All publications

This research suggests that while mixed-sector and dual-sector providers are still only small in… Show more

This research suggests that while mixed-sector and dual-sector providers are still only small in number, they likely to become more important but they face specific challenges in the quality of their provision.  Show less

This research used a survey to investigate the attitudes of people with a disability towards… Show more

This research used a survey to investigate the attitudes of people with a disability towards undertaking training. The findings show very positive attitudes towards training by participants and, although the ability to generalise to the wider population is limited, one thing is clear: generally, people with a disability are willing to undertake VET and consider it a good option in helping them Show less

The author explores the prospect of improving pathways and opportunities for tradespeople in… Show more

The author explores the prospect of improving pathways and opportunities for tradespeople in Australia through the introduction of a masters-level qualification. The study investigates the views and opinions of senior industry representatives and professional educators to determine whether the introduction of a master trade or master artisan qualification will lead to greater prospects for Show less

Pre-vocational programs, including VET in Schools, are increasingly providing a pathway into… Show more

Pre-vocational programs, including VET in Schools, are increasingly providing a pathway into traineeships in the same way that pre-apprenticeships are an established route into apprenticeships in the traditional trades. This report uses data from the 2010 Apprentice and Trainee Destination Survey and finds that the benefits of pre-vocational programs are mostly apparent for early school leavers Show less

In this paper, the authors identify various educational paths involving school and post-school… Show more

In this paper, the authors identify various educational paths involving school and post-school study and assess the effectivness of these in relation to post-school outcomes at age 25 years. They use the 1995 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth and find that, for males, undertaking an apprenticeship after completing senior secondary and university are attractive paths. For Show less

Increasing productivity by moving people from welfare to employment is a priority for the… Show more

Increasing productivity by moving people from welfare to employment is a priority for the Australian Government. This report considers the complex issues of helping those marginalised from the labour market into employment. Case studies of innovative intermediaries illustrate that both demand and supply factors must feature in order to provide successful assistance to disadvantaged job seekers. Show less

In this paper, Ryan investigates labour market outcomes for a range of different pathways… Show more

In this paper, Ryan investigates labour market outcomes for a range of different pathways undertaken by young people. Show less

This paper was originally developed to help the Training and Skills Commission in South Australia… Show more

This paper was originally developed to help the Training and Skills Commission in South Australia consider the pathways between elements of the vocational education and training (VET) system, how they are working and what improvements can be made. It has been revised to make it national in scope. The authors reveal that quite substantial numbers of VET graduates go on to university level study or Show less

The community services and health industries have experienced a period of growth in recent… Show more

The community services and health industries have experienced a period of growth in recent times. This report focuses on the sub-section, alcohol and other drugs, which has had difficulty recruiting staff. Show less

This study provides a comparison of the post-school education systems of Australia and Canada using … Show more

This study provides a comparison of the post-school education systems of Australia and Canada using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australia Youth and the Canadian Youth in Transition Survey. The results indicate that the Canadian college system is more attractive to high achieving school graduates than is the somewhat comparable Australian VET sector. Show less

This paper explores a range of issues related to the development of the VET workforce. It examines… Show more

This paper explores a range of issues related to the development of the VET workforce. It examines key issues underpinning professional development structures and proposes a set of features integral to a comprehensive workforce development strategy. Show less

The traineeship model is currently targeted at a broader group of people compared with the original … Show more

The traineeship model is currently targeted at a broader group of people compared with the original target group of young unemployed persons as envisaged by the Kirby Enquiry. This report aims to assess the effectiveness of the model for young people, particularly young early school leavers. The findings suggest that traineeships are an important pathway for female early school leavers. However, Show less

The perceptions of students, school and TAFE staff involved in V Tracks, an early intervention… Show more

The perceptions of students, school and TAFE staff involved in V Tracks, an early intervention program for Aboriginal school students are explored in this paper. The study identifies outcomes, challenges and recommendations for future program design. Overall, V Tracks was found to improve student engagement in school and provide greater insights into the available education, training and Show less

This report considers different perspectives of higher education qualifications offered by TAFE… Show more

This report considers different perspectives of higher education qualifications offered by TAFE institutes, focusing on associate degrees and degrees. Show less

Recognition of prior learning has been a longstanding major policy initiative within the education… Show more

Recognition of prior learning has been a longstanding major policy initiative within the education and training landscape. This report provides insights into how people become aware of their recognition options and explores factors that encourage or inhibit access to recognition of prior learning. This may assist practitioners offering recognition of prior learning services to make changes which Show less

This study identifies and evaluates the pathways available from school to vocational education and… Show more

This study identifies and evaluates the pathways available from school to vocational education and training and to work, for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Research involved interviews with seven young people from Victoria who had either just completed secondary school and were enrolling in a VET course, or had completed a course and were looking for work. The study found that only Show less

Patterns of pathways between and within vocational education and training (VET) and higher… Show more

Patterns of pathways between and within vocational education and training (VET) and higher education are examined in this study. It compares the notion of straightforward pathways with what is actually happening. The researchers interviewed 49 students in South Australia who had participated in VET and/or higher education and who had been through more than one transition between VET and higher Show less

Movement in Australia's tertiary sector - between and within higher education and vocational… Show more

Movement in Australia's tertiary sector - between and within higher education and vocational education and training - is a key feature of Australia's post-compulsory education system. This report investigates the extent and nature of student traffic between the two sectors, nationally and in South Australia from 1997 to 2002. Movement from university to VET was dominated by women and mature-aged Show less

Recognition of prior learning is a crucial element in lifelong learning, but limited information… Show more

Recognition of prior learning is a crucial element in lifelong learning, but limited information exists about skills recognition implementation and outcomes within Australian enterprises. This study examines the nature of recognition within individual enterprises, including the processes employed, strategies in place for promotion and support, and perceived benefits for enterprises and employees. Show less

This report adds to the work on recognition of prior learning (RPL), particularly as it focuses on… Show more

This report adds to the work on recognition of prior learning (RPL), particularly as it focuses on private registered training providers' RPL processes - how it is practised and the factors that facilitate or impede its implementation. It reports that advantages of RPL can be found in the information gained from students', trainers' and employers' processes of acquiring and assessing recognition. Show less