All publications

In June 2011, NCVER ran a forum ‘Is VET worthwhile?’, to bring together the suite of research from… Show more

In June 2011, NCVER ran a forum ‘Is VET worthwhile?’, to bring together the suite of research from four programs of work conducted over three years (2008–2010) by the Centre for Work + Life at the University of South Australia; the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economics and Social Research at the University of Melbourne; the Social Policy Evaluation, Analysis and Research Centre at the Show less

Helping people with disability participate in the labour market is one way to enhance their… Show more

Helping people with disability participate in the labour market is one way to enhance their economic and social well-being. However, low levels of education among people with disability generally can hinder their participation. Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, this study looks at the role of vocational education and training (VET) qualifications not Show less

In this report the authors seek to answer the question of whether combining school and work is… Show more

In this report the authors seek to answer the question of whether combining school and work is detrimental or beneficial to a student's school educational performance and labour market outcomes. They find that young people who combine school and work are distributed right across the school population. Results show that individuals can combine school and work with minimal impact on their study if 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

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with researcher Cain Polidano about the report 'Outcomes from… Show more

In this interview, Steve Davis talks with researcher Cain Polidano about the report 'Outcomes from combining work and tertiary study'. This study investigates the motivations for and the education and employment outcomes from working while studying for both VET and higher education students. While, in general, tertiary students who work while studying are less likely to complete than those who do Show less

This paper updates an earlier paper by Karmel and Mlotkowski and looks at how the probability of… Show more

This paper updates an earlier paper by Karmel and Mlotkowski and looks at how the probability of getting a job, in addition to wages, impacts on completion rates. It finds that for trade apprentices the premium (or extra wage completing an apprenticeship brings) attached to becoming a tradesperson is a significant factor, whereas for non-trade trainees the training wage matters more. It also Show less

This paper was presented at the International Symposium on Lifelong Learning for Poverty… Show more

This paper was presented at the International Symposium on Lifelong Learning for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development: Developing a Research Agenda for the Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong, 12-13 January 2011. Tom Karmel suggests that there are four implications of an ageing population: the need to improve labour force participation and productivity; the ageing population will provide a Show less

The importance of adult language, literacy and numeracy for greater workforce participation,… Show more

The importance of adult language, literacy and numeracy for greater workforce participation, productivity and social inclusion are well recognised, with both national and international research demonstrating the benefits of increasing proficiency for both individuals and communities. But there are still more questions to be answered, such as what is the extent of adult language, literacy and Show less

This report looks at the potential use of information from the Student Outcomes Survey, including… Show more

This report looks at the potential use of information from the Student Outcomes Survey, including the use of student course satisfaction information and post-study outcomes, as a means of determining markers of training quality. Show less

The results of the consultations NCVER conducted in November and December 2010 to identify research … Show more

The results of the consultations NCVER conducted in November and December 2010 to identify research topics using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) are presented in this paper and will help determine the research topics best suited to the LSAY data. These will be used to shape the 2011-13 LSAY analytical program of research that NCVER conducts on behalf of the Department of Show less

Using both the 1995 and 1998 cohorts of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, this study… Show more

Using both the 1995 and 1998 cohorts of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, this study investigates the motivations for and the education and employment outcomes from working while studying for both VET and higher education students.  Show less

This paper argues that assessment can play a central role in teaching and learning, and selecting… Show more

This paper argues that assessment can play a central role in teaching and learning, and selecting an appropriate mix of assessment strategies can satisfy multiple goals of key stakeholders in vocational education and training. These goals include promoting learning, certifying learning and program evaluation. These objectives must be understood in a broad context delineated by the structures of Show less

Using the 1995 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, this study looks at how the… Show more

Using the 1995 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, this study looks at how the growth in occupational prestige is related to the level of an individual's education. Show less

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 paper examines initial VET teacher training from the late 1979s to the present, based on the… Show more

This paper examines initial VET teacher training from the late 1979s to the present, based on the literature and the author's personal experiences. While much has changed, many of the issues and approaches that are apparent in the early literature remain the same today. There is cause for optimism and the author proposes a number of approaches to improve the quality and relevance of initial Show less

Using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, this report looks at the extent to… Show more

Using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, this report looks at the extent to which a previous spell of unemployment determines current unemployment. Show less

This report looks at whether vocational education and training (VET) is equipped to meet the… Show more

This report looks at whether vocational education and training (VET) is equipped to meet the changing needs of the modern workplace. Show less

Apprentices with a learning disability can face significant barriers to completing their training.… Show more

Apprentices with a learning disability can face significant barriers to completing their training. This paper explores what these apprentices, their lecturers and disability support staff see as the most effective strategies for helping them to overcome these difficulties. Instructional approaches which accommodate students' learning styles, individual tutoring and supportive relationships were Show less