This report considers different perspectives of higher education qualifications offered by TAFE institutes, focusing on associate degrees and degrees.
This paper was presented by Robin Shreeve at the NCVER Research on Toast seminar in March 2009. It briefly compares the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia with its equivalent in England, which is known as the skills or further education sector. The paper then outlines two key aspects of the English VET sector which might be of use to Australia: using course completion rates as a key performance measure at all levels of the VET sector; and using vocational 'foundation degrees' as a way for students to articulate between the VET and higher education sectors
In this At a glance we summarise what is known about student transfer between the vocational education and training (VET) and higher education sectors. Transfer occurs when a student who has enrolled in one sector subsequently commences a qualification in the other. Some students have completed their first qualification, but some have not. The second qualification may be in the same field of education as the first or a different one. Transfer may occur early in a person's career and be part of a period of adjustment as they refine their career goals. It may also occur at a much later stage and be related to new career directions. We find that data on transfer between these tertiary education sectors is subject to many limitations and that estimates of the magnitude of transfer in both directions vary greatly.
This paper discusses a number of aspects of this tertiary education sector: the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which describes the qualifications offered by the three education sectors: schools, higher education and VET; student characteristics of the two sectors; a characterisation of higher education and VET; and student movement between the two sectors.
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 could enhance the experience for those people wishing to pursue this pathway.
Over the past ten years the changing landscape of society, work and education has led to significant changes in career development services in Australia. This 'At a glance' gives an overview of recent research exploring how these services respond to the different client groups.
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 when they undertook apprenticeships and traineeships did students find employment related to their field, and that more emphasis needs to be placed on developing strategies to assist deaf students to overcome attitudinal barriers in the workplace.
The recent research on the role that vocational education and training (VET) plays in assisting the transition from school to work for young people up to 24 years of age is summarised in this 'at a glance' publication.
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 education. The study concludes that pathways, while not necessarily seamless, and (as the title indicates) are often not straightforward, do work for the students interviewed.
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 students studying part-time, and the move occurred some time after completing university. Often they chose to study in a different field of education to improve their prospects in their current career. On the other hand, VET to university students tended to be younger and studying full-time, and the move to higher education tended to occur soon after completing VET. Usually they chose to study in the same or a similar field of study to retrain for a different career.
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. It finds a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to recognition of prior learning is rarely effective, but should be linked to the enterprise's overall business and training plans, which ensures it evolves as part of the organisations' needs. For enterprises, recognition of prior learning offers whole-of-organisation benefits, including confirmation of employees' skills and corporate information developed over time, and greater training efficiencies. Employees reveal both personal and organisational benefits, such as having existing personal skills recognised and certified, identifying skill gaps, and achieving nationally recognised and portable qualifications which are recognised outside the enterprise.
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. However, the demand on resources - time and funds - are viewed by providers as factors which limit the promotion of RPL and its use by students, particularly those from disadvantaged groups.
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.
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.
The implementation and management of recognition of prior learning (RPL) by registered training organisations following the introduction of Australian Quality Training Framework standards are reviewed in this report. Proposals to support registered training organisations' compliance with RPL in the standards are also included. The report is based on work commissioned by the Australian National Training Authority to identify and analyse the barriers that affect the implementation of RPL, and to advise the National Training Quality Council.
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) and credit transfer have become widely accepted and applied in the vocational education and training (VET) sector throughout the 1990s. This review documents their development between 1995 and 2001, giving an overview of Australian research with analyses of national data for the period. This report documents how and where RPL is applied and its perceived benefits and barriers. It also discusses emerging issues and implications for VET. The authors put forward policy proposals regarding RPL and credit transfer to enhance the flexibility of training and assessment in the VET sector and assessment practices nationally.
The outcomes of this project were intended to facilitate and contribute to further research into the movement of students in both directions between TAFE and university and into cross-sectoral credit transfer arrangements.
This publication provides an overview of research findings on the pathways young people take when they leave school. Also examined are data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics which track the labour market outcomes of young people.
This book addresses the issue of whether or not skills learnt in one context are able to transfer successfully to other contexts. The findings showed that being able to perform a skill successfully in one context is not a guarantee of being able to perform the same skill in a different context. However, higher levels of proficiency in the first task increased the likelihood of higher levels of proficiency in the second task. Comparisons are made for males and females and for students of different ability groupings.
This study of higher education graduates undertaking South Australian TAFE courses was conducted to identify the reasons why higher education graduates undertake TAFE courses after graduating from a higher education course and how appropriate they found the TAFE course to their needs. The appropriateness of teaching styles and curriculum design are also investigated.