All publications

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 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

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

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

In this podcast, Sue Webb, a researcher, talks about the initial findings from work looking at the… Show more

In this podcast, Sue Webb, a researcher, talks about the initial findings from work looking at the use of migrant women's skills in regional areas. 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

To provide insights into how young people may fare in the current economic downturn, this study… Show more

To provide insights into how young people may fare in the current economic downturn, this study examines the experience of youth in a previous downturn. Show less

This report was prepared for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to… Show more

This report was prepared for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to throw light on the growing trend of taking a 'gap year' between school completion and commencing university study. Show less

The paper outlines the difference between the skill sets developed by national VET industry bodies… Show more

The paper outlines the difference between the skill sets developed by national VET industry bodies in training packages and those developed by registered training organisations, as well as the rationale for skill sets, the specific benefits and issues anticipated and the latest policy recommendations. Show less

This report aims to improve our understanding of the causes of skill shortages, the way businesses… Show more

This report aims to improve our understanding of the causes of skill shortages, the way businesses respond and the short-term consequences of skill shortages. Show less

In this paper, the authors examine the links between human resource management, including learning… Show more

In this paper, the authors examine the links between human resource management, including learning and development practices, and building innovation capacity.  Show less

This occasional paper traces the evolution of Australia's apprenticeship system from European… Show more

This occasional paper traces the evolution of Australia's apprenticeship system from European settlement in 1788 to the present day. It complements an earlier NCVER paper by Ray (2001), which concentrated on the second half of the 20th century. The present paper develops a number of major themes. Show less

This highly-popular annual publication provides a collection of summaries of research projects… Show more

This highly-popular annual publication provides a collection of summaries of research projects published by NCVER in 2011.  Show less

In this report the authors examine how skills development in domestic plumbing occupations has… Show more

In this report the authors examine how skills development in domestic plumbing occupations has responded to an increased emphasis on environmental sustainability and 'greening'. They find that rather than sustainability and greening requiring major changes in thinking, plumbing skills need to be responsive to changing technology and more generic skills such as dealing with customers are required. 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 Community of Practice paper seeks to determine whether peer-to-peer mentoring is a successful… Show more

This Community of Practice paper seeks to determine whether peer-to-peer mentoring is a successful way of transferring skills and knowledge between music students at Nirimba College. The study comprised an eight-week mentoring trial and several surveys and interviews with the group of music students who participated in the mentoring trial. The aim of the research was to find out the students' Show less

This overview provides a discussion about the report ‘Attrition in the trades’, and concludes that… Show more

This overview provides a discussion about the report ‘Attrition in the trades’, and concludes that the problem of attrition in the trades is more one of perception than reality. A comparison between trade and professional workers revealed that trade workers are not more likely to leave their occupation than their professional counterparts. Show less

This report investigates attrition in the trades by comparing the rate at which tradespeople leave… Show more

This report investigates attrition in the trades by comparing the rate at which tradespeople leave their occupation with that of professionals. It also determines whether attrition is influenced by economic conditions, and if a trade can provide a good start to a career in the professions. The report concludes that attrition in the trades is no higher than in the professions; the rate of Show less

This report investigates skill matches to job requirements for workers in Australia, New Zealand,… Show more

This report investigates skill matches to job requirements for workers in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada. It might be expected that differences between the four countries in economic growth, technological innovation and structural change in the labour market may have led to differences in job skill requirements and use. This research finds, however, that the broad match of Show less

This final report from a three-year research program puts the focus on the ability of VET to… Show more

This final report from a three-year research program puts the focus on the ability of VET to respond to workforce development challenges, particularly in industries characterised as low-skill entry points to the labour market. The key findings highlight the lack of incentive for workers in the meat processing and childcare sectors to train beyond mandatory levels due to casualised working Show less