All publications

This issue of 'Research at a glance' summarises some of the most recent research on the impact of… Show more

This issue of 'Research at a glance' summarises some of the most recent research on the impact of competency-based training (CBT) on the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system. CBT was introduced in the late 1980s as part of wider economic policy measures to improve the skill levels of the Australian workforce, enable Australian industry to be more competitive in global markets Show less

This report presents indicators available for international comparisons of vocational education and … Show more

This report presents indicators available for international comparisons of vocational education and training. It examines a range of data collections, cultural variations and differences in policy objectives across countries. The study can assist educators, policy-makers, researchers and society in general to measure progress towards the realisation of national education and training goals, with Show less

An overview of the report 'Meeting the demand: The needs of VET clients'. Today the provision of… Show more

An overview of the report 'Meeting the demand: The needs of VET clients'. Today the provision of vocational education is being shaped more and more by the needs of clients. This report examines the needs of four client groups - industry, enterprises, communities and individuals - and discusses the consequences for policy and practice in VET of their needs. It focuses particularly on the food Show less

The aim of the study was to draw together recent literature and examples of current practice to… Show more

The aim of the study was to draw together recent literature and examples of current practice to provide an overview of on-line delivery in education and training in Australia. The report summarises findings within seven key areas. This study points to future directions in on-line delivery. Show less

This report describes the range of outcome measures used in the VET systems and reviews a range of… Show more

This report describes the range of outcome measures used in the VET systems and reviews a range of literature concerning these measures. The report identifies various perspectives on outcome measures - those of governments, of employers, of students and the broader community and how these perspectives influence the type of measures in use. The report covers research related to student outcomes, Show less

This report investigates the attitudes and aspirations of school students about their… Show more

This report investigates the attitudes and aspirations of school students about their post-secondary education and work. It is based on data from a survey of over 7000 Years 10, 11 and 12 students in NSW, WA and Victoria. The research found that students' intentions are strongly influenced by socio-economic background, geographical location and gender. The study measured socio-economic background Show less

This report has investigated the impact of the increased trend towards casualisation and… Show more

This report has investigated the impact of the increased trend towards casualisation and outsourcing of work on learning arrangements. It found that there has been an increase in highly task-specific or job-specific training. Moreover, labour hire companies tend to spend less on the training of their employees because they prefer to recruit people who already have the skills needed. This means Show less

Today the provision of vocational education is being shaped more and more by the needs of clients.… Show more

Today the provision of vocational education is being shaped more and more by the needs of clients. This report examines the needs of four client groups - industry, enterprises, communities and individuals - and discusses the consequences of their needs for policy and practice in VET. It focusses particularly on the food processing and clerical industries in three regions (a metropolitan centre, a Show less

This book reports an attempt to replicate, for Australia, overseas survey results on the payoff to… Show more

This book reports an attempt to replicate, for Australia, overseas survey results on the payoff to enterprise training. Some of the results are: * Australian firms provide extensive training for their incoming employees and capture nearly all the resulting productivity gains. * The profitability of firms is directly related to the amount and quality of training that they provide. * The Show less

The report reviews social, educational, employment aspiration and personal factors that affect the… Show more

The report reviews social, educational, employment aspiration and personal factors that affect the reasons for undertaking particular VET programs. The research concludes that a variety of factors are at play in what is seen as a very personal decision. Work experience, employment, parental influence, school subjects, friends and advertising are all factors, though none predominates, while Show less

This report compares the education and training outputs and outcomes of the Australian higher… Show more

This report compares the education and training outputs and outcomes of the Australian higher education and VET sectors. It identifies: which courses appear to have the best employment outcomes; the impact of students' prior education and employment backgrounds on outcomes; and specific social groups where outcomes vary between the sectors. Show less

This report presents indicators available for international comparisons of vocational education and … Show more

This report presents indicators available for international comparisons of vocational education and training. It examines a range of data collections, cultural variations and differences in policy objectives across countries. The study can assist educators, policy-makers, researchers and society in general to measure progress towards the realisation of national education and training goals, with Show less

This publication is for those who are interested in looking at the pass and completion rates of… Show more

This publication is for those who are interested in looking at the pass and completion rates of students enrolled in courses delivered via different delivery strategies. It is also for those who are interested in finding out how students evaluate the different strategies they have experienced. The findings indicate that although it is difficult to determine which are the best delivery strategies Show less