All publications

This research analysed the learning journeys and training and employment outcomes of students who… Show more

This research analysed the learning journeys and training and employment outcomes of students who undertake nationally recognised foundation skills programs. Show less

This research investigates the contribution that community education providers make to foundation… Show more

This research investigates the contribution that community education providers make to foundation skills training in regional Australia, the models of delivery that seemed to work best, and whether training helped build the social and human capital of the individual and broader community. Show less

This literature review focuses on the perspectives of adult language, literacy and numeracy,… Show more

This literature review focuses on the perspectives of adult language, literacy and numeracy, particularly the human capital and social practices perspectives, which at times do not sit comfortably in relation to each other. Show less

This literature review looks at policy contexts and their measures of impact, with a particular… Show more

This literature review looks at policy contexts and their measures of impact, with a particular focus on foundation skills policy in Australia, implemented as the National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults, 2012—22. Show less

This literature review looks at the different contexts in which adult language, literacy and… Show more

This literature review looks at the different contexts in which adult language, literacy and numeracy are being delivered, who the learners are and the pedagogies in use, to elucidate what works best for whom and why. Show less

This research shows that older Australians use computers and the internet less than younger… Show more

This research shows that older Australians use computers and the internet less than younger Australians. Therefore, in the short term, information and services aimed at older Australians will need to be provided in additional ways. Show less

This publication is a collection of summaries of research projects published by NCVER in 2012. 

This publication is a collection of summaries of research projects published by NCVER in 2012.  Show less

This report explores the two tools used for assessing literacy and numeracy proficiency, the Adult… Show more

This report explores the two tools used for assessing literacy and numeracy proficiency, the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALLS) survey and Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), and finds that, while it is broadly possible to translate the five ACSF performance levels to the ALLS scales, there is not an exact match between the two, especially at the higher levels. 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

In recent decades Australian immigration policy has focused mostly on accepting high-skilled… Show more

In recent decades Australian immigration policy has focused mostly on accepting high-skilled migrants. This report explores the question of whether participation in further training differs for these migrants compared with that of native-born workers in similar jobs. The research shows that foreign-born workers in Australia seem to receive the training they need, but this depends on whether or 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

Using interviews with adult migrants over a period of two years, the authors look at how… Show more

Using interviews with adult migrants over a period of two years, the authors look at how undertaking an English as a second language (ESL) class helps to facilitate integration into Australian society. Show less

Language, literacy and numeracy are necessary for greater workforce participation, productivity and … Show more

Language, literacy and numeracy are necessary for greater workforce participation, productivity and social inclusion. Being able to measure the level of proficiency in these skills, and any changes in the level of skills, is important for getting a sense of how well language, literacy and numeracy programs are working. Two measurement tools used in Australia are the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Show less

This study examined the implementation of an intensive reading pedagogy, Reading-to-Learn, in adult … Show more

This study examined the implementation of an intensive reading pedagogy, Reading-to-Learn, in adult literacy classrooms. In this method, the teacher plays a crucial role in carefully selecting relevant topics, genres and texts that are slightly beyond the current reading ability of students, and in designing 'scaffolding moves' that build very deliberate preparation into every level of classroom Show less

Ways of assessing and acknowledging the range of outcomes in non-accredited community adult… Show more

Ways of assessing and acknowledging the range of outcomes in non-accredited community adult language, literacy and numeracy programs are explored in this study. The instruments it tested take account of the diversity of learner needs and motivations. The study highlights that these assessment methods can bring benefits both to the learner and the tutor, especially when they are completed jointly Show less

In recent years, many new arrivals to Australia through the Humanitarian Migration Program have… Show more

In recent years, many new arrivals to Australia through the Humanitarian Migration Program have been refugees from African countries. Their indigenous languages, like many other indigenous languages, do not have a written form. This guide provides a set of 'good practice' strategies for designing effective English language, literacy and numeracy programs for all adult learners from highly oral Show less

This study examined the extent to which English language, literacy and numeracy teachers used… Show more

This study examined the extent to which English language, literacy and numeracy teachers used classroom management strategies to meet the needs of adult Sudanese refugee learners. While teachers met the needs of these learners insofar as they coincided with those of other refugee groups, the highly oral language culture of these learners appeared not to have been accounted for in teaching Show less

The question of how the skills and knowledge of the adult language, literacy and numeracy workforce … Show more

The question of how the skills and knowledge of the adult language, literacy and numeracy workforce can be improved is particularly relevant in view of the ongoing debate on how language, literacy and numeracy skills should be taught. This study reflects on the professional development needs of the three sectors--vocational trainers, specialist teachers and volunteer tutors-- of the Australian Show less

New ways of thinking about how language, literacy and numeracy skills are taught has coincided with … Show more

New ways of thinking about how language, literacy and numeracy skills are taught has coincided with a fundamental policy change in the vocational education and training sector. A major development has been the integration of literacy, language and numeracy skills into vocational training. The complexity of the issues makes it important to gain a better understanding of what actually happens in Show less

The National Reporting System (NRS) was developed to report the outcomes of English language,… Show more

The National Reporting System (NRS) was developed to report the outcomes of English language, literacy and numeracy provision in Australia's vocational education and training and adult and community education sectors, and in labour market programs. Since its introduction, however, the NRS has been used as more than a reporting tool. It has also been used for setting standards and for curricular Show less