Forum, 1 March 2011 in Melbourne. Tom Karmel argues that neither a simple definition of vocational education and training (VET) nor qualification levels are helpful. He suggests that VET is distinguished from higher education by different funding and regulatory arrangements, and teaching and learning styles. What confuses the Show less

This paper was presented at the Professional Historians Association (NSW) Islands of History… Show more

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. Show less

This paper was delivered as a keynote address on 24th March 2010 at the VISTA annual conference:… Show more

This paper was delivered as a keynote address on 24th March 2010 at the VISTA annual conference: VET - The Invisible Sector. Show less

This paper considers three aspects of vocational education and training's (VET) contribution to the … Show more

This paper considers three aspects of vocational education and training's (VET) contribution to the labour market: the relationship between their training and the occupations VET graduates work in; the extent to which the qualified proportion of the workforce has increased; and the link between VET and skills acquisition. Finally, some thoughts are aired on the implications of the economic Show less

This paper was presented by Robin Shreeve at the NCVER Research on Toast seminar in March 2009. It… Show more

This paper was presented by Robin Shreeve at the NCVER Research on Toast seminar in March 2009. It briefly compares the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia with its equivalent in England, which is known as the skills or further education sector. The paper then outlines two key aspects of the English VET sector which might be of use to Australia: using course completion Show less

A history of performance measurement for the vocational education and training (VET) sector,… Show more

A history of performance measurement for the vocational education and training (VET) sector, beginning with the creation of the Australian National Training Authority in 1992 and ending with what we know of the current reforms. As well as discussing the various measures, the paper looks at the challenges that are brought up by indicators and makes some suggestions for indicators for the VET system Show less

Organisational capability is recognised as a key to organisational success. The combination of… Show more

Organisational capability is recognised as a key to organisational success. The combination of human capital (peoples' skills and knowledge), social capital (relationships between people) and organisational capital (the organisation's processes), is central to building an organisation's capability. The presentation highlights the lessons learnt about building VET provider capability from an Show less

This paper presents some thoughts on the concept of the Tasmanian Polytechnic, drawing on a range… Show more

This paper presents some thoughts on the concept of the Tasmanian Polytechnic, drawing on a range of research mostly undertaken by NCVER. It considers a number of 'goals' that are relevant to judging the success of the endeavour, including Year 12 retention and the completion of Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications, before making a number of observations on relevant issues. Show less

This paper presents a series of stylised facts from the research literature on vocational education … Show more

This paper presents a series of stylised facts from the research literature on vocational education and training and older people. It includes the following topics: Education is front end loaded; VET is really important in providing older people a second chance; Increases in educational participation of older persons have been very modest; Education makes a large difference to workforce Show less

To mark the occasion of our 25th anniversary, NCVER brought together policy, industry and academic… Show more

To mark the occasion of our 25th anniversary, NCVER brought together policy, industry and academic leaders to reflect on the role that research and statistics have played in the development of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector. This publication includes the original papers by the speakers at the event, accompanied by discussant reflections. The publication will be of Show less

Using Australia as an example, this paper shows that globalisation poses distinct challenges for… Show more

Using Australia as an example, this paper shows that globalisation poses distinct challenges for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems as nations adjust to their areas of comparative advantage. Other challenges that are less often taken into account are the internationalisation of training markets and the entry and exit of skills embodied in people due to migration flows. Show less

Presented to the Second Sino-Australia Vocational Education and Training Conference at Chongqing on … Show more

Presented to the Second Sino-Australia Vocational Education and Training Conference at Chongqing on 3-5 August, 2005, this paper looks at linkages between the Australian vocational education and training system and the labour market--the formal legal and administrative structures, general skills development, and the dynamics of the labour market. Show less

This paper investigates the strategies and practices used by institutions worldwide to develop the… Show more

This paper investigates the strategies and practices used by institutions worldwide to develop the professional experience of teachers and practitioners. It also explores successful models for ensuring that staff development provides a way of maintaining relevance in an increasingly complicated and globalised training market. Show less