All publications

This paper was prepared for the Australian Government's National Resources Sector Employment… Show more

This paper was prepared for the Australian Government's National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce, which was created to investigate the extent to which skill shortages might impact on the development of the resources sector. It applies historical apprenticeship commencement rates to population projections to provide an estimate of the number of tradespeople likely to be working in the 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

 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

This study provides an important innovation to the existing literature by explicitly attempting to… Show more

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 study explores how industry in regional areas addresses skill needs realistically and… Show more

This study explores how industry in regional areas addresses skill needs realistically and economically. Labour shortages are far more crucial to industry than skill issues. The study found that enterprises, when they train, use in-house and private registered training organisations to supplement provision by technical and further education (TAFE) institutes. Show less

This study examines partnerships between formal and informal training providers in northern… Show more

This study examines partnerships between formal and informal training providers in northern Australia. The research finds that effective partnerships have a common purpose and provide training that supports community need. Effective partnerships also support stakeholders' goals and aims, build relationships and trust between partners, and recognise the importance of delivering a mix of formal and Show less

The participation of Australians in vocational education and training (VET) varies a great deal in… Show more

The participation of Australians in vocational education and training (VET) varies a great deal in terms of levels of training, industry fields and demographic aspects; that is, age, gender, locality and socioeconomic status. The purpose of this study was to undertake an analysis of various aspects of VET participation by age, gender, socioeconomic status and Australian Qualifications Framework Show less

The ageing of the Australian population has become an issue of national concern. How ageing impacts … Show more

The ageing of the Australian population has become an issue of national concern. How ageing impacts on the supply of vocational skills is less well known, and different age groups vary in the extent and character of vocational skills they possess. This report analyses and quantifies the compositional effects of changing demographics on both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of the Show less

This report examines participation in vocational education and training (VET) across different… Show more

This report examines participation in vocational education and training (VET) across different regions of Australia. It does this by presenting two main types of analysis: firstly, by mapping of regional participation rates, and, secondly, by regression analyses which, by using key regional data, predict participation and identify 'exceptional' regions, those with unusually high or low rates of Show less

Vocational education and training (VET) has a role to play in sustainable regional development.… Show more

Vocational education and training (VET) has a role to play in sustainable regional development. Through five regional case studies this research examines how well VET is tailoring supply to skill needs, how VET has become more flexible to obtain a better match between demand and supply, and whether partnerships have been linked to whole-of-government frameworks in ways which support sustainable Show less