All publications

This report explores the relationship between vocational education and training in (VET) in Schools … Show more

This report explores the relationship between vocational education and training in (VET) in Schools and the labour market.  Show less

This exploratory piece of work aims to illustrate the potential of matching methods in vocational… Show more

This exploratory piece of work aims to illustrate the potential of matching methods in vocational education and training (VET) research. Show less

This report aims to throw some light on the role that skills sets play in meeting the needs of… Show more

This report aims to throw some light on the role that skills sets play in meeting the needs of clients compared with full qualifications, which are seen as the foundation of the vocational education and training (VET) system. Show less

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with co-author Kaye Bowman about the report ‘Workforce skills… Show more

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with co-author Kaye Bowman about the report ‘Workforce skills development and engagement in training through skill sets’. Show less

This report investigates the role that qualifications play in the labour mobility of foreign… Show more

This report investigates the role that qualifications play in the labour mobility of foreign workers who come to Australia for permanent or temporary migration. Show less

This report explores the movements that workers make in the workforce and whether there are any… Show more

This report explores the movements that workers make in the workforce and whether there are any commonalities. Show less

Increasing education and training is considered one means by which to reduce the extent of social… Show more

Increasing education and training is considered one means by which to reduce the extent of social exclusion and as such has been a key focus in recent public policies. This study investigates the impact of education and training on the extent of social exclusion using a measure of multidimensional social exclusion. A simulation of the effect of the COAG target relating to halving the proportion Show less

In this phone interview, Hielke Buddelmeyer, talks about the impact of education and training on… Show more

In this phone interview, Hielke Buddelmeyer, talks about the impact of education and training on social exclusion using a multidimensional measure that focuses on seven domains. Show less

This working paper is an initial examination of what is known about pathways in tertiary education, … Show more

This working paper is an initial examination of what is known about pathways in tertiary education, as well as the loose associations between vocational qualifications and the jobs graduates do. The author is also interested in the link between educational qualifications and work and finds that these are not as strong as might be expected in a vocationally oriented tertiary education system like Show less

This discussion paper introduces the overarching concepts for the three-year research program,… Show more

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 Show less

Focusing on four vocational streams – financial services, primary industry, healthcare/community… Show more

Focusing on four vocational streams – financial services, primary industry, healthcare/community services and trades/engineering – this paper is an initial exploration of pathways into the labour market and how people actually use these pathways. Show less

As part of the three-year research program, 'Vocations: the link between post compulsory education… Show more

As part of the three-year research program, 'Vocations: the link between post compulsory education and the labour market', this working paper sets the policy context and direction of the entry to vocations research stream. After looking at the current ‘in-school’ element of VET in Schools programs and jurisdictional differences, the paper raises a set of questions for discussion. For example, Show less

What would prompt people to undertake education and training in their mid-20s and beyond and what… Show more

What would prompt people to undertake education and training in their mid-20s and beyond and what are the benefits? The authors investigate what motivates people to undertake education and training at more mature ages and the impact of this on their labour market outcomes. They found that males who undertake further education and training after the age of 25 years did so for reasons related to Show less

This report explores the transitions students make in undertaking a second qualification (i.e.… Show more

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). Show less

The distinction between VET and higher education in Australia is blurring. The purpose of… Show more

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. Show less

This report compares the outcomes for young people who complete certificate I or certificate II… Show more

This report compares the outcomes for young people who complete certificate I or certificate II qualifications with the outcomes for similar individuals who are not participating in post-school education and training, using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Show less

This report examines whether expansion in education has led to credentialism in the workforce. The… Show more

This report examines whether expansion in education has led to credentialism in the workforce. The authors employ the ‘ORU’ model to compare the required level of education for a job and the actual level which is held by an individual in that job. This model defines an individual as being over-educated (O) for their job, having the right level of education (R), or being under-educated (U). 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

Research has shown that overskilling — where workers are not fully using their skills in their jobs … Show more

Research has shown that overskilling — where workers are not fully using their skills in their jobs — can lead to reduced wages and job satisfaction. This report builds on that previous research and investigates the persistence of overskilling mismatch and the effect of past mismatch on wages. Show less