The impact of urban, regional, and remote location on Indigenous vocational education and training (VET) students' aspirations and outcomes is examined in this report. It finds the availability of desired courses, teaching staff, and community attitudes to learning in the various locations influence the success of outcomes of Indigenous students. However, successful outcomes other than those related to employment or further education can emerge from VET. Accordingly, the authors suggest benefits such as improved literacy and confidence, and community wellbeing should be considered when formulating Indigenous learning approaches.
There is growing international and national interest in the concept of social capital, its role, and the ways economic and social policies coalesce to drive economic progress and community well-being. This paper identifies eight areas the VET system can contribute to social capital: building social capital in firms; building networks of businesses, especially the small business sector; developing employability skills; fostering values and norms that underpin social capital; contributing to inclusive and cohesive communities; initiating and contributing to learning community initiatives; using information and communication technology innovatively to build virtual communities; and contributing to society as a good citizen. The report also discusses indicators for measuring social capital, and implications for VET policy and practice.
This report identifies student characteristics - demographic and life-stage factors - which influence successful completion of vocational education and training (VET) subjects. It finds the likelihood of passing is significantly reduced for people who are Indigenous, have a disability, are of non-English speaking background, are unemployed or are aged 19 years or less. The research is based on statistical analysis.
Innovative companies in emerging industries have diverse and important training needs. This study examines the training requirements of emerging industries and the role Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector plays to develop further employees' skills and knowledge. As innovative companies often operate at the leading edge of their technological fields, the training they require is highly specialised and sometimes unique. While the VET sector already provides customised training for employers, there are opportunities for the sector to advance the currency of its knowledge, develop programs to deliver special training, and extend the expertise and knowledge of its teachers.
Some students, who complete a preparatory or pre-vocational course in the vocational education and training (VET) sector, re-enrol in the same 'enabling' course or at the same level of qualification in following years. Findings of this report indicate that re-enrolling in enabling courses offers positive outcomes. Students who re-enrol in enabling courses are either undertaking more advanced courses within the same level of qualification, studying to retain or improve their skills, or to gain further skills and experience to progress within the VET system or into the workforce.
This volume is a companion to 'The funding of vocational education and training for students with disabilities: Volume 1'. The detailed report of the project is contained in volume 1 while volume 2 contains the appendices.
This report provides important information for those who manage training institutions and are committed to making the learning environment more supportive for people with a disability. It looks at how the vocational education and training system currently allocates funds to support students with a disability, and suggests other funding models to promote their participation.
This report investigates the medium-term outcomes of vocational education and training (VET) programs delivered by rural schools. It discovers school-based VET programs successfully retain students who may have left school, and assist students' transition from school to work. Work placements are particularly valuable to assist the transition from school to local jobs and apprenticeships, thereby increasing youth retention in the community. These findings suggest school-based VET programs in rural areas have the potential to develop skills and pathways for the future workforce of rural Australia. Additional information to this report is available in 'Pathways from rural schools: Does school VET make a difference? - Support document' on NCVER's website .
This report provides an overview of funding arrangements implemented as a result of the 1992 Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Agreement. The Agreement sought to establish a unified national system of vocational education and training (VET) with joint Commonwealth, state and territory responsibility. The report discusses the outcomes of government, industry and individual investment in training, and includes examples of overseas funding models.
Queensland is leading Australia in offering vocational education and training (VET) options to students through the VET in Schools program, and has the highest rate of school students enrolled in technical and further education (TAFE) institutes. However, the success of such initiatives is dependent on the ability to transfer qualifications gained (part or full) across educational sectors. The report suggests adopting a state-wide approach to generating better articulation and credit transfer arrangements, combined with financial assistance for schools, TAFE institutes and universities to develop innovative inter-sectoral arrangements.
The current, various policies for fees and charges in the public vocational education and training (VET) system in each state and territory are the focus of this report. It finds that due to a host of reasons there is little to no consistency to fees and charges across Australia, and many variations between public VET providers within the same state and territory. Implications arising from this finding include the difficulty to analyse the impact of fees and charges on student participation, and the difficulty for students to compare course costs between institutions. Additionally, if a nationally consistent policy for fees and charges was introduced, it should be developed from a set of agreed principles.
This paper was presented to the Australasian Evaluation Society International Conference, in Auckland, New Zealand, on 18 September 2003. It highlights the success of the National Vocational Education and Training Research and Evaluation (NVETRE) program in contributing to policy and planning in Australia.
Training packages are a key reform of the vocational education and training (VET) system. This report describes how the implementation of training packages has led to new, flexible approaches to training and assessment at six case study sites. It also shows this implementation has affected the role of registered training organisations, industry bodies, and enterprises. While most of these changes were positive, the case studies also revealed challenges experienced when these new approaches were implemented.
This report explores the ways in which quality is defined and understood within vocational education and training (VET) systems, and the indicators that various systems and institutions have adopted around the world. The quality indicators have been brought together into an evaluative framework and reveal Australia's need to consider how to accommodate the aspirations of learners in a changing society and to better meet broad community needs.
Small businesses, like larger enterprises, need the capacity to respond to the changing demands and requirements of the economy. This report identifies opportunities for Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system to work collaboratively with local associations, organisations and networks to meet the educational needs of small business. It confirms small business operators learn via informal and local networks, and want training that directly addresses their specific needs. The report is based on a study that examined the processes small business undertook to implement the goods and services tax (GST) and the associated business activity statement (BAS).
This report explores how, and to what extent training packages are locally customised to meet the needs of stakeholders in regional and local communities. In doing so it investigates who the stakeholders are, what they want from training and whether their needs are being met.
Generic skills are gaining importance internationally and in Australia. This 'At a glance' explains how generic skills can be fostered in vocational education and training (VET) programs and workplaces. It also focuses on research into describing, teaching, learning, assessing, recognising, and certifying these important skills, and includes the views of a variety of groups. A complementary publication 'Defining generic skills: At a glance' is also available.
A descriptive analysis of recent pathways to apprenticeships is presented in this report. It finds pre-apprenticeship programs can play an effective role providing short-term vocational training to young people as a means of improving their chances to gaining an apprenticeship. The report is based on analysis of NCVER data and interviews with students, trainers, training experts, and representatives of industry.
Assessing generic skills in a selection of training packages is the focus of this report. Based on case studies, the authors also examine how these skills are understood by trainers and learners. The report contains a comprehensive literature review of assessment of generic skills.
This report provides a statistical overview of Indigenous peoples' participation and outcomes in vocational education and training (VET) over the period of implementation of the Australian National Training Authority's 'Partners in a learning culture' strategy. It was developed as an outcome of the mid-term review of this strategy. The data analysis provides base benchmarks against which trends over the coming years, and up to 2005 (when the strategy is due to end), can be assessed. The data are all sourced from the national VET statistical collections managed by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research.